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Through no fault of its own, Lockerbie is the most infamous small town in Scotland. In 1988 a Pan American World Airways 747 left Heathrow carrying a bomb manufactured in Malta and placed in luggage that was transferred to the plane in Germany. The bomb blew up in flight, destroying the plane, Pan Am 103, in what is now referred to as the Lockerbie Bombing. Large pieces of it landed on Lockerbie, killing eleven people on the ground in addition to the 259 passengers and crew who died in the explosion. There is a memorial wall in the cemetery with the names of all who died, memorial books and plaques in churches and the public library and an impressive stained glass window in the council chambers of Lockerbie's Town Hall. There is much more to Lockerbie than just 103 memorials, though.
History and architecture
Lockerbie's name comes from Old Norse, attesting to the town's existence as early as the Viking Age, but the area was inhabited long before the Vikings came. There is a Roman camp a mile away built around the Scots' own visually striking Burnswark hill fort. The Kilwood Rocking Stone lies nearby, as do an assortment of stone circles and individual monoliths.
A somewhat less ancient monument lies somewhat to the south of the town. Hallmuir Prisoner-of-War Camp housed 450 Ukranians who had fought for Germany in World War II. As the Ukraine was in Soviet hands at the end of the war, by the terms of the Yalta Conference they should have been repatriated to face execution or life sentences as traitors. At the urging of the Catholic Church, however, they came to be understood as fighters against communism rather than for the Nazis, and so were allowed to settle in the UK or in Canada as refugees. About 450 of these were initially housed at Hallmuir. They soon found work at local farms and woodlands and eventually blended into the larger community, but while at Hallmuir they decorated one of the huts as a Ukranian chapel. It still stands and still holds services once a month. The exterior is just a prefabricated hut, but the interior is so elaborately decorated that it is now a listed structure.
The main construction material in Lockerbie is a local red sandstone with an unusual quality. Its visual appearance changes with the weather, so that on overcast days the town appears quite dreary and when the sun comes out it can be almost glaringly bright. The Town Hall with its clock tower is one good example of this material, and Dryfesdale Parish Church is another. The church's plaster work is done in white and shades of pink, with gallery seating above the main level and a huge pipe organ behind the marble pulpit with its delicate pink veins.
Things to see and do
Animal lovers will be touched by the Mossburn Animal Centre, a shelter that cares for neglected and abused animals as well as providing animal therapy for special needs children and adults. Mossburn cares for animals from guinea pigs to cattle and horses, sending them to adoptive homes where feasible.
On a ridge to the west of town sprawls the Lockerbie Golf Club, a delightful parkland course with wonderful views of Annandale and the surrounding hills. Outfitters in the area can arrange shooting expeditions with either clay pigeons or game birds as the target and can also set up fly fishing and sea fishing. A local equestrian centre offers hacking, cross country and endurance rides, and cyclists will find local roads suited to any level of fitness and expertise.
Access and Places To Stay
Lockerbie is well served by rail links, with frequent connections to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Manchester. The M74, technically called the A74(M) at that point, passes through Lockerbie offering quick road access to Glasgow and Carlisle. Motor coaches also serve Lockerbie, as do local buses.
Lodging may range from elaborate country hotels down to a bare campsite, depending on the visitor's desires, and meals are available at any level of formality.
Accommodation in Lockerbie
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