📌 Village in Dumfries & Galloway
★
With all Scotland’s hills and high ground, you might be surprised to find out that the UK’s highest village is actually in England. So with that disappointment out of the way, where is the highest settlement in Scotland? Another surprise: it’s the former mining village of Wanlockhead, ironically in the Scottish Lowlands, at about 410 metres above sea level. Despite the record, few people probably come here to see Wanlockhead itself. Much more interesting are the extensive Museum of Lead Mining, the nearby narrow-gauge adhesion railway (the UK’s highest), and the scenic roads you follow to get here. The Wanlockhead Inn (you guessed it – the highest in Scotland) serves simple but filling pub grub, perfect for passing hikers on the Southern Upland Way. Surrounding hills provide good walking country, though with the scenery a little spoiled by, well, spoil heaps from the old mines. Radio masts and radar stations top the highest summits to the southeast; there’s also a fledgling ski club here.
🌍 Location
📌 Dumfries & Galloway
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 874130
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.397725,-3.779774
🚶 The village is small and there are good local hill walks. The southern end of the heritage railway is a short distance away.
🚌 Surprisingly, there are a few buses – most frequently from Lanark.
Explore nearby
<1 mi away
>> Mennock Pass (B797) ★★★
>> Museum of Lead Mining ★★★★
<3 mi away
>> Leadhills and Wanlockhead Railway ★★★ (Leadhills station) (1 mi ↑)
