Several weeks ago, I asked the community what they thought was the hidden gem of Scotland County.

It was a subjective question that could result in nothing but subjective answers — but those answers would surely be interesting.

What I received was a wide variety of thoughts, but they still didn’t cover everything. I feel certain that, after you read through the list, you’ll have a few things of your own to add.

In fact, what follows is just a dent into the numerous things that are hidden gems in Scotland County. So I would urge you to take some time this weekend to look through the 2021 “Partners in Progress” magazine found inside Saturday’s newspaper. Every page is filled with gems within or just outside Scotland County — not all are hidden, but what they provide and offer to Scotland County and the area might surprise you.

But first, let’s see what some of your neighbors think are Scotland County’s hidden gems.

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— Dave Wells: The hidden gem of Scotland County to me is the Scotland Community Health Clinic on West Boulevard (behind the Emergency Operations Center). Also known as the “Free Clinic,” the SCHC provides vital services to many area residents who may not otherwise receive adequate health care. Area residents need to know that the “Free Clinic” is there and it’s easy to find out if they qualify — call 910-276-9912.

— Andrew Kurtzman: Scotland County’s hidden gem is the Lumber River. In Scotland County, this includes the sections between Hwy. 15-501 and Hwy. 71 near Maxton. There are scenic and winding sections for paddling beneath beautiful cypress trees with intermediate stops at Turnpike Road, Chalk Banks, Wagram Wildlife Access, Steven’s Intake and McGirt’s Bridge Road. The river provides a beautiful respite from the workweek. The Chalk Banks access in Wagram has hiking trails, camping, canoe and kayak rentals, and paddle camping. The Lumber River Canoe Club often paddles different sections of the Lumber River. Anyone having an interest in paddling should consider paddling the beautiful, scenic, and protected Lumber River.

— Laura Fedak: A gem is something precious; something priceless that can’t be found anywhere else. So when I think about the “gem” that makes Scotland County so special, it’s an easy answer for me. It’s the people who live here. Our community rallies when people are hurting. We come together to support each other. We stand with those who need hope and prayer. From the moment Madison was diagnosed, I began to see how truly fortunate we were to live in Scotland County. Every step of our journey has been filled with some pretty amazing people. Our community is full of gems that are irreplaceable. The people of Scotland County have shown time and time again that what makes us strong is the people who make our town a home. There is no place I would rather have grown up or raised my girls than Scotland County. I am so very proud to call Scotland County my home!

— Jim Johnston: Having seen the work done by the Scotland County Board of Elections, it is truly a hidden gem. I believe does not receive proper credit for its work and integrity. Let us not forget those citizens who work the polls during the elections. To my knowledge, there have never been any comments of voter impropriety of any election here. We are truly fortunate to have Dell Parker and her staff committed to having elections that are without question above board. We have a Board of Elections that has worked together to ensure unbiased elections. The poll workers are well-trained and committed citizens that work to have non-partisan elections. We are truly blessed to have these individuals committed to a fair and honest election of our officials.

— Kirby Winston: How many know there is a Cascades Tissue plant in Wagram that has been churning out rolls of toilet paper at an astounding rate since the coronavirus pandemic began? That’s a gem for Scotland County, especially considering the circumstances of the past year.

— Stephen Dickens: Many of Scotland County’s hidden gems lie in the natural world. We still have an abundance of wooded areas that offer shelter to various species of wildlife. These wooded areas also offer places to focus and meditate upon, as an escape from our often troublesome lives. The county Parks and Recreation Department creates and maintains nature trails that I have never found to be heavily populated by people. There are also paved, measured roundabouts for walking elsewhere. Open maintained grassy fields are available for walking dogs and oneself. Therefore these places offer areas to exercise the body, to breathe outdoor air and to enjoy relative quiet. All of that, my friends, is a pure natural gem set in a soft setting of water, foliage, trees … and literal peace on earth.

— Daniel Walters: When I think of hidden gems in Scotland County, I think about downtown Laurinburg, which has a variety of shops and services that are unique and are an asset to this community, all displayed within a backdrop that presents and maintains the historic mosaic that weaves our past with our present. Building on this foundation, there is constant progress in downtown Laurinburg from public investment/private investment to planning for the future and revitalization of the downtown area. It is also a Main Street America accredited program, and has a dedicated Advisory Committee and subcommittees.

— Chris Carpenter: I honestly believe one of the hidden gems in this county is the multimedia section in our Habitat ReStore. It is a very large section of books, old records, DVDs, CDs, old record players and other items. I believe we have the largest selection of books in the county. People donate and purchase books at a very high rate. It’s an awesome source of material at pennies on the dollar compared to other used books stores, and people usually have to travel outside of the county to find those stores.

— Carol McCall: I have always been struck and amazed at the generosity of our citizens. I believe that the giving that occurs every year has become so expected that an intrinsic part of the character of our county has made it become “hidden.” The people of Scotland County care about each other and this level of giving has been present in our community for many many years. Our philanthropy and our volunteering is what keeps the wheels turning that make our community a caring and giving place. It is something that we should take pride in and celebrate as we celebrate ourselves as “hidden gems.”

— Seth Hatchell: There is one thing in Scotland County that fits this description to a tee: the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport. Established in 1942, the Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base was built as a training facility for glider pilots. In fact, the Air Base was the largest glider training facility in the world at the time. Today, the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport is still a fully functional general aviation airport with a sprawling industrial park — and sSoon, everyone will see the true value of what has been hidden for so long in Scotland County.

— Philip McRae: My offering is about a Revolutionary War battle held near the bridge which crosses the Lumber River on Hwy. 401 north of Wagram. Over three dozen soldiers were killed. I doubt fewer than a dozen people in Scotland County have ever heard of it.

— State Rep. Garland Pierce: My thoughts about the hidden jewels are the rich history of some of the historic churches in Scotland County that have not been taught to citizens of Scotland County, of their beginning of how they were founded and the members who founded the churches, who they were, and those who constructed such wonderful edifice’s in our community. And I believe that that is a hidden jewel in our community that needs to be explored, recorded if not already in book form, for future generations to know the history of Scotland County.

W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-506-3023 or [email protected].