Moffat

the earless ram statue in the center of town
the earless ram statue in the center of town

Moffat is a very nice little town that is well known for it’s woollen mills — a tourist attraction that warrants a humungous parking lot for tour busses. Whew! We stopped into town for lunch at one of the many pubs in town and wandered through the shops looking for a ‘non-scratchy’ arran sweater. No luck.

Most of the town surrounds the woollen mills and shops, and the main street (still cobbled in places) is lined with gift shops and little cafes. It was very crowded when we arrived (we parked just after four enormous tour busses disgorged their passengers into the woollen mill tour), but we had a nice time walking through town for an hour or so before we could eat.

the tower of the Moffat churchyard
the tower of the Moffat churchyard

The statue of the ram in the center of town is rather funny — it is meant to represent the importance of sheep and wool in the economy of the Tweed Valley. However, the sculptor forgot the ears. Grand set of horns, but no ears. Supposedly, he committed suicide when he realized that the statue had been erected anyways. At least that’s what the bartender at the pub told us. I liked the town kirk — it needed just a bit of gardening on it’s spire.

the tower needs a bit of pruning
the tower needs a bit of pruning

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