Biggar, South Lanarkshire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Biggar Scottish Gaelic: Bigear
Biggar Corn Exchange
Biggar
Population	2,640 (2020)
OS grid reference	NT045375
• Edinburgh	26 mi (42 km)
• London	317 mi (510 km)
Civil parish	Biggar
Council area	South Lanarkshire
Lieutenancy area	Lanarkshire
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BIGGAR
Postcode district	ML12
Police	Strathclyde
Fire	Strathclyde
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale
Scottish Parliament	Clydesdale
List of places UK Scotland 55°37′20″N 3°30′57″W / 55.6221°N 3.5158°W / 55.6221; -3.5158

Biggar (Scottish Gaelic: Bigear) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located in the Southern Uplands, close to the River Clyde. Nearby towns include Lanark, Peebles, and Carluke.

History of Biggar

Biggar is in an important spot between two of Scotland's main rivers: the Clyde and the Tweed. People have lived here for a very long time. Ancient tools from the Stone and Bronze Ages have been found.

Signs of Iron Age settlements from nearly 2,000 years ago are on hills around the town. For example, on Bizzyberry Hill. The main road through Biggar today, the A702, follows an old Roman road. This Roman road connected the Clyde Valley with Musselburgh.

In the 1100s, King David I gave the land of Biggar to a leader named Baldwin. Baldwin built an early type of castle called a motte and bailey castle. You can still see where it was, north-west of the High Street. The first permanent bridge over the Biggar Burn was also built around this time. People think there has been a church in Biggar since the 600s or 700s. The first stone church was built in 1164.

In the 1300s, the Fleming family received land in the area. They had supported Robert the Bruce, a famous Scottish king. The Flemings built Boghall Castle. It was a ruin until the early 1900s, but now only a few mounds remain. Biggar grew into an important market town. In 1451, it became a burgh, which is a special type of town. The market place is still the town's main center. The church was rebuilt in 1546. The Fleming family owned the lands until the 1700s.

Biggar Gas Works opened in 1836. It made gas from coal. In 1973, it closed when natural gas became common. Biggar also had its own railway station from 1860 to 1953.

In 1899, two farmers from Biggar, Thomas Blackwood Murray and Norman Fulton, started Albion Motors. This small business grew into a very large truck company. It was once the biggest truck company in the British Empire. The company still exists today as part of Leyland DAF.

In the summer of 1940, thousands of Polish soldiers stayed in Biggar. They had come from France during World War II. A famous singer, Richard Tauber, even performed for them. Later, the Polish soldiers moved to Scotland's east coast. They trained there to become the 1st Polish Armoured Division. They later fought in Normandy, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Biggar's Features

The sign for Biggar's puppet theatre, the 'Biggar Little Theatre'

Biggar once had a railway line called the Symington, Biggar and Broughton Railway. The old station and signal box are still there. Part of the railway line is now a public walking path. It is part of the Biggar Country Path network.

Remains of Biggar station in 1962

The town has two schools. Biggar Primary is a small school with about 238 students. Biggar High School is the secondary school. It also welcomes students from nearby villages. The High School shares its sports fields with the primary school.

In 2007, a group of Biggar residents started the Carbon Neutral Biggar project. Their goal is for Biggar to be the first carbon neutral town in Scotland. This means the town would balance the carbon it produces with the carbon it removes. They have connected with a similar group in Ashton Hayes, England.

Attractions in Biggar

Biggar has several interesting places to visit:

• The new Biggar & Upper Clydesdale Museum opened in 2015. It is run by the Biggar Museum Trust.
• The Biggar Gasworks Museum is the only preserved gas works in Scotland. It shows how gas was made in the past.
• Biggar Puppet Theatre is Scotland's only permanent puppet theatre. The Purves Puppets family runs it.
• Biggar Corn Exchange was built in 1861. It is now also used as a theatre.

Ian Hamilton Finlay's home and garden, called Little Sparta, is nearby. The town also hosts an annual arts festival called the Biggar Little Festival. Traditionally, Biggar has a huge bonfire at Hogmanay (New Year's Eve).

Notable People from Biggar

• Thomas Gladstones was born in Biggar. He was the grandfather of William Ewart Gladstone, who became a British Prime Minister.
• Hugh MacDiarmid, a famous Scottish poet, spent his later years near the town.
• John Brown (1810–1882) was born in Biggar. He was a doctor.
• John Pairman (1788–1843) was an artist who lived in Biggar.
• Prof Thomas Purdie (1843–1916) was a chemist.
• Erich Schaedler (1949–1985) was a footballer.
• Alice Maud Shipley (1869–1951) was a lady's maid.

Geography of Biggar

The town of Biggar is about 200 meters (656 feet) above sea level.

Climate

Biggar has an oceanic climate. This means it has mild temperatures and rain throughout the year. Camps Reservoir is a nearby weather station. It is located at an elevation of 295 meters (968 feet).

See also

In Spanish: Biggar para niños