- Newton Stewart
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Coordinates: 54°57′29″N 4°29′31″W / 54.958°N 4.492°W
Newton Stewart Scottish Gaelic: Baile Ur nan Stiùbhartach 
The River Cree with Newton Stewart beyond
Newton Stewart
Newton Stewart shown within Dumfries and GallowayPopulation 3,573 (2001 Census) OS grid reference NX405655 Council area Dumfries and Galloway Lieutenancy area Wigtown Country Scotland Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town NEWTON STEWART Postcode district DG8 Dialling code 01671 Police Dumfries and Galloway Fire Dumfries and Galloway Ambulance Scottish EU Parliament Scotland UK Parliament Dumfries and Galloway Scottish Parliament Galloway and Upper Nithsdale List of places: UK • Scotland • Newton Stewart (Gd: Baile Ur nan Stiùbhartach) is a burgh town in the south of Scotland in the west of the region of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.
The town lies around the River Cree with the majority of the town to the west of the river, it is an administrative centre for the Machars area of Dumfries and Galloway.
Contents
History
Cairn Holy, one of a pair of chambered cairns near Newton Stewart.
The town was founded in the mid 17th Century by William Stewart, youngest son of the 2nd Earl of Galloway. The "New Town of Stewart" was granted Burgh status by charter from King Charles II allowing a weekly market and two annual fairs to be held.
It was on a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Ninian at Whithorn in 1329 that Robert the Bruce forded the river where the present bridge stands. Designed by John Rennie the Elder and built in 1813 it replaced the old bridge of 1745 which was destroyed by floods in 1806.
The industrialist, Sir William Douglas (died 1809), best known for founding the planned town of Castle Douglas, also established cotton mills in Newton Stewart, which was temporarily renamed "Newton Douglas" in his honour.
The nearby village of Blackcraig was once a major lead-mining centre. Granite from the area was used in the construction of most major dock-sides in Britain.
Present day
Newton Stewart is sometimes referred to as the "Gateway to the Galloway Hills". Newton Stewart has also recently been twinned with the French town of Marcoussis.
Industry
The main local industries are agriculture, forestry and tourism. The town hosts a local market, and a number of services to support the farming industry. Newton Stewart lies on the southern edge of the Galloway Forest Park, which supplies a large amount of jobs to the town.
Transport
Newton Stewart’s railway station closed in 1965, as a result of the Beeching Axe.[1] The nearest railway stations being at Stranraer Railway Station and Barrhill Railway Station which are 25 miles and 18.5 miles away from Newton Stewart respectively. The A75 road runs along the southern edge of the town, and connects the town to Stranraer in the west and Dumfries in the east. Local transport in and around the town and to places in South Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway is mainly provided by Stagecoach Western,[2] and locally based company James King Coaches.
Education
Newton Stewart has three primary schools:
- Penninghame
- Minnigaff
- St Ninian’s RC
The town has one secondary school, the Douglas Ewart High School.
Tourism
There are numerous nature trails nearby as part of Galloway Forest Park, managed on behalf of the state by Forest Enterprise. There is a local museum at St. John's Church, a doll's house exhibition and a butterfly and tropical plant house nearby. The latter two are no longer open for visitors. Newton Stewart is also only 7 miles from Scotland's book town Wigtown.
Trivia
The horror movie The Wicker Man was filmed almost entirely on location around Newton Stewart and had its premiere at its cinema in 1972. The artist and musician Bill Drummond of the KLF and K Foundation grew up in the town.
References
Categories:- Burghs
- Towns in Dumfries and Galloway
- Wigtown
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