Balmaghie ( ), from the

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...

''Baile Mhic Aoidh'', is an ecclesiastical and civil parish in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland and was the seat of the McGhee family. It is bordered by the River Dee to the north and east.

Threave Castle Threave Castle is situated on an island in the River Dee, west of Castle Douglas in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in the Dumfries and Galloway region of Scotland. Built in the 1370s by Archibald the Grim, it was a stronghold of ...

stands on an island in the river. The River Dee is commonly known as the Black Water of Dee on the northern border, the name changes with the meeting of the

Water of Ken The Water of Ken is a river in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Galloway, south-west Scotland. It rises on Blacklorg Hill, north-east of Cairnsmore of Carsphairn in the Carsphairn hills, and flows south-westward into The Glenkens, ...

to the north west and is then known as

Loch Ken Loch Ken is a long freshwater loch in the historic county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It lies in the Glenkens, where it is fed from the north by the Water of Ken and from the west by the Dee. It continues as the D ...

along the eastern border. Balmaghie parish borders Girthon to the west and

Tongland Tongland is a small village about north of Kirkcudbright, in the historic county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It lies on the west bank of the Dee near its confluence with the Tarff Water. History Tonglan ...

and

Twynholm Twynholm ( 'TWINE-um') is a village in Scotland. It is located north-northwest of Kirkcudbright and east of Gatehouse of Fleet on the main A75 trunk road. It is in the historic county of Kirkcudbrightshire , Dumfries and Galloway.

to the south. The closest market town is

Castle Douglas Castle Douglas ( gd, Caisteal Dhùghlais) is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It lies in the lieutenancy area of Kirkcudbrightshire, in the eastern part of Galloway, between the towns of Dalbeattie and Gatehouse of Fleet. It is in th ...

about 6 miles from Balmaghie Kirk. The ecclesiastical parish covers the same area as the civil parish and the two are generally not differentiated between. Balmaghie parish is mainly rural and contains only a handful of small settlements: Laurieston, Bridge of Dee, and

Glenlochar Glenlochar ( Gd: ''Gleann Lochair'') is a hamlet on the western bank of the River Dee in the parish of Balmaghie in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway. Glenlochar is located one and a half miles south of Balmag ...

as well as number of farms and houses scattered throughout the parish. Farming is the major industry of the area, although there is a large area of commercial forestation operated by the

Forestry Commission The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the management of publicly owned forests and the regulation of both public and private forestry in England. The Forestry Commission was previously also respon ...

to the west of Laurieston. Tourists and locals visit the area to watch wild birds at the RSPB Nature Reserve at Duchrae, the Ken-Dee Marshes. A number of

red kite The red kite (''Milvus milvus'') is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species currently breeds in the Western Palearctic region o ...

have been re-introduced to the area and can be seen near Laurieston at the Bellymack feeding station. The 2008 horror film '' Outpost'' and its 2012 sequel '' Outpost:Black Sun'' were filmed on the Balmaghie estat

The 2018 mystery novel ''The'' ''Shadow'' ''of'' ''the'' ''Black'' ''Earl'' by Charles E McGarry is set in a fictionalised version of Laurieston Hall and surrounding area.

Balmaghie Kirk

The ecclesiastical focus of Balmaghie was Balmaghie Kirk, until its closure in 2015. Plans to sell the church for housing conversion were withdrawn following widespread protests and a petition and it has now been taken over by the Balmaghie Sacred Landscape Trust and the building is now in community use. The church was built in 1794 and set on a small hillock in Balmaghie overlooking Loch Ken and opposite

Crossmichael Crossmichael ( gd, Crois Mhìcheil) is a small village on the east side of Loch Ken in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire, about north of Castle Douglas in Scotland. Crossmichael is also the name of the civil parish in Kirkcudbright ...

Kirk on the far bank. Remodelling was carried out by Peddie and Kinnear in 1891–94. The tower was reduced and reroofed in 1893 by William Davidson. Gravestones_at_Balmaghie_Churchyard

The Balmaghie War Memorial was designed by the sculptor

Alexander Carrick Alexander Carrick (20 February 1882 – 1966) was a Scottish sculptor. He was one of Scotland's leading monumental sculptors of the early part of the 20th century. He was responsible for many architectural and ecclesiastical works as well as m ...

in Cullaloe stone and unveiled in 1920.

Estates

* Balmaghie, house of 1874-80 by John Burnet and

John James Burnet Sir John James Burnet (31 May 1857 – 2 July 1938) was a Scottish Edwardian architect who was noted for a number of prominent buildings in Glasgow and London. He was the son of the architect John Burnet, and later went into partnership with ...

, now reduced in size. * Hensol or Duchrae, house of 1820s designed by

Robert Lugar Robert Lugar (1773 – 23 June 1855), was a British architect and engineer in the Industrial Revolution. Although born in Colchester, England, Lugar carried out much of his most important work in Scotland and Wales, where he was employed by s ...

. * Laurieston Hall, mansion dating from the 17th century with additions in 1893 by architect Sydney Mitchell. * Livingston House, mid 18th century lairds house. *Netherhall, situated on the river Dee, home of the Ross family. * Slogarie, house of 1886 by Peddie and Kinnear, remodelled after a fire by Antony Curtiss Wolffe 1960s.

People

Archibald the Grim Archibald Douglas, Earl of Douglas and Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Douglas and Bothwell (c. 1330 – c. 24 December 1400), called Archibald the Grim or Black Archibald, was a late medieval Scottish nobleman. Archibald was the bastard son of ...

, of Threave Castle *Rear Admiral James Murray Gordon (1782-1850) of Balmaghie House, buried in his private chapel-mausoleum on the estate. *

Samuel Rutherford Crockett Samuel Rutherford Crockett (24 September 1859 – 16 April 1914), who published under the name "S. R. Crockett", was a Scottish novelist. Life and work He was born at Little Duchrae, Balmaghie, Kirkcudbrightshire, Galloway on 24 September 18 ...

, 1859- 1914, novelist of Scottish historical fiction. He was born at Duchrae Farm, Balmaghie, on 24 September 1859, the illegitimate son of dairymaid Annie Crocket. Some of his works are set in the surrounding area. He died in

Tarascon Tarascon (; ), sometimes referred to as Tarascon-sur-Rhône, is a commune situated at the extreme west of the Bouches-du-Rhône department of France in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Inhabitants are referred to as Tarasconnais or Taras ...

in France on 16 April 1914. His remains were buried in the family grave in his home kirkyard at Balmaghie. A memorial to him was erected in Laurieston by public subscription in 1932. *

John M'Millan John M'Millan was the founding Father of the Reformed Presbyterian Church. He was the first minister of the Cameronians after the Revolution Settlement. He was born at Minnigaff, near Newton Stewart in Kirkcudbrightshire, around 1669, and spen ...

(1669-1753) the Cameronian preacher, founder of the Reformed Presbytery. He preached for the first time in Balmaghie Church on 22 December 1700, apparently as ordinary supply, and on 30 April 1701, was elected to the parish. *

Margaret McNaughton Margaret McNaughton was a Scottish Canadian author and historian. Her account of her husband's experiences travelling across Canada to the Cariboo gold fields was the second non-fiction book published by a woman in British Columbia. Born Margaret ...

1856-1915 was a Scottish Canadian author and historian. Her account of her husband's experiences travelling across Canada to the Cariboo gold fields was the second non-fiction book published by a woman in British Columbia. Margaret Peebles was born in 1856 to Thomas Peebles and his wife Jane Mackenzie Murie in Balmaghie, she went to British Columbia in 1888, and married Montreal-born Archibald McNaughton.She died in 1915. * Admiral Sir Nigel Henderson (1909-1993) and his wife Catherine Maitland, lived at Hensol House, former home of the Cuninghame family, and the Marchioness of Ailsa. * Lt Col John McCrae (1872-1918) wrote "'' In Flanders Field"'' died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

near the end of the Great War. His parents farmed at Laurieston and emigrated to Canada. *Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Walter Hugh Malcolm Ross, GCVO, OBE, GCStJ (1943-2019) was a member of the Royal Household. Appointed Lord Lieutenant of the Stewartry 2006 and resigned 2018. Lived at Netherhall.

Gallery

File:Laurieston Village - geograph.org.uk - 321989.jpg, Laurieston willage File:Laurie Arms Inn, in Laurieston - geograph.org.uk - 484046.jpg, Laurie Arms Inn, Laurieston File:Kirk Road, Laurieston. - geograph.org.uk - 523617.jpg, Kirk Road to Balmaghie Kirk File:S.R. Crockett Memorial, Laurieston - geograph.org.uk - 886451.jpg, S.R. Crockett memorial, Laurieston File:Bridge of Dee - geograph.org.uk - 679632.jpg, Brig o Dee hamlet File:Bridge of Dee railway station (site), Dumfries & Galloway (geograph 6162047).jpg, the old Bridge of Dee railway station File:Admiral Gordon's Chapel - Glenlochar - geograph.org.uk - 963863.jpg, Admiral Gordon's chapel, Glenlochar File:Glenlochar barrage at end of Loch Ken - geograph.org.uk - 1252140.jpg, Glenlochar Barrage File:Threave Castle - general view from E bank of River Dee.jpg, Threave Castle File:Hensol House - geograph.org.uk - 263579.jpg, Hensol House File:Picture of Little Duchrae.jpg, Little Duchrae, birthplace of S.R. Crockett File:The Ken-Dee Marshes from Balmaghie Churchyard - geograph.org.uk - 321958.jpg, Ken-Dee Marshes from the Balmaghie Kirkyard

References

;Citations ;Sources * * * * * * * * *

External links