Outlander star Sam Heughan brought this year’s Wigtown Book Festival to a sold-out finale, as organisers celebrated a successful event despite the difficult economic climate.
Heughan, who was born in the region, was the festival’s final headline guest after 10 days of events. During his appearance, the actor spoke about his career, writing and his deep affection for southern Scotland.
The festival featured more than 250 events, welcoming authors, broadcasters and public figures including Sophie Raworth, Manjeet Mann, Vince Cable and Bill Paterson.
Heughan used his appearance to praise Galloway and the wider south of Scotland, highlighting the area’s history and the importance of the festival to the region.
“I think Galloway, the southwest and the south of Scotland, have got so much to offer. There’s so much history here – it’s tangible. And look at this amazing festival,” he said.
Organisers expect the final figures to show that both ticket sales and visitor numbers increased compared with 2025, despite the challenging economic conditions.
The festival’s wider contribution to the region was also recognised after it won the Tourism & Visitor Management Award at the Scottish Land & Estates Helping it Happen awards.
Wigtown Festival Celebrates Strong Results
Isla Rosser-Owen, CEO of the Wigtown Festival Company, credited the local community for helping make the event possible.
“It always amazes me the way the community comes together to make this festival happen, helping promote Wigtown as Scotland’s National Book Town and Galloway as a wonderful place to visit,” she said.
More than 100 volunteers, many of them from Wigtown itself, supported a small professional team in delivering the programme. The town has a population of fewer than 1,000 people.
Rosser-Owen said organisers had set ambitious goals for visitor numbers and ticket sales despite the economic pressures facing the festival.
“Despite the difficult economic times we set ourselves some ambitious targets for this year in terms of visitor numbers and ticket sales – and it looks as if we have achieved them all,” she said.
The strong performance is important beyond the festival itself, with the event also supporting community projects involving children and young people.
The festival contributes around £4.3 million each year to Dumfries and Galloway, benefiting local cafes, accommodation providers, shops and restaurants.
It also creates employment and business opportunities through event and hospitality contracts, while organisers said they use local suppliers and businesses wherever possible.
A “Terrific” Week in Wigtown
Cathy Agnew, chair of the board of trustees, said the festival had once again brought together people from around the world.
“It’s been a terrific week and we’ve welcomed authors, audiences and volunteers from all over the world. As ever, it’s been a real melting pot of ideas and connections whose legacy is a memorable Wigtown shared experience,” she said.
The final day also featured Glasgow debut author Frances Crawford and Professor Melanie Ramdarshan Bold, who discussed Please Look After This Bear, her book co-authored with Aishwarya Subramanian about Paddington’s role as a symbol of the UK.
For Heughan, the sold-out finale offered another opportunity to celebrate the part of Scotland that has remained closely connected to his career and personal life. His appearance also capped a festival that organisers say managed to meet its ambitious targets despite the economic challenges facing the event.
