Crawford is close to the source of the River Clyde and the M74 motorway, fifty miles south east of Glasgow and fifty-three miles north west of Carlisle. It has a population of around 300 people, two hotels, a public house, a village shop, church, and a school.

A Brief History of Crawford

The Barony of Crawford was the largest and most influential barony in southern Scotland. The Barony was established before 1100, when records of the period show Thorlongus of the Merse as Overlord of Crawford. From this line descended the surname of Crawford as the original occupants of the Barony and Castle site. Archaeological excavations around this location have shown that a Roman fort with a garrison of perhaps three hundred existed there between 80 AD and 140 AD.

Crawford Castle was the administrative centre for the Barony of Crawford.

The Lindsay family inherited half of the Barony of Crawford, known as Crawford Parish, via a marriage in 1215 to the elder daughter of Sir John Crawford who died in 1246 without male issue. The Crawford family retained the other half, known as Crawfordjohn Parish, as the Barony had been divided among the Crawford family four generations earlier. Crawford Castle (now a ruin) is located in Crawford Parish and was originally built by the Crawford family and later modified by the Lindsay family.

Between Christmas of 1296 and the spring of 1297, William Wallace rode with John Graham and forty men to assault the Lindsay Clan's stronghold at Crawford Castle. Wallace stormed and took it from an English garrison. Wallace was very familiar with the Castle, as his mother was Margaret Crawford, daughter of the Clan Crawford Chief who was then Sheriff of Ayrshire.

In 1398, Robert II gave the title of Earl of Crawford to David Lindsay who had won great praise on St George's Day, 23rd April 1390 for bravery in a duel with the Englishman Baron Welles on London Bridge.

Lindsay Tower (sometimes known as Tower Lindsay) was built as an addition to Crawford Castle.

Today, Crawford is fast rising in fame as a health resort. In recent years building operations have been carried out on an extensive scale, and if the same rate of progress continues in future, it will cease to be a village and become a town.