From the landscape scarred by centuries of mining work to the humble single-storey whitewashed cottages dotted along the hillside, Wanlockhead doesn’t seem to be much of a draw for visitors.
I have arrived at the center of this small Scottish town surrounded by relics of its industrial past. It is a cold, windswept place hidden between a range of dark, gentle mountains.
But it has a big claim to fame, as this scattered settlement, home to just 150 hardy souls, is the highest village in Scotland. It attracts thousands of visitors a year, who come to see what it’s like to live 466 meters (1,531 feet) above sea level.
Like me, they discover that Wanlockhead has a hidden charm that is more than just its position at the top of the altitude hierarchy.
For outsiders, the first surprise is that Wanlockhead is not in the snowy northern Highlands, but in the little-known south-west corner of the country. The Southern Galloway Highlands may seem quite peaceful compared to the Grampians and Cairngorms, but they include some major peaks, ski resorts and this, the highest settlement in the country.
Simon Heptinstall visits Wanlockhead, Scotland’s highest village
Wanlockhead attracts thousands of visitors a year, who come to see what it is like to live 466 meters (1,531 ft) above sea level.
Lead Mining Museum is much more fascinating than it seems, says Simon
That makes it easier for visitors. Unlike those remote places in the Highlands, getting to Wanlockhead is very easy.
It is only seven miles from the highway. It takes me less than an hour to drive from the center of Glasgow. The roads surrounding the town, although passing through spectacular scenery, are wonderfully wide and smooth.
However, the village pub has a crazy atmosphere at the end of the road. I find the Wanlockhead Inn among the trees on one of the highest points in the village, overlooking the distant mountains. There’s a replica of the bright orange ‘General Lee’ muscle car from the Dukes of Hazzard TV series at the entrance, a collection of wooden glamping pods in the garden, and the feel of a student bar inside.
I see a stolen 40mph speed limit sign on the wall, some motorcycle parts, autographed electric guitars and a menu including ‘I Don’t Care Burgers’ with or without cheese for £7.50. Scotland’s highest pub brews its own beer and holds an annual ‘Jocktober Beer Fest’ featuring haggis currywurst. A sign inside says “unsupervised children will be given a free espresso and puppy.”
Aside from its entertaining inn, Wanlockhead’s main attraction seems a little heavier. But the Lead Mining Museum is much more fascinating than it seems.
Wanlockhead is located in the “little known” south-west corner of Scotland.
Wanlockhead is “very easy to get to”, writes Simon, as it is less than an hour’s drive from Glasgow city centre.
A replica of the ‘General Lee’ muscle car from the Dukes of Hazzard television series stands at the entrance to the Wanlockhead Inn
The village pub “has a crazy end-of-the-road atmosphere”
The pub menu includes ‘I Don’t Care Burgers’ with or without cheese for £7.50
A sign inside the pub warns parents what will happen if their children go unsupervised
It is essentially a tour of the area around the central museum, which is located in the town’s old blacksmith shop. This historic site is where Robbie Burns once stopped in the snow to re-shoe his horse into crampon-style shoes. He paid for the work by writing the poem “Pegasus” and giving it to the blacksmith.
Today, unfortunately, poems are of no use, you have to buy a ticket. But it’s worth it because the museum is just one part of a trail that tells the story of lead, copper and gold mining here since Roman times. Signposted paths wind through the valley to miners’ cottages, an atmospheric reading room and the UK’s only intact water-powered beam engine.
The most exciting thing is a short tour through a mine tunnel with helmets and torches.
There are even rows of sinks next to the babbling village stream, for visitors to try their hand at panning for gold. It’s such a common local skill that the world gold panning championship was held here this year, attracting expert prospectors from around the world.
In the unglamorous spot between the parking lot and the cottage gardens, it seems unlikely that you will ever strike gold. But then I learned that the gravel from many of the burns in the area contains abundant amounts of small flakes of gold and even the occasional nugget.
Some visitors get excited enough to purchase their own equipment and a museum license. There are 30-minute gold tasting courses available or a five-hour course for serious prospectors with local professional prospector Leon Kirk, who found a nugget worth £15,000 this spring.
Local gold was used to form the Scottish parliamentary mace. In fact, some of the purest gold ever found in the world was discovered in these cold hillside streams. The 22.8 carat gold from Wanlockhead, raised here in the 16th century, was considered such a valuable specimen that it was used to make the Crown of Scotland.
But with or without gold, visiting Wanlockhead is a valuable experience.
More information: visitscotland.com.
Where to stay: Wooden glamping pods in the Hotels in Wanlockhead from £20 per person. Visit wanlockheadinn.co.uk/accommodation.
Simon writes: “The roads around the village, although passing through spectacular scenery, are wonderfully wide and smooth.”