Kirkcudbrightshire

Scotland > South of Scotland > Kirkcudbrightshire

Now part of Dumfries and Galloway, Kirkcudbright (pronounced Kirkoobrie) liew between Dumfries-shire and Wigtownshire on the Solway Coast over looking Cumbria and the Lake District over the Solway Firth. Dumfries lies just beyond the eastern boundary with Newton Stewart doing likewise in the west.

To the north lies the Galloway Highlands and the Galloway Forest Park which includes the forests of Carrick, Glentrool and Kirroughtree and area where leisure is foremost. To the south lies the Solway Coast with its beautiful coastline scenery and deep bays like Wigtown Bay, Rough Firth, Fleet Bay, Kirkudbright Bay and Auchencairn Bay , there are a number of smugglers' caves along this coastline!

The central part of the county, below the Galloway Forest Park is mainly hilly but very fertile with cattle, sheep and horses being widely bred.

Towns and villages include Dalbeattie, Castle Douglas Kirkudbright, New Galloway and Gatehouse of Fleet. Because of its connections with Royalty over the centuries, the county was sometimes referred to as 'The Stewartry' as it was under the jurisdiction of a Royal Steward.

The main places of interest are the Mill on the Fleet Visitor Centre, Cardonness Castle (Gatehouse of Fleet); Sweetheart Abbey and New Abbey Corn Mill (New Abbey), Threave Castle, Threave Garden and Estate, Clatteringshaws Forest Wildlife Centre (Castle Douglas); MacLellan's Castle, the Stewartry Museum, Broughton House & Garden (Kirkcudbright).