On visits to Scotland, I ususally stop at one of the two places (or both) on my way up and back again: Gretna Green and Moffat. I believe that tour buses/coaches also stop at these two places as there are usually buses here or space for bus parking. Gretna Green is a border town on the English-Scottish border, and Moffat is a bit further north-east. I will explain below why I enjoy visiting.
First stop is Gretna Green. Because it is a border town, it had different laws such as marriage age. Becuase of this, a lot of people in the old days flocked to the town to get eloped in the blacksmith's shop over the anvil. The blacksmith's shop is still here and a museum that can be visited. The anvil is here as well, and the museum talks about the location and its history. A lot of weddings still take place here daily, and I've seen them take place.
Gretna Green (follow signs to the old blacksmith's shop) is a complex shopping area. In addition to the museum and a cafe, there are a couple of gift shops here and a food store. On my last visit, I saw a guy playing bagpipes.
There are also a few notable sculptures here, including the one below featuring enter-twined hands to symbolise love.
Down the road about thirty minutes away is the town of Moffat, a small town in the Scottish countryside. The attraction here is Moffat Woolen Mill. It used to be a working woolen mill, and there is a small exhibition at the back near the toilets of the looms and a documentary on how they work. The complex is a huge gift shop, home shop, and clothing store. I love browsing here and came back with something that I've wanted for awhile - a mermaid pillow.
There is also a restaurant on site here, and I have eaten here a couple of times now. This time, I was with my parents, so we decided to get the special Christmas roast. This came with a cracker. I got the two course one, and that included a bowl of soup. The soup tasted delicious. The rest of the food was good too, but I thought that the vegetables were a little bit bland. They also serve afternoon tea here, and it's a lovely place to stop and have a browse and stretch legs. It's popular with older people who may be on the coach tours.
Both Gretna Green and Moffat Woolen Mill are worth a stop when traveling through the area. Have you ever been?
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