CA M B R I D G E UNIVE RSITY P RES S

onhon FE ER LA NE E. C . Zfli : TT , 4

R C. CLA Y , M A NA G E

m N ND L D o ba Qlalwtm an b M MI L LA A CO . T ‘ fi p, , fi ahm s : A C .

< tific t : . M NT S N LT D . ran o J . D E O S ,

filokyo : M A R UZ E N - K A BUS H I KI - KA I S H A k qa ek KIRKC UD BRIG HT SHI RE

A ND

WIG T OWN SHIRE

by

WILLIA M kBA RM ONTH ,

G i - - r th o n P ub lic S ch o o l, G a teh o use o f Fleet

With Ma s D a ams an d Illust atio n s p , i gr , r

CA MBRID G E

A T TH E UNI VE RSI T Y P RES S

1 9 2 0

CONTENTS

P A G E

S hi re O l Coun t a n d . y The rigin of Gal oway ,

k c d Wi town Kir u bright , g

Gen eral Chara cteristics

Si z e B d . Shape . oun aries

Su rface a n d General Featu res

R ivers a n d Lak es

Geo logy

Natural History

Al on g th e Co ast

h G a in s a n d o e B ea c es a . R aised . Coast l L ss s

Lightho uses Clim ate

e—R c c Peopl a e , Diale t , Population

Agriculture

M ct M e a n d M anufa ures , in s inerals

Fish eries a n d d , Shipping Tra e

Hi sto ry

A n tiquities vi C ONTENTS

— Architec ture (a ) Ecc lesiasti cal — Archi tecture (b) Milita ry — Archite cture (c) Dom esti c a n d Municipal

Co m m uni catio n s

Administration a n d Divisions

Roll of Ho nour

The Chi ef To wns a n d Vl lla ges ILLUST RAT IONS

P A GE Glenlu ce Abbey

o r ck o k o P tpatri , l o ing S uth R o ck s near Lo ch Enoch Lo ch Enoch a n d Merric k

Head of Loch Troo l The Cree at Ma ch erm o re

Ca rlin wa r k o c o g L h , Castle D uglas

M d o o c Neldri ck en The ur er H le , L h

On e o f B Tro o l the uchan Falls . Glen

Lo ch Valley Medallio n o f P a ul Jo nes

Facsim ile o f Letter o f Paul Jones d ’ E e The Nee le s y , Douglas Hall

R a sca r r el Cave ,

’ R o d c o utherf r s Chur h , Anw th

B aldo o n The Gateway , Castle

R em ains o f Cr uggleton Castle St Medeu ’s Chapel

D un sk ey Castle

Mull o f Galloway

Y Lo ch r a n ews , y

Diagram showing R ise a n d Fa ll o f Po pulatio n

B elted Galloway Cattle viii ILLUS TRATIONS

P A GE Newt on Stewart

The Harbour , Stranraer

’ Ma rt r s G W y raves , igtown

Mo te of Urr

c d o Kirkm a drin e S ulpture St nes , Ca noe a n d Paddle Horned Mask of B ron z e

B ro nz e B racelet

’ St Nin ia n s Chapel

o m c Wh ith o m o N r an Ar h , Pri ry

Dundrennan Abbey Tom b o f the Du chess o f To uraine Glasserto n Church Threave Castle

Ca rdon ess Castle Rusco Castle

Hills o Lo ch a n h ea d T wer ,

R o und To wer o f O rch a r dto n

Castle Kennedy Lo ch n a w Castle Lo ch in ch Castle Old Place o f Mo chrum

o o o k c d The T lb th . Kir u bright

Old a n d New M k o Wi to wn ar et Cr sses , g Sir John R o ss

B a lsa rro ch

Rev . de M D D Alexan r urray , . . D a lry ILLUS TRATI ONS ix

Lin cluden College Sweetheart A b b ey Go ld Pen ann ula r Orn a men t

rea m er rummo re C y , D

ea m er an d ea d Cr y , S h

A n c n cu d o n Wh o n ie t S lpture St es , ith r Diagra ms

Orograph ica l Ma p o f Kirk cudbrightshire a n d Wigtown shire F r on t Cover

Geological Ma p of Kirk cudbrightsh ire a n d Wigto wn shi re B ack Cover

R ainfall Map of Sco tla nd Ma p of Do wa lton Loc h

T h e us ra o n n 0 1 2 s o . 1 0 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 6 2 ill t ti p p , , 7 , , 5 , , 7 , 35 , 45 , 47 , 5 , 5 , 5 ,

60 6 8 1 0 6 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 1 1 54, , 4 , 7 , 9 5 , , 7 , 9 , , , 3 , 4 , , 9 ,

1 2 0 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 8 1 0 1 1 1 6 a re re ro duced fro m h o to , , , , p p , 3 33 , 3 4 , 4 , 4

R v o 6 6 8 1 1 0 1 1 6 fr o m h b th e e H D ck h se o n . ra s . C . . g p y i ; t p p , 5 , 4 , 9 , 3 ,

h o o a h s su li ed b M essrs a en n e 8: S o n Ltd h a o n . 15 p t gr p pp y V l ti , t t p 5 re r duced b k in d ermissm n o f l e Cour z er a n d Her a ld D um f ies p o y p , r ;

h o se o n Fr aser Es . t h a o n 1 fro m a nt k in dl su ed b T . t t p . 34 pri y ppli y , q

1 a nd 1 fro m h oto ra h s su ed b T h e Wx to wn sh ire p p . 43 45 p g p ppli y g

Crea me m a n ry C o p y .

n a n S h i e. Th l . Cou ty d r e Or ig in of Ki k i h Wi G a l lowa y , r cudb r g t , gtown

The wo rd shire is of Old English origin and meant

o ffice m . , charge , ad inistration The Norman Conquest — introduced the word coun ty through French from the

' comitatus W m m esi Latin , hich in ediaeval docu ents d g

Coun t nates the shire . y is the district ruled by a count ,

’ comes the king s , the equivalent of the older English

a r m m term e l . This syste of local ad inistration entered Scotland as part of the An glo - Norman in fl uen ce that

f 1 1 00 strongly a fected our country after the year . G l — G G al oway to day , the rey alloway of literature , com prises the counties of Wigtown and Kirkcudbright . ’ ’ From east to west it extends from the B rig en 0

’ ” D th e o Glen a a m umfries to Braes pp , or l ost to the

Braes , the western boundary of Wigtownshire at this

B r G u n . part being , in point of fact , the alloway In a ncient tim es the Province of Galloway is said to have extended also over parts of the adj acent counties . But for hundreds of years the name has been iden tified solely With the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright and the

Shire of Wigtown .

o i in m 1 6 W The r g of these ter s dates back to 3 9, hen

Areh ib ald G m D the ri , third Earl of ouglas , received the

G C own lordship of alloway , and the whole of the r lands 1 A Q KTRKCUDBR I GHT A ND WIGTOWN

l . between the Nith and the Cree . Archiba d appointed d a steward to collect his revenues and a minister justice ,

a m' l whence the nam e S lew y . In the fol owing year he obtained Wigtownshire b y purchase from the Earl of d Wigtown . This district continued to be a m inistered ’ f by the King s Sheri f, and has been known ever since Celtic S cotlan d as the S h ire. According to Skene in his the word Galloway is formed b y the combination of the

Ga ll a n d Ga idh el G two words , a stranger , , the aels . Gallgaidh el was the nam e given to the m ixed Norse and

G Man G aels in the Hebrides , , Kintyre and alloway . TO the last district the designation cam e latterly to be

’ Gall a zdh restricted . The word g el appears in Welsh as

' Gallw ddel dd ih y (where is pronounced as ) , whence arose

’ Gallwithem Ga llwith a a llovzdia allowa G G . the forms , , , and y

’ m Kirkcudbri ht The na e g m eans Cuthbert s Kirk . The

’ m K lcud mt sa e meaning belongs to the Gaelic term i b .

St Niduari Bede records a Visit of Cuthbert to the , the men of the region of the Nith .

Wi town m - first g eans bay town , the syllable being vile from the Scandinavian , a bay , a creek . Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire were two of the three counties on whose boundaries , county and parish , no change was made b y the Comm issioners under the 1 88 Act of 9 .

n 2 . G e era l Ch a ra cteristics

G G m a eographically , alloway y be Viewed as falling — G into three divisions Upper alloway , the hilly northern GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS ‘ 3

G l w portions of both counties Lower al o ay , the lower an d m ore open southern sections of both di visions east

Rhin n s of Luce Bay and the , the double peninsula to — R the south west of Luce Bay and Loch yan . There is a quaint Latin description of Galloway written b y John ’ MacLell an i n 1 66 W m a 5 for Blaeu s atlas , hich y be thus translated The whole region is very healthy in

m m n cli ate and soil it rarely ascends into ountai s , but i G l rises in m any h lls . alloway as a whole reca ls the

fi ure a Rh in ns g of an eleph nt the form the head, the M1111 the p rob escis the headlands j utting into the sea

the feet ; the mountains above - named the shoul ders ; rocks and m oors the spine the rem ainder of the district ” the rest of the b o dy .

‘ 1 0 i fishin With a coastline of over 7 m les , its g is of

comparatively little importance ; its harbours are few, a n d the b ulk of its commerce is railway - borne while the absence of coal and iron has reduced its m anufactur

ing industries to a minimum . Its Wealth lies in its

- l . agricu ture In the uplands sheep rearing , in the low lands dairyi ng and mixed farm ing give Kirkcudbright shi re and Wigtownshi re a high place among the counties

i —~ m Kirk cud of Scotland . Certain d stricts Twynhol ,

G nl — m bright , Borgue , le uce pay uch attention to bee keeping , and there the honey is not excelled by any produced elsewhere in the British Isles . G w f b i allo ay o fers many a d for the outside world . Its manifold beauty of storm - scarped mountain and

quiet loch ; its rivers , here brawling torrents , there — smooth fl owin g streams its long seaboard of frown ing 4 K IRK CUD BRIGH T AND W IGTOWN

f cli f relieved by sandy beach , woo the lover of nature m with charm s that will not be gainsaid . In any a fort m m and cairn , in any a ote and sculptured stone , the antiquary fin ds exposed the unwritten record of the

- . W storied past Its once stately abbeys , hose ruins to day invite the ecclesiologist , were centres of missionary effort which kept alive the torch of religion in the dark

M m - m ages . onu ents on its whaup haunted oors and tombstones in its Aul d Kirkyards tell of the dour ’ Westland Whigs and their part in Scotland s figh t for religious freedom . Broken castle walls speak of long ” e generations of Neighbour Weir , as the f uds of the m petty chiefs were oddly called . The char of letters is not

- f- wanting . In Gatehouse o Fleet Burns is said to have comm itted to paper the flam ing battle - ode which had sung itself into his s oul to th e accom panim ent of a thunder ’ m storm on the m oor . Crockett s novels derive fro the

l hi him ll i soi w ch gave birth , and wi long hold the r place al G — as typic of alloway its scenery , its people , and their homely hospitable ways . But a greater than Crockett has been here ; Scott found subj ects in Gall oway for

’ ' Gu M ann erzn Old M ortalzt TheB rideo Lamm y g, y , and f er moor il D The Hea rt o , wh e Jeanie eans , the heroine of f

' M idloth i an al , had her prototype in Helen W ker , the l m daughter of a smal far er in the parish of Irongray . Gall oway affords am ple scope for the labours of the geologist and the botanist , and presents varied and um

numbered subj ects for the canvas of the artist . Add to this the possession of a climate so mild and eq uable

’ that the tul ip tree fl o urish es and fl o wers at St Mary s

6 KIRKCUDBRI G H T AND W IGTOWN

Isle , and the arbutus bears fruit at Kirkdale and it will be readily conceded that there is no di strict in

Scotland better worth knowing .

D al G m l ry , New alloway and Carsphairn a ong the hi ls ,

o a ck o ok n o P rtp tri , l i g S uth

R f and Stranraer , Portpatrick and ockcli fe by the sea are but a few of the holiday haunts for which the district is noted .

i . h . 3 . S z e S a p e B ou n da ries The longest straight line wh ich can be measured across Kirkcudbrightshire is from Arb iglan d to a point on the Cree where the river separates the county from

8 K IR KCUDBRIGHT A ND WI GTOVVN

would be approximately a rhombus . Exclusive of water , its area is acres , and this is seventeenth I t in size among the counties of Scotland . is barely half l m the size of Ayrshire , whi e it is rather ore than half M . m that of the Stewartry Fro Carrick ill Burn , where the three counties of Ayr , Kirkcudbright and Wigtown m R C eet , the iver ree , with its estuary broadening into m Wigtown Bay , for s the eastern boundary of Wigtown

On shire . the north the boundary runs eastward from G M alloway Burn to the ain Water of Luce . Then bend ing for a short distance to the north it cuts the

B en b ra k e Cross Water of Luce and , sweeping round

al Pul a n n o M Hill , passes ong g y Burn , L ch aberry and

Dorn al M l m Loch to Carrick i l Burn , where it eets the

Cree . h Elsewhere , Wigtownshire is was ed by the sea .

f 4 . S u r a ce a n d G en era l Fea tu res I f a straight line be drawn from the m iddle of the it m . parish of Irongray to the iddle of Anwoth , will be

- th e found that the land to the south east is , on whole , lowland in character ; that to the north west is high

. m A land Yet the for er is lowland only by contrast . n elevated tract of ground stretches from Criffel ( 1 867) north- west by the Cuil Hill (1 377) and the Long Fell to the Lotus Hill West of this the land gradual ly decreases in height towards the plain of the Urr . Again it rises in a ridge of rugged hills strewn with boulders to culminate in the Screel ( 1 1 2 0) and B engairn SURFA CE A ND G ENERAL FEATURES 9

m m a Twynhol y be looked on as an elevated plain , so

I n high in general does the surface of the parish lie . the northern part of the parish is Fuffo ck Hill and Ben Gray which slopes down to Loch Whin yeon . The rest of this southern division , from the valley

Dee Terre les of the eastwards to g , while here and there

l . hil y , is marked as a rule by an unbroken surface G m irthon parish is ostly bleak , heathery upland , con sisting of broad irregular m asses of hills intersec ted by h water courses . T ese reach their greatest altitude in Craigron ald The highland district of Kirkcudbrightshire form s part of the wide table - land extending from St Abbs u Head to Portpatrick , and known as the southern p I t m lands of Scotland . rises into a cluster of oun m tains with s ooth tops , and sides scarped with precipices W or deeply cut into ith glens , presenting everywhere d scenes of nake and rugged grandeur . Here are few

an trees here is but little trace of m . Nature is every where stern no cultivation is possible , and the region

m - m for s one vast sheep walk , clad with heath and oss , — relieved by stretches of eagerly sought for grass . The

Kirk m ab r eck l interior of is a congeries of hi ls , of which the highest is Cairnsmore of Fleet partly M in innigaff . The surface of this parish is everywhere ‘ m Ca irnsm o re o f mountainous . Fro south to north are

Lam ach an B en ellar Fleet , Larg Hill y y Merrick (2 764) and Kirriereo ch Merrick i is the loftiest sum mit south of the Gramp a n s . Ony

’ l was shauch e , Crockett s inscription in one of his novels 1 0 KIRKCUDB RIGH T A ND “ WIGTOWN

‘ hl r presented to a shepherd , Ony shauc e can w ite a

Rock s nea r Loch Eno ch

m an M A book , but it takes a to herd the errick . n undulating line connects the tops of these bills in one SURFA CE AND GENERA L FEA TURES 1 1

wide sweep of tableland . Sir Archibal d Geikie describes the surface of this parish as one wild expanse of mountain and moorland roughened with thousands of

al heaps of glaci detritus , and dotted with lakes enclosed hi m ” wit n these rubbish ounds . The heathy sum m its

Rhinn s m m m a n ificen t of the of Kells co and a g View .

1 From Little Mill y ea ( 898) the range runs N . N . W .

Lo ch En o ch a n d Merri ck through Meikle Milly ea Millfire and Cor scrine (2 668) to Coran of P ortm ark In Cars

h airn wi l m p , th its lofty hi ls green al ost to the top , rearing every year no fewer than Cheviot and

Cairn sm ore blackfaced sheep , the highest is , the third peak in the Well - known lines

Cair n sm or e o f F ee an d Cair n sm o r e o f D ee l t , , ’ Cair n sm o r e of Ca a n t e e o th e ee h , rsph ir , high st thr 1 2 K IR K CUDBRI G H T A ND WI G T O WN

1 61 6 The second of these is in Kells , and is feet high . No county in Scotland rises so little in the aggregate above the level of the sea as Wigtownshire , yet as a l whole it is undulating and hi locky . The higher grounds

al m in gener are arranged in no regular order , the ost important of them occurring as solitary em inences . The peninsula which stretches from Corsewall Point to

M G Rh in n s m m ull of alloway is known as the (Celtic , , a point , with English plural) the bluntly triangular peninsul a term inating in Burrow Head is called the

M m a kair a h achers (Celtic , , plain , with Englis plural) the rest of the county stretching from the Cree to Loch Ryan and including a large part of the parishes of Pen nin h ame M g , Kirkcowan , ochrum , Inch , Old Luce M m . and New Luce , bears the na e of the oors Wild , W and for the most part uncultivated , the moors , to hich

th e m . na e is due , are the chief feature in its scenery

They are well stocked with game , but except for sheep farming are of no value industrially . It is possible to

m Glenh a le M travel fro pp oor , near the Cree , westwards

all Dirn ea rk Airie lasson La a n airn through Urr , , g , gg g ,

Glen kitten Daln a M Lai h t R , y p , ark and g to Loch yan , in som e cases over fl ows (as the peat m osses are m m called) fro eight to ten iles long , without crossing a fi l single ploughed ed . Where there 15 cultivation it is co n fin ed al m ost entirely to narrow strips along the m m courses of so e of the strea s . In the north of the — Moors are the highest hills of the county Midm oile Craiga irie and B en b rak e (each SURFA CE A ND GENERAL FEATURES 1 3

M Lying south of the oors , from which it is separated

- defined a l by no well boundary , is the peninsula c l ed the M I t achers . comprises the parishes of Wigtown , i hi G Kirk nner , Sorbie , W thorn , lasserton , most of M m . ul ochru , and parts of Old Luce The surface as a r e

fl atn ess is low and flat , but the general is relieved here and there by gently sloping ridges running with a fairly — m m - unifor trend fro north east to south west , and rising

- as a whole towards the south west . The highest

all elevations , near the coast on that side , are Fell of Carleton Fell of B a rh ull ion East Bar Rennan Hill Mochrum Fell Doon

Ma of y and , on account of its position and con figuration more conspicuous than hills which are higher , Knock of Luce The district is well Of m watered . the nu erous streams it is noteworthy

Dru ulli a . mm n that the larger , g the Ket and the Burn , run transversely to the general trend of ridges and

l hil m . hol ows , w e the s aller flow between the ridges A feature of the district is the m anner in which the boul der clay is scattered over the ground . The large , nearly

al oblong , smooth ridges of this deposit , known loc ly as ” drums , are invariably cultivated , and the contrast between them and the surrounding lower and un culti vated ground is very striking . Connected with the rest of the county by an m l isthm us six i es broad at its narrowest part , the double peninsula of the Rhi n n s m easures miles from Corsewall Point to Mull of Galloway its l extreme breadth is about 55 mi es . The isthm us ' 1 4 K IRKCUDBRIGH T A ND WI GTOWN

fl at R consists of a low , plain lying between Loch yan I t and Luce Bay . has an average height of 70 to

1 00 - al to feet above sea level , sloping gradu ly either Piltan ton beach . Burn , which cuts this plain near its

m l fl n o at Ge ch . centre , for s a broad al uvial at House m m C Nu erous hollows occur , ost of which ontain deep lochs . M As in the achers , the highest land is on the west side . Indeed the whole peninsula m ay be looked on as exhibiting a long range of precipitous cliffs on the west , and sloping gradually to the sea on the east .

u 00 h Several peaks range abo t 5 feet , the hig est being

Crai enlee 2 L y g (59 ) in eswalt , and Cairn P ot in

Rhin ns Portpatrick , the greatest elevation in the . With the exception of these rocky hills and the Moors Galden och La rb ra x h of and , most of the northern alf ul of the penins a is under cultivation . Towards Port patrick the surface consists largely of drained land m reclaimed from oor . In the southern half Barn cork rie Moor and Grennan Moor are still in a state of nature but with these exceptions m ost of th e district m has been brought under the plough . A pro inent depression extends across the peninsul a from Port Logan Bay to Terally Bay ; another form s a hollow between Clany ard Bay and Kilstay Bay ; a third connects the headland of the Mull of Galloway with the rest of the peninsula .

~ 1 6 K IRK CUDBRIGHT A ND VVI GTOWN

m owing to the peculiar history of the river syste s , the m ain valleys are cut right across this, and the actual m watersheds m ore or less closely follow the sa e direction . The county margi n from D arn garro ch Hill runs for a considerable distance approximately on the watershed between the Nith ( which receives a com paratively small i Dee part of the dra nage of the county) and the . From the Windy Standard the county border crosses to the D oon Valley , and the eastern part of Kirkcudbrightshire belongs to the basin of the Urr . The watershed between the Nith and the Urr starting on the shore near Souther

‘ Criffel r ailwa n ear i ness runs through , crosses the y H lls w M Tower , and swings to the est to the Nine ile Bar ,

D arn arro ch ll l and thence to g Hi , after which it fol ows the county line . The watershed between the Urr and Dee i D u the begins near Barcloy H ll , north of ndrennan , D and passes to the east of Castle ouglas , where the stream s are only about four miles apart . Then it runs N W . . towards Black Craig , reaching the county boundary Hfl l Dee about Trostan . The valley is separated from D the valley of the oon at the county m argin . The watershed between the Dee a n d the Fleet is low and E Fuff I n S . o ck irregular . the it passes Hill and Loch

Wh in eon Culreoch y , goes through the White Top of ,

G ran n och Cairnsmore G - f past Loch to , by atehouse o

t Pib b le ill a n d Cairn h arro Th e Fleet S ation , down H w. watershed between the Black Water of Dee and the

defin ed D . ee Dee Cree is well Loch drains to the , Loch

E D Trool noch to the oon , and Loch to the Cree so that the watershed runs in an irregular m anner am ong these

1 8 K IR KCUDBRIGHT A ND W IG T OWN

M lochs . It ascends the errick and is continued north through Kirriereo ch Hill . The valley between the west side of the Cree and the

On Bladnoch is low and flat . the west side of the Blad noch vall ey there is a broad range of fiattish ground occupied by num erous lochs and by large peat mosses . The watersh ed herewin ds out and in between the heads

m Carsecreu h of the strea , passes through g Fell , and N W sweeps round to Q uarter Fell . The . . side of the Luce valley is formed by a well characterised group of Mi M l 01 d m . hi ls , which oile is the most pro inent Towards the west this watershed passes through Glen

Piltanton e M . m whan oor The Burn , th only i portant

Rh in ns R m . strea in the , rises to the west of Loch y an

flows parallel to its shores as far as Lochan , then swings to the east to break through the sandhills flanking the

Sands of Luce at their eastern extrem ity . m The Nith , which rises in Ayrshire so e nine miles south

Lin cluden of Cumnock , is j oined by the Cluden Water at ,

' i D Cluden s a m le and a half from umfries . Lonely hermit stream is formed by the union of the Cairn G Water and the Old Water of Cluden . The argen issues

Loch rutto n 1 from Loch to j oin the Nith 2 3; m iles south D of umfries , and New Abbey Pow , after an eastward

m i s o i course of six le , falls into it where the parishes Tro ueer m q and New Abbey arch . Issuing from Loch Urr the river Urr is at first um

a n I ts interesting and flows over irregular channel . course from the Old Bridge of Urr is among level and

- d It well cultivate grounds with a rich sward of grass . RI VERS A ND LAKES 1 9 ,

R Firth m m enters ough at Palnackie , al ost idway D f between Nith and ee. O its num erous feeders the m only one of any i portance is Kirkgunzeon Lane . which rises at Lang Fell and after a run of eight m iles l D l through lands largely a luvial , falls into it as a beattie m D Burn , about a ile south of albeattie . The Water of K en rises between Blacklorg Hill and

Lor l 1 m i g Hi l , and 7 les nearer the sea enters Loch Ken

' — a n ex an sion h no loch at all , but merely p of a sluggis m river drea ing along between widespread lonely banks . At 2 1 the southern extremity of the parish of Kells , miles ,

m 1s t fro its source , the Ken j oined from the wes by the D e m e . Fro this point to the sea it passes under the nam e of its usurping tributary . The streams which

m . feed the Ken are nu erous but , severally, inconsiderable

On D the left bank , midway between alry and New

G m G ar el u alloway , it receives the ro antic p B rn , with its

I s . t picturesque waterfall , the Holy Linn principal Deu h tributary is the g on the right bank , which , rising in three headwaters in Ayrshire , almost bisects Cars

h airn two m p , draining in ain divisions the whole of that

Pol add extensive parish . Joined by the m y Burn ,

’ which has fl owed eastwards from the slopes of the Carlin s

Cairn , it pours the united waters into the Ken . Oi the ten or twelve rills which form the source of the

Dee Ma , the principal is the rch Burn , which rises on the

south- west slopes of Corscrin e Hill changes its m na e to Sauch Burn , and then as Cooran Lane receives u D e the surpl s waters of Loch e . Thenceforward it is — — known as the Dee the dark stream o r by its duplicate 20 K IR K CUDBRIGH T A ND WI GTOVVN

D l m W ee. na e , the Black ater of The dark co our of its waters is due to the m osses among which it has its origin fl and through which in its upper reaches it ows . It is worthy of note in passing that its salmon are said to be of a darker colour than those of other rivers in the south 1 m of Scotland . Its for 9 iles is in the m ain [ course — Stro an south eastwards . It traverses Loch two miles before its union with the Ken ; and from the con fl uen ce for five miles it expands into what is som etim es Dee called a second Loch , a series of three successive l lakes with an average breadth of a quarter of a mi e .

I ts C011 1 se now is rapid a turbulent mill - race, it rushes over a rocky bottom and between steep copse - clad banks past Threave Castle Isle and Lodge Isle to Tong

Do a ch s land , where at the it pours over a declivity of rocks in an impetuous cataract . Imm ediately below

Tongland Bridge , according to tradition , is the spot described by the Scottish poet Alexander Montgomerie (born about 1 545) in the lines

B o t a s I m ussrt m n e a an e , y l , I saw a n e r 1 v er r in

Out o a n e c a e o c k o f a n e uir r ggi r st , n e lich tit in an e lin Sy , With tum blin g a n d rum blin g A m a n th er o ck i s o n d g r u , Dewa llin g a n d fa llin g I n o h a o o n d t t t pit pr f u .

l Three mi es farther down it sweeps past Kirkcudbright , five mi M and after les loses itself in the Solway . ussels containing pearls of considerable va lue are occasional ly

A n got in this river . stool Burn from B almagh ie and RIVERS AND LAKES 21

Glen a fl o win Whin eon g p Burn , g out of Loch y unite to tt i Dee form Tar Water , the ch ef tributary of the which,

l m Co s e ton . after a run of eight mi es , it j o s near mp House About the middle of its course there is a picturesque s a Laird an no ch uccession of waterf lls , the Linn of m , 0 60 between 5 and feet in height .

The Fleet , throughout a boundary river , is formed by the j unction of two main streams , the Big and the

Little Water of Fleet . The former has its head waters in three burns which rise on the eastern slopes of Cairns

C rr u m . a o ch ore of Fleet One of these , the Burn , divides

Kirk m ab reck Anwoth from the Big Water , and d m d thereafter the unite strea s , ivide Anwoth parish

G . m from irthon Issuing fro Loch Fleet , the Little Water fl ows south to j oin the Big Water j ust above — Castram on t . Wild , heath clad hills overlook the upper W m part of its course , hile its iddle and lower reaches

fl an k e h are d by declivities and plains , here ric ly wooded

- l fi lds and there stretchi ng backwards in well ti led e . A mile below Gatehouse the river suddenly expands

‘ into an est uary 3 % miles longr and a m ile in average breadth .

The Cree is a boundary river . It has its source in

M an d a fl ows a Loch oan , for sever l miles through a ble k m oorland district separating the Stewartry from Ayr shire . Opposite the north end of Loch Ochiltree it m bends sharply to the east for over a ile , and then , for

m - as wa the re ainder of its course , flows south e t rds m o f between the Stewartry and the Shire . Near the far

B ri ton oin ed ' b i Min noch g it is j y its ch ef tributary, the , 22 KIRKCUDB RIGHT AND WIGTOWN

th e Trool reinforced by Water of . For three or four miles below this it flows with an al m ost imperceptible current through a broad channel known as the Loch

Dee. On of the left bank , through the beautiful Linn

Cadorca Cadorcan fl in of n , the waters of Burn g them selves in a lovely cascade into the Cree over a cliff

Th e Cree a t Ma ch erm o re

m fift so e y feet high in the Wood of Cree , one of the remaining fragments of the ancient forests of Galloway . R u w ight across were the Cr ives of Cree , here salmon used to be caught in traps formed of stakes and wattles fix ed h d th e to a c ain stretche across river . The Cruives of Cree fin d a place in what is probably the oldest form of the lines proverbial of the power of the Kennedy m fa ily in the sixteenth century .

24 KIRKCUDBRIGHT AND WIG TOWN

- . Silurian rocks , many of which remain to day as lochs

l m all . As a ru e they are s all , and nearly contain islands Of over forty in Wigtownshire and thirty in Kirk cud b ri h s i t h re m . g , the largest is only two iles long They occur singly and in groups they are m et with at alm ost the level of the sea and at elevations ranging to 1 700 feet . They are in general well supplied with fish ; Lochs Grannoch D D , oon and ungeon contain char ; while

- tailless trout are the boast of silver sanded Loch Enoch .

Rutton 2 — Loch , 3 5 feet above sea level , supplies D m W ll u fries ith water . Near Craigend Hi are the

r so romantic loch of Lochaber and Loch Arthu , named from the tradition of King Arthur ’s soj ourn in the l vicinity . A mi e from the Solway , Loch Kinder , blue in Criffel ch airm ak ers the hollow of , no longer supplies with bulrushes and weavers with reeds . Loch Urr is a picturesque sheet of 1 06 acres ly ing in the moorland . — Between th e parishes of Kirkpatrick Durham and Urr

A uch en reoch is Loch , and a mile to the east , Loch M . Dee 2 ilton Loch , 53 acres , is an irregularly shaped lonely m ountain lake in a treeless waste near the Dungeon m . fifth m of Buchan About a larger , emboso ed a ong

l Gra n n o ch rugged hi ls and solitary moorlands , is Loch ,

G Sk errow the best trouting loch in alloway . Loch ,

1 2 nve wi 5 acres , has or six islets wooded th birch and l l . och et Loch an b rek alder The of , at an altitude of 6 0 m . 5 feet , is near a spa formerly uch resorted to D 1 02 Loch ungeon , at a height of 5 feet , is flanked by i w steep h lls on the south and rugged crags on the est . m 200 800 Loch Ken , 45 iles long , and from to yards RIVERS AND LAKE S 25

Dee wide , is the largest loch in the basin . Flanked on w the est side by a range of hills , which on the north and centre press close upon its edge , and at its southern corner terminate in a huge rock , its shores are here and there fringed and tufted with plantations . Its surface l is broken by four beautifu ly wooded islets . Carling

1 0 m m wark Loch, 5 acres , for erly uch larger , was partially

Ca rlin wa rk Lo c a e o as g h , C stl D ugl drained in 1 765 for the purpose of procuring m arl for

Carlin wark m anure . Near it stood the Three Thorns of g ,

— Ga for ages a trysting place of laird and yeom an in lloway .

Wh in eon 00 - Loch y , 7 feet above sea level , had its waters diverted about a hundred years ago from the basin of Dee m ll the , to which it belongs , to drive the cotton i s

- i - h of Gatehouse o Fleet . From the sout east corner of l Gra nn o ch Loch Fleet , about a mi e east of Loch , issues the Little Water of Fleet . Loch Enoch (said to be a

o m corruption of Loch in L ch , fro one of its islands having 26 KIRKCUDB RIGHT A ND WIGT O WN

it 1 6 0 a loch in ) , at an elevation of 5 feet is a veritable

i - h Neldrick en lake n cloud land . Loc has at its edge an m m dl e erald stretch of reeds , in the id e of which is a I t circular expanse of deep black water . never freezes , w say the natives , not even in the bitterest inters and i M s n ifi a n t m d . it bears. the g c na e of the ur er Hole — Loch Valley is a fin e exam ple of a moraine form ed

Th e M de o e o c Neldrick en ur r H l , L h lake ; it is surrounded by numberless boulders and m m perched blocks , and rocking stones , any of the so exquisitely poised that a light breeze disturbs their l G m . m equi ibriu A ong the highest mountains of alloway ,

s Tro o l its shore steep , rugged , and wooded , lies Loch with an undulating beach which , by two constrictions , divides it into three distinct basins . Its extensive drainage area includes the southern slope of the Merrick RIVERS AND LOCHS 27

La a ch a n At and the northern of m . the end of the loch G is the fin est waterfall in all oway . Buchan Linns

On e o f th e B c a e Tro o l u h n Falls , Gl n have been formed by Buchan Burn cutting a deep gorge between two hills . Through this it hurls itself by a 28 K IRK CUDB RIGHT A ND WIGTOWN

1 0 succession of leaps into the lake 2 feet beneath . The l district is rich hi storical y . It witnessed stirring scenes

B rucian in the struggle for Scottish independence , and its hills and corries were familiar with the struggles of the Covenanters .

On M i the county march are Lochs aberry , Och ltree — and Dorn al the last belonging more properly to Ayr Ou M shire . one of the eight islets of aberry are the

M m ar e rem ains of an old castle . The lochs of ochru seven in num ber ; Castle Loch drains into Mochrum M illi o . a e L ch , the largest in the basin Lochs g and

S ulseat W hi o . are it n easy access of Stranraer The latter , m l surrounded by trees , is al ost bisected by a peninsu a i — which proj ects into t . Here stood the now vanished

M Soul sea onastery of t . Other lochs in the basin of the Luce , all near the eastern shore of the bay , are White

field r M to n . , Eldrig , and the White Loch of y In Loch R yan basin are the White and Black Lochs of Inch , — connected by a canal . The space between them the dressed grounds of Castle Kennedy—is laid out in m al l for terraces and al eys . Avenues of coniferous

fl o werin trees , beds of g plants and shrubs , ponds bedecked with waterlilies , are features of a piece of lands cape - gardening unexcelled in the south of

Scotland .

6 . G eolo gy Geology is the science that deals with the solid crust

d B s of the earth in other wor s , with the rocks . y rock , GEOL O G Y 20

m however , the geologist eans loose sand and soft clay w R as ell as the hardest granite . ocks are divided into — im two great classes igneous and sed entary . Igneous rocks have resulted from the cooling and solidifying of m m molten atter , whether rushing forth as lava fro a

or volcano , , like granite , forced into and between other m rocks that lie below the surface . Someti es pre existing rocks waste away under the in fl uen ce of natural agents as frost and rain . When the waste is carried by running water and deposited in a lake or a sea in the m m for of sediment , one kind of sedi entary rock may — be formed o ften term ed aqueous . Other sedimentary rocks are accumul ations of blown sand : others are of

al : chemic origin , like stalactites others , as coal and r co al , originate in the decay of vegetable and animal

m a . m life Heat , again , or pressure , or both co bined , y so transform rocks that their original character is com ‘ letel m p y lost . Such rocks , of which marble is an exa ple , al are c led m etam orphic .

Examining the order in which rocks occur , the a hi materi ls w ch compose them , and the fossils or petri fied remains of plants and animals which they contain , geologists have arranged groups of rocks according to

w . their relative age . Lo est of all are the Archaean rocks

1 al Then in order come ( ) rocks of ancient life , or P aeozoic (2) rocks of m iddle life or Mesozoic ; and (3) rocks of

i oz m Ca n o . recent life , or The following table shows

al classification a stratified the usu of Pal eozoic rocks , the youngest on top . 3 0 KIR K CUDBRI G H T A ND WIGTOWN

Permian System . Carboniferous Old Red Sandstone Silurian Ordo Vician Cam brian

The oldest rocks exposed in Galloway are Lower

Silurian or Ordovician . These form a broad strip of country from Sanquhar past the Merrick into Loch

Ryan and the Rh in n s . The Upper Silurian rests upon m o h these confor ably ; its outcrop lies to the s ut east , forming the whole of the country from the Mull of G D m alloway to u fries , with the exception of a narrow l coastal belt . The outcrop of the Upper Si urian is 2 1 m D about miles broad fro alry to Kirkcudbright , and the outcrop of the Lower is about 1 6 m iles broad from D Dalry to the foot of Loch oon . One striking feature of these rocks is that the beds of strata are very steep . This is due to disturbances which the rocks have under m gone . Careful observation proves that the sa e beds are repeated m any tim es in any good natural section

- - such as a stream side or road side . This is a natural consequence of folding . The beds were deposited as

fl at sheets of m ud and sedim ent . The folding is like what takes place when the bellows of a camera are shut

u . al m m a p The individu folds are so eti es vertic l ,

in though very often inclined . When the folding is clined and the two sides of the arches and troughs are al l par lel it is said to be isoclina . This is the great

3 2 K IRK CUD B RIGHT A ND W I G TOWN

- the Llandeilo Caradoc . It includes greywackes and l m sha es , some of which are black and contain any graptolites . Two of the best known of these bands

Glen k iln al Harttell are the Sh e and the Shale . The Upper Silurian lowest division is known as the Llan i dover Taran on . w y It consists also of grey ackes , mud

al a n d - stones and sh es , it contains one well known

- B irkhill al graptolite bearing band , the black sh e . The d m highest rocks , the Wenlock and Lu low , for a narrow belt to the south of Kirkcudbright (al so the south end

of Burrow Head) , and on to the mouth of the Nith . While these rocks Were being deposited this district m al was occupied by a co pact sh low sea , in which grap tolites fl ourish ed together with m olluscs an d brachio pods ; but no fish rem ains and no plant remains are preserved in these strata , and it is doubtful whether as yet fish es were in existence . The sequence of the Silurian rocks in Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire m m D w is not yet complete , the topmost e bers , the o n l ton ian . , being missing Then fo lowed the folding and hi crumpling of the Silurian strata w ch , up to that time , fi ul had been at . This folding was the res t of great earth movements which took place over a very large part of the west of Europe . The compression took place in a R N W. S di m . to . rection , and hence the unifor strike of the folds . After the folding was completed the sea bottom was upheaved and formed into dry land , and the process of erosion began , which has continued unbroken ever since . The epoch of folding was followed by intrusions of GEOLOGY 3 3

granite . These are generally assigned to the Lower Re D Old d Sandstone period . uring this tim e there were great chains of volcanic m ountains over the south ll of Scotland , of which the Cheviots and the Carrick Hi s

l - are wel preserved fragments . The granite m asses of

Gall M m Cairns ore oway include the errick ass , the m of m D hi Fleet ass , and the albeattie mass , each of w ch is

1 1 0 to 2 square miles in area . Smaller masses occur at

C m a rum n d . Creetown , at g Head a elsewhere Several small patches of dark—coloured granite containing horn l blende (diorite) are to be met with , as at Ardwel , at

ll Culven n an Eldrig Vi age and at , some 3 miles north of

Kirkcowan . The granite m asses rose into position in a state of fusion , intensely hot , and the rocks in contact with the granite were profoundl y altered and re- cryst al liz m G ed. al For exa ple , at New loway the Silurian m shales and grits have been changed into ica schists , whi ch contain sill imanite and other contact m inerals produced by high tem peratures . The granite when in a liquid state had burst through the rocks , sending veins and di kes into their fissures . The granite never reached the surface , but consolidated under a great m overlying ass of rock , which has now been swept away . It is possible , however , that the granite formed the centre of volcanoes of which no trace now remains . Even at great distances from the granite num erous l di kes are found cutting through the Si urians . A swarm of these occurs between Castle Douglas and Kirk cud d m m bright . Though not broa , any of the run for a long distance . 3 4 KIRKCUDB RIGHT AND WIG T OWN

It is likely that duri ng the Old Red Sandstone period all Galloway was dry land there are no Old Red Sand i stone deposits now preserved anywhere in t . In the G was next succeeding period , the Carboniferous , alloway

first l at a range of hi ls , while the centre of Scotland and the north of England were covered by the sea . G m In course of time alloway beca e an island , which

fin all r gradual ly sank lower and lower . The sea y ose

fl oo ded m and its valleys , in so e of which deposits of carboniferous rock were form ed . A strip of such rock

Ab b e h ea d occurs at y and again at Kirkbean . These belong to the lowest part ' of the Carboniferous deposits

On and are known as calciferous sandstones . the west side of Loch Ryan also there is a belt of Carboniferous rocks these are of considerably later age and belong to

al M the Co easures period . After the Carboniferous period ended, dry land again supervened , and the red sandstones of Maxwelltown and the breccias of Loch R d yan were subsequently deposited, possibly in esert lakes . These sandstones contain the footprints of A t ‘ R reptiles , but no other trace of life . Loch yan M they rest on Carboniferous , but at axwelltown they l rest directly on the Upper Si urian . For a very long period the geological history of G alloway is a blank . In early tertiary times many long dikes of basalt were inj ected into the Silurian rocks . A G e. . m . few instances occur in alloway, g at Kirkcol During the glacial period Galloway was buried under a G m deep layer of ice . reat masses of snow accu ulated

m m - on the high hills and for ed a oving ice sheet , which GEOLOGY 3 5

m strea ed southwards into the Solway , carrying with it

m W al nu erous blocks of rock , which ere deposited ong i its course . Blocks of Cr ffel granite are found near m Birmingha and in South Wal es . The Firth of Clyde

was filled by a great ice - stream coming down from the

hl Rh in n s Hig ands , and this passed into the . After the

Lo ch Va lley

(A m ora in e- form ed lak e)

m - m ain ice sheet elted , local glaciers existed in the high

al l hills , where glaci moraines are sti l conspicuous features i of the landscape . Abundant ev dence of the Ice Age in

Ga l l oway is to be met with in scratched rock surfaces ,

an boulder clays , sands and gravels d the erratic blocks j ust m entioned . A very striking feature all over Galloway is the manner in whi ch the boul der clay has been deposited . It is found in large , smooth ridges , ”

a um . oblong or rounded in shape , loc lly known as dr s 3 6 K IRKCUD BRIGH T AND WI GTO WN

A small patch of blown sand occurs beside Port Logan

' it rises i l another at the Point of Lag , where into a h l 75 feet above the sea and a larger strip at the head of m m Luce Bay , stretching fro Sandhead to the outh of Pil tan ton Burn .

S Terre le In the tewartry parts of Irongray, g s and

Tr er l o que have the soi a sandy loam . A belt stretching from Maxwelltown al ong the shores of New Abbey an d Kirkbean has a soil either of carse or rich loam with a

- subsoil of gravel or limestone . In the south east of the country and in the valleys of the Ken , the Fleet and the

a m et w Cree , dry loam of a hazel colour is ith . In the

i so il as u hi upland districts the , a r le , is t n and mossy . In Wigtownshire along the side of the lower reaches of the Cree and at the head of Wigtown Bay the soil is m M alluvial . In uch of the achers and a large portion

Rh inn s m of the it is a dry hazelly loa , as also in the

“ “ Of e‘ r cultivated part the moors . In th cen t e and north of this division great tracts are covered with peat m oss n m m m resti g so eti es on a bed of arl , though frequently on a substratum of clay .

Hi 7 . Na tura l story m — — In recent ti es recent , that is , geologically no sea separated Britain from the Continent . The present bed of the North Sea was a low plain intersected by stream s . At that period the plants and the anim als of our country were identical with those of Western Europe . m But the Ice Age ca e and crushed out life in this region . NATURAL HISTORY 3 7

m m l In ti e , as the ice elted , the flora and fauna gradual y

d- returned , for the lan bridge still existed . Had it

continued to exist , our plants and animals would have been the same as in Northern France and the Nether

off lands . But the sea drowned the land and cut Britain from the Continent before al l the species found

m . a a ho e here Consequently , on the e st of the North m m m Sea all our am als and reptiles , for exa ple , are found along with m any which are not indigenous to

Britain . In Scotland , however , we are proud to possess in the red grouse a bird not belonging to the fauna of

the Continent .

l e fl ora Whi e displaying the gen ral of Scotland , G m o alloway , fro its p sition , shares in the plants char

acteristic of the west and the south . Oi fl owering plants there are over 900 species in

2 0 fl ora G al loway of ferns over species . The moss is

l Kirk cud exceedingly wel represented , especially in

b ri h tsh ire fl o urish g liverworts , lichens and fungi

wherever the conditions are favourable . In the farthest - out rock pools at the lowest of low

s A larmesculen ta water one fin d the edible or honeyware ,

’ and the fam iliar La min ama digitam or tangle . Some what nearer the shore in som e local ities may be m et

Ch on dm s cris us with Odon th alia demand and p , or Irish ill al . m oss . These are red gae St nearer the shore are several species of Fucus or bladder wrack and of P oly

’ ' ' sz h om a Himan thalza lorea p , and here and there or sea thongs , all of which are olive algae . In the pools nearest the shore one gath ers the beautiful grass - green Ulva 3 8 K IR K CUDBRIGHT A ND W I G T OWN

’ la tisszm a En terom or h a com ressa i or laver , p p and var ous h Cla do om al . species of p , all green gae The flora of the coast is determ ined largely by the

l On fin ds nature of the soi . rocks one , but rarely ,

Crilhmum marilimum m or sea samphire , and sea ca pion O m m . n and ichael as daisy in abundance sandy shores ,

u - but very rare , are p rple sea rocket and sea holly and

— y —W halberd leaved orache , prickl sea eed , sea kale , — thym e leaved sandwort and sea purslane . Further

’ - - inland rest harrow , bird s foot trefoil , yellow bedstraw

l se and others occur ; while sti l further from the a. m ‘ there are arsh arrowgrass , seaside arrowgrass , seaside

il scurv r ass . On plantain , sea m kwort , and y g muddy h m shores , and entirely submerged at igh water one eets

- with broad leaved grasswrack and glasswort .

Plants usual to river valleys are very numerous , and

- fl r m the lake side o a is also rich and varied . In osses

- m m cross leaved heath , com on ling , bog yrtle , bog asphodel , cranberry and sundew are abundant . In sub - alpine districts are to be found large - fl owered bitter

fl wer o m . cress , giant bell , and any others Higher up m m wll the ountain sides are alpine eadow rue , least i ow , m wild thy e , cotton grass and j uniper . Parsley fern is l ’ film plentiful on the higher hi ls , Wilson s y fern is

’ - common in sub alpine glens , and moonwort , adder s

’ al tongue , hart s tongue and , very rarely , the roy fern are also to be got . In 1 905 Kirkcudbrightshire had acres in woods hl th and plantations , or roug y fi of the area , but at one time the greater part of the county was covered with

40 KIRKCUDB RIGHT A ND W IGTOWN

n m s O sandy stretches one co e upon terebella , or the

- sand mason , its long tentacles and containing tube plastered with sand and shell and stone . Where the

m m - l sand holds uch organic atter , the lob worm is usual y

m st r fish present in numbers . The com on a and the common brittle star are abundant ; the sea urchin is frequent far out among the oarweeds ; and in som e places after a storm the shore is white with the tests of T . he r the heart urchin sh imp , the lobster , the edible th e crab and the shore crab are found , as is also hermit crab with its com panion the beautiful Nereis worm W i withi n its protecting helk or buck e shell . Whelks and

c m Th e m ussels form articles of o merce . Bay of Luce is

- R noted for its razor shells , and the oysters of Loch yan

m Oi fish es have more than local fa e . , the saithe , the A t lythe a n d the skate are plentiful at certain seasons . times the coast is Visited by sho al s of m ackerel . The father lasher and the grey gurnard are common , and in spring the lumpsucker comes to the shore to spawn . u Cod is plentif l , haddock somewhat less so while m halibut , though occasionally got , is not com on . The plaice , the dab and the sole are very numerous , and the sparling is a valuable fish ery in certain tidal rivers in

v n winter and spring . Ancho ies are not unk own ; in 1 88 al w al 9 the Bay of Fleet was ive ith sho s of them .

— fish The principal fresh water are the salmon , the trout ,

Oi m m al the perch and the pike . aquatic am s the porpoise and the grampus are frequent Visitors ; a dolphin is now and then captured by stranding or NATURAL H IS TORY 4 1

w m other ise , and someti es a school of whales is driven

ashore . Of m reptiles one may na e the adder , the lizard and

w- m the slo worm ; of a phibians the frog , the toad , the

smooth newt , the crested newt , and up on the hills

am ong moss hags the palmated newt .

Where there are sui table woods the roe - deer is frequent w h in the Stewartry , less so in Wigto ns ire and fallow deer are to be seen in parks in a m ore or less domesticated

On hill state . the upper s the alpine hare is well estab lish ed w , and every here the rabbit , the brown rat and

the house mouse are more numerous than is to be desired . The watervole is frequent ; and the ravages of the short—tailed field vole som e twenty - one years ago are

matter of hist ory . The fox issues from thick copses or descends from the higher hills to pursue the depredations whi ch render h im offensive to shepherd and gam e keeper . In stream and lake the otter carries on hi s

fis hi n . m g Weasel and er ine , mole and hedgehog are very general . G alloway is not rich in bats , but bird life is very abundant . The rook , the raven and the carrion crow u occ r in considerable numbers . The magp ie is not

- fi c affin c . r n ch h h common The starling , the g een and

oldfin ch are in great profusion . The g is not nearly so m b e nu erous as it used to , though of recent years there is a tendency to increase ; the b ullfin ch is common

al enough in woods and gardens . Sever species of

S buntings and of wagtails are found . The kylark showers down fl oods of silver melody as it soars over 42 K IRK CUD BRI G H T A ND WI GTO WN

m m R fell and oor and green ountain . obins , pipits and d tits are com mon . The blackbir whistles in many a m garden croft , and on any a bush the wise thrush sings

ul . each song twice over . Owls are plentif The barnacle m goose occurs in i mense numbers , and the wild duck is very abundant . The grouse moors of Wigtownsh ire are am ong the best in Scotland while black cock and a n d f m snipe , partridge pheasant a ford sport to any a Of m “ gun . the nu erous shore birds we must note the — oyster catcher , the golden plover , the dunlin and the ubiquitous gull .

A n 8 . l o g th e Coa st From Gargen Pow at the head of the long and gradu ally broadening estuary of the Nith to Creetown at the head of Wigtown Bay , the coast of Kirkcudbrightshire is about 60 m iles in length . It is broken into by fo ur R expansions of considerable size , the ough Firth ,

Auchencairn Bay , Kirkcudbright Bay and Fleet Bay . At i G Aird Point , 4 m les south of argen , the Nith enters — R the Solway Firth , and here the sea board begins . ather more than a mile inland are the picturesque ruins of

Sweetheart Abbey . Clayey and low , the New Abbey shore is flanked by m erselan d which form s excellent pasture . Bending slightly to the west the shore passes

m and the outh of Abbey Pow , for a little over 3 miles al m i runs ost due south as far as the v llage of Carsethorn . Rounding Borron Point and passing the ruins of ‘ ’ M Culloch s a a A rb i lan d h in 1 C stle , we re ch g , w ere 747 ALONG T HE C OAST 4 3

m John Paul , better known as Paul j ones , the fa ous t i . a , sa lor , was born The coast this point is precipitous

and there are some very singular rocks , notably a natural ” Gothi c arch called the Thirl Stane . But with the Satter n ess exception of these and a few low rocks at ,

Medallion o f Pa ul Jo n es

low the shore as far as Southwick Burn is and sandy , with here and there belts of links gained slowly from the

At S ttern ess G . a sea is the oldest lighthouse in alloway . At one time there were salt pits here , and from these

m S attern ess m comes the na e , the ety ology of which is

- lost in the present day South ern ess . A sharp turn westward and 4 m iles bring us to the h w mout of South ick Burn , beyond which begin the % 44 K IRK CUDBRIGH T AND WIGTOWN

wild shores of caverned Colvend . Chief of the

Fa csim ile o f Letter o f Pa ul J on es

’ 1 2 0 Wi caverns is the Piper s Cove , yards in length , th the a well in the middle 2 2 feet deep . Here too is ALONG THE COAST

f dl ’ E singular arch in the cli f known as the Nee e s y e. D l Between ouglas Ha l and Urr Waterfoot , at the

’ Th e eed e E e o a a l N l s y , D ugl s H l

R a di - entrance to ough Firth, range of red sh lichened — copse clothed cliffs rises to a height of 2 00 feet at Castle l Hill of Barcloy and 400 feet at Whi te Hi l . 46 K IR K CUD B RIG HT A ND WI G TOWN

At Rockcliffe the shore is rocky With wide stretches

‘ call m a . wn of hard , s ooth s nd Kippford , lo y kno as the

- fin e . B uit l Scaur , is a watering place The seaboard of t e consists of a peninsul a running 2 3 mil es down to Alm or R ness Point , washed on the east side by ough Firth and

Orch ardton on the west by the bays of and Auchencairn .

Or ch ar dton R nl Near the former is ound Tower , the o y

al Was al one of its kind in G loway . It gener ly supposed

Uch tred to have been built as a stronghold by , Lord of

G al r loway, in the twelfth centu y , but Train recognised ” i n fin e m D m it a speci en of the anish rath , while odern

fifteen th u experts attribute it to the cent ry . Lying about m idway between Alm o rn ess Point and the Point

’ B alcar R of y is Hestan Island , the Isle athan of Crockett s

Raid B alcar Dun ro d ers . From y to the mouth of Burn

F r l . o the trend of the coast is rough y W . S W . the m ost part bold and ironbound , it presents a series of dl 1 00 0 abrupt hea ands , to 35 feet high , and is inter sected b a lets Rascarrel B a rlocco Orrolan d by the y of , , , Mull A M . t Port ary , Burnfoot and ock various points occur caves which have been drilled in the cliffs by the A B l . t ar occo ceaseless action of the sea the Black Cove , 2 6 0 0 5 feet long , 9 wide and 4 in height , and the White

2 2 0 at W 60 articu Cove , 5 feet by 9 ( its idest) by , are p larl y noteworthy . In recent years they have gained an added interest from the use made of them in Crockett ’s

Ra i er A M d s . t Port ary is shown a granite boulder from Which Q ueen Mary of Scots is said to have stepped into the boat which was to carry her to the Cum berland coast .

4 8 K IRK CUDBRIGH T A ND WIGTO WN

e f to begin with the pr cipitous cli fs of Torrs Point , runs northwards for about 4 miles , with a breadth varying

1 2 i from m ile at the entrance to m les at its widest .

’ The well - wooded peninsula of St Mary s Isle divides the upper part of the Bay into two , forming on its

’ M m n eastern side the anx an s Lake , the pri cipal anchor

On age in the Bay . the western side is the estuary Dee of the ,

Kin g o f a ll th e strea m s ’ h a t o to c o a n d o e n sea T r ll S tl s s uth r .

’ Oh St Mary s Isle stood a priory founded in the reign D G of avid I by Fergus , Lord of alloway . A beautiful walk down the west side of the Bay leads past the Auld ” Nun mill Kirkyard of Kirkchrist , the , where an old archway indicates the side of an ancient nunnery; and

Sen wick the old churchyard of , the burial place of

' ' ' MacTa art Gallovzdza n En c clo a edza gg , author of the y p . Pas t B alm an gan Bay the Peninsula of Meikle Ross is hi reached , opposite w ch , and separated by a narrow R R R strait , is the Little oss Island . ounding the oss , w e come to the wide expanse of Wigtown Bay . Fall bogue Bay and Brighouse Bay are passed in t urn ;

- w f then Borness Point , with its wave orn cli fs crowned

m n n by the re ains of an ancient fort , k ow as Borness

Batteries , and its Bone Cave , the exploration of which h as proved of great archaeological interest . For the rest of its length the trend of the coast is to the north I nl . n west , the o y break of any size being Fleet Bay the little churchyard of Kirkandrews is buried William ALONG T HE COAST 4 9

Gal Nicholson , the greatest loway poet , and author of

B ro i B ledn och the wn e of .

B arlo cco A rdwal l The Isles of Fleet , Isle , Isle and M ’ m urray s Isle , lead up to the outh of Fleet Bay . The R bay is flat and sandy , and the shores low . ather more l m m G than a mi e fro the outh of the Fleet is atehouse , h picturesquely situated on bot banks of the river . From Gatehouse to Creetown has been described as ” m ul - perhaps the ost beautif shore road in Britain .

And indeed for beauty of scenery , hill and valley , m oorland and shore , Fair Anwoth by the Solway is unrivalled in the south of Scotland . Just after passing

Ca rdon ess h Castle , on the west shore of the bay , we catc ’ A sight of Rutherford s Monum ent . Then com es rdwall

Sk reb ur n . House , and next y Bridge The water in Sk y reb urn and similar stream s often rises with sur prising and unexpected suddenness . Hence the pro ” Sk reb urn n verb , A y warni g , that is , no warning ll at a . The coast near Raven sh all and Kirkdale is rugged f m with steep cli fs rising to a considerable height , in so e hi cases perpendicular to the sea . But with t s exception Ki k fl r m ab reck at . the shore is , sandy and shelly Here f m and there the cli fs are pierced with caverns , the ost

’ D Hattera ick s notable of which is known as irk Cave .

l m Raven sh all About a mi e fro is Kirkdale House , near m m il a romantic glen of the sa e na e , wh e a short distance along on the opposite side of the road are the ruins of m Carsluith Castle . A ile before entering Creetown , the M western extremity of the county coast , is the ansion D 5 0 K IRKCUDB RIGHT A ND W IGTOWN

House of Cassencary fin ely situated in a level holm studded with trees At high water vessels of sixty tons ascend the Cree as

’ Ruth erfo rd s Ch urch n o fi , A w th

m m l far as Carty, so e 3 3 i es above Creetown but it is

B al sallo ch at , opposite the Ferry Toon that the i coast of Wigtownshire may be said to beg n . Here the receding tide leaves bare a stretch of sand a m ile m broad , which increases to a breadth of a ile and three

at a B quarters the mouth of the W ter of ladnoch , and ALONG T HE COAST 5 1 then gradually narrows to its southern lim it in Orchard m ton Bay , 5 iles further down the coast . Just before we reach the Bladnoch , Wigtown is passed , the ” farran test quaintest , auld county Village in Scotland . A little south of the Bladnoch are the remains of the

Th e a e a B a ldo on a e G t w y , C stl

B aldoon old mansion house of , the scene of the death m m a d of the Bride of La mermoor , The dear , bride ” al who stabbed her bridegroom on her brid night . From Orch ardton Bay the coast trends eastward

I n n erwell past Point , and then south past the ruins

E ern ess m of gg Castle , where the shore beco es rocky , ’ E ern ess rugged , and picturesque . gg (Edgar s Ness) Point overlooks Garlieston Bay with its trim little 5 2 K IR KCUD BRIGH T AND W IGT OWN

ill l . v G village Near the age is al oway House , long the l principal seat of the Earls of Gal oway . The trend is

alm now ost due south , and creek and cove , foreland and cape , carry a bold and precipitous coast , pierced hi here and there by deep caves , to the Isle of W thorn ,

- 2 m and then south west to Burrow Head . About 5 iles

Rem ains o f Cruggleton Castle south of Garlieston Bay is the site of what was once the

r l fam ous Castle of C ugg eto n . All that now rem ains is an arch 1 0 feet high by 1 3 feet wide ; but from early days to the close of the sixteenth century it was one of A t the chief castles of note in Galloway . the Isle of

Whithorn in 396 St Ninian began his mission . Two miles to th e south is the bold prom ontory of Burrow m t Head , on the top of which are traces of a s all ort

- or cairn , an outlook station of the old sea rovers ALONG THE C OAST 5 3

R di m oun ng this , we co e in sight of Luce Bay . This w 1 60 huge sheet of ater , covering an area of about square i 1 8 m w m les , is iles ide at the mouth and narrows to i 7 m les along its northern shore , where the Sands of l l Luce run out for half a mi e at owwater . After Burrow Head we pass the ruins of Castle G Feather and of Port Castle , and reach Port ounan Bay , hi ’ St . on the south side of w ch is Ninian s cave Here , it m tradition has , the saint was wont to retire for edita

tion and prayer . The cave is 2 7 feet long and about 1 0 high . For the greater part of its length the Glasser — ton shore is backed by a chain of green topped hills . Then a m ile of steep cliffs is succeeded by an old raised sea - m argin of sm ooth gravel with high grassy cliffs M beyond . onreith Bay with its beautiful scenery is

B arn sallo ch m followed by Point , crowned by the re ain D — of a fort , anish or Anglo Saxon according to the antiquary one consul ts . A mile and a half north of t m A uch en m al his is Port Willia . Sweeping round g Bay m m m m at a distance of 9 iles fro Port Willia , we co e upon

’ l Sin n in ess m the head and of (Sweyn s Ness) , not far fro

Sin n in which are the ruins of ess Castle . Farther on is m G the outh of the Water of Luce , and lenluce Village with its stately Abbey ruins . The river mouth is

fl an k ed by level lands , while a broad fringe of sands , h dry at low water , stretches right across the ead of the

fis in . h bay Here is the g village of Sandhead . Broken by

m m Ro ssan a nu ber of s all bays , Chapel , New England D m and rum ore , the shore reaches East Tarbet about D l 9 m iles farther south . rummore Vi lage stands on 5 4 KIRKCUDBRIGHT A ND WIGTOWN

D m A t ru more Bay . Tarbet (Tarbert) two bays run m ll inland fro opposite sides ti they nearly m eet . Tarbet m s drawb o at ean , and in bygone days it was the

’ ]St Meda n s gCh a pel

(Near th e Mull o f G a lloway ) custom to draw vessels across this narrow isthm us in Mu m order to avoid the dangerous tides of the ll . Fro Tarbet the headl and of the Mull stretches eastwards for a mile its extrem ity 2 1 0 feet high is crown ed by f a lighthouse . Its southern shore rises in cli fs over

5 6 K IRK CUDB RI G H T A ND W I G T OWN m iles from Milleur Point the coast resembles that of m ill the Back Shore , but opposite Kirkcol V age its character changes . A shelving bank of sand , the Scar ,

- proj ects south east into the Loch for a m ile and a half .

Dun sk ey Ca stle

Th e fin e Beyond this is Wig , a natural basin , and thence to Stranraer at the head of the Loch the shore is low and sandy . Stranraer is the chief centre of population

m m t i n and co ercial ac ivity the county . The eastern shore of the Loch is flat to Cairnryan Village , and there — G after rocky and cave pierced to the alloway Burn , where the Wigtownshire coast ends . D B 5 7 RAI SE EAC HES , ETC .

i e B ea c h e C a a G a in a n d 9 . Ra s d s . o st l s i h Losses . L g th o uses — — At various elevations from 1 0 to 1 50 feet above the present lea - sevel there occur tracts of ground which — have been sea beaches in former ages . These terraces ,

known as raised beaches , have originated through successive slow risings of the land with long pauses

2 - between . The 5 foot beach can be seen with fair continuity along the western shore of the Bay of Luce ,

On but never extending very far inland . the opposite side of the Bay there is evidence of a terrace cut out of the boulder clay at a tim e when the land was 40 to 50 feet

a lower than it is now . Two fragments m y be m entioned one extending some three m iles from Port Gounan to

Cairn doo n hi , the greater part s ngly , but cultivated at its north - west end ; and the other running northwards

M Th e - r from onreith . low lying undulating g ound between Luce Bay and Loch Ryan for the m ost part is covered with sand and gravel deposited in terraces , the — m ost noticeable of which form s the 2 5 foot beach . Along the shore of Luce Bay from A uch en m alg to Port

William the 2 5 - ioot beach is distinctly traceable as a shelf of gravel extending inl and from the present beach

0 1 0 I 0 . t G for 5 to yards is seen at arlieston Bay , at

Orch ardton B aldoo n m M and , is well marked fro acher m m ore to Wigtown sands , and is easily traced fro

Raven sh all Creetown to , where it forms a belt of level

- - f ground between high water m ark and an older sea cli f . 5 8 K IR KCUDBRIGHT AND WI GTOWN

Indeed this 2 5 - foot beach forms a prom inent feature all On the w along the southern shores . Fleet belo G Dee w St M ’ atehouse , on the bet een Tongland and ary s

Kirk en n an Isle , past Auchencairn , below on the banks

Caulk erb ush South er n ess of the Urr , from to as a tract

I n leston of carse land , past Carsethorn on to g and up

m a . m to Kirkconnel , the terrace y be traced Fro the fl ats of Gargen the land slopes graduall y up to the

o - W Ca r en h olm 5 foot beach , hich stretches from g north M wards to Park near axwelltown . Along a great part o f the coast there is a constant h loss of land from the action of the sea . T is loss is greatest wh ere the sea - board is composed of boulder m clay and other deposits , and the erosion is ost rapid during severe storms blowing inshore . The material rem oved is not wholly lost som e of it is carried inwards by the fl oo d- tide and laid down as sedim ent on the fore

al shore . Thus there is a twofold process continu ly at work here and there the sea is gaining upon the land here and there land is being reclaim ed from the sea . The shores of Loch Ryan have suffered considerably R within the last hundred years . The Scar idge at one tim e extended about hal f a mile into the sea and cattle

i So used to graze on t . too on the western shore of D Luce Bay , between Sandhead and rummore , the sea has at several points gained upon the land ; while at the sam e tim e there has been an increase of the sandy foreshore at the head of the Bay . The estuary of the m Cree shows both loss and gain . In some places any acres have been lost ; in others extensive reclamation R I S D B HES ETC A E EAC , . 5 9

has taken place , much of what was at one time soft marsh or sand being now grazing links . In Auchen

- cairn Bay , a strip of merse land on both sides and m uch land at the head of the Bay have been washed away fift within the last y years . The coast at the head of

Orch a rdton Bay is specially subj ect to erosion . Along the low sandy shores of Kirkbean there are belts of links which have been slowly wrested from the sea .

All round our shores , wherever navigation is danger l th e m ous , are bui t lighthouses for guidance of ariners . Ou R Cairn yan Point , on the eastern shore of the loch ,

w fix ed is a lighthouse sho ing a light , Visible twelve miles .

Oh fix ed W the east pier of Stranraer is another hite light ,

fix Co rsewall and on the west pier a ed red light . light is fam iliar to all who cross the North Channel . Its m gleams of white and red light , Visible sixteen iles , increase to intense brilliance and gradually fade away into darkness . From the top of the lighthouse on a

a W clear d y Ailsa Craig is conspicuous on the north , ith the hills of Arran beyond ; Argyll and Ireland lie to the west while eastwards the eye sweeps the coast of

Ayrshire from the Galloway Burn to beyond Ardrossan .

Kill an trin an hi w Near Portpatrick is g light , w ch ith its

flash and eclipse may be seen for nearly twenty m iles . At m e the extre e end of the headland , clos to the edge of a cliff 2 1 0 feet high stands the Mull of Galloway light —fi Wi ve . house , th an occulting light Visible twenty miles ifi D Here the View is m agn cent . From the umfriesshire — heights in the north east the eye circles by Kirk cud b righ tshire and Ayrshi re over Kintyre to the Paps of 60 KIRKCUDBRIGHT AND WIGTOWN

Jura in the north - west twenty miles to the south the

Mull o f Ga lloway outline of the Isle of Man cuts the sky in the west are seen the Mountains of Mourne while far a way o n the CLIMATE 6 1 eastern horizon loom the giant peaks of the Cumbrian

W - dl Mountains . From Hestan Isle ith its cave rid ed cliffs a Wh ite fl a sh warns the sailor o ff the deadly stretch

B arn h ourie m Sattern ess fix ed of Sands , and fro a white light repeats the tale .

1 0 . Cl im a te

By clim ate is m eant the general tendency of a district m l m towards i d or severe , average or extreme at ospheric

m an d m . pressure , te perature oisture Weather is the variation from tim e to time of all or any of these con di ion s t . m Thus cli ate is the mean of weather , and the two terms are sym bols of different quantities of the m m same thing . Weather depends pri arily on at ospheric m m pressure . This is easured by the baro eter , which rises or falls as the weight increases or dim inishes . In

fin e m l Britain in weather the baro eter is usua ly . above

0 i . 3 inches , and is below th s when there is rain or storm For any given num ber of days on which the barom eter

0 m fin e . stands at 3 inches , there are as any as rainy days The prevailing winds of Galloway are westerly and — f south westerly . What is at once an e fect and a demon stration of the cause is to be seen in trees grown in w exposed situations . Their branches gro in an easterly

- direction . The south west winds , by far the most m w m m com on in inter , blowing fro lower and war er m latitudes across the Atlantic , are the do inant factor in the clim ate of Gal loway . Laden with aqueous vapour with which it has become impregnated in its passage b e». Ca m r l dg e Huw. H Ra in fa ll Ma p o f Scotla n d

B A n drew Watt M A ( y , . . )

64 K IR KCUDBRIGH T A ND W IGTOWN

A rainfall record kept at twenty- one stations in Kirkcudbrightshire for periods varying from h y e to

Ye Lo ch r a n ws , y forty years (ending 1 91 0) shows the mean annual rain i fall for that tim e to have been inches . In W g CLIMATE 6 5

town shire the stations are not so numerous . The mean

m five-3 — for seven stations , ranging fro a to a forty year

fif n . tee period , was inches This is about inches

o f less than that Kirkcudbrightshire , and is in accord

ance with the relief of the counties .

m Car en Slo arie G A te perature record kept at g , g , len

all R h lee , C y and Little oss in Kirkcudbrights ire shows , D 1 8 m for the forty years ending ecember 95 , a ean ° 8 ° F F . tem perature of 3 2 . for January and 4 for July ° m a mean annual range of 1 6 F . A si ilar record for

Corsewal l R Wigtownshire kept at , Loch yan , Ardwell ,

Mu Gal w Kirkcowan , and ll of lo ay gives a mean January ° ° m 0 F w F ul —a m te perature of 4 . ith 57 . for J y ean ° 1 annual range of 7 F . For Edinburgh the mean annual ° ° F 2 1 F . 2 range is and for London 6 . Ou the whole the climate of Galloway is favourable to heal th and longevity and to the agricul tural pursuits upon whi ch the province depends . Thanks to the south - west winds from the warm southern regions of

th e i . the Atlantic , winters are as a rule m ld Vegetation commences earlier in the spring and continues later in the fall than on the eastern coast of Scotland . Long continued frosts occur but rarely, and snow seldom lies i d . long , at least in the lower istricts Accord ng to a work on the agriculture of Galloway published a h un

a l al dred years ago , It is gener l y c culated that in December and January the industrio us farmer can

a plough on an average four d ys per week , and in Nov h ember and February y e. The statement holds good

- to day . 66 KIRKCUD BRIGHT AND WIG TOWN

— u . P Di eop le Ra c e, a lec t , P op ul a tion

It is al most certain that the earliest inhabitants arrived in Britain when it was sim ply the west end of

i - o . m a d the Continent Europe They were s ll bone , l

- - long skulled and dark haired, and they spoke a dialect

I verian - of , a language whose descendant lives to day on the lips of the Basques . After a tim e they were di driven out or extirpated by inva ng Celtic tribes , who

- - l - were long boned , broad sku led and fair haired . To these the greater number of the place - names o f Galloway u are due , though the invaders wo ld probably a dopt and hand down to posterity at least some of the nam es of

as physical features given by the conquered race . The

' W name of the river Urr is practically identical with ,

firs . t D the Basque word for water In the centuries A . . — the m en of south west Scotland were Brythonic like m m the odern Welsh . So e of the best representatives

t Dr of the Bry honic race , according to Beddoe , are found am ong the t all hillmen of Gal loway . But since m ost of the Celtic place - nam es in Galloway are not of Welsh G but of aelic origin , it seems certain that there had been m G m a large i migration of aelic speakers , perhaps fro G Ireland . aelic , indeed, continued to be spoken in

G . t alloway to the end of the sixteen h century . The advent of Christianity introduced Latin words descrip

offices Sa art tive of Church and rites g , the priest

i L alla sacerdos m . c ( ) built hi self a c ll , a cell ( ) so to this

’ ’ Alta a rt A lli S h a a zrt m fl ows day gg ( gg , the priest s strea ) L — D PE OP E RACE , IALE CT,POPULA T I ON 6 7

' ’ Kil feath er Cill P kea dm r past the site of ( , Peter s

Cell) . Words of English origin passed in by way of North m m u bria fro the sixth century to the ninth . These in turn were supplem ented by Scandinavian nam es brought m by Norse arauders of the eighth to the tenth century .

After the Norman Conquest a stream of Anglo - Normans

a s i poured northw rd , br nging a further contribution to G the language of alloway , increased subsequently by English - speaking im migrants at the tim e of the B rucian settlem ent .

- m Caitans Ris ain Such place na es as Bladnoch, , p ,

Rotch ell S ll o dio ch - , y date back to fable shaded eras ni n and their m ea g is unknown . But the etymology of the great bulk of the place - nam es is fairly easy to m ake

Cn oc . l out , representing an isolated or precipitous hi l , appears in over 2 2 0 place - names as p refix Kn ock and thi s is closely run by drum denoting the low glaciated ridge so frequently met with in the lower

Gal B ar districts of loway . , the top of anything , is a

refix A ch adh arab le very common p . j land , is frequent

a uch m m as . Na es of ani als enter largely into the topo

A uch en ower field graphy of both counties . g is the of

A uch enlarie field A uch en ess the goat , the of the mare ,

field Auch en shi n n och field the of the horse , the of the

P l al a fl owin . o d l foxes , p , p , p , denote water, either g or

D am ch beith at rest . , the oak , and , the birch , give rise

h ba e to scores of nam es ending in darroc and . Old

ba rk bur English , g, fortress , city , appears in Burrow

d tun M reto n Hea ; , town , in y , Broughton , Carleton ; 6 8 KIRKCUDBRIGHT A ND WIGTOWN

wic ll Rerwick Senwick la w ll , vi age , in , , Southwick ; , hi ,

Neth erlaw l s ber u in , Ward aw ; Nor e g, fort , occ rs in

o boil B uittle b l n Borgue , B rness ; , house , in y , dwel i g,

in Crosbie and Sorbie . Both syllables of Fairgirt h are

- So C r . w o a th from Norse , and mean sheep fold ith g ,

Go d arth enclosure for cattle , and g , enclosure for goats .

Kn otts ll clin ts , rocky hi ocks , and , precipitous rocks , are

G l Knoits B en tudo r characteristic of a loway , as the of

oi and the Clints Drom ore .

To - day the vernacul ar of Galloway is a variety of t m i Lowland Sco s , and is ost ak n to that of south Ayr

i D m . f sh re and west u friesshire Its written orm , with

ul ul m ai its pec iar vocab ary and idio , is very f thfully refl ected in the novels of Crockett and in the works of several local poets . Kirkcudbrightshire is ninth am ong the counties of —fi Scotland in size in population it is twenty rst . The actual figures from the census of 1 91 1 are

al —v fo r males and fem es Kirkcudbrightshire , out of the tot al population of Scotland il 1 Th is is 43 to the square m e , and gives about 4 acres i co . O to every man , woman and child in the unty the inhabitants above fourteen years mal es and 4648 females were retur ned as engaged in one or other l 1 1 66 al of the chief industries , whi e m es and i l r females had no sp ecified employment . Agr cu tu e

8 0 2 0 . occupied 4 7 , and domestic service 95 Connected s 8 d with the building trade there were 75 , inclu ing m 6 al 354 j oiners . There were 475 quarry en and 3 5 met i n 62 workers . The text le i dustries employed 5 , while — D PE OPLE RACE , IALECT , POPULATI ON 6 9

m 1 68 i m drapers nu bered and ta lors , dress akers and m ll 1 1 fif - i iners 77. Nine hundred and ty six were 2 engaged in the preparation and sale of provisions , 5 5 in railway service and road transit . The professional

4 5 , 000

Diagram showin g Rise a n d Fa ll of P opula tio n in Kirk cudbright a n d Wigtown sin ce 1 8 0 1

m 80 0 classes nu bered 4 , and 74 were engaged in Civil and G m Local overn ent Service . t Wig ownshire , ranking seventeenth in size , is twenty third in population , the numbers being mal es and

m al in all fe es . This is 66 to the square i w m . les , ith 9 acres to each person Above fourteen years of age there were 9338 males and 3672 femal es employed in one or other of the principal industries and services ; while 1 009 males an d 8497 females had no s ifi m 2 pec ed e ployment . Agriculture engaged 5 35 per 70 KIRKCUDBRI GHT A ND WIGTOWN

82 6 1 . d 2 1 sons , and domestic service Inclu ing 4 joiners there were 565 connected with the building trade . Metal workers numbered 3 05 those engaged in textile

s 1 1 68 industrie 44 . There were 55 drapers and 3 tailors , dressm akers and m ill iners . The preparation and sale 8 of provisions occupied 99 , while 533 found work in W 2 railway service and road transit . There ere 3 5

m n 1 me bers of the lear ed professions , and 54 attached

il n d to Civ a Local Governm ent Service .

' 1 In both counties the alien element in 1 91 was sm all . 8 Kirkcudbrightshire had 5 foreigners , Wigtownshire 33 .

1 2 . A gricu ltu re The two counties are alm ost exclusively devoted to

- farming in one or other of its branches , sheep rearing , D dl dairying or mixed farming . own to the m id e of the eighteenth century the agriculture of Galloway was in the rude and barbarous condition comm on to Scotland .

- m The farms were invariably over cropped , and the ethods of husbandry such that ten or twelve horses were required for the work now undert aken by two or three .

m m s W m al I ple ent ere often heavy and clu sy , ways m in efficien was im over iserably t . The soil hopelessly p ish ed by the practice of tak ing the sam e crop o ff it year after year as long as it woul d repay the seed

and labour . The poor return of straw was inadequate for the needs of the always overstocked farm during

the winter , and by spring the cattle were often so weak

ul was tha t th ey co d n o t rise of themselves . Housing

7 2 K IRK CUD BRIG HT A ND W IG T O WN

u lVin s grounds , the c ltivated area g to the outh of this

line . Arable farms run from 60 to 600 acres and are 80 00 1 000 rented from £ to £7 a year , few exceeding £ .

l m are Hi l or stock far s , on the whole , much larger , few

2 00 1 000 . being rented under £ , while several exceed £

five- The rotation of crops is almost uniform . The year

—o in t course is ats ; green crop ; oats ( Wig ownshire , barley or wheat) sown out with grasses and clover seeds

hay , cut green , or seeded or pasture ; pasture . The six—year course is the same with the addi tion of another

a year in p sture . Wheat was extensively grown from

1 81 1 8 0 1 8 n 5 to 3 . As late as 55 wheat in Wigtow shire

1 1 1 covered 7343 acres in 9 3 it covered only 7 .

o Gal loway is earlier than most of Scotland . S wing W M of oats begins about the third eek of arch , and fi i n sh es m . as a rule by the iddle of April Harvest ,

1 2th 1 fin ish ed begun by the or 5th of August , is in five from three to weeks , though some districts are two w or three eeks later . 1 1 In 9 3 of the acres in the Stewartry , m were of arable land , of per anent grass and

of mountain and heath land used for grazing . acres under oats yielded an average per acre

1 0 of bushels ; 7 9 acres of potatoes , tons ; 6 acres of turnips and swedes , tons ; 94 5

- acres of hay grown from rye grass , cwts .

cwt . acres of hay from permanent grass , In the same year the figures for Wigtownshire were total area , acres ; arable land , acres ; per

8 an d a an d a - manent grass , 753 , mount in he th land used AG RI CULTURE 73

for grazing , The acres under oats gave a return of bushels per acre ; 1 2 34 acres of

s potatoes , tons acre of turnips and swedes ,

tons ; 4950 acres of h ay grown from rye - grass

t . 1 m produced cw s , and 473 acres of hay fro permanent grass , cwts . Galloway cattle form one of the oldest and most characteristic of British breeds . They are essentially a

- beef producing class . They are polled , and a coat of shaggy or curled black hair with an under coat of fin e fi d short wool ts them for the moist climate of the istrict . The picturesque Belted Galloways form one of the most valuable strain s of thi s ancient breed . They are “ - described as exceptionally thick , blocky , nice haired m ani als , and so hardy that they can winter and calve outside and ail nothing . One of the most interesting

B l i l Mr G G B herds of et es in Gal oway belongs to . . .

G - o i - hi Sproat , atehouse Fleet , the foundation of {w ch hi s Glenk ens was laid by father in the , early in last

- - l century . A two year old bul belonging to this herd

1 fin e scaled 5 cwts . in store order . A dairy of pure bred Belted Galloways is owned by Mr Jam es Brown

Kn ockb rex an d m of . A large important branch of far ing in Gall oway is the rearing of polled store cattle for the m arkets of the south . These are bought for the most part as two - year - olds and are sent direct south to

’ s - gentlemen s grazing , the blue grey shorthorn

Ga lloway cross being a particular favourite in England . On dairying farms the stock used consists entirely of

h d a the Ayrs ire bree of c ttle . 7 4 K IR K CUDBRIGH T A ND WIGTO WN

In Kirkcudbrightshire few dairies have under 30 cows and few more than 70 or 80 : in Wigtownshire the m 0 of nu bers range from 2 to 350 . The produce the m l dairies is sold in various forms . Some send i k into

B elted Ga llowa y Cattle

P a o f a fi e e d e o n to a m e B wn E s n n o . ( rt h r b l gi g J s r , q. o f Kn o ck b r ex B o e , rgu )

M the surrounding town s . any send their m ilk to one l or other of the creameries , whi e many make it into cheese on the Cheddar system . The returns vary with m the nature and a ount of the food . In the southern half

Rh inn s G - m d of the , that oshen for cheese aking , a airy of 80 cows has averaged 1 9 stones of cheese per cow for AG RI CULTURE 75

all 1 six m onths . But over 7% stones per cow m ay be fi ure Gal a taken as the g for loway d iries . This rep re 0 m l 1 l 0 b . sents about 34 pints of i k , or of cheese per l gallon of mi k . A great many of the dairies are managed on either

w k an ein the bo ing or the g system . The farm er provides and keeps up the cows , buildings and dairy utensils , a fix ed llows a certain area of pasture , a quantity of

artificial w a d lib roots and food , ith hay and straw . The bower pays h is rent in m oney from to £1 5 per w cow , and does all the labour connected ith the dairy ,

all al and receives the produce in c ves , cheese and pigs fed on the whey . The kaner pays rent in kind, about

1 2 0 o i 2 lbs . 9 or stones ( 4 ) of cheese per cow . The rent al varies according to the qu ity of the pasture , and the am ount and kind of the roots and artificial food supplied by the farm er .

m . The United Crea eries , Ltd has its headquarters at D m m unragit , six iles fro Stranraer , with branch factories

i shi r fi Kircudb r ht e. at Sorbie , Wigtownshire , and Tar , g All milk is weighed and sam pled on delivery and paid for on the bas is of the butterfat contained . Thi s is

s th e extracted by separator , the cream and separated m ilk being delivered in di fferent di rections . Part of

° ° ill 0 F the cream is ch ed to 35 or 4 . and then put up in

al . j ars or cans for s e as required The remainder , by

m . far the larger part , is ade into butter The latest

— - type of churn a combined churn and butter worker hi m is in use , in w ch not only is the crea churned into butter , but the butter is worked ready for packing . In 76 K IR K CUDBRIGH T AND W IG TOWN

the whole of the process neither cream nor butter is

touched with the hand , the utmost cleanliness in manu w facture being thus attained . The buttermilk ith a

very large proportion of the skim - milk is used for pig 0 feeding . A regular stock of from 2 500 to 30 0 pigs is

k ; ept , and the fat pigs are killed every week Perhaps the m ost important branch of the business is the m hi and anufacture of margarine , for w ch large thoroughl y equipped prem ises are established at Dun ra i d g t . The margarine plant is capable of han ling 0 about 5 ton s per week .

'

The Wigtown shire Creamery Co . has its central

creamery at Stranraer , with branches at Sandhead and

D all rummore , Wigtownshire , and at B ymoney , Ireland , ll a equipped with the most modern machinery . The Company handles milk from 9000 to cows during

m . the year , and manufactures cheese , butter and crea It al so sterilizes a quantity of milk and cream to be — put up in air tight stoppered bottles . A creamery at

Bladnoch (with a branch at Whithorn) , belonging to

Co - d the Scottish operative Wholesale Society , pro uces

m . butter , argarine and margarine cheese Oi the cattle in the Stewartry in 1 91 3 cows and heifers numbered the remainder being two

fi ures years and under . The correspo nding g for the Shire were and

Cheviot and black - faced sheep are al most the onl y G stocks bred or fed in alloway, and by far the greater

- number are black faced . The class used depends on th e a s produce of the land where there is plenty of gr s , — MANUFACTURE S MINES - MINERALS 77

m rofitab le even though poor , the Cheviot is the ore p ; on land producing chiefl y heather the black - faced is i all f preferable . Wh le equ y hardy , the two breeds di fer

al m i o in qu ity of wool and utton , the Chev ot p ssessing

fi r - fin er n e . the wool , the black faced the mutton 1 1 w In 9 3 the Stewartry had breeding e es , with other sh eep the Shire had and m 6 Brood sows nu bered in the Stewartry 7 3 , with 9989 other pigs in the Shi re 840 and The old race of Gall owa y horses Know we not

Gal % s loway nags asks Ancient Pistol in Shake peare ,

m I — - 2 He V. y strong , rough legged hardy cobs about

1 hi m 4% hands gh , and much estee ed for pluck and Th e W endurance , is now extinct . hole attention of b reede1 s al has been turned to Clydesd es , the Scottish M type of agricultural horse . any of the best Clydes G dal es have been bred in alloway . Little attention is

ai d o Whi p d to the breeding of sad le and driving h rses , ch in 1 91 3 numbered 1 1 04 in the Stewartry and 81 0 m the Oi al in hi . S re horses used for agricultur purposes , i 0 m clud ng brood mares , there were 33 9 in the for er county and 3498 in the latter ; of unbroken horses 1 1 52 0 and 642 respectively .

n f re M in n i n r 1 3 . M a u a ctu s , es a d M e a ls

The m anufactures of Galloway are few and unim m portant . Atte pts made at various places to establish e an e s s ats of m ufacture hav not met with la ting success , and to - day existing works do little m ore than supply 78 KI RKéUDB RI GHT A ND WIGTOWN

1 8 for local needs . About 77 a large factory cotton 1 8 spinning was erected at Newton Stewart . But by 2 6 m W “ the sche e , hich for a few years had worked well , i a . proved a fa lure , and the f ctory ceased work Hand m i 1 81 8 1 1 loo s , wh ch in numbered 3 and whose products

n a. a G fou d ready market with the merch nts of lasgow, 1 82 8 had fallen in to a third of that number , and in

Newton Stewa rt

a few years the industry dwindl ed to extinction . In

1 0 G - of- 79 atehouse Fleet had two cotton factories , hi m m 2 00 w ch gave e ploy ent to upwards of hands , with a yearly output of nearly a million and a half yards of cloth . But distance from the centres of population and the want of facilities for transport added greatly to the price of both the raw m aterial u 1 81 and the manufactured article . Abo t 5 decline set in m th e , and by the iddle of the century works had shut down . Part of the buildings is now occupied by

8 0 K IRKCUDBRIGHT A ND WIGTOWN

Limestone of excell ent qual ity is obtainable at Kirk

bean . Certain dark clays occurring at Brickhouse near m Carsethorn have been worked for brick aking , and there are brick and tile works at Dalbeattie and near

Carty . Building m aterial is obtained from the large quarries of the Q ueensberry grit group near Glenl uce ; from the quarries near Newton Stewart and VVigt own from the porphyrites and micro - granites of Tongland and Loch Dougan from the granite quarries of Cree town and Dalbeattie and from the beds of greywacke m et at Portpatrick . Wherever beds of greywacke are

for m Dal with they are used road etal , and beattie granite is largely used for the manufacture of grano

At ai al lithic pavement . C rnryan a band of grey sh es i and fl ags is worked for roofin g purposes . The ch ef

m al al iner we th of Kirkcudbrightshire is its granite , and the quarries of Creetown and Dal beattie are widely M D known . The ersey ock Board owned and worked one of the Creetown quarries and of its granite m ost

D l a of the Liverpool ocks were bui t. For eighty ye rs this quarry em ployed from 1 80 to 300 m en and had

‘ out ut of al W an average yearly p tons , h f of hich

al went for dock building purposes and h f for setts . M m uch of the granite is crushed for use in pave ents , D M garden paths , and such like . In albeattie essrs Fraser Young make a specialty of the crushed granite trade . Their mills crush the stone and run it A t m into railway waggons alongside . their ill at Old Lands Q uarry on the Urr vessels are loaded directly Crai n air from the machine . The g quarries have sent F S S G A I H ERIE , S H I PPI N ND TRADE 8 1

. granite all over the world Lighthouses at Ceylon , the lower portion of the Eddystone Lighthouse , part of the Thames Embankment and of the Liverpool D i m ocks , and the Albert Bridge , Belfast , for wh ch ore than cubic feet of wrought granite were pro

' vided ru . , are const cted of its stone Banks in London M and Liverpool . the Town Halls of anchester and i Birkenhead , insurance bu ldings in London , Liverpool and other cities owe their structural beauty to the G ranite City of the South . Other industries are bone works and fl our mills a t

Dal m t beattie iron foundries and i plemen works , motor ,

- m and coach works , cabinet aking works at Castle D M ouglas mills and dye works at axwelltown . The extraction of salt from sea - water by evaporation m th e was for erly carried on at several places on coast .

Sattern ess South ern ess al mi , now , and S tpans Bay re nd

al us of this industry by their names . But with the repe of the salt tax and the production of finer and cheaper salt in the ’wich towns of England the industry disappeared .

n 1 4 . Fish eries , S h ip p i g a n d Tra de Little has been done to develop and conserve the

’ l S m son s fishin g industry of Gal oway . y words in his

Lar eDescri ti on in1 68 m - g p , written 4, ight be used to day our sea is better stored with good fish than our sh oare

fi ers hi sh . is furnished with good Fis ng is , of course , carried on at a num ber of places in Kirkcudbrightshire 8 2 K IR K CUD B RI G H T A ND W IGTO WN but only two creeks are recognised by the Fishery

d— I n Board for Scotlan Kirkcudbright and Creetown . w — m Wigto nshire there are ten Stranraer , Kirkcol , Port D m G patrick , Port Logan , rum ore , Sandhead , lenluce , G m . Port Willia , Isle of Whithorn and arlieston

fish m Pelagic , including herring , ackerel and sparlings

- r1n 1 all in - the last got p 0 p y the Cree are taken by nets .

fish Such demersal as cod , haddocks , skate , plaice and

fl un d rs o e . are taken by trawl , lines and nets Salmon a re fix ed caught in or stake nets . The principal sh eIl- fish obtained are lobsters and crabs caught in dom e - shaped cages of net stretched over a strong frame oysters taken by the dredge shrim ps in specially constructed nets and m ussels and whelks picked from R l the rocks to which they are found clinging . ecent y whelks have been m uch over - gathered and the sam e is

- fish true of other shell . In the estuary of the Cree

“ hundreds of acres of mud cover to - day what forty years

I n ago produced huge quantities of mussels . former years thirty smacks at a tim e might have been seen dredging oysters in Wigtown Bay : this too is a thing of the past .

1 1 8 1 fishin d In 9 3 there were 99 g boats in Scotlan , m anned by crews am ounting to Oi these Wig townshire 1 2 0 supplied 7 boats , none over 3 feet of keel , and 1 93 fish erm en Kirkcudbrightshire boats numbered l 2 1 al d 0 m 2 m en . , un er 3 feet of keel , anned by 9 The total quantity of sea - fish of all kinds (exclusive of shell

fish ) landed within the year was cwts . of the value of Of this amount Wigtownshire F S R G ) D 8 3 I H E IES , S H I PPIN ANI TRA E

s contributed cwts . cwt . being herring , val ued at -which realised and Kirk

l 00 . cudb ri tsh ire 1 8 . a al gh 7 cwts , v ued at £3 The tot — value of the shell fish landed was Oi the d oysters inclu ed in this return , oysters dredged from the beds in Loch Ryan sold for

- fish h £4757. The shell returns for Kirkcudbrights ire amounted to £537 . m Dee Sal on frequent the Cree , the , the Fleet , the

Nith and the Urr . The numerous lochs , well stocked w as a rule ith trout , and in many cases with perch and f l pike , o fer exce lent sport to the angler , while the burns

‘ - and lanes of both counties contain sea trout , herling ,

- river trout , pike and perch . m We must not o it reference to the Solway Hatchery ,

Kinh arvie situated at , two miles from the Village of

New Abbey . It is one of the oldest and largest hatcheries in the kingdom , and from it large quantities of ova and i fish are yearly d spatched to all parts of the world .

w o f Not ithstanding the favourable length seaboard ,

Gal the comm erce of loway is inconsiderable . There are

s few good harbour . Portpatrick owed it s early importance to its proximity

. m r to Ireland In addition to ails and passengers , the e were landed on its pier in 1 81 2 no fewer than

I n 1 82 1 t Irish cattle . opera ions were begun for the construction of a harbour on a large scal e . Over

- was spent in erecting sea walls , deepening

o m t m basins , and therwise atte p ing to ake it a safe the haven . But experience of a few winters with their 84 KIRK CUD BRIGHT A ND WIG TOWN trem endous gales from the south- west was sufficient to show th at in the contest between m an and the elem ents

was Victory was to lie with the latter . The harbour

m - found unsafe , the ail route was transferred to Stran

Th e a b o a n ae H r ur , Str r r

- of , raer and Larne and to day the , sole shipping this fi i costly harbour consists of a few sh ng boats .

Stranraer has a large and commodious . harbour R situated at the head of Loch yan . The loch itself is

- a n d almost land locked , , except in the case of a gale from the north , the anchorage is all that could be desired . The harbo ur consists of a breastwork and an east and m t . wes pier From the east pier steamers carrying ails ,

' passengers and goods sail for Larne (39 miles) once a day

w w mm . in inter , and t ice a day in su er There is also F SH ES SH AND I ERI , IPPI NG TRADE 8 5 regular steam comm unication with Glasgow and Liver p ooL l The harbour of Kirkcudbright is we l sheltered , of considerable extent , and of easy approach . But pier m a acco modation is very sm ll , and tidal conditions make

m D al it suitable for s all vessels only . beattie is served ’ a Dub 0 by a harbour on the river Urr , c lled Hass , some

five m 1 0 miles fro the Solway , and vessels of 5 tons burden m At can co e up thus far . Old Land Wharf vessels of

2 00 dl l al tons can be han ed , whi e P nackie can be taken

0 by vessels of 30 tons . The nature of the Solway beach and the phenomena of its careering tides render naviga

an d m tion precarious , li it it on the whole to vessels of comparatively sm all tonnage . From about the middle of the eighteenth century to m that of the nineteenth , the story of the com erce of G alloway is in the m ain one of increase . Thus Kirk cudb ri ht 1 801 g , which in had 37 vessels on its register ,

1 6 8 1 8 6 with an aggregate of 4 tons , had in 4 54 vessels ,

2 06 . 2 totalling 9 tons Wigtown , which had 5 ships with

8 ns 1 801 h ad 1 8 a burden of 9 4 to in , in 45 an aggregate 8 2 w tonnage of 3 9 . Stranraer , ith 44 vessels capable 1 2 1 801 h ad 1 868 a of carrying 73 tons in , in tonnage of 2 wi l i i s 969 . But th the introduction of rai way fac lit e

- there cam e a sharp decline of sea borne comm erce . In 1 1 8 1 886 9 3 Stranraer had only vessels , aggregating 6 6 tons Wigtown had , with a cargo capacity of 35 tons

now D Kirkcudbright is a creek under umfries , and the combined returns of port and sub - port showed for the

' m a of 1 sa e ye r a register 4 vessels , with a tonnage of 86 KIRKCUDBRIGHT AND WIGTOWN

0 . d s an d 77 The tra e of these port is largely coastwise , for the m ost part with towns on the west of England and

. m nl Scotland , and east of Ireland It consists ai y of

m al m m of the i port of co , li e , and anures , and the export m agricultural produce . The values of the i ports from — foreign countries for the year nam ed were z Dumfries

m all (including Kirkcudbright) , anures of kinds

~ 8 2 1 in oil seed cake £ 5 , all other articles £77 Wigtown (

G m o t cluding arlieston , Port Willia , and Isle Whithorn) , m 1 20 0 anures of all kinds £ 3 , all other articles £4 5 ; m all 1 6 Stranraer , anures of kinds £ 39, sawn wood and

m 1 0 1 all 1 6 . ti ber £ 9 , other articles £ 33

OTHER STA TI STI CS OF GALLOWA Y SEA - T RA DE

VESSEL S EN GA G E D I N G EN E RA L COA S T I NG TRA D E I N 1 9 1 3

En e ed t r .

Stranraer 763 764 Wigtown 2 1 3 2 1 2 Kirkcudbright 336 358

VESSEL S E N G A G E D I N FO RE I G N T RA D E

E n ed ter .

Stranraer 5 Wigtown 3 Kirkcudbright 1 0

8 8 K IR KCUDB RI G HT A ND WIG TO WN

dl d the Scots , and were absur y cre ited with being cannibals . Early in the seventh century Galloway fell into the hands of the kings of Northumbria , under whom the m native chief ruled . Anglians from Northu bria over w ran the district in considerable numbers , yet ithout effecting any great change in the district either in civil polity or in knowledge and practice of the arts . Towards the close of the eighth century Northumbria was faced

r h m with the grim fury of the No t en , and its suzerainty G ll over Galloway had to be given up . a oway then sub mitted l f to the sway of the Northmen , ti l freed rom their dom ination by Mal colm Canmore about the m iddl e of

. 1 1 2 the eleventh century In 4, on the accession of D I G avid , alloway became merged in Scotland . D n When avid interfered in the Civil War in Engla d , the men of Galloway were prominent for their fiercen ess 1 1 8 and their cruelty to the conquered . In 3 , at the i Battle of the Standard , they turned a probable V ctory into a defeat . Their leaders claimed an ancient privilege m the h of for ing van of the Scottish ost , and though D avid knew the risk of exposing undisciplined troops ,

m - m with no defensive ar our , to the mail clad Nor an

m . knights , he had to concede the clai All that stubborn o G c urage could do , the Picts of alloway did ; but the m m English arrows shot the down , and the Nor ans

m c n fl i m . o ct re ained unbroken After two hours of gri , G the alwegians lost their last chief , and on the cry that the king was killed , they turned in flight . Then

al followed a gener scattering of the Scots , though Prince H I ST ORY 89

Henry ’s knights were winning in another part of the

’ n D field . O ly avid s reserves prevented the English

pursuit from annihilating the Scots .

’ M m I V s G l In alcol reign , alloway rebe led , and was

nl l m again subdued , o y to break away when Wi lia the

Lyon was taken prisoner in England . For eleven years G ilbert and his son were practicall y independent rulers . ’ G t 1 1 8 R Uch tred But after ilber s death in 5 , oland , son of , m G e who had been urdered by his brother ilb rt , regained B the lordship . y residence at the Scottish Court , and M ’ R by marriage with de oreville s daughter , oland had

m - m m beco e a Scoto Nor an , and was on friendly ter s with

l m en G m . so King Wil ia But even , the of alloway , in

m in the next century , ore than once displayed their vi ncible love of independence , and their detestation of m Nor an ways .

M 1 2 0 al When the aid of Norway died , 9 , one h f of the G l d lordship of a loway belonge to John Balliol , while a m Al third of the re ainder was owned by exander Com yn . G In the war of succession which ensued , alloway followed

ff I n the banners of its lords and su ered accordingly .

1 00 Gal 3 Edward I overran loway as far as the Fleet , f and reduced the Stewartry to subj ection . It su fered R again at the hands of obert the Bruce , who invaded it because the inhabitants refused to follo w h is standard and the struggles of Edward Balliol to regain his father ’s

' on ce r throne m o e plunged it into the horrors of war . About 1 370 Galloway came into the hands of the House D 1 G of ouglas , and from then to 455 the history of alloway is a story of ravage and oppressive tyranny by the ’ 9 0 K IRKC UDBRIGHT A ND WI G T OWN

On turbulent and am bitious fam il y of Threave . the

all Dou lases hi G th e f of the g the lords p of alloway , with

m wn . earldo of Wigtown , passed to the Cro Intestine strife , the consequence of frequent quarrels between i petty ch efs , brings the history of the Province down 1 1 m G e to 5 3 , when any alloway men of not fell beside

’ ” their king on Flodden s fatal held . The doctrines of the Reform ation were warmly espoused in Galloway . The attem pts of the Stuart kings to establish Prelacy were resisted by none more strenuously than by the Westland Wh igs . The Pentland ” R 1 666 l im ising of , the prelude to the Ki ling T e , had

D o f A t al the r . its origin in ry, in north the Stewa try the battle of Bothwell Bridge (1 679) a band of Galloway m en in the Covenanting Army gallantly held the bridge against the Royal ists till their amm unition was exhausted h I and t ey were ordered to retire . n the last years of

’ ’ I I s u m 11 s Charles reign , and througho t Ja es , the lonely m oors and hillsides of Galloway were scoured M by dragoons in search of Covenanters . any a grave testifies Wh i s to the steadfastness of the wild Westland g , whom the troopers of Claverhouse and Grierson m ight

l Ma 1 68 ki l but could not subdue . In y 5 occurred the w M M terrible drowning of the Wigto n artyrs , argaret ‘ M Lauch lan 6 M 1 8 , aged 3 , and argaret Wilson , aged , who were by unj ust la wsentenced to die and tyed to a stake withi n the Flood for adherence to Scotland ’s ” R m a n al m efor tio Covenants , Nation and Sole n League . The Revolution settlem ent of 1 689 was accepted G al h quietly in loway . W en the cry The Auld Stuarts

9 2 KIRKCUDBRIGHT AND WI GTOWN

i i ie 1 6 . A n t qu t s

In regard to early civilisations it is usual to speak of three epochs , the Stone , the Bronze , and the Iron . In

first m the , stone was the aterial used for those tools and m weapons which , a later and higher degree of culture , were m ade of m et al s . It is questionable whether

al but p aeolithic man ever reached Scotland , of the presence of neolithic man the evidence is am ple . His

fin e m m weapons were of for , often highly polished , ade of other stones than the fl in t of his p al aeolithi c pre a W decessor , and are found ssociated ith existing fauna . G f In alloway , cairns and hut circles , cli f forts and hill

m - h di forts , ote ills and doons indicate his stribution , and m ark his activities . The stone circles and rock sculpturings m et with are referable probably to the

classified m bronze period . Cairns are as cha bered or Of . m m cisted the for er , which had within the a burial

n m chamber capable of being used for repeated i ter ents , there are eleven in Kirkcudbrightshire . Those whi ch

al a have long chambers lie in the v ley of the Cree , e st of hi w ch none is to be found south of Carsphairn . In

Wigtownshire there are four , three in New Luce and one Oi in Old Luce . cairns with round chambers there are four in the Stewartry , and three in Wigtownshire . Cisted

coffin cairns , containing a stone intended for a single

al m act of buri , are ore numerous , and are widely dis tributed .

in There are thirteen stone circles the Stewartry , ANTI Q UI TIES 9 3

h al three of w ich surround a centr boulder . The only w w stone circle in Wigto nshire , ith the outer ring of stones

1 m e m To rh ousk ie ( 9 in nu b r) co plete , is at near Wigtown . It is popul arly believed to be the burial place of King

Gal dus . A stone at Laicht near Cairnryan , known as m m the Taxing Stone , is said to ark the to b of Alpin ,

Gl n a 1 A D e . . King of Scots , who was slain in pp , 74 When m circles are found in proxi ity to a cairn , they appear to have form ed part of an original plan . A notable instance is the group of associated rem ains at Cauldside

Anwoth . I n Kirkcudbrightshire the area in which rock sculptures h are found is restricted , but wit in this they are in con

i r b le s de a numbers . One group is found between the m Cree and the Fleet , and another eastward fro the estuary of the Dee to an im aginary line runn ing north D and south through undrennan . There is also a small group on the west side of Kirkcudbright . The greater number lie near the coast . In Wigtownshire such ul m sc pturings have been recorded in ten places , ost of M m these being in the achers . The re ains of ancient defensive constructions are very num erous in the D ’ Province . The eil s Dyke was a ram part raised by the Gall oway Picts as a defence against their neighbours

oi. to the north , the Brigantes Strathclyde . According “ it m m n m B eo ch to Train co e ces at the far of , and

m A uch en van e extends through the far s of Braid , ,

Kirn ea rven Kil fedder , and ; passes the north end of

M Glen vern och Kn o ck ville Loch aberry, along , and in runs into the Loch of Cree , to continue through Kirk 9 4 K IR K CUDB RIG H T A NI) WI G TO WN cudb righ tshire and Dum friesshire as far as Hightae Flow M ” in Loch aben parish . Not infrequently advantage has been taken of natural f m topographical situations , such as cli fs or pro ontories ,

’ L rb r a x . m a or hills Thus at Ke p s Wark , , may be noted the adaptation of its defensive lines to suit the altering requirem ents of the position as they pass from the narrow level of the front to the steeply sloping fl an k ” where they give place to a terrace . As a rule they are earth works , and consist of a single rampart and trench .

But Borness Batteries , Borgue , is defended by two

hr D w l trenches and t ee ramparts , and the oon , T ynho m ,

' has double fosse and ram parts . The fort at Castle Hill m Point , Colvend and Southwick , has for its ain line of l defence a stone wa l some ten feet thick . Three hill

m Vitrified forts in the Stewartry have been ore or less , and one in the sister county .

Of fiat - m mote hills , topped ounds of earth and stone ,

m m l artificial in part natural , though so eti es who ly , there are eleven in Wigtownshire and twenty - six in the

Stewartry . The typical form is a truncated cone with

2 0 0 an average height of to 3 feet , surrounded at its base : by a ditch . But the shape varies at Boreland and D rummore , the mound is oval at Skaith it is almost a square . The most important in the Stewartry is the

M . ote of Urr A simple truncated cone , it rises to a 1 6 height of 33 feet , with a level top , 9 feet by 7 , and m co prises citadel , trenches , and base court on an ex

- tensive and well preserved scale . The largest and best M preserved in the Shire is the ote of Innermessan . A

9 6 K IR KCUD B RI G H T AND WI G TOWN

m 6 perfect , it has a circu ference at the base of 33 % circle

n 8 . feet , while from fou dation to top measures 7 feet

2

c ed o n e Kirk m a drin e S ulptur St s ,

It is generally believed that m otes were used as courts of j ustice and places of public assembly , and in some places A NTI Q UI TI ES 97

- they are still known as court hills . A curious broch like structure at Castle Haven , Borgue , has had its

a details laid bare by exc vation , and its construction

' MA P OF DOWA LTON LOC H

Oi m w restored . the any caves ith which the shores are

m deserv1n pierced , none is ore g of notice than Borness

Cave . It is situated at the head of an inlet below

f 2 - precipitous cli fs , about 7 feet above present high water 1 8 2 level . Systematically explored in 7 , it yielded

fi s abundant evidence of hum an habitation . The n d

G 98 K IR K CUD BRIGH T A ND W I G TO WN

l m included charred vegetab e re ains , remains of animals , polishers , whetstones , needles of bone , and a small cup

m first . of Sa ian ware , probably of the century Early sculptured stones are very num erous in Wigtown shire . Two now in a porch of the Church of Kirk W madrine , where they have been placed ithin recent

a n o e f om Dowa lton Lo c a n d a dd e om Rave o e C r h , P l fr nst n Mo to th e ea of th e Lo c ss , st h

years , are probably the earliest Christian monuments to m m the dead known in Scotland . Both bear the onogra of Christ within a circle , while a Latin inscription on one shows that it had originally indicated the last restin g ” - place of two holy and pre eminent priests . A long lost third inscribed stone was recently di scovered acci dentally . A sketch made a hundred years ago showed “ I n itium et et m the inscription , Finis , Alpha O ega ,

W ‘ ith the Cross inside a ring , and the labarum of Con

1 00 KIR K CUD B RI G HT A ND WI G T OWN

d me iaeval tim es . The group of crannogs exposed by

Dowalton 1 86 first the drainage of Loch in 3 , the to be discovered of the unusually large number of these m pri itive dwellings in Wigtownshire , has done much to increase our knowledge of the manner of life and degree of civilisation of the ancient inhabitants of the country .

B ron z e B ra celet

(Fo un d n ea r P lun ton Ca stle)

The number of superim posed fl o ors and the nature of the relics found embedded in the crannogs show that these lake - dwellings continued from neolithic tim es well into the Christian era . Oi miscellaneous obj ects of antiquity found in Kirk cudb ri h tsh ire g , the rarest is a small urn of the incense W i li h n n ate. cup shape , unearthed from an interment at y gg

A horned mask of bronze was found at Torrs , Kelton a bronze mirror in a bog , Balmaclellan; and a bronze ARCHI TE CTURE— ECCLESIASTI CAL 101

n bracelet near Plunto Castle . In Wigtownshire there fall G to be noted a bronze axe , lasserton a broad bronze dagger , near Stranraer ; and a gold penannular orna m m - ent , with ends ter inating in cup shaped discs , found

D m . on High rum ore , Kirkmaiden

From time to time are unearthed fl in t- knives and

- fin er arrowheads , discs , stone hammers and axes , and g

n dim ri gs , which throw a and uncertain light on the life and custom s of the b y - gone races who roamed along the

m - shores of the stor bitten Solway , or trod the wind s w m ept oors of the interior .

1 A c h i e t e— i s i 7 . r t c u r ( a ) Eccl es a t ca l

' m Ccm dzda C613 0 No trace now re ains of the , the church St built by Ninian to the east of the Isle of Whithorn .

s ro ofl ess But on its site tand walls , part of a sacred edifi ce belonging , it is thought , to the thirteenth century , hi and probably a Chapel of Ease of the Priory of W thorn . F The Priory was founded in the twelfth century by ergus ,

G Wh o F Lord of alloway , handed it over to remon str aten si M an onks . The church of the Priory became G m the cathedral of the diocese of alloway , and re ained

00 so for 5 years . Here were deposited relics of the patron

fl o ck ed i saint , and hither crowds of pilgr ms , of whom were

an kings d queens of Scotland , For the dear grace to

’

St . kiss Ninian s bones The nave of the Priory church , and a low fragment of a wall of the west tower are all R that is left of the once stately pile . ecent excavations h m show that the total length of the churc , fro the west 1 02 KIRKCUDB R IGHT A ND WI GT OWN

2 0 . tower to the Lady Chapel , was 5 feet In the south wall is a splendid Norman doorway , dating back to the r foundation of the P iory , the rich carving on which has defian ce wi - bid to the nds and rains of the centuries . Oi m D Wigtown Priory , a onastery of the ominicans , f 1 2 6 Soul seat M ounded in 7, and of onastery , no trace

’ St Nin ia n s Chap el

B now exists . y the end of the thirteenth century there were in Scotland eight abbeys belonging to the Cistercian

G — G D un Order , three of these being in alloway lenluce , G drennan , and Sweetheart . lenluce Abbey , founded in

1 1 M Oi 0 m m . 9 , was peopled with onks fro elrose the m i church itself , Early English in style , there re a ns now

W . but the south transept gable , ith eastern side chapels The cloister walls are fairly entire to the height of 1 6

— ARC H ITE CTURE ECCLE SIASTICAL 1 05

north and south walls of the chancel , the east aisle of the south transept , a few feet of the piers of the central tower , and the doorway of the chapter house , flanked on each side by a double window . Interesting m onumental l stones are those known as the Abbot , the Ce larer , the

Nun , the Prior , and the Belted Knight . D In contrast to undrennan , the Old Abbey , Sweet l 1 0 heart is often ca led the New Abbey , because built 3

Devor illa years later . New Abbey was founded by g , widow of the founder of Balliol College , Oxford . When her husband died sh e had his heart em balm ed and placed in a casket , which she carried with her wherever hi she went . She was buried near the gh altar , the heart of her husband being laid upon her breast . Hence the

Du ce l C07 . romantic name , , Sweet Heart The abbey was D colonised by monks from undrennan , and was richly

ch iefl endowed . The rem ains consist y of the nave and m aisles of the conventual church . The ullions and

- tracery of the western rose window are fairly complete ,

r as also are the side windows of the choi , the clerestory, U and the pper windows of the north transept . l m One other religious house fa ls to be entioned , Lin

1 1 61 Uch tr ed cluden Abbey, founded by , son of Fergus , G St . Lord of alloway , for nuns of the order of Benedict Towards the close of the fourteenth century the nuns

i an became nsolent , d were expelled by Archibald the G m ri , who converted the foundation into an ecclesiastical

Oi Lin luden . m c college s all extent , the Old College of

r fin is a ve y e specimen of Gothic architecture . The m remains of the Collegiate church e brace the chancel , 1 06 KIR K CUDBRIGHT A ND WIGT OWN

e e south trans pt , south aisl and sacristy , and two vaulted l chambers north of the sacristy . In the middle wa l of

ma n ificen t the choir is a g tomb , canopied by a richly

Tom b o f th e Duchess o f To ura ine

- ornamented semi circular arch , in which was buried M h E D argaret , wife of Arc ibald , fourth arl of ouglas , who received the Dukedom of Touraine From the Reform ation to the opening of the nine teenth cent ury ecclesiastical architecture was practically dead in Scotland . The eighteenth century churches

108 KIRKCUDBRIGHT A ND WIG TOWN

there are two examples in the Stewartry , and these are — m i Castled k es but frag entary ru ns y , as the ancient G r castle of the Lords of alloway is now called, at Ki k cudb ri h t Buittle I ” m l m g ; and Castle , about é i es fro D l t a bea tie , which was also a stronghold of the Lords of

G fi ured alloway , and which g largely in the Wars of

an d Independence , during the thirteenth fourteenth centuries . But the ravages of these wars impoverished the country and made buildings of such extent henceforward im possible . From the middle of the fourteenth century

strongholds reverted to the simple keep , oblong in plan , m 8 Gr 1 0 . with plain , assive walls , to feet thick adually , e however , they became more elaborat . They were once more built round a central courtyard , but the defensive

' m in features began to give way to do estic needs , while some cases they were turned into ornam ents . The sixteenth century was a time of great activity in

- L castle building , the plan being characteristic of the period . In this type a square wing , containing the

r wheel stai and small upper rooms , proj ects at right m E angles to the ain building . xamples of this in the

Drum coltr a n Stewartry are numerous , as the castles of ,

Pl n Oi Ken ure un to . Barholm , Carsluith , m , and castles built on the Z plan Auchenskeoch is the only example in the county .

Threave Castle possesses unusual interest , because of a its style of architecture , its associ tion with many note worthy incidents in Scottish history , and its ownership l I t by the Doug ases for nearly a century . is built on ARCH ITE CTURE— MI LI TARY

2 0 an island of about acres in extent , formed by two R Dee 2 branches of the iver , about 3 miles west of Castle D m ouglas . It is protected by the ain stream of the river on the west front on the other sides by a wall ,

Threa ve Ca stle

5 feet thick , with round towers at the east angles and at l the terminus of the south wa l . The tower at the south m east angle is still entire . Its internal dia eter is 9 feet , and it is surrounded by walls 43 feet in thickness . It is h t ree stories in height , with three loopholes in each

. en story A ditch , with a rampart outside the wall ,

1 0 i closed an outer court , about 5 feet square , wh le 1 1 0 K IRK CUD B RIGH T A ND WIGTO WN

a gateway , defended by a drawbridge , but without a l portcu lis , led through the east wall to the inner court , n and was opposite the entra ce to the castle . The 2 8 keep measured 45 feet by 4 feet , within walls feet thick , which were pierced with windows on every side . From the ground to t he top of the ruined parapet on the

0 east side is fully 7 feet in height . The castle was built G m by Archibald the ri in the fourteenth century , and is said to occupy the site of an earlier fortalice , of which T however , no traces now exist . hreave was the last

Dou la ses fortress to hold out for the g , and the opera

i tions attending its reduction were superintended by I m I . Ja es in person The story of the siege , with the part played by Mons Meg and her m aker Brawny Ki m i s

firml fix ed y in popular tradition , but does not bear close

’ scrutiny . After the castle became royal property , it was entrusted to different powerful fam ilies in succession . In 1 5 2 6 it was vested in the Lords Maxwell as hereditary m h keepers , who beca e Earls of Nit sdale and Stewards m of Kirkcudbright , and it re ained in their hands till the

1 1 attainder of the Earl of Nithsdale in 7 6 . d Kirkcu bright Castle , standing on the left bank of

Dee L m o difica the , belongs to the type , with certain

. m tions It is a strong , assive building , four stories in

l Was 1 82 height , its walls still a most entire . It built in 5

‘ M Lellan B om b ie by Sir Thomas of , in whose family it m re ained to the middle of the eighteenth century , when it passed into the hands of Sir Robert Maxwell of ’ Or ch ar dto n : it is now the property of the St Mary s

Isle fam ily .

1 1 2 K IR K CUDBRI G H T A ND WIG TOWN

G north of atehouse , also on the right . bank of the Fleet , R . A n 8 2 r is usco Castle oblong , 3 by 9 feet , it ises to a

0 v height of 5 feet , and is di ided into three stories and

Rus c o Ca stle

I t m fifteen t . h attics dates fro the close of the century , G and was for long owned by the ordons of Lochinvar .

Plunto n Castle , Borgue , now in ruins , was built about

Cum stoun m . the iddle of the sixteenth century Castle , ARCHI T ECTURE— MILI TARY 1 13

m in Twy nhol , also ruins , is another sixteenth century building . The ruins of Wreaths Tower , Kirkbean ,

Drum coltran a m . indicate the sa e period Castle , ne r M w Kirkgunzeon , is a sixteenth century erection . id ay

G a s - o f- between tehou e Fleet and Creetown , and about a quarter m ile from the coast are the ruins of Barholm

Hills Tower Loch a n h ea d

as . L m C tle It is of the type , and dates probably fro the early years of the seventeenth century . With Carsluith m Castle and several others , it clai s to be the Ellangowan

’ u M an n erzn a of G y g. Carsluith C stle stands on a pro m i m m ontory overlook ng Wigtown Bay , about 33 iles fro

I L first . t Creetown is of shape , with windows on the

floor . From time to time the building has been altered , the original part dating probably from the end of the

fif een t Loch an h ead t h . century Hills Tower, , in Loch H 1 1 4 KIRKCUDBRIGHT AND WIGTOWN t utton parish , is an ancient building , with a later entrance lodge bearing date 1 598 .

R Orch ardto n 6 The ound Tower of , situated about

Roun d Tower of Orch a rdto n

m - D iles south east of Castle ouglas , is the only one of its form in the province , and in some respects is said to be without parallel among the castles of Scotland . The 0 m tower is about 4 feet high , with an inside dia eter of 1 5 feet , and consists of three stories . The second story appears to have been used as the principal apartm ent . A

1 1 6 KIRKCUD BRIGHT AND WIGTOWN

’ m ost of it is occupied by merchants stores . Castle

i in i i Kennedy , bu lt the beg nn ng of the seventeenth

fire 1 1 6 century , was destroyed by in 7 , and has never been m W rebuilt . A dor er indow , with a beautiful head, is the

c astle Ken n edy

— only architectural ornament rem aining to the ivy clad

On M rton ruins . the shores of the White Loch of y are the M ruins of yrtou Castle , the keep of which was erected

- m on a mote hill . Fro the end of the eighteenth century M l M it has belonged to the axwe ls of onreith . U — D M 1 1 7 ARC H ITECT RE O ES TI C , ET C .

1 A h i — 9 . rc tec tu re ( c) Dom estic a n d Mu n icip a l The venerable m ansion of Kirkconnell is said to be one of the oldest inhabited houses in Scotland . It contains m any interesting obj ects associated With the

M a n life of ary Q ueen of Scots , d her descendants ,

James II and the Old Pretender . Finely situated on a conspicuous knoll at the head

Ken m ure of Loch Ken , stands Castle , for centuries the G i principal seat of the ordons of Loch nvar . The present di hi i E buil ng , w ch appears to have been bu lt on the plan , is said to occupy the site of one of the seats of the i Lords of Galloway . Tradi tion says that John Ball ol was born in the old fortalice , and that it became his

K n ure . 1 1 e m favourite residence In 7 5 Viscount , the G ” bravest lord that ever alloway saw , threw in his lot with the j acobites . Taken prisoner at Preston , he was executed , and the estates and title were forfeited . 1 82 In 4 these were restored to his grandson , but the title became extinct in The Castle is now a commodious and handsom e residence . The stately beech - hedges and the avenue of fin e lime trees are ll i i m specia y noteworthy . Among the fam ly he rloo s l are several old pictures and Jacobite re ics . 1 6 in 1 8 l Erected in 7 3 but greatly altered 35 , Cal y e House , with its spacious gardens and xtensive policies , i m is situated am id picturesque surround ngs . The colu ns of the portico are m assive granite m onoliths . The 1 1 8 K IRK CUDB RIGH T A ND W IG TOWN entrance hall is built of marble and contains som e fin e pieces of sculpture . Among the many other mansion houses of the

m A r dwa ll Car don ess Stewartry may be entioned , ,

Cassen carie G oldielea Kirrou h tree , , Kirkdale , g , Cairns

l n h m b elli m Cum ode a d S a e. ore , n Lo chn aw Castle has b een in the possession of the

Lo ch n a w Castle

It Agnew family for nearly six hundred years . is de lightfully situated on a green em inence surrounded by T e woods and overlooking a rom antic loch . h line of W buildings runs east and est and fronts the south .

h y e A central square tower stories high , a portion of the New castle built in 1 42 6 still rema ins and forms part of the modern building . The grounds contain m fine i any spec mens of foreign coniferous trees .

1 20 K IR K CUDB RI G H T A ND WIGTOWN

Other residences of note in Wigtownshire are the Old

M m M Lo ch r a n Place of ochru , onreith House , y House ,

G Ph s ill D Logan House , lasserton House , y g , unragit

r ll P i k Co sewa en n n h am e Dun s e . House , g House and y D albeattie has a Town Hall built of native granite , with a square tower and illum inated clock . The New

D 1 862 Town Hall of Castle ouglas , built in to supersede

Old Pla ce of Mo chrum

1 0 - the Old Town Hall of 79 , is of red free stone . In M Kirkcudbright there is a quaint ercat Cross , dating m 1 0 fro 5 4 . Behind it is the Old Tolbooth , an erection m of Tudor ti es , with tower and spire built of stones D taken from the ruins of undrennan Abbey . The Court House in Wigtown is a handsome building wi of red and white freestone th a lofty clock tower .

m 1 0 Flanking the Old Cross , a onolith about feet high 1 8 di m M and inches in a eter , stands the New arket 2 0 Cross , an octagonal pillar about feet high , rising from — D OMESTI C 1 21 AR C H ITECTURE , ET C .

fl i ht is fin e a circular g of steps . The Old Cross a speci m en of the pillar crosses characteristic of m any Scottish burghs . In Stranraer the New Town Hall , built of

Th e o b o o k c d T l th , Kir u bright

f red and white freestone , owes its architectural e fect

- to its lantern spire and crow stepped gables . The Macmillan Hall in Newton - Stewart is the largest public

c n offices hall in the ounty , and houses the mu icipal of the burgh . 01d an d New Ma k e o e W o w r t Cr ss s , igt n

1 24 K IRK CUDB RI G H T A ND WIG TOWN

u m - Balloch . The ro tes fro several landing places con m verged at Kirkcowan , which thus for ed a convenient — G M f halting place on the way to lasgow by inniga f ,

Tro ol D northwards by Loch , Loch Enoch , Loch oon

D m li Curriedon and al el ngton ; and to Edinburgh by , M D oniaive and Penpont , through the alveen Pass and m past Elvanfoot . We ust rem ember that the Galloway f m coast a forded unrivalled opportunities for s uggling , and in the eighteenth century and the first part of the nin eteenth the free - traders plied a busy trade in

l m Man brandy , si ks and lace fro the Isle of . Scott in a note to Guy M an n ermg m entions the statement of a

~ sm uggler that he had frequently seen upwards of

- m en m m two hundred Lingtow asse ble at one ti e , and

o o ff g into the interior of the country , fully laden with ” contraband goods .

Galloway now possesses excellent roads . We begin A l with Wigtownshire . t Challoch, 2 3 mi es from New ton Stewart , the road to Ayrshire divides . The right fork goes through the valley of the Cree as far as Bar grennan Church and thence across the north - west of

Kirkcudbrightshire to Straiton . The left fork passes

Glassoch F ntalloch M and the Snap , crosses y oor , and , leaving the county by the isthmus between Loch D l l M orn a . aberry and Loch , makes for Barrhil The road from Newton Stewart to Portpatrick follows in i At G i the main the ra lway line . lenluce it is j o ned by

l Glasso ch a road which left the road to Barrhi l at , and by one which has come from Girvan down the valley m G of the Luce . A road fro lenluce strikes Luce Bay C OMMUNI CATI ONS 1 25 at Auch en m alg and follows the coast as far as Port M William . Thereafter it passes through onreith and goes by way of Glasserton to Isle of Whithorn . About half a mile from this village it connects with a road which com es from Newton Stewart through Wigtown G and Kirkinner to Sorbie . Soon after passing lenluce the main road to Portpatrick forks at West and East

Rh in n s m Challoch , one branch crossing the to its ter inus on the North Channel , the other going by way of Stran raer along the eastern shore of Loch Ryan to the G G alloway Burn , where it enters Ayrshire . ood roads also connect Stranraer with Corsewall Point and the M ull of Galloway .

Wigtownshire has three lines of railways . The

- R Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint ailway , branch ff D G . m o S W. ing the and syste at Castle ouglas , traverses the county by Newton Stewart and Glenluce to Stranraer and Portpatrick . The Wigtownshire R ailway runs from Newton Stewart , by Wigtown and G . G arlieston , to Whithorn The irvan and Portpatrick Railway enters the county in the north of New Luce l m parish , and , fo lowing closely the valley of the ain R Water of Luce , j oins the Portpatrick ailway at East D Challoch near unragit .

A n Let us now turn to Kirkcudbrightshire . ex cellen t road leads from Maxwelltown to Newton Stewart

i i Auch en reoch by Crocketford . Sk rt ng Loch , it goes through Springburn on its way to Castle Douglas . It Dee R m passes through Bridge of , ingford and Twynhol

- - i to strike the coast near Gatehouse o i Fleet . From th s 1 26 KIRKCUDBRIGH T A ND WIGTOWN point on to Creetown 1s often spoken of as the most ’ r - i i n beautiful sho e drive in Britain , there be ng Carlyle s — i t~ t e op nion only one to equal i h drive back . Crossing

a the r ilway near Palnure Station , the road enters w w Ne ton Ste art through its picturesque suburb , Cree m M D bridge . Fro axwelltown the road to albeattie ll l fo ows in the main the rai way , crossing at Kirkgunzeon

Station from the south to the north side of the line . m m M Starting once ore fro axwelltown , one may follow a good road south through New Abbey and Kirkbean R f and thence west to ockcli fe . A branch connects D this popular watering place with albeattie . From Dalbeattie Kirkcudbright m ay be reached either by

D b ln Castle ouglas , or y Pa ackie , Auchencairn and D A m undrennan . t Crocketford a branch from the ain road m akes for ' the north of the county through Corsock Bridge (where it is j oined by one from Dalbeattie) G l m past Balm aclellan to New al oway . Fro Castle Douglas a road skirts the rail way through Crossmichael to Parton . It leans upon the shore of Loch Ken for

m , about a ile and keeps within half a mile of the % Loch ll K r D i ti opposite enmu e Castle . Near albeattie it j o ns

M fl ank ed the road from axwelltown , and then , by the

l di Glenk ens grand hi ls guar ng the , it makes by way of

Dalry and Carsphairn for Dalmellington and Ayrs hire . From Kirkcudbright through Ringford and Laurieston a road which skirts the beautiful Woodhall Loch , crosses

n the railway at New Galloway Station . After huggi g h i the western shore of Loch Ken for nearly t ree m les ,

G an A llan ib b o n it passes through New alloway , d at g

1 28 K IRK CUDBRIGHT AND WIG TOWN

' offices from father to son without respect to qualifica

i in t on for the position was perhaps Vicious , but actual m practice it worked out not so badl y . It was co para tively seldom that j ustice was perverted seldom that i was . decisions were partial , or that oppression susta ned For long the Wild Scots of Galloway preferred gentle

’ ” man s law, the law of the heritable functionary to w m ho they instinctively yielded deference , to that of the more learned stipendiaries whose law not infrequently seem ed at singular variance with native ideas of j ustice and equity . In addition to j urisdictions of a baronial or feudal

an l character there was d stil is that of the burgh . There is the royal burgh , a corporate body erected to be holden of the Sovereign . The burgh of barony holds its Oi charter from the feudal superior of the lands . m ore h recent creation is the police burg , a town or place of

00 m ore than 7 inhabitants , made a corporation by Act w of Parliament . There are six burghs in the Ste artry , D D G Castle ouglas , albeattie , atehouse , Kirkcudbright , M G Th e axwelltown and New alloway . royal burghs

1 G l are Kirkcudbright , since 455 , and New a loway, i 1 6 0. since 3 In the Sh re , the royal burghs , in order of 1 1 1 1 creation , are Wigtown , 457, Whithorn , 5 , Stranraer ,

1 61 . 7 Newton Stewart , originally a burgh of barony , i is n owa pol ce burgh .

Burghs are managed by Town Councils . The Councillors regulate the trade of the burgh and the from conduct of the inhabitants , and their own number

m wh o . elect agistrates , act as j udges in the police courts ADMINI STRATI ON A ND DI VISIONS 1 29

County matters were form erly adm inistered by Com m issioners of Supply , but are now in the hands of the

for County Council . It levies rates county purposes ,

b - it makes y laws for the government of the county , it D D adm inisters the Food and rug Acts , and the iseases

of Animals Act , it maintains roads and bridges , it

officers controls the police , it appoints of health , m manages lunatic asylu s and hospitals , and exercises general supervision over m atters relating to public

health . The two chief authorities in a Scottish county are the

- Lord Lieutenant , who is at the head of the magistracy hi x f and is the ghest e ecutive authority , and the Sheri f , f who is the chief local j udge of the county . The Sheri f f — is assisted by a Sheri f substitute , or by Sheriffs — substitute . Kirkcudbrightshire has a Lord Lieutenant ,

- five D - 1 60 twenty eputy Lieutenants , and over Justices

- of the Peace . Wigtownshire has a Lord Lieutenant , D — m thirteen eputy Lieutenants , and so e eighty Justices

of the Peace . Both counties have the sam e Sheriff f — principal , each has a Sheri f substitute . Kirkcudbright

hi Sh erifis- s re has three Honorary substitute , Wigtown

five shire . Kirkcudbrightshire a n djWigtown shi re are united for Parliam entary Representation into the Constituency oi G alloway . : The parishes in Kirkcudbrightshire are Anwoth.

m B alm a h ie B uittle Bal aclellan , g , Borgue , , Carsphairn , m D G Colvend , Cross ichael , alry , irthon , Irongray , Kells ,

Kelton , Kirkbean , Kirkcudbright , Kirkgunzeon , Kirk 13 0 KIRKCUDB RI G H T AND WI GTOWN

mab reck - D Loch rutton M f , Kirkpatrick urham , , inniga f ,

New Rerrick Terre les Abbey , Parton , , g , Tongland ,

r n l a Tro uee T w h o rn . q , y , Urr The parishes of Carsph irn , l D m S Ke ls , alry and Bal aclellan are often poken of ” l n k n collectively as the G e e s . i G The Wigtownsh re parishes are : lasserton , Inch , m m Kirkcol , Kirkcowan , Kirkinner , Kirk aiden , Leswalt ,

M G Pen nm ochrum , New Luce , Old Luce or lenluce , g m ha e , Portpatrick , Sorbie , Stoneykirk , Stranraer ,

n . Whithorn , Wigtow Till 1 894 Parochi al Boards looked after the affairs e b of the parishes , but w re then superseded y Parish i L . m aw Counc ls These ad inister the Poor , appoint registrars , provide burial grounds , and levy rates for education . The Education Act of 1 872 set up a new and hem o gen eous system of education in Scotland : School Boards were created in every parish and burgh in m m m Scotland , and to the was entrusted the anage ent M of education within their bounds . Under the unro

Act of 1 91 8 the School Board gives pla ce~ to the m Education Authority , and the parish as ad inistrative unit of education to the county with its electoral di l visions . The Act Virtual y recasts the whole of the

Scottish educational system outside the Universities . Nursery schools may be instituted for chi ldren between five the ages of two and , and the age for leaving school f l fi teen di . has been raised to , with con tiona exemption

Continuation classes , compulsory to the age of eighteen for those who are not receiving suitable instruction in

1 3 2 KIR KCUDBRIGH T A ND WIGTOWN

’ i o ff o l i Isle , carry ng L rd Se k rk s plate , which he after wards restored . Subsequently he served as rear dm R a iral of the ussian Black Sea Fleet . Sir Andrew f G Agnew , the last of the Hereditary Sheri fs of alloway,

Sir John Ro ss was in early life a skilful officer under the Duke of Marl borough and noted for deeds of great personal daring . D i John alrymple , second Earl of Sta r, distinguished M R l ill m him self at alplaquet and am i ies . Sir W ia

G officer in 1 ordon of Earlston , an the 7th Lancers , was ” one of the Noble Six Hundred . R OL L OF HONOUR 1 3 3

S m son 1 1 2 m Andrew y , who died in 7 , inister of R Kirkinner for twenty years prior to the evolution ,

iden tified though not a native , is closely with the Pro

hi s Lar e Descri tion o Gallowa vince by g p f y . Sam uel R di utherford , covenanting hero and vine , was for nine M m . m years inister of Anwoth John ac illan , the founder M f of the Cameronian Church , was a native of inniga f .

B a lsa rro ch

(At on e tim e th e prop erty o f th e a n cestors o f Sir John R oss)

’ Dr M Dun Alexander urray , a shepherd s son born at

k itterick i - , in the brief th rty seven years of his life rose to be the most em in ent linguist and Oriental scholar

Dr D m of his day . Henry uncan , a son of the anse of

Loch rutto n m R , inister of uthwell , was the founder of D D i W M . . m . Sav ngs Banks . axwell Hetherington , , a

Tro ueer native of q , church historian and poet , was Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology in 1 3 4 K IRKCUDBRIGH T A ND WIGTOWN

R i D D G . . the University of lasgow . Alexander ale gh , , B uittle born in the parish of , was a prominent Congre

i n al gat o minister . D Professor Thomas Brown , who succeeded ugald

Mu a D D A e a n de . . Rev . l x r rr y ,

M Stewart in the chair of oral Philosophy , Edinburgh

l Kirk b r ck D n m a e . University , was born manse avid Gi Landsborough , the lbert White of Arran and the D R Cumb raes . m , was a native of alry John a say

‘ M Culloch hi in , born in W thorn , his day a noted writer S cotsm an 1 81 8—1 8 0 al m 2 . on politic econo y , edited the ,

1 3 6 K IRK CUDB RIGH T A ND WIGT O WN

first and by his son the Earl of Stair , who succeeded M Of Bluidy ackenzie as Lord Advocate . recent

A rdwall in years , Lord was a Stewartry man all but the accident of birth and early life . The same may be said M of the great physicist , James Clerk axwell .

Faed

In art the , brothers have a reputation that is

- . m world wide John , the eldest , for any years was a

a He noted miniature portrait p inter . was elected A 1 8 1 R 1 86 R S . m . . in 5 . Thomas , oyal Acade ician in 4, excelled like his brother in subj ects dealing with pathetic m or sentim ental incidents in hu ble Scottish life . A

r m third brothe , Ja es , achieved high artistic success in

n line engravi g .

i 2 3 . Th e Ch ief Town s a n d V l l a ges

(The figures in brack ets after each nam e give the population in 1 1 1 a n d en d 9 , those at the of each section are refer en ce in s to pages the text . )

A —KIR KCUDB R IGHTSHIR E

A uchen ca irn a village beautifully situated on bay m m o 1 0 m k d of sa e na e , ab ut iles east of Kir cu bright , has

- i r d . goo sea bath ng Near it is Auchencai n House , with a B 8 fin e c o m d . . 6 ollecti n of o ern ritish paintings (pp 5 , 3 , 79 ,

E a . in N B a lm a clellan (p a village the . of the R P ’ M c . Old d ounty obert aterson , Scott s ortality, live here in 1 76 8 a n d here hi s wife taught a sm all school for twenty y ears . (p . CH IEF TOWNS A ND VI LLAG ES 1 3 7

B o e a . 6 m W Kir k d rgu (p a village iles S . . of cu r E b i ght . Near it is arlston House . The parish has long m fo r been fa ous its honey . (p p . 3 ,

in Ca rspha irn (p a . a village extrem e north o f 6 6 c . . 2 ounty, is a health resort (pp , 3 , 79 , 9 ,

Castle D ouglas the com m ercial capital of the r Stewa try , is a railway j unction . It has a large well d a n d c d m o d equippe highly successful A a e y, has iron f un ry , m k m - m k otor wor s , coach works , saw ills , cabinet a ing

k d - m a n d wor s , aerate water anufactories , a tannery large m m grain stores . Castle Douglas is one of the ost i portant m k - c d w ar et towns in the south of S otlan , ith busy sales of l k k hi a n d o ive stoc every wee , w le hiring , horse ther fairs d 1 1 6 8 1 1 0 1 1 1 2 0 d . . are hel perio ically (p p 5 , , 3 3 , , 9 , 4 , , 1 2 1 2 6 1 2 5 , 7,

Creebridge a small village o n Stewartry side o f

w . B ridge over the Cree at Ne ton Stewart. (p

ee own o r a n d fi sh in Cr t a burgh of barony , seap t g d o f W B a r . Village , at hea igtown y , has large granite quar ies 80 82 1 1 1 . 2 2 0 2 6 (p p 3 , 3 3 , 4 , 49 , 5 , 5 7, 79 , , , 3 , ,

a b ea e 1 m D l tti the Granite City of the South , 4 3 iles W S . . D m k fl our mi d e k of u fries , has bone wor s , lls , y wor s , k an d t o k s an c k o d bric ile w r , iron forge , con rete wor s , wo ni ks mi mi m a n d tur ng wor , bobbin ll , saw ll , paper ill , m r I ts m d d crea e y . quarries , which e ploy several hun re s m en d fi n 1 80 8 1 8 1 0 8 e . . of , yiel very granite (p p 9 , 3 3 , , , 5 , , 1 2 0 1 2 6 1 2 , , 7,

’ alr St n D y The Clachan , Joh s Town , a village beautifully situated on the left bank of the R iver fin Ken 1 6 N d ol . m . W. , iles of Castle Douglas , has goo g g

. 6 1 0 1 2 6 1 2 (pp . 9 . 3 . , 7,

1 4 0 K IR K CUDB RIG H T A ND W IG T O W N

N m o f m ew A bb ey a village 7 iles south Du fries .

The ruins of Sweetheart A bbey are c lose to the village .

Near it is the Solway Fishery , one of the largest hatcheries

k d m . in the ing o (p .

New Galloway a roy al a n d parliam entary burgh at lfin Ken m ure d o Ken d o . hea of L ch , has goo g g Near it is

l . . 6 1 6 1 2 6 1 2 Cast e (p p , 9 , 3 , , 7,

Lin cluden College

P n B uittle o n k a n a ck e a . i l i (p a village , right ban W m d Urr S S . W. of ater , 3 3 iles . of Dalbeattie , has a goo a n d d o f natural harbour , till the intro uction the railway

' in 1 86 1 d d d o . iverte its tra e , was the port of Castle D uglas 1 8 (p p . 9 , 5 ,

Rh on eh ouse 2 mi m , a Village 3 les fro Castle Douglas , m d on e h m for erly note for its fairs , of w ich was the ost m or n in o c n d i p ta t the s uth of S otla . CH IEF TOWNS A ND V ILLAGE S 1 4 1

Ro ck c f e m in d m E S . . o f li f a ha let Colven , 7 iles t a n c ri — c . 6 . 6 Dalbeat ie , ex ellent wate ng pla e (p p , 4 ,

S outh ern ess V a e in k 1 0 m ill g , Kir bean parish iles

E - S . ri o a n d of Dalbeattie , a favou te res rt of sea bathers m m 8 su er Visitors . (p p . 4 3 , 5 ,

Sweetheart A bbey

m N W K k o m . . . c d Twy nh l , a village 3 iles N of ir u bright , a n old d mi d a n d has establishe woollen ll , where twee s

d . 1 k m . 2 blan ets are anufacture (p p 3 , 9 , 79 ,

B —WIGTOWNSHIRE

n m m B dn o c a . o la h (p a village river of sa e na e ,

1 m m W o n d r a n d c m . 3 iles fro igt w , has a large istille y a rea ery

W o n M rt d o w d in 1 6 8 . The igt w a yrs were r ne the river , 5 1 42 K IRK CUDBRI G HT A ND WIG TOWN

m l M r l a n r an a . t C ir y (p for er y acherie , a seapo vil age

R o o d o . o n o c . eastern shore of L h y an , has a g harb ur (p p

Drum m ore a seaport village on the west side of o o I c B a m d . n Lu e y , has a s all harbour with go anch rage d d d i the im m e iate Vicinity there is splen i bath ng ground . : 8 6 8 2 (PP 5 3 , 5 , 7 , ,

Go ld Pen a n n ula r Orn am en t (Foun d o n High Drum m o re)

E . W o n Ga rlieston a village about 9 miles S . of igt w d fi shi n c m c l m n has boat buil ing , g, he i a anufactures , grai 6 m m a n d c d o f k . . ill , saw ill , onsi erable export whel s (p p 3 , 8 2 86 1 2 , , 5 J

8 Two Glen luce a village m iles east o f Stranraer .

m c . . 1 iles north are the ruins of Glenlu e Abbey (p p 3 , 5 3 , 7 ,

m S E o f Isle of Wh ith orh a seaport village 3 3 iles . . 8 2 8 1 m m . 2 Wh . 6 8 1 0 ithorn ; popular su er resort (p p 5 , , , 7, ,

1 4 4 K IR K CUD BRIGH T A ND WIGTOWN from the surro unding co untry a n d purchased for the Engli sh m ark ets has for lo ng been a staple bran ch of its l an d E trade . The Douglas High Schoo for girls the wart

t d r c . . 2 Ins itute for boy s are successful secon a y s hools (p p 3 ,

P L fish in d ort o ga n (p a . a g village at the hea of

’ P o rtn esso ck B a 1 mi m : o y , 4 les fro Stranraer is the stati n of a lifeboat which serves the B a y o f Luce a n d the Irish L fish d u t d in Channel . Near it is the ogan pon , constr c e 1 80 0 hi c r d , into w h the sea washes at eve y ti e through a d d d to narrow crevice . It is Visite annually by hun re s fi n hi k i m sh co d a d c n it . see the ta e , saithe , w h are ept 6 8 2 (p p 3 , )

Po t W l am o n d L B a r i li a seaport east si e of uce y ,

E . . 8 2 8 2 m S . . 6 4 iles of Stranraer (p p 5 3 , , ,

Po rtpatrick a village picturesquely situated am i d fin e l f on R h in n s l c i fs the west coast of the , is a very popu ar d d holi ay resort . The town owe its early im portance to its nearness to Ireland . As far back as 1 677 a boat carried m w c k a n d m d 2 1 m ails t i e a wee to fro Donagha ee , iles 8 8 d . . 6 2 1 2 1 2 istant (p p , 9 , 5 5 , 5 9 , , 3 , 3 , 4 ,

a B d . o n a i a d e 1 m S n h a (p a village Luce y , 7 les d fi n o o f sh i . . 8 s uth Stranraer, has consi erable g (p p 5 , 6 7 ,

a . 6 m W Sorb ie (p a village 3 iles south of igtown . m D owa lto n Lo c n o w d d m Two iles west was h , raine , fa ous 6 8 o . . for its crann gs (p p , 75 ,

on e k k a . in R hi n n s 6 m St y ir (p a village the , iles m d d . m St of Stranraer The na e is erive fro Stephen , d b m k in co . d d S ts , Steenie This wor was y ista e regar e as

o m m stcm e to r ston e. c ing fro , Scots C H IEF TO WNS A ND V I LLA GES 1 4 5

Stra n ra er a roy al a n d police burgh at the head o f

Lo c R r - fi shi n d r fo r h yan , is the her ing g hea qua ters boats on the B allantrae bank s a n d a centre a n d mark et for a r d a n d h large ag icultural istrict , with cattle , horse iring fl o ur m c m a n d d fairs . It has ills , rea eries , a note oy ster fi h er d s y . Its castle was the resi ence of Claverhouse when

am e an d ea d Cre ry , S h

in d c c m m c Sheriff of Galloway . Stranraer is ire t o uni ation a n d a n d b y rail with Carlisle Glasgow, by sea with Larne 6 2 8 6 6 8 2 d . . a n d the north of Irelan (p p , 7, , 5 , 5 9 , 75 , 7 , , 1 2 1 1 2 , 5 ,

l a n d o 1 1 mi o Wh itho rn a roya p lice burgh , les s uth W w a n c o n e o f , igto n , ancient ecclesiasti al centre was of the m o st celebrated places of pilgrim age in the co untry . K 1 46 K IRKCUDB RIGH T AND WIGTOWN

It owes its business prosperity to its rich agri cultural m Old E l surroundings . Its na e is a corruption of the ng ish ' ’ d s m W e S Ca n dida tw hi t. . t wor , te House , Ninian s 8 Ca sa . 1 0 1 1 2 1 2 (p p . 79 , 9 9 , , 5 , ,

A n c en t c l t ed on es W o n i S u p ur St , hith r

Wigtown a roy al burgh a n d seaport on the west s d W w B a on e o f hi t th e i e of igto n y , was the c ef sta ions of o m n o m l r I ts N rse e fr the eighth to the e eventh centu y . com m ercial im portance arises from its position as centre 80 8 8 1 1 o f a n c d . . 2 6 agri ultural istrict (pp , 5 , , 5 , , 9 3 , 5 , 2 0 1 2 1 , 5 ,

1 4 8 K IR K CUDBRIGH T A ND W IGTOWN

Wigto wn 66 Kirk cudb righ t 43, S cotland

La n ark sh ire 1 633 Suth erla nd 1 0

Fi om a a ve den o f Po la on to th e ua re g . 3 . C p r ti sity pu ti sq m ile in 1 9 1 1 (E ac h dot represents 1 0 persons)

i o o o n a e a ea de n F g . 4 . Pr p rti t r un r Cor Crops c om p a red with tha t o f other cultivated la n d in Kirk c udbright a n d Wigtown in 1 9 1 6 D IAGRAMS 1 49

Fi P o o on a e a eas o f ef erea in g . 5 . r p rti t r Chi C ls Kirk cudbright a n d Wigtown in 1 9 1 6

T ur m p s Swedes a c re

Fi f a n d 6 . o o o n a e a e o g . Pr p rti t r as l in Kirk cudbright a n d Wigtown in 1 9 1 6 1 49 K IR KCUDBRIGHT AND WIGTOWN

( Kirk cudb ri g h t

3773 1 64)

Fi P o o r on a e n m e o f L ve tock g . 7. r p ti t u b rs i S in Kirk cudb right an d Wigtown in 1 9 1 6

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