Wigtown

About Wigtown

Wigtown is Scotland’s National Book Town, where the books outnumber people 250-1. Home to 17 bookshops and book-related businesses, including Scotland’s largest secondhand bookshop, Wigtown hosts the world’s only bookshop AirBnB and the annual Wigtown Book Festival.

The town has an array of cafes and independent shops, centred around a large community garden, open year-round. Walks around town offer views of the Galloway Hills and Wigtown Bay; a large area of salt marsh and the biggest Local Nature Reserve in Britain. The salt marsh hosts a wealth of wildlife, especially birds, which can be viewed from the bird hide at the local harbour. Wigtown is a dog-friendly town, with green open spaces and dog-friendly cafes.

Wigtown is the former county seat and the impressive County Buildings hosts community events, a library and a museum. The Martyrs' Stake commemorates the spot where Covenanters Margaret Maclauchlan and Margaret Wilson were drowned in May 1685 and can be viewed on the Martyrs Stake Path at the edge of the town. Wigtown was awarded its Book Town status in 1998 after a period of economic instability in the 90s. The town has seen marked regeneration since, welcoming tourists from across the globe and hosting Scotland's second-largest book festival.