Carsphairn
Carsphairn is a village which sits at the foot of Cairnsmore of Carsphairn and alongside the Water of Deugh.
An independent parish since 1627, the village thrived through agriculture and mining, and today has a wonderful calendar of social and cultural events. A warm welcome awaits visitors in Carsphairn, whether you are stopping by for a traditional tearoom lunch or spending more time in the area for walking, cycling, or one of the annual festivals or shows that take place locally.
Wildlife & Natural Beauty
The area around Carsphairn is full of wildlife. In the hills there are mountain hares, red deer, golden eagles, red grouse, barn owls, short-eared owls, merlin, peregrine falcons and hen harriers. Cuckoos can be heard in spring, and the once abundant curlew is still heard locally. The rivers are home to the native white-clawed crayfish and brown trout, and you may be lucky to see ospreys fishing in the lochs and rivers. Frogs, toads and newts live in the wetland areas, and otter and American mink live in the watercourses. Herons are often seen lurking quietly, waiting to catch a fish, or flying majestically overhead.
Red squirrels and pine martens inhabit the woods, as well as pipistrelle bats, great spotted woodpeckers, siskins, and nuthatches which have colonised in recent years. You may come across signs of the elusive wild boar and see roe, red, and fallow deer. Carsphairn village is a home for much of the wildlife, with sparrowhawks attracted by garden birds, and swallows returning each summer to nest. Reptiles such as slow-worms and adders are known to live near the old Salutation Inn. In the grasslands, look out for brown hares, weasels, stoats, foxes, mice and voles, and birds of prey such as kestrels, buzzards and red kites swooping and circling above. The colourful sphagnum moss is ever-present and in spring primroses and rare orchids abound.
Heritage & Culture
The heritage of Carsphairn stretches back thousands of years. Cup-and-ring marks from the Iron Age can be found on rocks; there are hundreds of these across Scotland, and their meaning remains unknown. There are seven Iron Age mottes in the area, including Holm motte and the hill fort at Stroanfreggan. At Carnavel there is a late Mesolithic burial mound and local cairns include the Lagwyne Cairn, Lamford Cairn and King’s Cairn – the latter a chambered cairn that is around 4,000 years old. Christian history is represented by medieval Celtic crosses, with one on Braidnoch Hill.
Farming has been a key part of life in and around Carsphairn since ancient times. Some of the area’s drystane dykes are between 200-300 years old and often built around woods, to keep livestock from damaging the trees. Stone buchts (sheep pens) and circular sheep stells (shelters for the flocks) still stand throughout the hills.
Historically there were many schools in the area, including Stroanfreggan, Muir and Meadowhead schools, and Carsphairn Schoolhouse, which was built in 1723. On Carsphairn’s main street, the Salutation Inn was an old coaching inn. Once upon a time it had its own golf course, and visitors would book rooms for the grouse-shooting locally (the Muir school was also at one time a shooting lodge). There were curling ponds locally and people gathered to play indoor bowls at Stroanfreggan bowling hut.
For something a little different, why not explore one of the deserted villages in the area, which include Polmaddy town, an 18th century farming settlement abandoned 200 years ago, and Nether Bow near the Water of Deugh. Before this watercourse became a hydro-electric scheme and the dam was built, Tinkler’s Loup was where local people would demonstrate their courage and athleticism with a leap across the gorge (pictured). Lead was extracted at Woodhead Mines in the mid-1800s, where at one time 10 workers’ dwellings housed 71 residents. The ruins of these cottages can still be seen today. Earlstoun Tower House (also called Earlstoun Castle) is a scheduled monument dating to the 16th century. Carsphairn Church was built in 1635 and is known for its unusual central communion table. There is a rich Covenanting history in the area, with Covenanters’ graves in the churchyard and in local fields and hills, including one on Cairnsmore of Carsphairn. One of the famous Striding Arches built by artist Andy Goldsworthy can be found on Benbrack Hill.
Notable residents include John Loudon McAdam, who invented tarmac and lived at Waterhead Farm, having moved to Carsphairn as a child. Carsphairn Angling Club was formed by Lettice Lucy Clark Kennedy of Knockgray in 1938, when the Water of Ken was dammed to create Kendoon Loch. A descendant, William Hew Clark-Kennedy, received the Victoria Cross during WWI.
The Heritage Centre in Carsphairn has periodic displays and can support visitors exploring family history and genealogy. For more information on the fascinating heritage of Carsphairn, pop into the Heritage Centre in person, or visit www.carsphairn.org (and our thanks to the organisation for supplying the historic images used on this page).
Recreation & Enjoyment
Exploring the outdoors is a source of enjoyment, with activities such as wild swimming, hill walking, cycling, fishing and camping, sledging in winter and even hang gliding from the Rhins of Kells! There is so much local wildlife and heritage to discover and popular hobbies among residents include bird watching, metal detecting, and photography, which captures the stunning landscapes surrounding Carsphairn and the expanse of dark skies overhead.
Hillwalking groups from Glasgow and elsewhere visit Carsphairn to tackle the Rhins of Kells, which afford magnificent views to match those of the Scottish Highlands. Local woodlands at Muirdrochwood and the path to the summit of Cairnsmore of Carsphairn are also fantastic walks and not so challenging as those in the north!
Knockengorroch, Scotland’s longest-running greenfield festival and a Proud Supporter of the UNESCO Biosphere, sits in the hills above the village and attracts thousands of visitors to the area each spring. Within the community, regular gatherings and events include the Carsphairn Heritage Initiative, craft group, Scottish Women’s Institute, Monday Social Warm Club and Bairn Banter for the toddlers. Events for young and old include the Easter Egg Hunt, parties at Halloween and Christmas, village markets, the seniors’ Christmas dinner and ‘The Big Lunch’, an annual celebratory get-together for the whole community. Carsphairn Community Woodland, based at Muirdrochwood, runs workshops and activities and has a hide for bird-spotting.
The Carsphairn Agricultural Show is a summer highlight, embodying the traditions of Scotland’s farming and agricultural shows and showcasing crafts, plants and baking in the industrial section. In the breed classes a red ticket in the Scottish Blackface sheep section is particularly prestigious, and renowned sheepdog trials also take place. Carsphairn Show is over 130 years old and is an event that welcomes everyone, both local and visitors, every year.
Local Produce
There is a huge variety of food produced locally. Blackface sheep, Galloway and Belted Galloway cattle are reared for lamb and mutton, deer-stalking produces delicious venison, and people can fish at the trout farm. Eggs, jams, preserves and home-baking are available at events and in Carsphairn Tearoom and community shop.
The skills of heritage and cottage crafts such as spinning, weaving, and sewing are kept alive by Carsphairn locals; there is a resident tailor in the village. Arts and crafts are a big part of life, and there are innovative enterprises in the area such as Trans-K9, which makes dog cages for cars. Timber is processed at the plantation woodland and at Carsphairn Community Woodland, which also offers a steady supply of firewood for local people – and for the visitors enjoying a woodburning stove in the colder months.
Tranquility
In the village the war memorial, community tearoom garden, and community garden are peaceful places. Often home is a source of tranquility for local people, with so many enjoying views over fields of cattle and sheep.
Just outside the village the Green Well of Scotland, Woodhead mines, Polmaddy (pictured) and Knockengorroch are very special places. Walking and hiking provides tranquility of mind and the chance to connect with nature, with notable routes taking in Polskeoch Bothy on the Southern Upland Way and Cairnsmore of Carsphairn, one of south Scotland’s highest peaks. Muirdrochwood is ideal for a more gentle stroll with plenty of places to taking a break; look out for the carved tree-truck seats, or relax in the quiet of the woodland bird hide.
Inspiration
The natural beauty of Carsphairn is a source of inspiration, with the tapestry landscape of hills and hilltops, flowing water and stunning night skies; sometimes you will be treated to spectacular displays of the aurora borealis. The coming of spring is important with the return of cuckoos and swallows, and the sounds of rare and distinctive birdsong such as the mourning curlew. Changing weather brings beautiful rainbows, and changing seasons the colours of autumn leaves and rowan berries. There is peace and often silence here. The people, community, and sense of history in the area are a true source of inspiration for thinkers, creatives, and anyone who really wants to get to know southwest Scotland and the UNESCO Biosphere.
