Dumfriesshire

DUMFRIESSHIRE, border county, Scotland, bounded south by Solway Firth, south-east by Cumberland, east by Rox burghshire, north by the shires of Lanark, Peebles and Selkirk, and west by Ayrshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. Area (excluding water) 686,302 acres. The county slopes gradually from uplands of 2, 70o ft. in the north down to the sea, lofty hills alternating in places with stretches of tableland or rich fertile holms. The greater part belongs to the tableland of Silurian rock in southern Scotland, which is bordered in the north-west and south of the county by old red sandstones, and broken at many points by intensive igneous rocks. Strata of Carboniferous age (among others) occur in hollows of the tableland, and at Sanquhar and Rowanburn include coal-measures, which have been worked but are no longer rich. At various points within a few miles of the Solway are tracts of moss land, like Craigs Moss, Lochar Moss and Longbridge Moor in the west, and Nutberry Moss in the east, all once under water, but now largely reclaimed. The county is cleft from north to south by Nithsdale, Annandale and Esk dale. The Nith (65 m.) enters the shire 16 m. from its source and flows south-east to the Solway. The Annan rises near the Devil's Beef Tub, a remarkable chasm in the far north, and flows south for about 4o m. to the Solway. From the confluence of the White Esk (rising near Ettrick Pen) and the Black Esk (rising near Jock's Shoulder, 1,754 ft.) the Esk flows south-east to the border, and south-west in Cumberland to the Solway. For I m. of its course the Esk, and for 7 m. of its course the Sark, form the boundaries between Dumfriesshire and Cumberland. Loch Skene in the north (1,75o ft. above sea), the group of lochs around Lochmaben, and Loch Urr in the west, are the principal lakes. The wild and beautiful passes of Dalveen, Enterkin and Menock, lead up from Nithsdale to the Lowther and other hills. For part of the way Enterkin pass runs between mountains rising sheer from the burn to a height of nearly 2,000 feet. Loch Skene finds an outlet in Tail burn, the water of which at a short distance from the lake leaps from a height of 200 ft. in a fine waterfall, known as the Grey Mare's Tail. A much smaller but picturesque fall of the same name, also known as Crichope linn, occurs on the Crichope, near Thornhill. Mineral waters are found at Moffat, Hartfell Spa, some three miles farther north, and Closeburn on the Solway.

History.

The early populations have left hill forts in the north, stone circles (as in Dunscore and Eskdalemuir), camps (Dryfesdale), tumuli and cairns (Closeburn), and sculptured stones (Dornock). The country around Moffat especially is rich in remains. At Holywood, near Dumfries, there stands the relic of the grove of sacred oaks from which the place derived its name, and a stone circle known locally as the Twelve Apostles. The British inhabitants were called Selgovae by the Romans. In the parish church of Ruthwell (prov. Rivvel: the "rood, or cross, well") is preserved an ancient cross which tells in Runic char acters the story of the Crucifixion. There are traces of Roman roads which ran by Dalveen pass into Clydesdale and up the Annan to Tweeddale, and at Birrens is a well preserved Roman camp. Roman altars, pottery and coins have been found in many places. Upon the withdrawal of the Romans, the Selgovae were conquered by Scots from Ireland. The Saxon conquest of Dum friesshire does not seem to have been thorough, the people of Nithsdale and elsewhere maintaining their Celtic institutions up to the time of David I.

Edward I. besieged Carlaverock castle, and the factions of Bruce (who was lord of Annandale), John Comyn and John Baliol were at constant feud. The Border clans were always at strife until the i8th century. The hill country afforded retreat to persecuted Covenanters, who, at Sanquhar, published in 168o, their declaration against the king, anticipating the principles of the "glorious Revolution" by several years. The Jacobite senti ment made little appeal to the people.

Robert Burns farmed at Ellisland on the Nith for three years, and spent the last five years of his life at 'Dumfries. Thomas Carlyle was born at Ecclefechan, in a house still standing, and was buried beside his parents in the kirkyard.

Agriculture, Industries and Communications.—Towards the middle of the i8th century farmers began to raise stock for the south, and i oo years later 20,000 head of heavy cattle, for merly Galloways, later mostly shorthorns and Ayrshires, were sent annually to the English markets. Sheep breeding, of later origin, has attained to large dimensions, the walks in the higher hilly country being given over to Cheviots, and the richer pasture of the low-lying farms being reserved for half-bred lambs, a cross of Cheviots and Leicesters or other long-woolled rams. Horse-breeding is pursued on a considerable scale. Oats are the principal crop. Sheep, cattle, pigs, grain, wool, hides and skins are exported. Some lead ore is mined, and limestone and sand stone are quarried. In general, the manufactures are only of local importance, the chief being the woollen and hosiery indus tries of Dumfries and Langholm. There are distilleries at Lang holm and Annan ; dyeing and tanning works at Langholm. Nur sery gardening and some shipping are carried on at Annan and Dumfries; and the salmon fisheries of the Nith and Annan and the Solway Firth are of value.

Of the two main lines of the L.M.S.R. between Glasgow and Carlisle, one (the former Glasgow and South Western), runs through Nithsdale, practically following the course of the river, and lower Annandale to the Border. The other (the former Cale donian railway) runs through Annandale, throwing off at Beattock a branch to Moffat, at Lockerbie a cross-country line to Dumfries, and at Kirtlebridge a line to Annan. From Dumfries westwards there is communication with Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbright, New ton Stewart, Stranraer and Portpatrick. The L.N.E.R. sends a short line to Langholm from RiddingsJunction in Cumberland, giv ing access to Carlisle and, by the Waverley route, to Edinburgh.

Population and Government.

The population in 1931 was 81,o6o. The chief towns are Annan (pop. in , 3,959) , Dum fries (22,795), Langholm (2,448), Lockerbie (2,574) and Moffat (2,006) . The county returns one member to parliament. Dum fries, the county town, Annan, Lochmaben and Sanquhar are royal burghs; Dumfries forms a sheriffdom with the shires of Kirkcudbright and Wigtown, and there is a resident sheriff-sub stitute at Dumfries. Secondary education has been notably directed by public authorities toward carrying on science and technical classes, embracing agriculture and dairying (at Kil marnock dairy school). There are academies at Dumfries, Annan, Moffat and other centres.