From the earliest times, men and women have searched for gold, one of the world's most precious metals. Its scarcity means that if you find it, you have found something of beauty and of great value too.

Gold can be found in many areas of Scotland and particularly in the Lowther Hills around Wanlockhead and Leadhills where gold panning has been popular for centuries.  Gold is found in the sands and gravels  in  the burns which act as a natural means of concentrating the gold.  At various times prospectors were drawn to the Wanlockhead locality in search of gold. The first documented evidence of the recovery of gold in the area is from the reign of King James IV of Scotland in the early 16th century. During the reign of King James V, gold from the Crawfurd Muir  was incorporated in the new crowns for the King and Queen. Much of the gold coinage of King James V (1513 - 1542) and Mary Queen of Scots (1542 - 1567) was minted in Edinburgh from gold from this area.