House Clearance
in Lockerbie

History of Lockerbie

Lockerbie is a market town in Annandale with roots stretching back at least to the time of Viking settlement around 900 AD. Its name derives from the Old Norse meaning "Lockard's Town." Archaeological excavations in 2006 uncovered a Neolithic timber hall dating to approximately 3,900 BC, demonstrating human habitation in the area for over 6,000 years.

The town's growth accelerated in the 18th century when the Johnstone family began laying out plots along the High Street. By the mid-18th century Lockerbie was a significant staging post on the coaching route between Glasgow and London. Thomas Telford's Carlisle-to-Glasgow road through the town in 1816 and the arrival of the Caledonian Railway in 1847 made it a busy commercial hub. For generations the town hosted Scotland's largest lamb market.

Lockerbie is known internationally because of the catastrophic events of 21 December 1988, when Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed by a bomb over the town, killing all 270 people on board and on the ground. The town's response — characterised by extraordinary compassion and solidarity — earned the admiration of the world. The Lockerbie Garden of Remembrance at Dryfesdale Cemetery stands as a permanent tribute to those lost.

Despite carrying that weight of history, Lockerbie remains a proud and resilient community of around 4,000 people, with fine Victorian sandstone architecture throughout the town centre.