Dumfries and Galloway (; ) is one of the 32 unitary

council areas of Scotland For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" (), which are all governed by single-tier authorities designated as "councils". They have the option under the Local Government (Gaelic Names) (Sc ...

, located in the western part of the

Southern Uplands The Southern Uplands () are the southernmost and least populous of mainland Scotland's three major geographic areas (the others being the Central Lowlands and the Highlands). The term is used both to describe the geographical region and to col ...

. It is bordered by

East Ayrshire East Ayrshire (; ) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquarters of the council are located on London Roa ...

, South Ayrshire, and

South Lanarkshire South Lanarkshire (; ) is one of 32 unitary authorities of Scotland. It borders the south-east of the Glasgow City council area and contains some of Greater Glasgow's suburban towns, as well as many rural towns and villages. It also shares bor ...

to the north;

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by West Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian, and East Lothian to the north, the North Sea to the east, Dumfries and Galloway to the south-west, South Lanarkshire to the we ...

to the north-east; the English county of Cumbria, the

Solway Firth The Solway Firth is an inlet on the west coast of Great Britain, forming part of the border between England and Scotland. The firth (a Scottish term for an inlet of the sea) divides Cumbria (including the Solway Plain) from Dumfries and Gallow ...

, and the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea is a body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel and to the Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland in the north by the North Ch ...

to the south, and the North Channel to the west. The

administrative centre An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgi ...

and largest settlement is the town of

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the Counties of Scotland, ...

. The second largest town is

Stranraer Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; ), also known as The Toon or The Cleyhole, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on Loch Ryan and the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland. Stranraer is Dumfries ...

, located to the west of Dumfries on the North Channel coast. Dumfries and Galloway corresponds to the historic shires of

Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the hi ...

, Kirkcudbrightshire, and

Wigtownshire Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown (, ) is one of the Counties of Scotland, historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Wigtownshire was an counties of Scotland, administrative county used for ...

, the last two of which are collectively known as

Galloway Galloway ( ; ; ) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the counties of Scotland, historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council areas of Scotland, council area of Dumfries and Gallow ...

. The three counties were combined in 1975 to form a single

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

, with four districts within it. The districts were abolished in 1996, since when Dumfries and Galloway has been a unitary local authority. For lieutenancy purposes, the area is divided into three lieutenancy areas called Dumfries, Wigtown, and the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, broadly corresponding to the three historic counties.

History and geography

History

The term ''Dumfries and Galloway'' has been used since at least the 19th century – by 1911 the three counties had a united

sheriffdom A sheriffdom is a judicial district in Scotland, led by a sheriff principal. Since 1 January 1975, there have been six sheriffdoms. Each sheriffdom is divided into a series of sheriff court districts, and each sheriff court is presided over by a r ...

under that name. Dumfries and Galloway covers the majority of the western area of the

, it also hosts Scotland's most Southerly point, at the Mull of Galloway in the west of the region.

Geography

Regions

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

County ** the sub-area of Dumfriesshire – Annandale ** the sub-area of Dumfriesshire – Eskdale ** the sub-area of Dumfriesshire –

Nithsdale Nithsdale (), also known as Strathnith, Stranith or Stranit, is the strath or dale (landform), dale of the River Nith in southern Scotland. Nithsdale was one of the medieval provinces of Scotland. The provinces gradually lost their administrat ...

* Kirkcudbrightshire County ** the sub-area of Kirkcudbrightshire – Stewartry (archaically, Desnes) *

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)

Water systems

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 Newton Stewart (Scottish Gaelic language, Gd: ''Baile Ùr nan Stiùbhartach'') is a former burgh town in the historical county of Wigtownshire in Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland. The town is on the River Cree with most of the town to ...

Girvan Girvan (, "mouth of the River Girvan") is a burgh and harbour town in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Girvan is situated on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde, with a population of about 6,450. It lies south of Ayr, and north of St ...

and Water of Minnoch valley which lies just west of the

Galloway Hills The Galloway Hills are part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland, and form the northern boundary of western Galloway. They lie within the bounds of the Galloway Forest Park, an area of some of largely uninhabited wild land, managed by Forestry an ...

carries a minor road northward through Glentrool village into South

Ayrshire Ayrshire (, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county, in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. The lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Ayrshire and Arran covers the entirety ...

. This road leaves the A714 at Bargrennan. *

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, ...

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 Dalmellington (, ) is a market town and civil parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, co ...

and New Cumnock in Ayrshire and runs east then south down

to Dumfries. Nithsdale carries both the A76 road and the rail line from Dumfries to

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock ( ; ; , ), meaning "the church of Mernóc", is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland. The town has served as the administrative centre of East Ayrshire Council since 1996 and is the region's main ...

. 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 The River Clyde (, ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde, in the west of Scotland. It is the eighth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the second longest in Scotland after the River Tay. It runs through the city of Glasgow. Th ...

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

just south of Gretna having travelled south from

Langholm Langholm , also known colloquially as the "Muckle Toon", is a burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, southern Scotland. Langholm lies between four hills in the valley of the River Esk in the Southern Uplands. Location and geography Langholm sits n ...

and

Eskdalemuir Eskdalemuir is a civil parish and small village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, with a population of 265.

. 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 The River Teviot (; ), or Teviot Water, is a river of the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, and is the largest tributary of the River Tweed by catchment area. The Teviot is an important river for wildlife, especially the Atlantic salmon, but ...

Hawick Hawick ( ; ; ) is a town in the Scottish Borders council areas of Scotland, council area and counties of Scotland, historic county of Roxburghshire in the east Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-south-east o ...

. Eskdale itself heads north west from Langholm through Bentpath and Eskdalemuir to Ettrick and Selkirk.

Transportation

The A701 branches off the M74 at Beattock, goes through the town of

Moffat Moffat is a burgh and parish in Dumfriesshire. 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. Moffat is arou ...

, 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 Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. 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). It is particularly remembered as the place where

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...

murdered the Red Comyn in 1306 before being crowned

King of Scotland The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British cons ...

– and where

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...

spent his last years. His mausoleum is in St Michael's graveyard. Going down the east bank is the village of Glencaple, Caerlaverock Castle, Caerlaverock Wild Fowl Trust, an ancient Roman fort on Ward Law Hill and nearby in

Ruthwell Ruthwell is a village and parish on the Solway Firth between Dumfries and Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Annan in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. In 2022 the combined population of Ruthwell and nearby Clarencefield was 400. Thomas Randolph, Earl ...

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 views across the Solway to the

Lake District The Lake District, also known as ''the Lakes'' or ''Lakeland'', is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in Cumbria, North West England. It is famous for its landscape, including its lakes, coast, and mou ...

. The house of

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...

founder of the American Navy is also open to visitors near Kirkbean. * East Stewartry Coast: this takes in the coast line from Balcary Point eastward across Auchencairn Bay and the Rough Firth past Sandyhills to Mersehead. There are several coastal villages within this area – Auchencairn, Kippford, Colvend, Rockcliffe, and Portling. There is also a 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 a wildfowl reserve. The area has a number of coastal paths. * Fleet Valley: this area takes in Fleet Bay with its holiday destinations of Auchenlarie, Mossyard Bay, Cardoness, Sandgreen and Carrick Shore. The area also includes the town of

Gatehouse of Fleet Gatehouse of Fleet ( ) is a town, half in the civil parish of Girthon, and half in the parish of Anwoth, divided by the river Water of Fleet, Fleet, Kirkcudbrightshire, within the council administrative area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. ...

and the historic villages of Anworth and Girthon – there is a castle at Cardoness in the care of

Historic Scotland Historic Scotland () was an executive agency of the Scottish Government, executive agency of the Scottish Office and later the Scottish Government from 1991 to 2015, responsible for safeguarding Scotland's built heritage and promoting its und ...

Transport

Transport in the region is operated by bus companies Houston's, Stagecoach Western, McCall's coaches, and a variety of other small operators. Train operators in the region are,

ScotRail ScotRail Trains Limited, trading as ScotRail (), is a Scottish train operating company that is publicly owned by Scottish Rail Holdings on behalf of the Scottish Government. It has been operating the ScotRail franchise as an operator of las ...

TransPennine Express TransPennine Trains Limited, trading as TransPennine Express (TPE), is a British train operating company that has operated passenger services in the TransPennine Express franchise area since May 2023. It runs regional and inter-city rail ser ...

and Avanti West Coast. The region has seven working railway stations. All are on the Glasgow South Western Line, except

Lockerbie Lockerbie (, ) is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, located in south-western Scotland. The 2001 Census recorded its population as 4,009. The town had an estimated population of in . The town came to international attention in December 1988 when ...

which is on the

West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...

. * Stranraer railway station * Kirkconnel railway station * Sanquhar railway station * Dumfries railway station *

Annan railway station Annan is a railway station on the Glasgow South Western Line, which runs between and via . The station, situated north-west of Carlisle, serves the town of Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Annan in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is owned by ...

* Gretna Green railway station *

Lockerbie railway station Lockerbie railway station is a railway station serving the town of Lockerbie, on the West Coast Main Line, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located south of Glasgow Central and north of London Euston. The station is owned by Network Rail. ...

The mainline from Dumfries railway station via

to Stranraer Harbour railway station, was closed under the

Beeching cuts The Beeching cuts, also colloquially referred to as the Beeching Axe, were a major series of route closures and service changes made as part of the restructuring of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain in the 1960s. They are named ...

. The line previously connected London Euston and the

with the ferries to Larne Harbour railway station and the

Port of Belfast Belfast Harbour is a major maritime hub in Belfast, Northern Ireland, handling 67% of Northern Ireland's seaborne trade and about 25% of the maritime trade of the entire island of Ireland. It is a vital gateway for raw materials, exports and c ...

. 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

with a longer line via

and Ayr. The area is served by buses which connect the main population centres. Express bus services link the main towns with

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, Ayr,

and

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

. Local bus services also operate across the region. Dumfries and Galloway is home to two ports which have services to Northern Ireland, both are in the West of the region.

Stena Line Stena Line is a Swedish Shipping line, shipping line company and one of the world's largest ferry operators. It services Denmark, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland and Sweden. Stena Line is a ...

and P&O Irish Sea both have a port in the village of Cairnryan. 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

was the scene of the

Pan Am Flight 103 Pan Am Flight 103 (PA103/PAA103) was a regularly scheduled Pan Am transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit via a stopover in London and another in New York City. Shortly after 19:00 on 21 December 1988, the Boeing 747 "Clipper Maid of th ...

terrorist attack on 21 December 1988. The main roads to and from the region are: * M6 * A74(M) * A75 * A76 * A77 * A701 * A709

Emergency services

As with the whole of Scotland,

Police Scotland Police Scotland (), officially the Police Service of Scotland (), is the national police force of Scotland. It was formed in 2013, through the merging of eight regional police forces in Scotland, as well as the specialist services of the Scottis ...

is the police force for the region and Scotland as a whole since it was formed from the merger of Scotland's previous regional police forces. Its predecessor, Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary (dissolved 2014) was the smallest police force in the United Kingdom. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (formerly Dumfries and Galloway Fire and Rescue Service) provides firefighting services across the region. The Coastguard, Lifeboats, Moffat mountain rescue and Galloway Mountain Rescue also offer emergency services across Dumfries and Galloway. Nith Inshore Rescue is based at Glencaple. This independent lifeboat provides water rescue cover for the River Nith, surrounding rivers and inland water. Nith Inshore Rescue is a declared facility for HM Coastguard, the control centre and overseeing authority responsible for call outs. NHS Dumfries and Galloway provides healthcare services across the region. The two main hospitals are the Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary in Dumfries and Galloway Community Hospital in Stranraer.

Education

Dumfries & Galloway Council provides nursery, primary and secondary education across the region.

Alternative Schools

* Kilquhanity School

Nursery and primary schools

Secondary schools

* Annan Academy * Castle Douglas High School * Dalbeattie High School * Douglas Ewart High School,

* Dalry Secondary School * Dumfries Academy * Dumfries High School * Kirkcudbright Academy * Langholm Academy *

Lockerbie Academy Lockerbie Academy is a mainstream non-denominational secondary school in Lockerbie, Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's l ...

* Moffat Academy * North West Community Campus,

* Sanquhar Academy * St Joseph's College, Dumfries * Stranraer Academy * Wallace Hall, Thornhill

Culture

Wildlife

The region is known as a stronghold for several rare and protected species of amphibian, such as the

Natterjack toad The natterjack toad (''Epidalea calamita'') is a toad native to sandy and heath (habitat), heathland areas of Europe and the United Kingdom. Adults are in length, and are distinguished from common toads by a yellow line down the middle of the b ...

and the Great crested newt. There are also RSPB Nature Reserves at the Mull of Galloway, Wood of Cree ( Galloway Forest Park), Ken Dee Marshes (near Loch Ken) and Mereshead (near Dalbeattie on the

)

Outdoor activities

There are five 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

. The Southern Upland Way coast to coast walk passes through Dumfries and Galloway and the 53-mile long Annandale Way travels from the

into the Moffat hills near the Devil's Beef Tub. There is also fresh water sailing on Castle Loch at

Lochmaben Lochmaben () is a small town and civil parish in Scotland, and site of a castle. It lies west of Lockerbie, in Dumfries and Galloway. By the 12th century the Bruce family had become the local landowners and, in the 14th century, Edward I of Engl ...

and at various places on Loch Ken Loch Ken also offers waterskiing and wakeboarding. The

coastline offers fishing, caravaning and camping, walking and sailing.

Arts and media

Dumfries and Galloway is well known for its arts and cultural activities as well as its natural environment. The major festivals include 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. In terms of television, the area is cover by

BBC Scotland BBC Scotland is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Scotland. Its headquarters are in Glasgow, employing approximately 1,250 staff as of 2017, to produce 15,000 hours of television and radio programming per year. BBC Scotla ...

broadcasting from

and

ITV Border ITV Border, previously Border Television and commonly referred to as simply Border, is the Channel 3 service provided by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the England/Scotland border region, covering most of Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway, th ...

which broadcast from

Gateshead Gateshead () is a town in the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough of Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank. The town's attractions include the twenty metre tall Angel of the North sculpture on the town's southern outskirts, ...

. Radio stations are provided by

BBC Radio Scotland BBC Radio Scotland is a Scottish national radio network owned and operated by BBC Scotland, a division of the BBC. It broadcasts a wide variety of programmes. It replaced the Scottish BBC Radio 4 opt-out service of the same name from 23 N ...

which broadcast the local opt-out from its studios in

and the commercial radio station, Greatest Hits Radio Dumfries & Galloway also broadcast local news bulletins to the area. The area is served by these local newspapers: * '' Dumfries and Galloway Standard'' * ''Annandale Herald'' * ''Annandale Observer'' * '' Dumfries Courier'' * ''Eskdale and Liddesdale Advertiser'' * ''Galloway Gazette'' * '' Galloway News'' * ''Moffat News'' * '' Stranraer and Wigtownshire Free Press''

Settlements

Largest settlements by population: ''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 * Dalbeattie, Dalton, Dornock, Drumlanrig, Drummore,

, Dundrennan, Dunscore * Eastriggs, Ecclefechan,

Eskdalemuir Eskdalemuir is a civil parish and small village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, with a population of 265.

* Garlieston,

, Glenluce,

Gretna Green Gretna Green is a parish in the southern Subdivisions of Scotland, council area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, close to the town of Gretna, Scotland, Gretna, on the Scottish side of the English-Scottish border. It is accessed from the A74( ...

, Gretna * Haugh of Urr, Hoddom * Isle of Whithorn * Johnsfield, Johnstonebridge * Keir, Kelloholm, Kippford, Kirkbean, Kirkcolm, Kirkcowan

Kirkcudbright Kirkcudbright ( ; ) is a town at the mouth of the River Dee, Galloway, River Dee in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, southwest of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie. A former royal burgh, it is the traditional county town of Kirkcudbrightshire. His ...

, Kirkconnel, Kirkinner,

Kirkpatrick Durham Kirkpatrick Durham (Scottish Gaelic: Cill Phàdraig) is a village and parish in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. It is located north of Castle Douglas. History An old church dedicated t ...

, Leswalt, Locharbriggs,

* Middleshaw, Millhousebridge, Mochrum,

, Moniaive, Muirhead, Mull of Galloway * New Abbey, New Galloway, New Luce,

, Newton Wamphray * Palnackie, Parkgate, Parton, Penpont,

Portpatrick Portpatrick is a village and civil parishes in Scotland, 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 br ...

, Port William * Ringford, Robgill Tower,

* Sandhead, Sanquhar,

Sorbie Sorbie () is a small village in Wigtownshire, Machars, within the administration area of Dumfries and Galloway Council, Scotland. It is located midway between Wigtown and Whithorn on the A714 road. Farming forms the principal local industry in ...

, St John's Town of Dalry, Stoneykirk,

* Templand, Terregles, Thornhill,

Twynholm Twynholm () 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.

* Unthank *

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, the village centre b ...

, Whithorn, Wigtown

Places of interest

* Annandale distillery - Scotch Whisky * Bladnoch distillery - Scotch Whisky * Caerlaverock Castle –

* Caerlaverock NNR ( national nature reserve) * WWT Caerlaverock – a reserve of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust * Cardoness Castle * Castle of St John, Stranraer * Corsewall Lighthouse, privately owned * Drumlanrig Castle * HM Factory, Gretna, Eastriggs – site of a munitions factory during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

* Galloway Forest Park, Forestry and Land Scotland * Galloway Hydro Electric Scheme, Scottish Power * Glenlair – home of 19th century physicist

James Clerk Maxwell James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish physicist and mathematician who was responsible for the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, which was the first theory to describe electricity, magnetism an ...

* Glenluce Abbey * Hallhill Covenanter Martyrs Memorial - near Kirkpatrick Irongray Church. * Isle of Whithorn Castle * Kenmure Castle – a seat of the

Clan Gordon Clan Gordon is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the most powerful Scottish clans. The Gordon lands once spanned a large territory across the Highlands. Presently, Gordon is seated at Aboyne Castle, Aberdeenshire ...

* Loch Ken * MacLellan's Castle, Kirkcudbright * Motte of Urr * Mull of Galloway –

RSPB The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a Charitable_organization#United_Kingdom, charitable organisation registered in Charity Commission for England and Wales, England and Wales and in Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, ...

/ South Rhins Community Development Trust * Ruthwell Cross * Samye Ling Tibetan Monastery * Southern Upland Way –

long distance footpath A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking, cycling, equestrianism or cross-country skiing. They exist on all continents exce ...

* Sweetheart Abbey, New Abbey * Threave Castle

Governance

Administrative history

Prior to 1975, the area that is now Dumfries and Galloway was administered as three separate counties:

, Kirkcudbrightshire, and

. The counties of Scotland originated as sheriffdoms, which were established from the twelfth century, consisting of a group of parishes over which a sheriff had jurisdiction. An elected county council was established for each county in 1890 under the

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 ( 52 & 53 Vict. c. 50) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which was passed on 26 August 1889. The main effect of the act was to establish elected county councils in Scotland. In this it fol ...

. The three county councils were abolished in 1975 under the

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) is an Act of Parliament (UK), act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered local government of Scotland, local government in Scotland on 16 May 1975. The act followed and largely impleme ...

, which established a two-tier structure of local government across Scotland comprising upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. A region called Dumfries and Galloway was created covering the area of the three counties, which were abolished as administrative areas. The region contained four districts: * Annandale and Eskdale, covering the eastern part of Dumfriesshire. *

, covering the western part of Dumfriesshire and a small part of Kirkcudbrightshire. * Stewartry, covering most of Kirkcudbrightshire. * Wigtown, covering all of Wigtownshire and a small part of Kirkcudbrightshire. Further local government reform in 1996 under the

Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 (c. 39) is an Act of parliament, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that created the current Local government in Scotland, local government structure of 32 Unitary authority, unitary authori ...

saw the area's four districts abolished, with the Dumfries and Galloway Council taking over the functions they had previously performed. The council continues to use the areas of the four abolished districts as committee areas. The four former districts are also used to define the area's three lieutenancy areas, with Nithsdale and Annandale and Eskdale together forming the Dumfries lieutenancy, the Stewartry district corresponding to the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright lieutenancy, and the Wigtown district corresponding to the Wigtown lieutenancy. The council headquarters is at the Council Offices at 113 English Street in Dumfries, which had been built in 1914 as the headquarters for the old Dumfriesshire County Council, previously being called "County Buildings".

Political control

The first election to the Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 16 May 1975. A shadow authority was again elected in 1995 ahead of the reforms which came into force on 1 April 1996. Political control of the council since 1975 has been as follows: Regional council Unitary authority

Leadership

Since 2007 the council has been required to designate a

leader of the council Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

. The leader may also act as the convener, chairing council meetings, or the council may choose to appoint a different councillor to be convener. Prior to 2007 the council sometimes chose to appoint a leader, and sometimes did not. The leaders since 2007 have been:

Elections

Since 2007 elections have been held every five years under the

single transferable vote The single transferable vote (STV) or proportional-ranked choice voting (P-RCV) is a multi-winner electoral system in which each voter casts a single vote in the form of a ranked ballot. Voters have the option to rank candidates, and their vot ...

system of election. This system was introduced by the

Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 The Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 (asp 9) is an Act of the Scottish Parliament which provided, amongst other things, for the election of councillors to the local government in Scotland, local authorities in Scotland by the single transfera ...

to achieve a reasonably proportionately representative outcome. Election results since 1995 have been as follows:

Wards

The council area is divided into 12 wards that elect 43 councilors:

Parliamentary constituencies

Gallery

File:Dalveen Pass from Comb Head.jpg, Dalveen Pass from Comb Head summit, near Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. File:Sweetheart Abbey 20061214.jpg, Sweetheart Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway (Scotland) File:Orchardton tower 1.jpg, Orchardton Tower, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland File:Caerlaverock SNH.jpg, Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve. View across the Nith Estuary, close to the Solway Firth, Dumfries & Galloway. File:Tongland Powerstation 05-08-31 63.jpeg, Tongland Power station. File:Mull of Galloway 05-09-03 33.jpeg, Mull of Galloway headland. File:Mull of Galloway Lighthouse 05-09-03 14.jpeg, Mull of Galloway Lighthouse. File:Beach, on the Machars peninsula.jpg, A Machars beach. File:Machars_Coastline.JPG, Machars Coastline looking south from Cruggleton Castle. File:Cruggleton Castle remains.jpg, The remains of Cruggleton Castle. File:Torrs Warren Machars.jpg, The Machars, as viewed from Torrs Warren with Luce Bay standing between. File:The Devils Beef Tub.jpg, The Devil's Beef Tub. File:Port William Harbour 04-11-15 03.jpeg, Port William harbour. File:Moffat from the hills.JPG,

. File:River Nith estuary.jpg, River Nith Estuary.

References

External links

*
Video footage and history of Kirkpatrick Irongray Church
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dumfries And Galloway Regions of Scotland Council areas of Scotland 1975 establishments in Scotland States and territories established in 1975