Editing Dumfries and Galloway (section)

== History and geography ==
===History===

The term ''Dumfries and Galloway'' has been used since at least the 19th century – by 1911 the three counties had a united [[sheriffdom]] under that name. Dumfries and Galloway covers the majority of the western area of the [[Southern Uplands]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitsouthernscotland.com/|title=Visit Southern Scotland}}</ref> it also hosts Scotland's most Southerly point, at the [[Mull of Galloway]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mull-of-galloway.co.uk/|title=Home|website=Mull of Galloway}}</ref> in the west of the region.

===Geography===
[[File:Dumfries and Galloway topo.png|thumb|right|Topographic map of Dumfries and Galloway]]
[[File:Airds Bay, Fleet Estuary - geograph.org.uk - 5379756.jpg|thumb|right|Airds Bay, Dumfries and Galloway]]
[[File:Ardwall Isle - geograph.org.uk - 6138742.jpg|thumb|right|Ardwall Isle, a costal island rock off the Dumfries and Galloway shoreline]]

====Regions====
The '''Dumfries and Galloway Council''' region is composed of counties and their sub-areas. From east to west:
* [[Dumfriesshire]] County
** the sub-area of Dumfriesshire – [[Annandale, Dumfries and Galloway|Annandale]]
** the sub-area of Dumfriesshire – [[Eskdale, Dumfries and Galloway|Eskdale]]
** the sub-area of Dumfriesshire – [[Nithsdale]]
* [[Kirkcudbrightshire]] County
** the sub-area of Kirkcudbrightshire – [[Stewartry]] (archaically, [[Kirkcudbrightshire|Desnes]])
* [[Wigtownshire]] County
** the sub-area of Wigtownshire – [[Machars]] (archaically, [[Farines]])--divided into census areas (civil parish areas)
** the sub-area of Wigtownshire – [[Rhins of Galloway]] divided into census areas (civil parish areas)

====Water systems====

The region has a number of south running water systems which break through the Southern Uplands creating the main road, and rail, arteries north–south through the region and breaking the hills up into a number of ranges.

* [[River Cree]] valley carries the A714 north-westward from [[Newton Stewart]] to [[Girvan]] and Water of Minnoch valley which lies just west of the [[Galloway Hills]] carries a minor road northward through Glentrool village into South [[Ayrshire]]. This road leaves the A714 at [[Bargrennan]].
* [[Water of Ken]] and [[River Dee, Galloway|River Dee]] form a corridor through the hills called the Glenkens<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theglenkens.org.uk/|title=Home|website=www.theglenkens.org.uk}}</ref> which carries the A713 road from [[Castle Douglas]] to [[Ayr]]. The Galloway Hills lie to the west of this route through the hills and the [[Carsphairn and Scaur Hills]] lie to the east.
* [[River Nith]] rises between [[Dalmellington]] and [[New Cumnock]] in Ayrshire and runs east then south down [[Nithsdale]] to Dumfries. Nithsdale carries both the [[A76 road]] and the rail line from Dumfries to [[Kilmarnock]]. It separates the [[Carsphairn and Scaur Hills]] from the [[Lowther Hills]] which lie east of the Nith.
* [[River Annan]] combines with Evan Water and the [[River Clyde]] to form one of the principal routes into central Scotland from England – through [[Annandale, Dumfries and Galloway|Annandale]] and [[Clydesdale (district)|Clydesdale]] – carrying the [[A74(M) and M74 motorways|M74]] and the [[West Coast Main Line|west coast railway line]]. This gap through the hills separates the Lowthers from the [[Moffat Hills]].
* [[River Esk, Dumfries and Galloway|River Esk]] enters the [[Solway Firth]] just south of [[Gretna, Scotland|Gretna]] having travelled south from [[Langholm]] and [[Eskdalemuir]]. The [[A7 road (Great Britain)|A7]] travels up [[Eskdale, Dumfries and Galloway|Eskdale]] as far as Langholm and from Langholm carries on up the valley of Ewes Water to [[Teviothead]] where it starts to follow the [[River Teviot]] to [[Hawick]]. Eskdale itself heads north west from Langholm through [[Bentpath]] and Eskdalemuir to [[Ettrick, Scotland|Ettrick]] and [[Selkirk, Scottish Borders|Selkirk]].

====Transportation====

The A701 branches off the M74 at [[Beattock]], goes through the town of [[Moffat]], climbs to Annanhead above the [[Devil's Beef Tub]] (at the source of the River Annan) before passing the source of the River Tweed and carrying on to [[Edinburgh]]. Until fairly recent times the ancient route to Edinburgh travelled right up Annandale to the Beef Tub before climbing steeply to Annanhead.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_058/58_203_227.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612010040/http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_058/58_203_227.pdf|url-status=dead|title=Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Proceedings of the Society Feb 11th 1924 ANCIENT BORDER HIGHWAYS by Harry R G Inglis|archivedate=12 June 2007}}</ref> The present road ascends northward on a ridge parallel to Annandale but to the west of it which makes for a much easier ascent.

From Moffat the A708 heads north east along the valley of Moffat Water (Moffatdale) on its way to [[Selkirk, Scottish Borders|Selkirk]]. Moffatdale separates the Moffat hills (to the north) from the Ettrick hills to the south.

====National scenic areas====
There are three [[National scenic area (Scotland)|National scenic area]]s within this region.

* [[River Nith|Nith Estuary]]:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.walkscotland.plus.com/otherwalks/nith_nat_s_area/nith_index.htm|title=Nith Estuary National Scenic Area|website=www.walkscotland.plus.com}}</ref> this area follows the River Nith southward from just south of Dumfries into the Solway Firth. Dumfries itself has a rich history going back over 800 years as a Royal Burgh (1186). It is particularly remembered as the place where [[Robert I of Scotland|Robert the Bruce]] murdered the [[John Comyn III of Badenoch|Red Comyn]] in 1306 before being crowned [[List of Scottish monarchs|King of Scotland]] – and where [[Robert Burns]] spent his last years. His mausoleum is in St Michael's graveyard. Going down the east bank is the village of [[Glencaple]], [[Caerlaverock Castle]], [[WWT Caerlaverock|Caerlaverock Wild Fowl Trust]], an ancient Roman fort on Ward Law Hill<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.roman-britain.org/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091206080654/http://www.roman-britain.org/places/ward_law.htm|url-status=dead|title=Roman Britain - Organisation|archivedate=6 December 2009|website=Roman Britain}}</ref> and nearby in [[Ruthwell]] is the [[Ruthwell Cross]] and the Brow Well<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dumfriesmuseum.demon.co.uk/browwell.html |title=Dumfries Museum – The Brow Well |access-date=23 December 2009 |archive-date=4 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204033532/http://www.dumfriesmuseum.demon.co.uk/browwell.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> where Robert Burns "took the waters" and bathed in the Solway just before his death. On the west bank, there are several walks and cycle routes in Mabie Forest,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/Website/recreation.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/ScotlandDumfriesshireForestsoftheSolwayCoastMabieForest|title=Forestry Commission web page on Mabie Forest and its facilities}}</ref> Kirkconnell Flow<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scotland's Natural Nature Reserves page on the Kirkconnell Flow |url=http://www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/reserve.asp?NNRId=50 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310191156/http://www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/reserve.asp?NNRId=50 |archive-date=10 March 2010 |access-date=23 December 2009 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> for the naturalist, the [[National Museum of Costume]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Museum of Costume web site |url=http://www.museumofcostume.co.uk/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106115131/http://www.museumofcostume.co.uk/ |archive-date=6 January 2010 |access-date=23 December 2009 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> just outside [[New Abbey]] and [[Sweetheart Abbey]] within the village. [[Criffel]] (569&nbsp;metres) offers the hill walker a reasonably modest walk with views across the Solway to the [[Lake District]]. The house of [[John Paul Jones]] founder of the [[American Navy]] is also open to visitors near [[Kirkbean]].
* [[Rough Firth|East Stewartry Coast]]:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.walkscotland.plus.com/otherwalks/stew_s_area/homepage.htm|title=East Stewartry National Scenic Area Map, and Introduction to Coastal Walks in the Area|website=www.walkscotland.plus.com}}</ref> this takes in the coast line from Balcary Point<ref>{{Cite web |title=Auchencairn Initiative walk from Balcary to Rascarrel |url=http://www.auchencairn.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=49 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217015320/http://www.auchencairn.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=49 |archive-date=17 December 2009 |access-date=23 December 2009 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> eastward across Auchencairn Bay and the [[Rough Firth]] past [[Sandyhills]] to Mersehead.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/mersehead|title=Mersehead Nature Reserve, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland|website=The RSPB}}</ref> There are several coastal villages within this area – [[Auchencairn]], [[Kippford]], Colvend, [[Rockcliffe, Dumfries and Galloway|Rockcliffe]], and Portling. There is also a round tower at [[Orchardton Tower|Orchardton]] and the islands of Hestan Isle and [[Rough Island, Scotland|Rough Island]] can be reached at low tide outside the breeding season for birds. Mersehead is a wildfowl reserve. The area has a number of coastal paths.
* [[Water of Fleet|Fleet Valley]]:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.walkscotland.plus.com/otherwalks/fleet_s_area/fleet_index.htm|title=Fleet Valley National Scenic Area|website=www.walkscotland.plus.com}}</ref> this area takes in Fleet Bay with its holiday destinations of Auchenlarie, Mossyard Bay, Cardoness, Sandgreen and Carrick Shore. The area also includes the town of [[Gatehouse of Fleet]] and the historic villages of Anworth and Girthon – there is a castle at [[Cardoness Castle|Cardoness]] in the care of [[Historic Scotland]].