Tranquillity
abounds along the beautiful Nith and its neighbouring valleys,
hemmed in by the gentle Galloway Hills and the Solway Firth.
The Firth brings a soothing climate to an area where passions
once raged, both the fierce passion of clan battles, and the
romantic passion of ballad poets. Immortalised in stone are
St John the Baptist's chair and the Twelve Apostles.
Arbigland
Rhododendrons,
azaleas and camellias in formal and water gardens with Torbay-like
climate. John Paul Jones's Cottage was 1747 birthplace of United
States' first naval commander.
Auchencairn
Bay
Pebble
beaches become acres of sand at low tide. Smugglers built 18th-century
Balcary House, hotel 2 miles south-east of Auchencairn village
to store contraband. Foot-path beyond bay through woods, farmland
and rocky shore leads to spectacular cliffs.
Blowplain
Open Farm
Guided
tours show day-to-day life on stock-rearing hill farm set in
rolling countryside.
Broughton
House
Museum
and art gallery in elegant Georgian mansion with sheltered gardens
on River Dee. Library has 15,000 books and manuscripts.
Cairnholy
Facade
of tall standing stones flanks entrance of larger of two Stone
Age burial mounds 200yds apart dating from 3000 BC.
Cardoness
Castle
This
well-preserved 15th-century tower house still has original stair-way
and vaulted basement.
Castle
Douglas
Bronze
Age crannogs (artificial islands) among islets of Carling walk
Loch on southern edge of 18th-century weaving and carpet-making
centre. Main street has steeple-like clock tower.
Cauldside
Burn
At
head of Cauldside Burn are Bronze Age remains of two cairns,
two stone circles and large carved stone block. Larger circle,
70ft across, has ten standing stones.
Dalbeattie
Forest
walks start from outskirts of silvery-grey granite town in rolling
countryside.
Drumlanrig
Castle
Pink-sandstone
stately home, 17th century, has art collection as well as personal
possessions of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Wooded parkland overlooks
upper Nithsdale and old stables now house visitor and craft
centre.
Dumfries
Former
seaport where Robert Burns lived before his death in1796. House
contains personal possessions. Robert Burns Centre recalls his
years in Dumfries and his mausoleum is in St Michael's churchyard.
Mid Steeple was built in 1707 as courthouse and prison. Bridge
dating from 15th century is oldest of five across River Nith,
and 18th-century windmill contains camera obscura and local
history museum.
Dundrennan
Abbey
Handsome
and substantial Cister-clan ruin, founded 1142, where Mary,
Queen of Scots spent last night in Scotland, 1568. Murdered
bishop and his assassin among many fine memorials.
Durisdeer
Dukes
of Queensberry mausoleum in 17th-century Durisdeer Church. Monument
to second duke (d. 1711) and his duchess (d. 1709) has them
reclining beneath columns and flying cherubs.
Ellisland
Farm
Farmhouse,
built by Robert Burns when he took farm over in 1788, contains
museum room. The Granary houses display showing Burns as farmer.
Riverside walk. Burns wrote Tam o'Shanter here.
Fleet
Forest Trails
Footpaths
and marked walks through oak, ash, beech and sycamore woods.
Gatehouse
of Fleet
Former
cotton town is now walking and holiday centre on banks of Water
of Fleet. Original gatehouse now houses whitewashed wine bar
and Bobbin Mill Visitor Centre displays local history and recalls
18th-century prosperity as cotton town.
Kippford
Village,
once smugglers' haunt, now sailing resort, home of Solway Yacht
Club. Houses are mixture of old fishermen's cottages and modern
bungalows and villas. Low-tide walk from pebble beach to Rough
Island bird sanctuary -- home of waders, scaups, shelducks and
mergansers. Jubilee Path has views to distant Galloway mountains.
Kirkbean
Unusual
domed parish church of well-kept village has 1826 sundial telling
times in such places as Madras, Calcutta and Gibraltar. Font
presented by United States Navy in 1945 to honour its first
naval commander John Paul Jones who was baptised here.
Kirkpatrick
Durham
Orderly
estate village little changed since it was built in 1785, with
50 houses and number of craft workshops.
Kirkcudbright
t A V It Bb Town dominated by St Cuthbert's Church spire, Gothic
tower of Tolbooth (1411) and jagged top of 16th-century MacLellan's
Castle. Wooded Wildlife Park has eagle, snowy and barn owls.
Lincluden
College
Red-sandstone
remains of 12th-century convent. Fine heraldic decorations.
Knot garden has been restored.
Mabie
Forest
Views
of Nithsdale and the Solway Firth can be seen from marked trails
that lead through hillside plantations of fir, spruce, oak and
beech.
Maxwelton
House
Restored
14th to 15th-century house was once home of Annie Laurie, immortalised
in Scottish ballad of same name written by her unsuccessful
suitor, William Douglas, and later revised. In courtyard is
museum of kitchen, dairy and farm implements.
Mote
of Mark
Excellently
preserved Celtic hill-fort of 5th or 6th century, one of most
important archaeological sites on Solway Firth. Good views of
Cumbrian Hills.
Mote
of Urr
Most
extensive motte-and-bailey castle in Scotland, dating from 12th
century, and built on Saxon or early Norman mound.
New
Abbey
Grey-stone
riverside village with beautiful ruin of 13th-century Sweetheart
Abbey, where Lady Devorgilla and embalmed heart of husband Johnde
Baliol are buried. Scottish Baronial mansion, Shambellie House,
contains costume museum with women's fashions from 18th century
to Edwardian times. Water-powered corn mill, dating from 18th
century, is in working order.
New
Galloway
Angling
centre on River Ken has town hall with high clock tower and
jougs, hinged iron collars in which malefactors were confined.
Carved Adam and Eve stone stands in Kells churchyard.
Orchardton
Tower
Round
tower house, unique in Scotland, built by John Cairns in the
15th century. Spiral staircase, hidden within double walls,
leads to parapet walk.
Palnackie
Village
little changed since days as thriving inland port, with colour-washed
houses around harbour, now silted up. Competitors use bare feet
and spears to catch fish from mud flats in World Flounder Tramping
Championships, off Glen Isle peninsula. Upper floors in two-storey
houses were once lodgings for sailors.
Raiders'
Road
Ten-mile
forest drive beside Black Water of Dee, follows route taken
by armed cattle thieves in SR. Crockett's 1894 novel The Raiders.
Riverside and lochside picnic areas, walks and bronze otter
statue. Open June-September. 20mph speed limit.
Thornhill
Village
among attractive shallow hills has two boulevards lined with
100-year-old lime trees planted by 6th Duke of Buccleuch. Tall
column erected 1714 supports winged horse, emblem of Dukes of
Queensberry.
Threave
Garden and Wildfowl Refuge
Estate
surrounding Scottish Baronial Threave House has woodland walks
and various gar-dens including display in spring of 200 daffodil
varieties. Observation points overlook refuge along banks of
River Dee with wild swans, ducks and geese. On island to north-west
is mined Threave Castle, 14th-century stronghold of feared Black
Douglases.
Tongland
Battlemented
and turreted bridge over River Dee, designed by Thomas Telford
in 18OOs. Guided tours of hydroelectric power station and dam.
Twelve
Apostles' Stone Circle
Dated
2000 BC, largest diameter stone circle in Scotland.
If you would like to visit this area as part of a highly personalized
small group tour of my native Scotland please e-mail me:
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