Biggar Museum Trust facts for kids

The Biggar Museum Trust (BMT) is a charity located in and around the town of Biggar in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. A man named Brian Lambie started collecting amazing historical items from the Biggar area over 40 years. He and others then created the Biggar Museum Trust (BMT). This trust became responsible for several museums.

The old museum buildings were not ideal. They were hard to get into and cost a lot to look after. So, in 2010, the Trust found a large space in the middle of Biggar. They decided to build a brand new museum there. This new museum would bring all the collections together. It would also meet modern needs and visitor expectations.

The new museum project cost £2.2 million. More than half of this money came from people in Biggar and nearby villages. Other groups like the Clyde Wind Farm Community Fund, South Lanarkshire LEADER, and Museums Galleries Scotland also helped. The new museum is easy for everyone to visit. It has special parking for cars and buses.

Biggar & Upper Clydesdale Museum

The Biggar & Upper Clydesdale Museum opened its doors on July 28, 2015. This main museum has a special gallery. It shows the history of the area from ancient times up to the 1900s. There is also a street of shops inside. These shops are recreated from the town's past. They are filled with items from the museum's collection. The museum also has a special room for exhibitions. This room can display items borrowed from national collections.

Other Places to Explore

The Biggar Museum Trust also looks after other interesting historical sites.

Holy Trinity Chapel

Holy Trinity Chapel is a restored chapel. It was built to serve Lamington House, which is now gone. The chapel is about 3 miles from Biggar.

Brownsbank Cottage

Brownsbank Cottage was the home of a famous Scottish poet, Hugh MacDiarmid. Today, a writer lives there. This writer creates works in the Lowland Scots language. Brownsbank Cottage is about 5 miles from Biggar. You can visit it by making an appointment.

Biggar Gasworks Museum

The Biggar Gasworks Museum is very unique. It is the last gasworks in Scotland where coal was used to make town gas. This was before natural gas became common.

Biggar's Local Connections

Biggar has other interesting places to visit. These include The Puppet Theatre and the Corn Exchange Theatre and Art Gallery. The town also has strong links to the Scottish hero, William Wallace. A small bridge in Biggar is connected to him. However, his connection to Lanark is more widely known.