The Royal Burgh of Annan has a long and intriguing story.
People have lived beside the River Annan for thousands of years. Roman forces passed through this landscape, and later Norse influence along the Solway helped shape traditions such as haaf-net fishing, still practised today.
In the early 12th century the de Brus family, later ancestors of Robert the Bruce, built their castle here at Everholm beside the river crossing. Flooding later damaged the site and their principal stronghold moved to Lochmaben, but Annan remained an important centre within Annandale.
In 1538, King James V granted Annan its Royal Charter, confirming its status as a royal burgh. Over the following centuries the town developed as a harbour, market centre and place of learning. Robert Burns later worked along the Solway coast as an excise officer and wrote The Deil’s Awa wi’ the Exciseman during this period.
By the 19th century Annan was thriving. Shipyards along the river built vessels for trade across Britain and overseas, while locally quarried red sandstone was exported widely and can still be seen in buildings far beyond the town.
One tradition that still links present-day Annan with its burgh past is the Riding of the Marches, when the town’s historic boundaries are ceremonially followed each summer – a reminder of Annan’s long-standing civic identity.
Annan’s motto is Ut Flumen Sic Oppidum – As the river, so the town.
Across the town you’ll discover nine interpretation panels,
each telling the story of the place where you are standing. Every panel
includes a map showing three colour-coded routes:
- Easy – (Green) – 1.9 miles · around 40 minutes
- Moderate – (Blue) – 2.6 miles · around 55 minutes
- Challenging – (Red) – 3.4 miles · around 1 hour 15 minutes
Each panel also includes three QR codes:
- Scan to Listen for an immersive audio journey around Annan
- Scan for More History for additional background information and images
- History Hound for younger explorers
Annan Motte and Bailey
Smuggling on The River Annan
Town Hall and the Statue of Robert the Bruce
The Savings Bank
Annan War Memorial
The Wynd with Two Names
The Queensberry Arms Hotel
The Blue Bell Inn
Bridge House and Annan Bridge
Albert Hall
Jubilee Gardens
Annan Harbour — Gateway to the World
The Railways and Emigration
Annan Academy
The British Linen Bank
The Old Post Office
Annan Museum
Regent House and the Corner House Hotel
Downie’s Wynd and The Riding of The Marches
The Buck Inn
Robert Burns (The Café Royal)
Annandale Observer
Annan Gracie’s Banking
Edward Balliol Wynd
Argyle House
Annan Old Parish Church – Edward Irving S
Dirom Mausoleum