Dumfries forged lasting ties with Norway after hosting exiled Norwegian troops and command units during World War II. The Scottish Norwegian Society was founded there in 1941 and a barracks at Carronbridge housed more than 1,000 personnel by that year. Those wartime connections developed into family and cultural links — commemorated today by a 2023 "Stone of Friendship" and the exhibition "Alt for Norge," which included a telegram from King Haakon VII. The town’s history helps explain why many locals still cheer for Norway in high-profile matches.
Why Dumfries Has Backed Norway Since World War II — And Still Does
The Norwegian royal family have visited southern Scotland a number of times in gratitude for its wartime assistance [Getty Images]
For many residents of Dumfries, support for Norway at football is not just an "Anyone but England" stance — it’s a reflection of a deep, living friendship that began during the Second World War.
Support for Norway has been visible in Dumfries during the World Cup [BBC]
Wartime Bonds That Last
When Norway was occupied by German forces in 1940, hundreds of soldiers and civilians fled the country. Around 300 arrived in Hamilton in June 1940 and were soon moved to Dumfries, where they received military training and where the Norwegian army command was later based. By 1941 their numbers had grown to more than 1,000, prompting construction of a barracks at Carronbridge, north of the town.
The Norwegian flag can be seen from time to time flying above the Midsteeple in Dumfries [BBC]
That same year the Scottish Norwegian Society (SNS) was founded in Dumfries and a permanent headquarters, Norway House (Norges Hus), was established. Many of the Norwegians later served across Scotland — in places such as Tain and Callander — but the ties to Dumfries endured, marked by a warm farewell when the war ended.
Norway play England in the World Cup quarter-finals this weekend [Getty Images]
From Military Allies To Community Friends
Those wartime links blossomed into family and cultural connections. An estimated 200 Scottish–Norwegian marriages resulted from relationships formed during and after the war, and successive generations have maintained links to Norway. Town clerk James Hutcheon at the time recalled that many Norwegians felt Dumfries resembled parts of their homeland, reinforcing the attachment.
The Norwegian exhibition at Dumfries Museum runs until February next year [BBC]
In 2023 the Scottish Norwegian Connection (SNC) marked these enduring ties by installing a permanent "Stone of Friendship" in Dumfries. Organiser Beverley Thom said the ceremony and the continuing activities of groups such as the Scottish Norwegian Society (now based in Glasgow) and the Norwegian Scottish Association in Edinburgh demonstrate how strong the friendship remains.
A stone of friendship sits beside the River Nith in Dumfries marking its Norwegian links [BBC]
Culture, Commemoration And Sport
Last year an exhibition titled "Alt for Norge" ("All for Norway") opened in Dumfries, celebrating the town’s wartime role as an informal centre for Norwegian exiles. Highlights included a telegram from King Haakon VII expressing gratitude for the town’s support. The Norwegian flag has been a familiar sight in the town ever since, and sporting loyalties sometimes reflect those historical connections — a fact noted by locals who say many Doonhamers have Norwegian relatives or friends.
A plaque still marks the site of Norway House in the town [BBC]
"Norwegians are as passionate about football as Scots," Beverley Thom said. "So it wouldn’t surprise me if many locals cheer for Norway."
Wider Scottish–Norwegian Links
Dumfries is not unique in its North Sea connections. The "Shetland Bus" — a covert convoy of fishing boats — aided the Norwegian resistance during the occupation, and other parts of Scotland share long historical and cultural links with Norway.
So when Norway face England at major tournaments, many in Dumfries have genuine historical reasons to back the likes of Erling Haaland — and those reasons are kept alive by commemorations, exhibitions, societies and family ties that span generations.
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