 Leadhills Property For Sale & Rent
Leadhills Situated 1,350 ft above sea level, this village claims to be one of the highest in Scotland. It is
surrounded by very bare hills, which yielded lead for centuries, possibly
even during the Roman occupation; the lead mines were, however, closed in 1928. Gold is also found in small quantities in
the neighbouring streams; James IV encouraged Dutch and German prospectors for gold here
in the 16th cent.
Gold from the Lowther Hills to the south of Leadhills is included in the crown of Scotland, and when
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (then the Queen) opened the Daer Water
scheme in 1951 she was given a brooch of local gold.
Allan Ramsay (1686-1758), the Scottish poet, was born at Leadhills, his father being the
superintendent of the mines; in 1741 the
poet gave the village a circulating
library, the oldest of its kind in
Britain. It contains many interesting relics of the past.
There is a gravestone bearing the name John Taylor and the dates
1637-1770; he is said to have worked in the lead mines for over 100
years, his longevity being attributed to the clear hill air.
|
