Dumfries

Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith and is considered as  the “Queen of the South”

Dumfries  played a pivotal role in the Scottish Wars of Independence with both sides of the conflict claiming the town One of the most infamous incidents during this period was the hanging and beheading whilst alive of Christopher Seton for supporting Bruce in the killing of John Comyn in 1306.

In later times the town saw some of the last witchcraft trials and executions in Scotland and in December 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobite army stayed in the town en route to Culloden. In the 18th Century the town became home for the last few years of Robert Burns’ life. Burns wrote Ae Fond Kiss and many fantastic poems in his stay in the town and he is buried in his own mausoleum in St Michaels churchyard.

The concept of Peter Pan and Neverland was dreamt of by young JM Barrie as he spent his time at secondary school in the town. The house of Moat Brae where he played with the Gordon family is where Barrie put together the ideas behind Neverland whilst the Dumfries Camera Obscura is believed to have given him the idea of flying above the townscape.

The magnificent Devorgilla Bridge in the centre of down originally dates back from 1270 and is considered to be the oldest multi spanned bridge in Scotland. The Theatre Royal dates to 1792 and is the oldest working theatre in Scotland.  Dumfries has some incredible history and has been a town at the heart of the development of Scotland in many different ways.