The tower, which was 115 feet (35 m) high,[7] was surmounted by a steep slate roof, a cupola and a weather vane.

[8] A war memorial, designed by Henry Charles Fehr in the form of a winged figure of victory on a pedestal, which was intended to commemorate the lives of local service personnel who had died in the First World War, was unveiled in the presence of Lady Ethel Buchanan-Jardine (the wife of the 2nd baronet), on 7 May 1922.

[12][13] Following the Lockerbie bombing, in which all 243 passengers and 16 crew were killed by a bomb on Pan Am Flight 103 when it was in flight above the town in December 1988, the ground floor of the building was used as a casualty bureau and the first floor was used as a temporary mortuary until more suitable premises could be found.

[14] A stained glass window designed by John Clark, depicting the 21 flags of the countries that had been affected by the disaster, was unveiled in the lesser hall in 1991.

[18] A group of five life-sized sheep sculpted by David Annand and cast in brass were unveiled outside the town hall in November 2013.