Dumfries and Galloway facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the council area. For the parliamentary constituency, see Dumfries and Galloway (UK Parliament constituency).

Quick facts for kids

Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries an Gallowa
Dùn Phris is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh

Lieutenancy areas

Dumfries, Kirkcudbrightshire, Wigtown

Admin HQ

County Buildings, Dumfries

Government

• Type

Unitary authority

• Body

Dumfries and Galloway Council

Area

• Total

2,481 sq mi (6,427 km²)

Area rank

Ranked 3rd

Population

(2020)

• Total

148,790

• Rank

Ranked 13th

• Density

59.960/sq mi (23.1508/km²)

ONS code

S12000006

ISO 3166 code

GB-DGY

Topographic map of Dumfries and Galloway

Dumfries and Galloway (Scots: Dumfries an Gallowa; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It comprises the historic counties of Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, and Wigtownshire, the latter two of which are collectively known as Galloway. The administrative centre and largest settlement is the town of Dumfries. The second largest town is Stranraer, 75 miles to the west on the Irish Sea coast.

Following the 1975 reorganisation of local government in Scotland, the three counties were joined to form a single region of Dumfries and Galloway, with four districts within it. Since the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, however, it has become a unitary local authority. For lieutenancy purposes, the historic counties are largely maintained with its three lieutenancy areas being Dumfries, Wigtown and the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright.

To the north, Dumfries and Galloway borders East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, and South Lanarkshire; in the east the Borders; and to the south the county of Cumbria in England and the Solway Firth.

Geography

The Dumfries and Galloway Council region is composed of counties and their sub-areas. From west to east:

Dumfriesshire County
- the sub-area of Dumfriesshire - Annandale
- the sub-area of Dumfriesshire - Eskdale
- the sub-area of Dumfriesshire - Nithsdale
Kirkcudbrightshire County
- the sub-area of Kirkcudbrightshire - Stewartry (archaically, Desnes)
Wigtownshire County
- the sub-area of Wigtownshire - Machars (archaically, Farines)--divided into census areas (civil parish areas)
- the sub-area of Wigtownshire - Rhins of Galloway divided into census areas (civil parish areas)

The term 'Dumfries and Galloway' has been used since at latest the 19th century - by 1911 the three counties had a united Sheriffdom under that name. Dumfries and Galloway covers the majority of the Western area of the Southern Uplands, it also hosts Scotland's most Southerly point, at the Mull of Galloway in the west of the region.

Water systems and transport routes through the Southern Uplands

The region has a number of south running water systems which break through the Southern Uplands creating the main road, and rail, arteries north/south through the region and breaking the hills up into a number of ranges.

River Cree valley carries the A714 north-westward from Newton Stewart to Girvan and Water of Minnoch valley which lies just west of the Galloway Hills carries a minor road northward through Glentrool village into South Ayrshire. This road leaves the A714 at Bargrennan.
Water of Ken and River Dee form a corridor through the hills called the Glenkens which carries the A713 road from Castle Douglas to Ayr. The Galloway Hills lie to the west of this route through the hills and the Carsphairn and Scaur Hills lie to the east.
River Nith rises between Dalmellington and New Cumnock in Ayrshire and runs east then south down Nithsdale to Dumfries. Nithsdale carries both the A76 road and the rail line from Dumfries to Kilmarnock. It separates the Carsphairn and Scaur Hills from the Lowther Hills which lie east of the Nith.
River Annan combines with Evan Water and the River Clyde to form one of the principal routes into central Scotland from England - through Annandale and Clydesdale - carrying the M74 and the west coast railway line. This gap through the hills separates the Lowthers from the Moffat Hills.
River Esk enters the Solway Firth just south of Gretna having travelled south from Langholm and Eskdalemuir. The A7 travels up Eskdale as far as Langholm and from Langholm carries on up the valley of Ewes Water to Teviothead where it starts to follow the River Teviot to Hawick. Eskdale itself heads north west from Langholm through Bentpath and Eskdalemuir to Ettrick and Selkirk.

The A701 branches off the M74 at Beattock, goes through the town of Moffat, climbs to Annanhead above the Devil's Beef Tub (at the source of the River Annan) before passing the source of the River Tweed and carrying on to Edinburgh. Until fairly recent times the ancient route to Edinburgh travelled right up Annandale to the Beef Tub before climbing steeply to Annanhead. The present road ascends northward on a ridge parallel to Annandale but to the west of it which makes for a much easier ascent.

From Moffat the A708 heads north east along the valley of Moffat Water (Moffatdale) on its way to Selkirk. Moffatdale separates the Moffat hills (to the north) from the Ettrick hills to the south.

National Scenic Areas

There are three National Scenic Areas within this region.

Nith Estuary - This area follows the River Nith southward from just south of Dumfries into the Solway Firth. Dumfries itself has a rich history going back over 800 years as a Royal Burgh (1186) and is particularly remembered as the place where Robert the Bruce murdered the Red Comyn in 1306 before being crowned King of Scotland - and where Robert Burns spent his last years. His mausoleum is in St Michael's graveyard. Going down the east bank there is the village of Glencaple, Caerlaverock Castle, Caerlaverock Wild Fowl Trust, an ancient Roman fort on Ward Law Hill and nearby in Ruthwell is the Ruthwell Cross and the Brow Well where Robert Burns "took the waters" and bathed in the Solway just before his death. On the west bank, there are several walks and cycle routes in Mabie Forest, Kirkconnell Flow for the naturalist, the National Museum of Costume just outside New Abbey and Sweetheart Abbey within the village. Criffel (569 metres) offers the hill walker a reasonably modest walk with excellent views across the Solway to the Lake District. The house of John Paul Jones founder of the American Navy is also open to visitors near Kirkbean.
East Stewartry - This takes in the coast line from Balcary Point eastward across Auchencairn Bay and the Rough Firth past Sandyhills to Mersehead. There are several attractive coastal villages within this area - Auchencairn, Kippford, Colvend, Rockcliffe, and Portling. There is also a unigue round tower at Orchardton and the islands of Hestan Isle and Rough Island can be reached at low tide outside the breeding season for birds. Mersehead is an excellent wildfowl reserve. The area is well provided with coastal paths.
Fleet Valley - This area takes in Fleet Bay with its popular holiday destinations of Auchenlarie, Mossyard Bay, Cardoness, Sandgreen and Carrick Shore. The area also includes the town of Gatehouse of Fleet and the historic villages of Anworth and Girthon - there is a castle at Cardoness in the care of Historic Scotland.

Governance and Place-names

The region was created in 1975, by merging the counties of Wigtownshire, Kirkcudbrightshire and Dumfriesshire as a two-tier region with the districts of Wigtownshire, Stewartry, Nithsdale, and Annandale and Eskdale within it. After 1996 the unitary authority became known as Dumfries and Galloway Council still with Wigtownshire, Stewartry, Nithsdale, Annandale and Esdale within it.

County councils as administrative authorities were created in 1889. The present-day, "Dumfries and Galloway Council Area" exist for administrative purposes.

The historic counties of Britain, at least most of them, have existed for around 1,000 years or more and are often logical geographical entities in themselves. In Scotland they originated as Sheriffdoms consisting of a group of parishes over which the sheriff had jurisdiction, replacing native "Celtic" forms of government with Norman feudal structures.

Transport

Transport in the region is operated by bus companies Houston's, McEwan's, Stagecoach Western and McCall's coaches, and train operators ScotRail, TransPennine Express and Avanti West Coast.

Railway

A Virgin Pendolino leaving Lockerbie station for Carlisle

The region has seven working railway stations. All are on the Glasgow South Western Line, except Lockerbie which is on the West Coast Main Line.

Stranraer railway station
Kirkconnel railway station
Sanquhar railway station
Dumfries railway station
Annan railway station
Gretna Green railway station
Lockerbie railway station

The Port line

The mainline from Dumfries railway station via Newton Stewart to Stranraer Harbour railway station, was closed under the Beeching cuts. The line previously connected London Euston and the West Coast Main Line with the ferries to Larne Harbour railway station and the Port of Belfast.

The Port Road line to Stranraer was the last to go in June 1965, leaving only the original G&SWR main line open to serve the Stranraer. The Beeching cuts ended the Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway and Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Railway has resulted in adverse mileage to connect Stranraer with a longer line via Kilmarnock and Ayr.

Bus and coach

The area is served by buses which connect the main population centres. Express bus services link the main towns with Glasgow, Ayr, Edinburgh and Carlisle. Local bus services also operate across the region.

Sea

Stena Line provided HSS sailings between Stranraer and Belfast

Dumfries and Galloway is home to two ports which have services to Northern Ireland, both are in the West of the region. Stena Line and P&O Irish Sea both have a port in the village of Cairnryan.

Air

The region also has no commercial airports; the nearest are Glasgow Prestwick Airport and Carlisle Lake District Airport. The region does host a number of private airfields. The town of Lockerbie was the scene of the Pan Am Flight 103 terrorist attack on 21 December 1988.

Roads

The main roads to and from the region are:

A74(M)
A75
A76
A77
A701
A709

Wildlife

The region is known as a stronghold for several rare and protected species of amphibian, such as the Natterjack toad and the Great crested newt. There are also RSPB Nature Reserves at the Mull of Galloway, and Mereshead (near Dalbeattie on the Solway Firth)

Welcome sign

Outdoor activities

There are five of the world class 7Stanes mountain biking centres in Dumfries and Galloway at Dalbeattie, Mabie, Ae, Glentrool and Kirroughtree. The Sustrans Route 7 long distance cycle route also runs through the region. There is excellent hill walking in the Moffat Hills, Lowther Hills the Carsphairn and Scaur Hills and Galloway Hills. The Southern Upland Way coast to coast walk passes through Dumfries and Galloway and the 53 mile long Annandale Way travels from the Solway Firth into the Moffat hills near the Devil's Beef Tub. There is also fresh water sailing on Castle Loch at Lochmaben and at various places on Loch Ken Loch Ken also offers waterskiing and wakeboarding. The Solway Firth coastline offers endless fishing, caravaning and camping, walking and sailing opportunities.

Arts and culture

Dumfries and Galloway is well known for its arts and cultural activities as well as its natural beauty.

The major festivals including the region-wide Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival and Spring Fling Open Studios. Other festivals include Big Burns Supper in Dumfries and the Wigtown Book Festival in Wigtown - Scotland's national book town.

Towns and villages

Main settlements in bold text.

Ae, Airieland, Airds of Kells, Annan, Anwoth, Ardwell
Beattock, Beeswing, Borgue, Brydekirk
Caerlaverock, Cairngaan, Cairnryan, Cargenbridge, Carsphairn, Castle Douglas, Castle Kennedy, Clarencefield, Corsock, Creetown Carsethorn
Dalbeattie, Dalton, Dornock, Drumlanrig, Drummore, Dumfries, Dundrennan, DunscoreDrumburn
Eastriggs, Ecclefechan, Eskdalemuir
Garlieston, Gatehouse of Fleet, Glenluce, Gretna Green, Gretna
Haugh of Urr, Hoddom
Isle of Whithorn
Johnsfield, Johnstonebridge
Keir, Kelloholm, Kippford, Kirkcolm, Kirkcudbright, Kirkconnel, Kirkinner, Kirkpatrick Durham Kirkbean
Langholm, Leswalt, Lochmaben, Lockerbie
Middleshaw, Millhousebridge, Mochrum, Moffat, Moniaive, Muirhead Mull of Galloway
New Abbey, New Galloway, New Luce, Newton Stewart, Newton Wamphray
Palnackie, Parton, Penpont, Portpatrick
Parkgate
Robgill Tower, Ringford
Rigg, Ruthwell,
Sandhead, Sanquhar, Sorbie, St. John's Town of Dalry, Stoneykirk, Stranraer
Terregles, Thornhill, Twynholm, Templand
Unthank
Wanlockhead, Whithorn, Wigtown

Places of interest

Caerlaverock Castle - Historic Scotland
Caerlaverock NNR (national nature reserve)
Cardoness Castle
Cream o' Galloway
Corsewall Lighthouse, privately owned
HM Factory, Gretna, Eastriggs - site of a munitions factory during the World War I
Drumlanrig Castle
Dunragit
Galloway Forest Park, Forestry Commission
Galloway Hydro Electric Scheme, Scottish Power
Glenlair - home of 19th century physicist James Clerk Maxwell
Glenluce Abbey
Isle of Whithorn Castle
Kenmure Castle - a seat of the Clan Gordon
Loch Ken
MacLellan's Castle, Kirkcudbright
Mull of Galloway - RSPB/South Rhins Community Development Trust
Motte of Urr
Ruthwell Cross
Samye Ling Tibetan Monastery
Southern Upland Way - long distance footpath
Sweetheart Abbey, New Abbey
Threave Castle
WWT Caerlaverock - a reserve of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

Gallery

Dalveen Pass from Comb Head summit, near Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
Sweetheart Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway (Scotland)
Orchardton Tower, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve. View across the Nith Estuary, close to the Solway Firth, Dumfries & Galloway.
Tongland Power station.
Mull of Galloway headland.
Mull of Galloway Lighthouse.
A Machars beach.
Machars Coastline looking south from Cruggleton Castle.
The remains of Cruggleton Castle.
The Machars, as viewed from Torrs Warren with Luce Bay standing between.
The Devil's Beef Tub.
Port William harbour.
Moffat.
River Nith Estuary.