Scotland County, North Carolina

Downtown Laurinburg

On July 23, a warm summer day, I visited Scotland County in southeastern North Carolina. Scotland County was formed in 1899, and its county seat is Laurinburg. Scotland County got its name from the influences in the area from early settlers from Scotland.

My first stop was Laurinburg, where I took my usual photo of the county courthouse. Settlers arrived in the area around 1785, and it was named after the McLaurins, an prominent family in the settlement. Laurinburg was incorporated in 1877, with a current population of around 15,000 people. Laurinburg is home to St. Andrews University and Laurinburg Institute. 

One of my favorite stops in Scotland was the John Blue House. The house is a unique example of Steamboat Gothic architecture, partly because most Steamboat Gothic homes are found in the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys. The John Blue House is home to a number of festivals throughout the year, including the John Blue Cotton Festival, the Scotland County Highland Games, and the Storytelling Festival of Carolina.

Since Scotland County shares a border with South Carolina, I decided to zip over the county and state line to do some geocaching, and found a geocache called Weird SC: Haunted School. It was a fun geocache to find!

I decided to explore Laurinburg again for a local (not a chain) place to eat, and found Fore's Family Restaurant in the downtown area. My cheeseburger was good, and the service was prompt. Tables and customers were spread out, important during the Covid-19 Pandemic. I was glad I stopped there before the drive back home.

The rest of my Scotland County photos are here.