Museums, archives and heritage in Dumfries & Galloway

Dumfries-shire, maritime county, on S. border of Scotland; adjoins the counties of Lanark, Peebles, and Selkirk on the N., and on the S. is washed by the Sol way Firth; extends about 53 miles NW. and SE. between Ayrshire and Cumberland, and about 32 miles NE. and SW. between Roxburghshire and Kirkcudbrightshire; coast-line, about 20 miles; area, 680,217 acres, population 76,140, or 72 persons to each square mile. The surface in general is bare and hilly. The dales of the Nith, Annan, and Esk, however, are rich in beauty, and contain fine holms for pasture and some good arable land. The rivers are numerous, and yield splendid salmon and trout fishing. The coast and S. region is low and sandy; much of it is covered with morass, and lochs are numerous around Lockerbie; but there is also much excellent corn-growing land. The Lowther or Lead Hills along the N. boundary are upwards of 2000 ft. in height, and abound in lead ore. These and the other hills round the borders are mostly smooth in outline, and afford excellent pasturage. Red sandstone is a prevailing rock, and limestone, coal, and lead, are worked. The county comprises 41 parishes, with 2 parts, and the parliamentary burghs of Annan, Dumfries (greater part), Lochmaben and Sanquhar (part of the Dumfries Burghs).

– John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)

Annan Museum

Bank Street

Annan DG12 6AA

01461 201384

www.dumgal.gov.uk/artsandmuseums

Small and friendly local history museum. A regular programme of local history, archeology, photographic and arts and craft exhibitions.

Burns House Museum

Burns Street

Dumfries DG1 2PS

01387 255297

www.dumgal.gov.uk/artsandmuseums

It was in this simple sandstone house in a quiet Dumfries street that Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet, spent the last years of his brilliant life. He died here in 1796 at the age of just thirty seven.

Collections: The desk and chair in the study where Robert Burns wrote his best known poems, the famous Kilmarnock and Edinburgh editions of his work, many original manuscripts and belongings of the poet and his family.

Caerlaverock Castle – Historic Scotland

Caerlaverock Castle

Caerlaverock, Near Dumfries DG1 4RN

01387 770244

www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/places

This is one of the finest castles in Scotland. Its most remarkable features are the twin-towered gatehouse and the Nithsdale Lodging, a splendid Renaissance range dating from 1638. Access to a children’s adventure park and replica siege engines in front of castle and nature trail to the old castle is included.

Castle of St John

Charlotte Street

Stranraer DG9 7JP

01776 705544

goo.gl/s1GMO6

The castle of St John is a medieval tower house in the centre of Stranraer. It was built around 1500 by the Adairs of Kilhilt, one of the most powerful families in Wigtownshire.

Creetown Heritage Museum & Exhibition Centre

Creetown Heritage Museum, The Exhibition Centre, 16 St John Street

Newton Stewart DG8 7JE

www.creetown-heritage-museum.com

Surrounded by all the luscious green tranquility of the hills and forests of Galloway, here is to be found the fascinating history of a small town built on granite. Originally, Creetown was known as Ferrytown of Cree because up to three ferries took pilgrims across the Cree on their way to visit the shrine of St Ninian of Whithorn.

Dalbeattie Museum

Southwick Road

Dalbeattie DG5 4HA

www.dalbeattiematters.co.uk/features.asp?ID=229

The museum is an excellent record of Dalbeattie in Victorian and early 20th century times, right up to the 50s and 60s. There is an old fashioned ‘shop’ at the front of the museum, plus a 1920s kitchen, and a small viewing room to look at movies of old Dalbeattie.

Devil’s Porridge Exhibition

Stansfield, Annan Road, Eastriggs

Annan DG12 6TF

01461 700021

www.devilsporridge.co.uk

The Devil’s Porridge Exhibition was founded in 1997 by Richard Brodie and tells the story of the greatest munitions factory on earth. 9 miles long and 2 miles wide HM Factory Gretna employed 30,000 people during the First World War, most of them women, and produced 1100 tons of cordite every week.

Drumlanrig Castle

ThornhillDG3 4AQ

01848 331 555

www.drumlanrigcastle.co.uk

The magnificent 17th century Drumlanrig Castle boasts over 40 acres of beautiful gardens and offers a range of of activities for the whole family. Set in the 120,000 acre Queensberry Estate, complete with a country park and Victorian gardens, this 17th century castle is one of the most important Renaissance buildings in the country. The Dumfriesshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, Drumlanrig Castle with its magnificent rooms and spectacular collections of silver, porcelain, French furniture and art – including Rembrandt’s Old Woman Reading – is perhaps one of the most rewarding and romantic of Scotland’s great houses.

Dumfries & Galloway Family History Society

Family History Research Centre, 9 Glasgow Street

Dumfries DG2 9AF

01387-248093

www.dgfhs.org.uk

Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society was founded in 1987 to encourage the study of family history, genealogy and the local history of the South West of Scotland.

Dumfries & Galloway Archives

33 Burns Street

Nithsdale DG1 2PS

01387 269254

www.dumgal.gov.uk/?articleid=2300

The Council keeps archives of documents relating to the local area. These may include parish registers, maps and plans, council minutes and other historic documents providing an insight into the history of the area. Information of local interest is often donated, bequeathed or loaned to the archive service by local residents and historians.

Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Museum

Heathhall Industrial Estate, Heathhall

Dumfries DG1 3PH

01387 251623

www.dumfriesaviationmuseum.com

Based around the original control tower of the former RAF Dumfries, the museum is a fascinating collection of aircraft and memorabilia reaching back to the golden years of flight. The museum is staffed and maintained entirely by volunteers from the membership of the Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Group.

Dumfries Museum & Camera Obscura

The Observatory

Dumfries DG2 7SW

01387 253374

www.dumgal.gov.uk/artsandmuseums

A treasure house of history in Dumfries and Galloway telling the story of the land and people of the region. The Camera Obscura, installed in 1836, is on the top floor of the old windmill tower. From it you can see a fascinating panoramic view of Dumfries and the surrounding countryside.

Collections: Look out for fossil footprints left by prehistoric animals, the wildlife of the Solway, tools and weapons of our earliest people, stone carvings by Scotland.

John Paul Jones Museum

John Paul Jones Cottage, Arbigland, Kirkbean

Dumfries DG2 8BG

01387 880613

www.jpj.demon.co.uk

The cottage is furnished in the style of the 1700s when John Paul Jones, ‘The Father of the American Navy’, was born. Through headsets his mother describes life in the cottage.

Moffat Museum

The Neuk, Church Gate

Moffat DG10 9EG

01683 220868

www.dumfriesmuseum.demon.co.uk/moffat.html

Originally established in Moffat’s old Bakehouse, Moffat Museum provides a fascinating insight into the town’s history: from early Roman times, the Border Reivers, the heyday of its coaching era, to the discovery of the Well and Moffat’s popularity as a spa.

Newton Stewart Museum

The Museum, York Road

Newton Stewart DG8 6HH

01671 402472

goo.gl/W9lAkP

Housed in the former St John’s Church, the museum contains a wealth of historical treasures, some pre-Victorian, with exciting and interesting displays of the natural and social history of Galloway.

Old Bridge House Museum

Mill Road

Dumfries DG2 7BE

01387 656904

www.dumgal.gov.uk/artsandmuseums

Built in 1660 into the sandstone of the bridge itself, Dumfries’ oldest house is now a museum of everyday life in the town. A Museum trail brings the story alive.

Collections: Furnished room settings include a family kitchen, nursery and bedroom of a Victorian home, and an early dentist.

Robert Burns Centre

Mill Road

Dumfries DG2 7BE

01387 264808

www.dumgal.gov.uk/artsandmuseums

Situated in the town’s 18th century watermill on the west bank of the River Nith, the Robert Burns Centre tells the story of Robert Burns’ last years spent in the bustling streets and lively atmosphere of Dumfries in the late 18th century. There are museum trails and fun activities, and visitor information to help you explore Dumfries and Galloway’s Burns connections.

Sanquhar Tolbooth Museum

High Street

Sanquhar DG46BN

01659 50186

www.dumgal.gov.uk/artsandmuseums

Discover Sanquhar’s world famous knitting tradition and the story of the mines and miners of Sanquhar and Kirkconnel. What was it like to be a prisoner in Sanquhar jail? How did the ordinary people of Upper Nithsdale live and work in times past? All this and more can be found in the town’s fine 18th century tolbooth. A free audio-visual presentation and museum trail takes you on a tour, revealing the fascinating story of Upper Nithsdale.

Savings Banks Museum

Ruthwell DG1 4NN

01387 870 640

www.savingsbanksmuseum.co.uk

The museum houses a collection of early home safes, coins and bank notes from many parts of the world, including the first three lock box used in the Ruthwell Parish Bank. As well as bank memorabilia and records, the collection traces the life of the Rev Henry Duncan, the ‘Father’ of Savings Banks, demonstrating his many interests and accomplishments.

Stewartry Museum

St Mary Street

Kirkcudbright DG6 4AQ

01557 331643

www.dumfriesmuseum.demon.co.uk/stewmuse.html

Opened in 1893, the museum has a collection of remarkable range and quality, reflecting the human and natural history of the Stewartry – the eastern half of Galloway. The social history collections of the 18th and 19th century are particularly important.

Stranraer Museum

The Old Town Hall, 55 George Street

Stranraer DG9 7JP

01776 705088

goo.gl/nEDk0o

Stranraer’s historic Old Town Hall, built in 1776, is the home of Stranraer Museum. Step inside and discover Wigtownshire’s fascinating past.

Thomas Carlyle’s Birthplace

The Arched House

Ecclefechan DG11 3DG

0844 4932247

goo.gl/6yW8Ii

In 1795 the great social historian Thomas Carlyle was born in this humble house. The three rooms of the museum contain many of Carlyle’s possessions, providing a fascinating insight into 19th century life in a small Scottish town. The birthplace has been open to the public since 1883 and has changed very little in that time, giving an authentic look into a Victorian household. Fascinating collection of portraits and Thomas Carlyle’s personal possessions.

Threave House – National Trust for Scotland

Castle Douglas DG7 1RX

01556 502575

www.nts.org.uk

Threave House opened to the public for the first time in 2002 and have attracted great interest. The interiors have been restored to their appearance in the 1930s, and from the house visitors can enjoy impressive vistas of the Galloway countryside.

Whithorn Trust

45-47 George Street

Whithorn DG8 8NS

01988 500508

www.whithorn.com

The Whithorn Trust was set up in 1986 to explore the archaeology and history of Whithorn, and to examine its role in the evolution of Christianity in Scotland. The Trust was established as a direct consequence of an archaeological excavation at Whithorn in 1984. This project showed that remains had survived which dated back to the early centuries of Whithorn’s development as a Christian centre.