Annan, Dumfries an Gallowa

**Annan**  is a toun an umwhile ryal burgh in Dumfries an Gallowa, soothwast Scotland. Historically pairt o Dumfriesshire, its public biggins includes Annan Academy, o whit the scriever Thomas Carlyle wis a scholart, an a Georgian biggin noo kent as "Bridge House". The Toun Hoose wis biggit in Victorian style in 1878, uisin the local saundstane. Annan featurs a Historic Resources Centre an aw. In Port Street, some o the windaes remeens blockit up tae avyde payin the windae tax.

Ilk year on the first Seturday in Julie, Annan celebrates the Ryal Chairter an the boonds o the Ryal Burgh is confirmt whan a muntit cavalcade unnertaks the Riding of the Marches. Enterteenment includes a paraud, sports, field shaws, an amasst pipe baunds.

## Geography

Annan staunds on the River Annan - fae whit it is name't - nearly 2 mile fae its mooth, accessible tae boats o 60 ton as faur as Annan Brig an 300 ton within 0.5 mile o the toun. It is 15 mile fae Dumfries by rail, in the region o Dumfries an Gallowa on the Solway Firth in the sooth o Scotland. Eastriggs is aboot 3 mile til the east an Gretna is aboot 8 mile til the east.

## History

Roman orrals exist nearby.

Annan Castle formt the oreeginal hame o the de Brus faimily, later kent as 'the Bruces', lairds o Annandale, that maist famous produce't Robert the Bruce. It wis at the Battle o Annan in December 1332 that Bruce supporters owerwhalmt Balliol's forces tae bring aboot the end o the first invasion o Scotland in the Seicont War o Scots Unthirldom. The Balliols an the Douglases wis  mair or less close associatit wi Annan an aw.

Bruce's Wall is a naitural spring that is on the edge o the River Annan juist dounstream o the Gala Burn an its Glen. It is associatit wi Robert the Bruce as recordit bi Historic Environment Scotland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGx9ahEPJt8.

Durin the speal o Mairches lawlessness the woners dreed aftwhiles at the haunds o moss-troupers an throu the fieds o rival faimilies, in addeetion til the losses caused bi the Wars o Scots Unthirldom. Durin his retreat fae Derby, Bonnie Prince Charlie steyed in the Heich Steet at the inn whaur the "Back to the Buck" noo staunds.

Wi the river embankit, Annan served as a maritime toun whase shipyairds biggit mony clippers an ither boats. A cairn on the jet commemorates Robert Burns, that wrocht as an exciseman here in the 1790s. Awthou the port is noo mainly dry, a wheen o saundit boats remeen.

Annan Academy haes a history that gangs back til the 17t century an alumni includin Thomas Carlyle. Its nouadays campus on St John's Road maistly dates til the 1960s.

Efter the Acts o Union 1707, Annan, Dumfries, Kirkcoubrie, Lochmaben, and Sanchar formt the Dumfries destrict o burghs, electin ae member atween thaim til the Hoose o Commons. Annan afore formt Annan in the Pairlament o Scotland an the Convenery o the Estates o Scotland. In 1871, the Dumfries Burghs haed a population o 3,172 an the ryal burgh o Annan haed 4,174 governt bi a provost an 14 cooncillors. A Harbour Trust wis estaiblisht in 1897 tae impruive the port.

By 1901, the population wis 5,805, bidin maistly in reid saundstane biggins.

The train turntable wis designt and developit in Annan; it can be seen thir days in the York Railway Museum.

## Laundmerks

Juist ootside the toun, the Chapelcross nuclear pouer station haes noo shut doun an is bein decommissiont. The fower cuilin tours wis demolisht in 2007.

Nearby, John Maxwell, 4t Laird Herries o Terregles biggit Hoddam Castle –1565)

Til the east o the toun is locatit the sattlement o Watchill an the seemilar name't Watchhall.

Pairt o the A75 road atween Annan an Dumfries is reported tae be hauntit.

### Distillery

Annandale Distillery his nou offeecial re-appent in Annan, that last produce't a Lawland single maut 90 year syne; awthou it is yet in early stages.

### Kirks

Annan is served by several kirks o different denominations, includin:

* Annan Auld Pairish Kirk, High Street (Kirk o Scotland)(Church of Scotland)
* St Andrew's Pairish Kirk, Bank Street (Kirk o Scotland)
* Annan URC, Station Road (Unitit Reformt Kirk)
* St John's Church, St John's Road (Scots Episcopal Kirk)
* St Columba's Kirk, 40 Scots Street (Catholic Kirk) 
Biggit as a Congregational kirk in 1794, it becam a Catholic kirk in 1839. Addit tae in 1904 by Charles Walker o Newcastle upon Tyne as the gift o the pairish priest the Rev Canon Lord Archibald Douglas.

Thare is a local interkirk group an aw, kent as the Annandale Churches Together.

## Economy

In the 19t century, Annan wis connectit til the Glasgow and South Western Railway, Caledonian Railway, an the Solway Junction Railway. It exportit ham, beef, mutton, an grain tae England; it produce't cotton claith, raips, ships, an saumon an aw. By the First Warld War, it was a centre o baucon-hammin, distillin, tannin, saundstane quarrelin, an nursery gairdenin an aw.

## Transportation

Annan Brig, a stane brig o three airches, biggit atween 1824 an 1827, cairies road traffeck ower the River Annan. It wis designt bi Robert Stevenson an biggit bi John Lowry. Thare is a railwey brig an a nearby pedestrian brig ower the Annan an aw. It is yet served bi the Annan railwey station, the auld Solway Junction Railway station Annan Shawhill haein closed tae passengers in 1931 an tae frocht in 1955.

## Ootby acteevity

Annandale Wey is a 53-mile walkin route that wis appent in September 2009. The route rins throu Annandale, fae the soorce o the River Annan til the sea; it passes throu the town o Annan an offers interestin walkin baith up the river and down fae the toun.

## Namely fowk

* Andy Aitken (born 1978) - perfaisonal fitbawer, best kent for his lang service wi Queen of the South F.C.
* Cammy Bell (born 1986) - fitbawer
* Thomas Blacklock (1721-1791) - Scots poet
* Thomas Carlyle  (1795-1881) - Scots satricial scriever, essayist, historaian, an teacher
* David Gpw CBE (born 1957) - inventor o the i-Limb prosthetic haund
* Edward Irving (1792-1834) - clergyman, main feegur ahint the foondation o the Catholic Apostolic Kirk. Thare is a statue o him in the grunds o Annan Old Pairish Kirk. The statue wis relocatit fae ootside the toun haw in the 1960s.
* Ashley Jensen (born 1969) - Scots actress an narrator. Best kent for her roles in Extras an Ugly Betty
* George Johnston (1764-1823) - Breetish Marines officer, leader o the New Sooth Wales Rum Rebellion, Lieutenand-Governor there for a wee time
* David Leslie (1953-2008) - Scots racin driver
* William Ewart Lockhard RSA (1846-1900) - airtist
* Robert Murray M'Cheyne (1813-1843) - meenister, ordeent bi the Annan Presbytery
* David Payne (1843-1894) - Scots laundskip penter
* Jim Wallace (born 1954) - MSP for Orkney atween 1999 and 2007, an Depute First Meenister o Scotland atween 1999 an 2005, born in Annan
* Hardy Wright (1893-1974) - Scots grewhoond trainer, responsible for bringin the Barbican Cup (coorsin) tae Scotland for the first time.
* Jack Wright (1850-1929) - coorsin enthusiast, faither o Hardy Wright (abuin)

## Gailerie

File:The Riding of the Marches, Annan - geograph.org.uk - 194579.jpg|The Ridin o the Mairches, Annan, datin back tae til 13t century. Photae bi Lynne Kirton
File:Annan.jpg|Annan
File:AnnanHighSt.jpg|High Street
File:Annan Old Parish Churchyard - geograph.org.uk - 1496112.jpg|Annan Auld Parish Churchyard. Photae bi Walter Baxter
File:AnnanAcademy.jpg|Annan Academy (auld biggins)
File:AnnanWarMemorial.jpg|War memorial, High Street
File:Bruce statue.jpg|Bruce statue,Town Hoose
File:Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station 1.jpg|Chapelcross power station (cuilin towers noo demolisht)


## References

## External links
* 
* Annan Online
* Annan Academy Wabsteid
* Annan Juvenile Pipes an Drums
* Local Authority wabsteid
* National Library of Scotland: Scottish Screen Archive (archive film compilation of local events in Annan, 1925 – 1937)
* Video footage o Annan Herbour
* Video footage o the Gala Glen an Bruce's Wall