Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries (''Siorrachd Dhùn Phris'' in

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

) is a historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the historic county. In terms of historic counties it borders Kirkcudbrightshire to the west,

Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...

to the north-west, Lanarkshire,

Peeblesshire Peeblesshire ( gd, Siorrachd nam Pùballan), the County of Peebles or Tweeddale is a historic county of Scotland. Its county town is Peebles, and it borders Midlothian to the north, Selkirkshire to the east, Dumfriesshire to the south, and Lan ...

and Selkirkshire to the north, and

Roxburghshire Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh ( gd, Siorrachd Rosbroig) is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and Midlothian to the north-west, and Berw ...

to the east. To the south is the coast of the Solway Firth, and the English county of

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...

. Dumfriesshire has three traditional subdivisions, based on the three main valleys in the county: Annandale, Eskdale and Nithsdale. These had been independent provinces in medieval times but were gradually superseded as administrative areas by the area controlled by the

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

of Dumfries, or Dumfriesshire. A Dumfriesshire County Council existed from 1890 until 1975. Since 1975, the area of the historic county has formed part of the

Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the counties of Scotland, historic counties of ...

council area for local government purposes.

Geography

The coastline measures 21 miles (34 km). The county slopes very gradually from the mountainous districts of the Southern Uplands in the north, down to the sea; lofty hills alternating in parts with stretches of tableland or rich fertile

holm Holm may refer to: Places * Holm (island), the name of several islands * Holm, Nordfriesland, Germany * Holm, Pinneberg, Germany * Holm (Flensburg), Flensburg, Germany * Holm, Norway, in Nordland county * Holm, Troms, Norway * Holm, Podu Iloa ...

s. At various points within a few miles of the Solway are tracts of moss land, like

Craigs Moss Craigs ( ga, Na Creaga, "The Rocks") is a townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is part of the Finvoy Civil Parish situated in the history Barony of Kilconway. It is a relatively large townland at a 4.38 square miles (2,800 acres), m ...

Lochar Moss Lochar may refer to: * Lochar (ward), Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland * Lochar Moss Torc, an Iron Age brass torc * Lochar Thistle F.C., Dumfries, Scotland * Lochar Water Lochar Water is a stream located in Dumfries and Galloway. It flows for abo ...

and Longbridge Moor in the west, and Nutberry Moss in the east, all once under water, but since largely reclaimed. The principal mountains occur near the northern boundaries, the highest being White Coomb (), Hart Fell (),

Saddle Yoke Under Saddle Yoke is a hill in the Moffat Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. Despite its name, it is 10m higher than its neighbouring top, Saddle Yoke. Located in a dramatic position on a small, grassy ridge in between two dee ...

(), Swatte Fell (), Lowther Hills (), Queensbury () and

Ettrick Pen Ettrick Pen is a hill in the Ettrick Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. A remote peak, It lies southwest of the village of Ettrick, Scotland, Ettrick, on the border of the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway. The highes ...

(). The three longest rivers are the River Nith, the

River Annan The River Annan (''Abhainn Anann'' in Gaelic) is a river in south-west Scotland. It rises on Annanhead Hill and flows through the Devil's Beef Tub, Moffat and Lockerbie, reaching the sea at Annan, Dumfries and Galloway after about 40 miles. ...

and the River Esk, the basins of which form the great

dale Dale or dales may refer to: Locations * Dale (landform), an open valley * Dale (place name element) Geography ;Australia * The Dales (Christmas Island), in the Indian Ocean ;Canada * Dale, Ontario ;Ethiopia *Dale (woreda), district ;Norway *D ...

s by which the county is cloven from north to south — Nithsdale, Annandale and Eskdale. From the point where it enters Dumfriesshire, from its source near Enoch Hill in Ayrshire, the course of the Nith is mainly south-easterly until it enters the Solway, a few miles below Dumfries. Its total length is 65 mi., and its chief affluents are, on the right, the

Kello Water Kello may refer to: People * Esther Kello (1571–1624), Scottish miniaturist, calligrapher, writer, and embroider * Jagama Kello (1922—2017), Ethiopian military officer * Marián Kello Marián Kello (born 5 September 1982) is a Slovakia, S ...

, Euchan Water,

Scaur Water Kippford (; otherwise Scaur)
Gazetteer for Scotland is a small village along the Cluden Water and River Cargen, Cargen, and — on the left — the River Crawick, Carron Water and River Campie. The Devils Beef Tub

The Annan rises near the Devil's Beef Tub, a remarkable chasm in the far north, and after flowing about 40 mi (65 km), mainly in a southerly course, it enters the Solway at Barnkirk Headlands and bays. It receives, on the right, the Kinnel Water (reinforced by the

Water of Ae The Water of Ae is a tributary of the River Annan into which it flows west of Lockerbie in Dumfries and Galloway administrative county of South West Scotland in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, ...

), and — on the left — the

Moffat Water Moffat ( gd, Mofad) is a burgh and parish in Dumfriesshire, now part of the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area in Scotland. It lies on the River Annan, with a population of around 2,500. It was a centre of the wool trade and a spa town ...

, the

Dryfe Water Dryfe Water is a river in Scotland about 18 miles in length which flows into the River Annan at , near Lockerbie. It starts at on the southern slopes of Loch Fell, near Moffat, and then flows along a narrow valley to the Annan. Dryfe Water giv ...

and the Water of Milk. From the confluence of the

White Esk White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

(rising near Ettrick Pen) and the

Black Esk Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have of ...

(rising near

Jocks Shoulder Jock may refer to: Common meanings * Jock (stereotype), a North American term for a stereotypical male athlete * Jock, a derogatory term for Scottish people mostly used by the English * Short for jockstrap, an item of male protective undergarm ...

, ) the Esk flows in a gradually south-easterly direction until it crosses the Border, whence it sweeps to the southwest through the extreme north-western territory of Cumberland and falls into the Solway. Of its total course of 42 mi (78 km), 12 mi (20 km) belong to the White Esk, 20 mi (32 km) are of the Esk proper on Scottish soil and 10 mi (16 km) are of the stream in its English course. On the right the

Wauchope Water Wauchope may refer to Places *Wauchope, New South Wales * Wauchope, Saskatchewan *Wauchope Forest, Scotland * Wauchope, Scottish Borders * Wauchope, Dumfries and Galloway * Wauchope, Northern Territory People * Andrew Gilbert Wauchope (1846–189 ...

is the chief affluent, and on the left it receives the

Meggat Water The River Esk ( gd, Easg), also known as the Border Esk, is a river in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, that enters the English county of Cumbria and flows into the Solway Firth. Course The river rises in the hills to the east of Moffat and ...

, Ewes Water,

Tarras Water Tarras Water is a river in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. R.H. Traquair named a fossil of an extinct, prehistoric ray-finned fish ''Tarrasius problematicus'' after the Tarras Water. The name has subsequently been applied to the genus Tarrasiid ...

, Liddel Water and River Lyne — the last being an English tributary, and the previous forming the border between

and

. Other rivers are the Lochar Water (), the Kirtle Water () and the River Sark (), all flowing into the Solway. For one mile (1.6 km) of its course the Esk, and for of its course the River Sark, form the boundaries between Dumfriesshire and Cumberland. Between the Esk and Sark lies Scots' Dyke, a man-made berm that forms the Anglo-Scottish border, cutting through the area formerly known as the Debatable Lands.Wickham-Jones, C. R. (2009), ''The Landscape of Scotland''. Stroud : The History Press. . pp. 157 - 158. Loch Skeen in the north (1750 ft or 533 m above the sea) and the group of lochs around Lochmaben, are the principal lakes. There are few

glen A glen is a valley, typically one that is long and bounded by gently sloped concave sides, unlike a ravine, which is deep and bounded by steep slopes. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower ...

s so named in the shire, but the passes of Dalveen, Enterkin and Menock, leading up from Nithsdale to the Lowther and other hills, yield to few glens in Scotland in the wild grandeur of their scenery. For part of the way

Enterkin Pass Enterkinfoot is a small village or hamlet which lies north of Thornhill on the A76 on the route to Sanquhar, in Dumfriesshire, Durisdeer Parish, in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. Its original nucleus was the old mill with associat ...

runs between mountains rising sheer from the burn to a height of nearly Loch Skene finds an outlet in

Tail Burn The tail is the section at the rear end of certain kinds of animals’ bodies; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals ...

, the water of which at a short distance from the lake leaps from a height of in a fine waterfall, known as the Grey Mare's Tail. A much smaller but picturesque fall of the same name, also known as

Crichope Linn Crichope Linn or Crichop Linn, originally Creehope is a gorge and waterfall near Gatelawbridge in Dumfries and Galloway, southern Scotland. ''Linn'' is the Scots language word for ''waterfall''. The etymology of the names 'Cree' or 'Crich' may der ...

, occurs on the Crichope near Thornhill. Mineral waters are found at Moffat, Hartfell Spa, some three miles (5 km) farther north, Closeburn and Brow on the Solway.

Geology

The greater portion of the county of Dumfries belongs to the

Silurian The Silurian ( ) is a geologic period and system spanning 24.6 million years from the end of the Ordovician Period, at million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Devonian Period, Mya. The Silurian is the shortest period of the Paleozo ...

tableland of the south of Scotland which contains representatives of all the divisions of that system from the Arenig to the Ludlow rocks. By far the largest area is occupied by strata of Tarannon and Llandovery age which cover a belt of country from across from Drumlanrig Castle in the north to Torthorwald in the south. Consisting of massive grits, sometimes conglomeratic, greywackes, flags and shales, these beds are repeated by innumerable folds frequently inverted, striking northeast and southwest and usually dipping towards the northwest. In the midst of this belt there are lenticular bands of older

strata In geology and related fields, a stratum ( : strata) is a layer of rock or sediment characterized by certain lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by visible surfaces known as ei ...

of Arenig, Llandeilo, Caradoc and Llandovery age composed of fine sediments such as cherts, black and grey shales, white clays and flags, which come to the surface along anticlinal folds and yield abundant graptolites characteristic of these divisions. These black shale bands are typically developed in Moffatdale; indeed the three typical sections chosen by Charles Lapworth to illustrate his three great groups: :(1) the Glenkill shales (Upper Llandeilo), :(2) the Hartfell shales (Caradoc), :(3) Birkhill shales (Lower Llandovery) occur respectively in the Glenkill Burn north of Kirkmichael, on Hartfell and in Dobbs Linn near St Mary's Loch in the basin of the river Annan. In the extreme northwest of the county between Drumlanrig Castle and Dalveen Pass in the south and the Spango and Kello Waters on the north, there is a broad development of Arenig, Liandeilo and Caradoc strata, represented by Radiolarian cherts, black shales, grits, conglomerates, greywackes and shales which rise from underneath the central Tarannon belt and are repeated by innumerable folds, in the cores of the arches of Arenig cherts there are diabase lavas, tuffs and agglomerates which are typically represented on Bail Hill east of Kirkconnel. Along the southern margin of the Tarannon belt, the Wenlock and Ludlow rocks follow in normal order, the boundary between the two being defined by a line extending from the head of the Ewes Water in Eskdale, southwest by

Lockerbie Lockerbie (, gd, Locarbaidh) is a small town in Dumfries and Galloway, south-western Scotland. It is about from Glasgow, and from the border with England. The United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census recorded its population as 4,009. The town ...

to Mouswald. These consist of greywackes, flags and shales with bands of dark graptolite shales, the finer sediments being often well ground. They are likewise repeated by inverted folds, the axial planes being usually inclined to the southeast. The Silurian tableland in the northwest of the county is pierced by intrusive igneous rocks in the form of dikes and bosses, which are regarded as of Lower Old Red Sandstone age. Of these, the granite mass of Spango Water, northeast of Kirkconnel, is an excellent example. Along the northwest margin of the county, on the north side of the fault bounding the Silurian tableland, the Lower Old Red Sandstone occurs, where it consists of sandstones and conglomerates associated with contemporaneous volcanic rocks. The Upper Old Red Sandstone forms a narrow strip on the south side of the Silurian tableland, resting uncomfortably on the Silurian rocks and passing upwards into the Carboniferous formation. It stretches from the county boundary east of the Ewes Water, southwest by Langholm to Birrenswark. Along this line these Upper Red sandstones and shales are overlaid by a thin zone of volcanic rocks which point to contemporaneous volcanic action in this region at the beginning of the Carboniferous period. Some of the vents from which these igneous materials may have been discharged are found along the watershed between Liddesdale and Teviotdale in Roxburghshire. The strata of Carboniferous age are found in three areas: :(1) between Sanquhar and Kirkconnel, :(2) at Closeburn near Thornhill, :(3) in the district between Liddesdale and Ruthwell. In the first two instances (Sanquhar and Thornhill) the Carboniferous sediments lie in hollows worn out of the old Silurian tableland. In the Sanquhar basin the strata belong to the Coal Measures, and include several valuable coal-seams which are probably the southern prolongations of the members of this division in Ayrshire. At the S.E. limit of the Sanquhar Coalfield there are patches of the Carboniferous Limestone series, but towards the N. these are overlapped by the Coal Measures which thus rest directly on the Silurian platform. At Closeburn and Barjarg there are beds of marine limestone, associated with sandstones and shales which probably represent marine bands in the Carboniferous Limestone series. The most important development of Carboniferous strata occurs between Liddesdale and Ruthwell. In the valleys of the Liddel and the Esk the following zones are represented, which are given in ascending order: :(1) The Whita Sandstone, :(2) the Cementstone group, :(3) the

Fell Sandstone A fell (from Old Norse ''fell'', ''fjall'', "mountain"Falk and Torp (2006:161).) is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain or moor-covered hill. The term is most often employed in Fennoscandia, Iceland, the Isle of Man, par ...

, :(4) the Glencartholm Volcanic Group, :(5) Marine limestone group with Coal-seams, :(6) Millstone Grit, :(7) Rowanburn coal group, :(8) Byreburn coal group, :(9) Red Sandstones of Canonbie yielding plants characteristic of the Upper Coal Measures. The coal seams of the Rowanburn field have been chiefly wrought, and in view of their exhaustion bores have been sunk to prove the coals beneath the red sandstone of upper Carboniferous age. From a palaeontological point of view the Glencartholm volcanic zone is of special interest, as the calcareous shale associated with the tuffs has yielded a large number of new species of fishes, decapod crustaceans, phyllopods and scorpions. The Triassic rocks rest uncomfortably on all older formations within the county. In the tract along the Solway Firth they repose on the folded and eroded edges of the Carboniferous strata, and when traced westwards to the Dumfries basin they rest directly on the Silurian platform. They occur in five areas: :(1) between Annan and the mouth of the Esk (the Scottish portion of the Solway Basin), :(2) the Dumfries basin (Lower Nithsdale), :(3) the Thornhill basin (Middle Nithsdale), :(4) the Lochmaben basin (Middle Annandale), :(5) Upper Annandale. The strata consist of breccias, falsebedded sandstones and mans, the sandstones being extensively quarried for building purposes. In the sandstones of Corncockle Moor reptilian footprints have been obtained. In the Thornhill basin there is a thin zone of volcanic rocks at the base of this series which are evidently on-the horizon of the lavas beneath the Mauchline sandstones in Ayrshire. In the Sanquhar basin there are small outliers of lavas probably of this age and several vents filled with agglomerate from which these igneous materials in the Thornhill basin may have been derived. There are several striking examples of basalt dikes of Tertiary age, one having been traced from the Lead Hills south-east by Moffat, across Eskdalemuir to the English border.

Climate and industries

The climate is mild, with a mean annual temperature of around (January, ; July, ), and the average annual rainfall is 53 in. Towards the middle of the 18th century farmers began to raise stock for the south, and a hundred years later 20,000 head of heavy cattle were sent yearly to the English markets. The Galloways, which were the breed in vogue at first, have been to a large extent replaced by shorthorns and

dairy cattle. Sheep breeding, of later origin, has attained to remarkable dimensions, the walks in the higher hilly country being given over to Cheviots, and the richer pasture of the low-lying farms being reserved for half-bred lambs, a cross of Cheviots and

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

s or other long-woolled rams. Pig-feeding, once important, has declined before the imports of bacon from foreign countries. Horse breeding is pursued on a considerable scale. Grain crops, of which oats are the principal, show a downward tendency. Arable farms range from to 300 acres (0.4 to 1.2 km²), and pastoral from 300 to 3000 acres (1.2 to 12 km²). In general the industries are only of local importance and mostly confined to Dumfries and a few of the larger towns. Langholm is famous for its tweeds; breweries and distilleries are found at Annan, Sanquhar and elsewhere; some shipping is carried on at Annan and Dumfries; and the salmon fisheries of the Nith and Annan and the Solway Firth are of value.

Communications

As built, the

Glasgow and South Western Railway The Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) was a railway company in Scotland. It served a triangular area of south-west Scotland between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle. It was formed on 28 October 1850 by the merger of two earlier railway ...

from Glasgow to

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...

runs through Nithsdale to Dumfries, practically following the course of the River Nith, then on to Annan and lower Annandale to the English border at Gretna. A branch was built from

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...

to Moniaive, the

Cairn Valley Light Railway The Cairn Valley Light Railway was a rural railway line built to connect Moniaive and other communities in the Cairn Valley with the main railway network at Dumfries. It opened in 1905 but usage was disappointing, and declined further when bus ...

, but this closed in 1949. The Caledonian Railway from

to Glasgow runs through Annandale, which threw off at

Beattock Beattock is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, approximately southwest of Moffat and north of Dumfries. Beattock was historically served by the A74 road and the West Coast Main Line, however the road has since been upgraded to the ...

a small branch to Moffat, now closed. At Lockerbie a cross-country line to Dumfries (now closed), and at Kirtlebridge a line that ultimately crossed the Solway to Bowness which is also closed. From Dumfries westwards there were rail communications on the ' Port Road' to Castle Douglas, Newton Stewart,

Stranraer Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; gd, An t-Sròn Reamhar ), also known as The Toon, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located in the historical parish of Inch in the historic county of Wigtownshire. It lies on the shores of L ...

and

Portpatrick Portpatrick is a village and civil parish in the historical county of Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located on the west coast of the Rhins of Galloway. The parish is about in length and in breadth, covering . History ...

, with branches to Kirkcudbright and Wigtown all closed and lifted. The

North British Railway The North British Railway was a British railway company, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1844, with the intention of linking with English railways at Berwick. The line opened in 1846, and from the outset the company followe ...

's Waverley route, to Edinburgh from

was closed in the 1960s. There are vague plans to reopen this line to

as a continuation of the new rail link from Edinburgh to

Tweedbank Tweedbank is a large village south-east of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It is part of the county of Roxburghshire. It is an outer suburb or satellite development of Galashiels, on the other (eastern) side of the River Tweed. The ...

opened in 2015. Until 1967 the

sent a short line to Langholm (via Canonbie and Gilnockie) from

Riddings Junction Riddings is a large village in Derbyshire, England. The appropriate ward of the Amber Valley Council is called Ironville and Riddings. The population of this ward as at the 2011 census was 5,821. It is located south of Alfreton near the hamlet o ...

in Cumberland, giving access to Carlisle. The last passenger train ran on the Langholm branch on 26 March 1967, the last freight service on 17 September in the same year, and the track was lifted shortly thereafter. There is also an extensive local bus and coach network throughout the county, centred on

. There are no commercial airports in the county.

Settlements

* Annan * Applegarthtown *

Arkleton Arkleton is a mansion and estate in the civil parish of Ewes, in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Arkleton House was built in 1860/1884 and incorporates stone from Arkleton tower which stood nearby for 300 years until the early 19th Century. It w ...

Bentpath Bentpath is a small village between Eskdalemuir and Langholm in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located on the River Esk and has a church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * ...

Boreland Boreland is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, which is located in Eskdale about north of Lockerbie on the B723 road to Eskdalemuir. The village has a small primary school. Boreland is the smallest village to be twinned with Toronto ...

* Burnfoot * Burnhead * Caerlaverock *

Canonbie Canonbie ( gd, Canonbaidh) is a small village in Dumfriesshire within the local authority area of Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, south of Langholm and north of the Anglo-Scottish border. It is on the A7 road from Carlisle to Edinburgh, and ...

* Carronbridge * Claygate * Closeburn * Collin * Cummertrees * Dalton * Dornock *

Dryfesdale Dryfesdale ( ) is a civil parish of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is part of the county of Dumfriesshire. Overview The parish church of Dryfesdale, located in the centre of Lockerbie, was dedicated to St Cuthbert. ...

Dunscore Dunscore ( / 'DUN-skur', less commonly / 'DUN-score') is a small village which lies northwest of Dumfries on the B729, in Dumfriesshire, in the District Council Region of Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland. The village consists of about ...

* Durisdeer * Eaglesfield *

Eastriggs Eastriggs is a small village located in Dumfries and Galloway in the south of Scotland, the village is located around north of the mud and sandbanks of the channel of the River Eden, which extends west into the Solway Firth. Travelling by roa ...

* Ecclefechan * Eskdalemuir * Glencairn * Gretna * Gretna Green *

Half Morton Canonbie ( gd, Canonbaidh) is a small village in Dumfriesshire within the local authority area of Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, south of Langholm and north of the Anglo-Scottish border. It is on the A7 road (Great Britain), A7 road from Ca ...

* Harelaw * Hoddom * Holywood *

Johnstonebridge Johnstonebridge is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is roughly halfway between Moffat and Lockerbie, and lies on the A74(M) motorway. The Annandale Water Services on the motorway are in Johnstonebridge; prior to the construction ...

Keir Keir or Kier () is a Gaelic name derived from Ciar. Notable people with the name include: Surname *Andrew Keir (1926–1997), Scottish actor *Colin Keir (born 1959), Scottish politician *David Keir (1884–1971), British actor *David ...

Kelloholm Kelloholm is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It has a primary school, a public house and several shops. Kelloholm lies next to Kirkconnel and the two have begun to merge. Kelloholm was originally constructed to serve the many mine ...

* Kirkconnel *

Kirkmahoe Kirkmahoe is a civil parish in Dumfries and Galloway. The parish contains the settlements Kirkton, where the parish church is located, Dalswinton and Duncow. It is bounded by the parishes of Dumfries to the south, Holywood and Dunscore to the w ...

* Kirkpatrick-Fleming * Kirkpatrick Juxta * Kirkstyle * Kirtlebridge * Langholm *

Locharbriggs Locharbriggs is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located near the Lochar Water, north-northeast of the town of Dumfries. It was one of several villages that stood on the edge of the Lochar Moss which was largely reclaimed in th ...

* Lochmaben *

* Mennock * Middlebie * Moffat * Mouswald * Newbie *

Newton Wamphray Newton Wamphray is a village in Dumfries and Galloway. Wamphray is the name of the surrounding parish and of the Wamphray Water, which flows south-west through the Wamphray Glen to join the River Annan near the small village, or hamlet, of Newto ...

* Penpont *

Powfoot Powfoot is a coastal village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland that lies on the northern shore of the Solway Firth. It is located approximately 4 miles south west of the town of Annan and approximately 1.5 miles south east of the neighbouring ...

* Rigg *

Rowanburn Rowanburn is a hamlet in Eskdale, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Located near Canonbie, it sits around 5 miles south-east of Langholm and about a mile from the Anglo-Scottish border. Rowanburn was founded as a coal mining community in the lat ...

* Ruthwell * Sanquhar * Thornhill * Tinwald * Torthorwald * Tundergarth * Tynron *

Wanlockhead Wanlockhead is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, nestling in the Lowther Hills and south of Leadhills at the head of the Mennock Pass, which forms part of the Southern Uplands. It is Scotland's highest village, at an elevation of ar ...

* Waterbeck * Westerkirk

History

Dumfries and Galloway Council (geograph 2780664)

Archaeological remains from the neolithic and Bronze Age include stone circles (as in

and Eskdalemuir), tumuli and

cairn A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehis ...

s (Closeburn), and sculptured stones (Dornock). A number of bank barrows and cursus have recently been discovered. The British tribe which inhabited this part of Scotland was called by the Romans '' Selgovae''. They have left many signs of their presence, such as hill forts and camps (

). The country around Moffat especially is rich in remains. There are traces of the Roman roads which ran by

Dalveen Pass The Lowther Hills, also sometimes known as the Lowthers, are an extensive area of hill country in the Southern Uplands of Scotland, though some sub-ranges of hills in this area also go under their own local names - see "Hillwalking" below. They f ...

into Clydesdale and up the Annan to Tweeddale, and the ruins of Blatobulgium at Birrens is one of the best-preserved examples of a Roman camp. Roman altars, urns, and coins are found in many places. After the withdrawal of Roman power from Britain, the situation in Dumfries is not clear. The Selgovae were pressured by the power of Strathclyde, by Scots from Ireland, and the Angles from Northumberland. There is little writing preserved from this time, and that which did is ecclesiastical in nature. Archaeology, although rich on the ground, has rarely been investigated, and place names, used as an indication of influence, are still argued over by academics. In the parish church of Ruthwell (pron. Rivvel: the rood, or cross, well) is preserved an ancient Anglo-Saxon cross which tells in Runic characters the story of the Crucifixion. The Saxon conquest of Dumfriesshire does not seem to have been thorough in the West, the people of Nithsdale and elsewhere maintaining some Celtic institutions up to the time of David I, although this is not certain. Around 50 fragments of gilt

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

mounts found in Dumfriesshire and now at the

national museum A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...

were probably originally attached to a portable wooden cross, . As a Border county Dumfriesshire was the scene of stirring deeds at various epochs, especially in the days of Robert Bruce.

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...

besieged

Caerlaverock Castle Caerlaverock Castle is a moated triangular castle first built in the 13th century. It is located on the southern coast of Scotland, south of Dumfries, on the edge of the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve. Caerlaverock was a stronghold of th ...

, and the factions of Bruce (who was lord of Annandale), John Comyn and

John Baliol John Balliol ( – late 1314), known derisively as ''Toom Tabard'' (meaning "empty coat" – coat of arms), was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296. Little is known of his early life. After the death of Margaret, Maid of Norway, Scotland entered an ...

were at constant feud. The Border

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...

s were always at strife. There is record of a bloody fight in Dryfesdale in 1593, when the Johnstones slew 700 Maxwells, and, overtaking the fugitives at Lockerbie, there massacred most of the remnant. These factions embroiled the dalesmen until the 18th century. The highlands of the shire afforded retreat to the persecuted

Covenanter Covenanters ( gd, Cùmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. The name is derived from ''Covenan ...

s, who, at Sanquhar, published in 1680 their declaration against the king, anticipating the principles of the

glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...

by several years. Prince Charles Edward’s ambition left the shire comparatively untouched, for the Jacobite sentiment made little appeal to the people. Craigenputtock by George Moir

Dumfriesshire is inseparably connected with the name of Robert Burns, who farmed at

Ellisland Farm Ellisland Farm lies about 6.5 mi/10.4 km northwest of Dumfries near the village of Auldgirth, located in the Parish of Dunscore, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The complex is a museum in the farm Robert Burns built, lived in a ...

on the Nith for three years, and spent the last five years of his life in Dumfries. Thomas Carlyle was born at Ecclefechan, in a house still standing, and was buried beside his parents in the kirkyard of the old Secession church (now the United Free). His farm of

Craigenputtock Craigenputtock (usually spelled by the Carlyles as Craigenputtoch) is an estate in Scotland where Thomas Carlyle lived from 1828 to 1834. He wrote several of his early works there, including ''Sartor Resartus''. The estate's name incorporate ...

was left to Edinburgh University in order to found the John Welsh bursaries in classics and mathematics. Folk history suggests that at Holywood, near Dumfries, there stand the relic of the grove of sacred oaks from which the place derived its name, and a stone circle known locally as the Twelve Apostles. In 1988 Dumfriesshire was the site of the Lockerbie bombing, in which a bomb exploded on an aircraft flying over the town of Lockerbie, killing a total of 270 people. It remains the worst single terrorist attack in British history.

Administrative history

The origins of Dumfriesshire as a county or

shire Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the beginn ...

are obscure. There was certainly a shire of Dumfries by 1305, with some suggestion that it had existed from the twelfth century. Annandale and Eskdale retained a degree of independence from the sheriff of Dumfries, leaving the sheriff's practical control focussed on the Nithsdale area until 1747 when the separate jurisdictions of Annandale and Eskdale were ended under the Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746.

Commissioners of Supply Commissioners of Supply were local administrative bodies in Scotland from 1667 to 1930. Originally established in each sheriffdom to collect tax, they later took on much of the responsibility for the local government of the counties of Scotland. ...

were created in 1667 for each shire, and formed the main administrative body for the area until county councils were created in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889. The 1889 act also led to a review of boundaries of many of Scotland's counties; in the case of Dumfriesshire the two parishes of Moffat and Kirkpatrick-Juxta which had previously both straddled Dumfriesshire and Lanarkshire were brought entirely within Dumfriesshire. Dumfriesshire County Council was based at County Buildings in English Street. In May 1975 the county council was abolished and its functions were transferred to

Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the historic counties of Dumfriesshire, Kirkcu ...

under the

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered local government in Scotland on 16 May 1975. The Act followed and largely implemented the report of the Royal Commission on Local Gove ...

. Two lower-tier district councils were created from parts of Dumfriesshire, being

Annandale and Eskdale Annandale and Eskdale is a committee area in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It covers the areas of Annandale and Eskdale, the straths of the River Annan and the River Esk respectively. From 1975 until 1996 it was a local government district ...

covering the east of the county and Nithsdale covering the west of the county and a small part of neighbouring Kirkcudbrightshire. For

lieutenancy A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

purposes, the last

lord-lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

of the county of Dumfriesshire was made lord-lieutenant for the combined area of the Nithsdale and Annandale and Eskdale districts when the reforms came into effect in 1975. The districts were abolished in 1996, with their functions passing to

Dumfries and Galloway Council Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the historic counties of Dumfriesshire, Kirkcu ...

. The Dumfries lieutenancy area continues to cover the combined area of the pre-1996 Nithsdale and Annandale and Eskdale districts.

Historical population figures

The population in 1891 was 74,245, and in 1901, 72,371, when there were 176 persons who spoke Gaelic and English. Of the chief towns: * Annan (pop. in 1901, 4,309 pop. in 1951 4,631, in 2001 8,389), *

(pop. in 1901, 14,440, pop. in 1951 26,322, in 2001 37,846), * Langholm (pop. in 1901, 3,142, pop. in 1951 2,404, in 2001 2,311), *

(pop. in 1901, 2,358, pop. in 1951 2,621, in 2001 4,009), * Moffat (pop. in 1901, 2,530, pop. in 1951 2,114).

Places of interest

Dumfries Museum Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura, located in Dumfries in Dumfries & Galloway, is the largest museum in the region. The museum has extensive collections relating to local and history from the pre-historic era. The museum also has the world's old ...

* Sweetheart Abbey

Outdoor activities

There are three of the world class 7Stanes mountain biking centres in Dumfriesshire at Dalbeattie, Mabie and Ae. The Sustrans Route 7 long-distance cycle route also runs through the Dumfriesshire. There is excellent hill walking in the

Moffat Hills The Moffat Hills are a range of hills in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. They form a roughly triangular shape with a west facing side, a north facing side, and a south-east facing side. It is 17 kilometres from east to west across this triangle ...

. The Southern Upland Way coast to coast walk passes through Dumfriesshire and the 53 mile long

Annandale Way The Annandale Way is a hiking trail in Scotland, which is officially designated by NatureScot as one of Scotland's Great Trails. It follows the valley of the River Annan from its source in the Moffat Hills to the sea in the Solway Firth south ...

travels from the Solway Firth into the Moffat hills near the Devil's Beef Tub. There is also sailing on Castle Loch at Lochmaben.Annandale Sailing Club's website
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People

Notable people from Dumfriesshire include: *

James Burnie Beck James Burnie Beck (February 13, 1822May 3, 1890) was a Scottish-American slave owner, white supremacist, and United States Representative and Senator from Kentucky. Life Born in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, Beck immigrated to the United States in ...

, US Representative and US Senator from Kentucky * * Thomas Carlyle, essayist * Henry Duncan, clergyman * Andy Goldsworthy, sculptor * Sir Andrew Halliday, physician, reformer, writer, and civil servant * William Jardine, Jardine Matheson founder * Kirkpatrick Macmillan, inventor of the bicycle * James MacMurdo, first British political agent to Cutch State in India *

Patrick Miller of Dalswinton Patrick Miller of Dalswinton, just north of Dumfries (1731–1815) was a Scottish banker, shareholder in the Carron Company engineering works and inventor. Miller is buried in a tomb against the southern wall of Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinbur ...

, engineer and inventor * William Paterson, banker * Thomas Telford, engineer *

Joseph Thomson Joseph or Joe Thomson is the name of: *J. J. Thomson (1856–1940), physicist * Joseph Thomson (cricketer) (1877-1953), Australian cricketer *Joseph Thomson (explorer) (1858–1895), African explorer * Joseph Angus Thomson (1856–1943), Australian ...

, geologist and explorer

References

Primary sources

Secondary sources

* *

External links

Dalveen Pass
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