Editing Dumfries (section)

===Royal Burgh status (1186)===
[[File:Municipal Buildings, Dumfries.jpg|thumb|[[Municipal Buildings, Dumfries|The Municipal Buildings]]]]

Scottish communities granted [[Royal Burgh]] status by the monarch guarded the honour jealously and with vigour. Riding the Marches maintains the tradition of an occasion that was, in its day, of great importance. Dumfries has been a Royal Burgh since 1186, its charter being granted by King William the Lion in a move that ensured the loyalty of its citizens to the Monarch. Although far from the centre of power in Scotland, Dumfries had obvious strategic significance sitting as it does on the edge of Galloway and being the centre of control for the south west of Scotland. With the River Nith on two sides and the Lochar Moss on another, Dumfries was a town with good natural defences. Consequently, it was never completely walled. A careful eye still had to be kept on the clearly defined boundaries of the burgh, a task that had to be taken each year by the Provost, Baillies, Burgesses and others within the town. Neighbouring landowners might try to encroach on the town boundaries, or the Marches as they were known, moving them back 100&nbsp;yards or so to their own benefit. It had to be made clear to anyone thinking of or trying to encroach that they dare not do so.

In return for the Royal status of the town and the favour of the King, the Provost and his council, along with other worthies of the town had to be diligent in ensuring the boundaries were strictly observed. Although steeped in history, Scotland's burghs remained the foundation of the country's system of local government for centuries. Burgh status conferred on its citizens the right to elect their own town councils, run their own affairs and raise their own local taxes or rates. Dumfries also became the administrative centre for the [[shires of Scotland|shire]] of Dumfries, or [[Dumfriesshire]], which was probably created in the twelfth century and certainly existed by 1305.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chalmers |first1=George |title=Caledonia |date=1824 |location=London |pages=68–70 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jcU_AAAAcAAJ&dq=history+of+county+of+dumfries&pg=PA46 |access-date=6 December 2022 |chapter=Of its establishment as a Shire}}</ref> When elected county councils were created in 1890 under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889]], the burgh of Dumfries was deemed capable of running its own affairs and so was excluded from the jurisdiction of the county council.<ref>[[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889]], sections 8 and 105</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Local Government Act in Dumfriesshire |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ |access-date=23 December 2021 |work=Annandale Observer |date=27 September 1889 |location=Annan |page=3}}</ref>