The bell and the circuit
Discover Lanark describes children gathering at the foot of the Town Steeple at Lanark Cross for the customary six o’clock start. When the Wee Bell rings, off they go clockwise around St Nicholas Kirk three times, swinging their paper balls on strings, followed by a scramble for coins at Hyndford Place. As a first-time spectator, watch the preparations as well as the running. The homemade paper balls make this far more personal than a uniform parade, and the bell gives everyone a clear shared cue. Find a spot outside the children’s circuit and stay put as they come round. Stepping into a gap for a photo is a bad bargain when that gap is about to fill with excited children and swinging paper.
A custom with an uncertain beginning
The local history account, credited to Lanark Museum Trust, is refreshingly honest about origins. The name turns up in nineteenth-century newspapers, and earlier accounts describe boys with rolled bonnets tied to strings. Stories of punishment and other dramatic beginnings have done the rounds, but the surviving records don’t back them up. That mystery is half the fun: a custom can be thoroughly local without a written explanation for every gesture. What’s much clearer is who looks after it now. The Royal Burgh of Lanark Community Council has organised Whuppity Scoorie since 1975, taking over from the Town Council. When chatting about it with children, keep what they can see separate from guesses about what it means. A paper ball, three circuits and a bell are things they can spot for themselves.
Dates and what the 2026 record tells us
The familiar date is 1 March, but watch for the Sunday exception. South Lanarkshire Council’s 2026 procession record gives Monday 2 March, as 1 March fell on a Sunday, and describes a six o’clock event using Castlegate, Broomgate and Bloomgate. That shows an organised custom with a notified route, but the road arrangements may change from year to year. In 2027, 1 March is a Monday, so no Sunday shuffle is needed. Treat the time and gathering arrangements as customary until the Community Council publishes its new notice, and if you’re coming from outside Lanark, wait for it before buying non-refundable travel. A procession application doesn’t make every named street a free-for-all viewing area, either.
Make time for New Lanark
New Lanark is a separate village and visitor attraction on the River Clyde, and it makes a fine daytime companion to an evening in Lanark. Its restored mill setting explores industrial work and the social ideas linked with Robert Owen. You can see a millworker’s house, Owen’s house, textile machinery and a historic classroom, so pick what interests you rather than racing through it all before the bell. Check opening times and tickets with New Lanark itself, then plan the trip back to the town centre with time to spare. Don’t confuse Whuppity Scoorie’s kirk with anything in the mill village — the evening custom happens in Lanark. If you’re doing both with children, a proper break between the museum and the street gathering may do more good than one more exhibit.
The Falls of Clyde in daylight
The Falls of Clyde are another nearby option, reached on signed paths from New Lanark. The visitor centre describes a river boardwalk and routes towards Corra Linn and Bonnington Linn, and the newer Power Trail adds displays on heritage, the environment and hydropower. Take NatureScot’s walking advice seriously: the gorge woodland has steep slopes, deep rivers and unfenced drops, and the Corra Linn viewpoint involves steps. Choose a stretch that suits your group, keep children close, and do your exploring in daylight. It’s not a shortcut to the town-centre celebration, nor a way to fill a few spare minutes on a whim. Check current reserve advice and turn back when you need to; the Wee Bell is much more fun when everyone arrives warm and unhurried.
Practical bits
Watching with children and taking part
This is a children’s custom rooted in Lanark, and you can enjoy it perfectly well from the sidelines. If your own children would like to join in, ask the Community Council about eligibility, suitable ages and how to make the paper ball — turning up with one doesn’t automatically sign them up. Follow any instructions about spacing and the coin scramble, and keep toddlers away from the moving group. For children who’d rather watch, explain the bell and the three circuits beforehand so they know what to look for. Think about whether a busy, noisy street gathering suits them, and pick a spot where it’s easy to step back. Swinging paper needs room, even if it looks harmless. And grown-ups: leave the route and the coins to the children.
Rail, access and an evening return
Lanark station is on Bannatyne Street and is run by ScotRail. National Rail describes step-free access to all its platforms, but that’s about the station, not a crowded circuit around the kirk. If level viewing, seating or a quieter spot matters to you, ask the organisers about the actual gathering area before you travel, and allow time to find it and work out where the children will run. Check the timetable home, including connections, because the traditional six o’clock start pushes your journey back into the evening. If you’re booking assistance, confirm the specific train and support arrangements rather than counting on daytime staffing. A small bag keeps your hands free and makes it easier to stay out of the way of passing families.
Plan your trip
Stay the night
Search places to stay in and around Lanark for 1 March 2027. Rooms near popular events go early, so check cancellation terms.
Find a place to stay on Booking.comNearest station: Lanark
Lanark station is on Bannatyne Street; plan the town-centre leg to St Nicholas Kirk separately. Check your return train after the customary early-evening gathering.
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Where it is
The pin shows the approximate area. Open in OpenStreetMap
Make a weekend of it
Odd things nearby
- Lanimer Day 0 miles away, 10 June 2027
- Biggar Hogmanay Bonfire 11 miles away, 31 December 2026
- The Burryman 26 miles away, 13 August 2027
Also in March
- UK Wife Carrying Race Dorking, Surrey
- Oranges and Lemons Service St Clement Danes, Strand, London
- Kiplingcotes Derby Kiplingcotes, East Riding of Yorkshire
- Tichborne Dole Tichborne, Hampshire
Featured in Odd Things to Do Near Edinburgh.
About this guide
Check before you go. Check the 2027 time, route and rules for taking part with the Community Council. The route mentioned here is from the 2026 record, not this year’s traffic notice.
About the date. Discover Lanark describes 1 March at 6pm; South Lanarkshire Council records Monday 2 March 2026. The next traditional occurrence is Monday 1 March 2027, not yet a confirmed programme.
Researched from the sources below and last checked on . We haven’t visited every event or tested every journey, and the organiser’s own information always wins.
