Newton Stewart
{{Short description|Town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland}}
{{About|the Scottish town|the village in County Tyrone|Newtownstewart|the community in the United States|Newton Stewart, Indiana}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country = Scotland
| official_name = Newton Stewart
| gaelic_name = Baile Ùr nan Stiùbhartach
| area_total_km2 = 1.94
| population = {{Scottish locality populations|name|POP=Newton Stewart}}
| population_ref = ({{United Kingdom statistics year|ScotSettlement}}){{Scotland settlement population citation}}
| os_grid_reference = NX405655
| coordinates = {{coord|54.958|-4.492|display=inline,title}}
| unitary_scotland = Dumfries and Galloway
| lieutenancy_scotland = Wigtownshire
| constituency_westminster = Dumfries and Galloway
| constituency_scottish_parliament = Galloway and West Dumfries
| post_town = NEWTON STEWART
| postcode_district = DG8
| postcode_area = DG
| dial_code = 01671
| static_image_name = Cree Bridge.jpg
| static_image_caption = The River Cree with Newton Stewart beyond
| edinburgh_distance_mi = 85
| london_distance_mi = 299
}}
Newton Stewart (Gd: Baile Ùr nan Stiùbhartach) is a former burgh town in the historical county of Wigtownshire in Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland.
The town is on the River Cree with most of the town to the west of the river, and is sometimes referred to as the "Gateway to the Galloway Hills".{{cite web|url=http://www.newtonstewart.org |title=Newton Stewart, Gateway to the Galloway Hills, Dumfries and Galloway South West Scotland |publisher=Newtonstewart.org |access-date=2014-07-28}}
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. There are many mountain biking trails in the area. Newton Stewart lies on the southern edge of the Galloway Forest Park, which supplies many jobs to the town. Newton Stewart is {{convert|7|mi|km|0|abbr=off}} from Scotland's book town Wigtown.
History
File:Dashwood Square, Newton Stewart - geograph.org.uk - 767509.jpg in Dashwood Square]]
The town was founded in the mid 17th century by William Stewart, fourth and 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.sulwathconnections.org/uploads/reports/Leaflet2010.pdf |title=Three Trails... One Tale |publisher=Sulwathconnections.org |access-date=2014-07-28 |archive-date=30 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230233639/http://www.sulwathconnections.org/uploads/reports/Leaflet2010.pdf |url-status=dead }} Designed by John Rennie the Elder and built in 1813 the present bridge replaced the old bridge of 1745.{{cite web|url=https://www.scottish-places.info/towns/townfirst359.html|title=Newton Stewart|publisher= Gazetteer of Scotland|access-date=29 July 2022}}
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 renamed "Newton Douglas" in his honour but soon reverted to Newton Stewart.
The main municipal building in the town, the McMillan Hall, was completed in 1885.{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB38669|desc= Dashwood Square, The McMillan Hall, railings and gates|access-date=29 July 2022}}
Transport
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. Public transport in and around the town and to places in South Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway is mainly provided by Stagecoach Western.[http://www.stagecoachbus.com/western/ West Scotland – Home] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080714033242/http://www.stagecoachbus.com/western/ |date=2008-07-14 }}
Newton Stewart railway station was on the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway and closed in 1965, as a result of the Beeching Axe.[http://ccgi.ewanbeth.force9.co.uk/cgi-bin/chronology/dates.php?coname=Portpatrick%20%20Railway RAILSCOT | Chronology | Portpatrick Railway]{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The nearest railway stations are at Stranraer and Barrhill which are respectively {{convert|25|mi|km|abbr=on}} and {{convert|18+1/2|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} from Newton Stewart.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhkXWjtOjSY |title=Video and narration on Barrhill Railway Station|website=YouTube |access-date=29 July 2022}}
Education
Newton Stewart has three primary schools:
- Penninghame
- Minnigaff
- St Ninian’s RC (shut down)
The town has one secondary school, the Douglas Ewart High School.
Media
Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC Scotland and ITV Border. Television signals are received from one of the two local relay transmitters (Minnigaff {{cite web |url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Minnigaff |title=Freeview Light on the Minnigaff (Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland) transmitter|date=May 2004 |publisher=UK Free TV |access-date= 8 October 2023}} and Cambret Hill{{cite web |url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Cambret_Hill |title=Freeview Light on the Cambret Hill (Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland) transmitter|date=May 2004 |publisher=UK Free TV |access-date= 8 October 2023}}).
Local radio stations are BBC Radio Scotland on 93.1 FM and Greatest Hits Radio Dumfries & Galloway on 103.0 FM.
The Galloway Gazette and Dumfries & Galloway Standard are the town's local newspapers.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/scotland/galloway-gazette/|title=Galloway Gazette|date=10 May 2014|website=British Papers|accessdate=8 October 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/scotland/dumfries-galloway-standard/|title=Dumfries & Galloway Standard|date=13 July 2014|website=British Papers|accessdate=8 October 2023}}
The horror film The Wicker Man, set on the fictional privately-owned Scottish island of Summerisle, was filmed almost entirely (some opening scenes filmed in Plockton, Wester Ross also) on location around Newton Stewart, and had its premiere at its cinema in 1973.{{cite web|url=http://www.british-film-locations.com/The-Wicker-Man-1973|title=The Wicker Man|publisher=British Film Locations|access-date=8 February 2020|archive-date=19 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319225910/http://www.british-film-locations.com/The-Wicker-Man-1973|url-status=dead}}
Tourism
There are numerous nature trails nearby as part of Galloway Forest Park, managed on behalf of the state by Forest Enterprise.{{cite news| url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/8361244.stm| title = Forest park given Dark Sky honour| access-date=16 November 2009| work=BBC News| date=16 November 2009}}
Sport
Newton Stewart FC, nicknamed the "Creesiders", play in the South of Scotland league, their ground is called Blairmount Park.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-32072890|title=Repairs for 3G pitch at Newton Stewart's Blairmount Park|publisher=BBC News|date=27 March 2015|accessdate=29 June 2018}}
Notable people
- The artist and musician Bill Drummond of the KLF and K Foundation grew up in the town.
- Scottish Under 23 international footballer Ian Gibson (1943–2016), played for Middlesbrough, Coventry City and Cardiff City amongst others.
- Educationalist Prof William Wither McClelland (1889–1968) professor of Education at St Andrews University.{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=19 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}
- Lieutenant General Sydney Rigby Wason (1887 – 1969), a senior officer in the Second World War.