Hidden Scotland
Sign in
Three people in leather aprons and gloves work hot steel at their own anvils in the Gretna Green Forge.
Dumfries and Galloway

The Smithy Experience at the Gretna Green Forge

An hour at your own anvil in Gretna Green's forge, learning the basics of blacksmithing and making a fireside poker to take home.

Visit websiteCall
Welcome

Fancy swinging a hammer at a real anvil? In this hour-long session at Gretna Green 's new forge, Joe, the resident blacksmith, starts with the story of the village's blacksmiths, then hands you the tools.

At your own anvil you'll shape hot steel into a fireside poker, with help and tips at every step, and leave with something genuinely useful that you made yourself. You don't need any experience, just a willingness to get stuck in.

Before you go
How long
An hour
Cost
£99 a person, booked online with a small fee
Where
The working Forge, opened in September 2026.
You take home
The fireside poker you forge.
Wear
Closed-toe shoes, long hair tied back, nothing loose. Apron, gloves and safety glasses are provided.
Book
Online at gretnagreen.com, or call 01461 336 001.
Getting here
Free parking on site, just off the M74 (locked 6pm to 8am); Gretna Green station is a short walk.
Dogs
Welcome across most of the site, though not in the restaurants or the Larder shop.
Where it is

At Gretna Green, just over the border on the A74(M): the working Forge, opened in September 2026.

Close by
  1. Gretna GreenGretna GreenThe first village over the border, where runaway couples married at an anvil.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. Gretna Green Guided TourGretna Green Guided TourUnder a mile as the crow flies
  3. Handfasting at Gretna GreenHandfasting at Gretna GreenUnder a mile as the crow flies
  4. The First Sip of Scotland, Gretna GreenThe First Sip of Scotland, Gretna GreenUnder a mile as the crow flies
  5. The First Taste of Scotland, Gretna GreenThe First Taste of Scotland, Gretna GreenUnder a mile as the crow flies
  6. The Couples Experience at the Gretna Green ForgeThe Couples Experience at the Gretna Green ForgeA private 90 minutes at Gretna Green's working forge, where a couple make an entwined-hearts keepsake alongside the resident blacksmith.Under a mile as the crow flies
Directions
The blacksmith works the big iron coin press at the Gretna Green Forge while a visitor in a striped jumper looks on.ActivityThe Forge Experience at Gretna GreenA step away
White cottage buildings with sign for Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths ShopAttractionsGretna Green Old Blacksmiths ShopA step away
Wooden sculpture of two clasped hands rising against a pale skyAttractionsThe Clasping Hands, Gretna GreenA step away
White building with sign for The Devil's Porridge Museum behind a stone wallAttractionsThe Devil's Porridge Museum4.8 miles
Wooden washbacks line a distillery hall with exposed brick walls and timber roof beamsAttractionsAnnandale Distillery8.9 miles
Grassy shoreline overlooking mudflats and distant hills across the firthAttractionsThe Annan Shore Walk8.9 miles
Spending A Day In Scotland’s Debatable LandsAttractionsGilnockie Tower9.7 miles
Cottage room with black cast-iron range, tartan mantel and spinning wheel beside the windowAttractionsThomas Carlyle's Birthplace9.9 miles
The Daily for 18 October, from Scotland with love. Golden-hour light catches a shadowed mountain above a loch, rust-coloured moorland in the foreground

The Daily

Arrives at 5am every day.

A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.

Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

Get Issue 13Read it here
Find out more

For further reading, before you go.