ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS AT CRAWICK MULTIVERSE
Solstice Marks the 10th Anniversary of Crawick Multiverse
When the sun rises on Saturday 21st June, Crawick Multiverse will also celebrate its 10th anniversary. It will be 10 years to the day since Crawick Multiverse opened to the public and to celebrate there will be sunrise celebrations, wellbeing sessions and a family-friendly falconry display at Crawick Multiverse on Saturday 21st June 2025 and everyone is invited.
The longest day of the year was also the birthday of the late Charles Jencks, the land artist behind the amazing sculptures and landforms that can be found across the art land near Sanquhar in Upper Nithsdale. The popular four-star visitor attraction, art land and outdoor venue boasts a spectacular landscape of striking landforms, each one representing cosmological or astronomical features and theories, as well as lagoons, large open spaces and stunning views.
Photos by Mike Bolam: Landforms at Crawick Multiverse
As a playground to be explored and enjoyed, it is perfect for dog walks, picnics, group outings and family adventures, as well as for wellbeing retreats and lively outdoor performances.
Photos: The early days – from depleted coal mine to art land, visitor attraction and outdoor venue created by the late Charles Jencks
The re-purposed coal mine which has spectacular views of the Nith Valley and surrounding area is also home to a wonderful range of wildlife and natural features. Visitors have reported seeing wild deer, enjoyed picnics with Oystercatchers and wildlife-watching around the lagoons. In the Spring and Summer, wildflowers bring vibrant colours and a fresh scent to The Multiverse and on bright, crisp Autumn days there is a spectacular amber glow across the site and valley beyond. Stunning sunsets and the Aurora Borealis have also been known to light up Upper Nithsdale in the evenings.
Photos by Mike Bolam: From sunrise to auroras and stunning sunsets at Crawick Multiverse
With such a unique attraction set within the Nith Valley, it is no surprise that the art land has continued to evolve and to attract new and returning visitors to the area.
Open daily from March to November, the 55-acre art land offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy days out and nights away and the summer events programme is set to welcome visitors from far and wide to the spectacular Sun Amphitheatre to enjoy a variety of open-air performances including…
- Summer Solstice and the 10th Anniversary of Crawick Multiverse on Saturday 21st June:
- Open from 4am with sunrise entertainment from Wendy Stewart and Zoe BestelWellbeing sessions including yoga, Tai Chi and Qigong from 8am – 10amA mid-morning family-friendly Falconry display from Elite Falconry at 10.30am, followed by an interactive session to meet, fly and take photos of the birds and experience their lunchtime feed.Visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic and explore the art land from 4am to 6pm
- A rare opportunity to park motorhomes and campervans on site next to Andromeda and The Milky Way on Friday 20th June
Photos: Solstice contributors – top row supplied by Wendy Stewart, Zoe Bestel and Elite Falconry and bottom row by Mike Bolam
- Outdoor theatre performances by Illyria in July and August: Both performances will take place in the Sun Amphitheatre at 6pm, with access to the site from 4pm. Visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic and enjoy…
- The Wind in The Willows on Tuesday 15th July
- HMS Pinafore on Tuesday 12th August
Photos by Mike Bolam: Outdoor theatre by Illyria at Crawick Multiverse in 2024, and they are coming back in July and August 2025
With 10,000+ visitors each year, there has been significant investment over the past 10 years to improve visitor facilities, staffing and infrastructure including additional car parking and motorhome bays. This also included the opening of The Coalface – a new eco-friendly visitor facility with accessible toilets, a shelter, a ticket office and a small kiosk selling snacks, refreshments and merchandise. This marked the start of the post-Covid phase of Crawick Multiverse and created a number of new jobs, contracts and opportunities for local people.
Photos: From portacabins to The Coalface* – top row photos 2/3 by Colin Hattersley and from a few parking spaces to two car parks and an Aires motorhome site – bottom row photos by Mike Bolam (*designed and built by Sam Booth – Echo Living)
The team, which works hard to consistently deliver high standards of customer service, now consists of four local young people in Front of House roles and is managed by local Operations Manager, Brian Johnson, and supported by a dedicated group of volunteer trustees.
Maintaining a 55-acre art land with manicured landforms, meandering pathways, mixed terrain and rugged boundaries is quite an undertaking, but thanks to the dedicated team and support from contractors and advisors, the site continues to be well maintained and in 2024 Crawick Multiverse was designated as a significantly important (modern) designed landscape by Historic Environment Scotland and more recently was awarded the Biosphere Certification Mark by the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership recognising the Trust’s outstanding commitment towards sustainability.
Photos by Mike Bolam: Four-star accreditation and a Biosphere Certification Mark
Thanks to ongoing investment, new paths, drainage systems and other site improvements have also been possible keeping the site safe and user-friendly for visitors and more suitable for hosting larger festivals and events. In an exciting development, and with considerable investment, the venue will soon have power on site. This will create new opportunities to test out robotic mowers as a more sustainable and customer-friendly solution for some of the grounds maintenance work.
When it comes to annual events, visitors can generally expect everything from Solstice celebrations, arts festivals and outdoor theatre shows, and Music at The Multiverse has been a significant highlight in the annual events programme since August 2021. The late summer festival which is expected to become a bi-annual event, has brought the Bay City Rollers, Scouting for Girls, Big Country, Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 and other artists to Crawick Multiverse, as well as an array of local talent ranging from young solo artists to popular local bands and DJs.
Photos by Mike Bolam: A growing programme of outdoor events and festivals at Crawick Multiverse
Reflecting on the past 10 years, Gillian Khosla, Chair of The Crawick Multiverse Trust is proud of what has been achieved and remains focused on planning for the future. She said:
“On Saturday 21st June 2025, the longest day of the year, our annual Solstice celebration at Crawick Multiverse marks 10 years since the land art form first opened to the public. We stand on the shoulders of the artist and skilled workers who created and now develop this unique site, which has repurposed a derelict and depleted coal mine into an important asset for Upper Nithsdale. A decade on from opening, now is the time to plan for the next decades to further develop our audiences and increase biodiversity. Our aim is to be sustainable, both environmentally and financially. The future is exciting, and we are open to new ideas, so please continue to support us and share your ideas. A warm welcome awaits at our Solstice celebrations and at all of our summer events; please continue to visit and share the magnificence of the Multiverse with your friends.”
Photos by Mike Bolam: Crawick Multiverse by Mike Bolam
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