About Gretna

Gretna is in Dumfriesshire, in the south west of Scotland, very close to the border with England. It is a beautiful part of the world. The Gretna area also has much to offer. Ample hotel and guest house accommodation makes it an ideal base to explore Dumfries & Galloway for walking, cycling, fishing, wildfowling, golf, gardens, and naturally beautiful countryside. Facilities in Gretna have recently been expanded with the opening and continuing expansion of the excellent Gretna Gateway Retail Village.

Gretna was built from scratch as a planned township during the First World War, to house workers from the huge munitions factories developed in the area. Since then, it has developed into the delightful village it now is.

Gretna is popular with tourists and is a good base for touring the borders and south west Scotland.

Gretna Green is separated from Gretna by the dual carriageway (A75) and by a few hundred yards of open fields. The name Gretna Green is famous as being the wedding capital of Britain and has been a favourite wedding venue for several centuries - couples from England eloped to Gretna Green for their marriages due to Scottish law allowing marriages without consent at a younger age than in England. There has always been far more to Gretna Green and the surrounding area than marriages.

Click on the images below to see them full size.