Kirkcudbright
Encyclopedia
Kirkcudbright, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway
, Scotland
.
The town lies south of Castle Douglas
and Dalbeattie
, in the part of Dumfries and Galloway known as the Stewartry
, at the mouth of the River Dee
, some six miles (10 km) from the sea. It was the county town of the former county
of Kirkcudbrightshire
.
), the Anglo-Saxon
saint whose mortal remains were kept here for seven years between exhumation at Lindisfarne
and re-interment at Chester-le-Street
. The "kirk" element is Old Norse
in origin and itself superseded the term chirch which was derived from Old English.
Spottiswood
, in his account of religious houses in Scotland, mentions that the Franciscans or Grey Friars had been established at Kirkcudbright from the 12th century. No traces of the Greyfriars or Franciscan dwellings remain in the parish of Kirkcudbright.
In 1453, Kirkcudbright became a Royal burgh
, and about a century later the magistrates of the town obtained permission from Mary, Queen of Scots, to use part of the convent and nunnery as a parish church. From around 1570, Sir Thomas Maclellan of Bombie, the chief magistrate, received a charter for the site, its grounds, and gardens. Maclellan dismantled the church in order to obtain material for his proposed castle and proceeded to have a very fine house, MacLellan's Castle
, built on the site.
After defeat at the Battle of Towton
, Henry VI of England
crossed the Solway
in August 1461 to land at Kirkcudbright in support of Queen Margaret
at Linlithgow. The town also successfully withstood a siege in 1547 from the English commander Sir Thomas Carleton, but after the surrounding countryside had been overrun was compelled to surrender.
The Tolbooth was built between 1625 and 1629 and served not only as the tollbooth, but also the council offices, the Burgh and Sheriff courts, the criminal prison, and the debtors' prison. One of its most famous prisoners was John Paul Jones
, hero of the American navy
, who was born in nearby Kirkbean.
The Kirkcudbright Railway opened in 1864, but the railway line and station closed in 1965.
The war memorial
dates from 1922 and is by George Henry Paulin
.
, a 4700 acres (19 km²) area to the south east of the town and extending to the coast of the Solway Firth
, was acquired by the Army in 1942, as a training area for the D Day invasion. The area remains in active use for live-firing exercises to this day. Part of the training area is the Dundrennan Range
a weapons development and testing range. The use of this range for the testing of depleted uranium
shells has been controversial.
was founded in 1879 and was at first based in the Town Hall until it became too small. The collection moved to a purpose-built site and contains the local and natural history of the eastern part of Galloway, formerly known as Kirkcudbrightshire
and now known as the Stewartry.
Britain's earliest surviving sporting trophy, the Siller Gun, is part of the collection, as are paintings by many local artists.
The Tolbooth building is now used as an Arts Centre.
, such as Samuel Peploe
and F. C. B. Cadell, based themselves in the area over a 30-year period from 1880 to 1910.
Many of them moved to the town from Glasgow, including E A Hornel
, George Henry
, and Jessie M King, and their presence led to Kirkcudbright becoming known as "the artists’ town", although town residents see the town as a "fishing town" as the town boasts a harbour and fine fresh fish takeout and restaurant "Polar Bites", this soubriquet may have originated more from tourist board publicity rather than local usage.
Kirkcudbright has been home to some professional footballers, most notably Bob McDougall
, George Cloy
and David Mathieson
.
David MacMyn
, Scottish rugby internationalist was from Kirkcudbright as was Ellis Cooper-Frater's family.
by St. Cuthbert Wanderers F.C.
. The club's best known ex players are Bob McDougall
, Billy Halliday
and David Mathieson
Five Red Herrings
by Dorothy L. Sayers
involves the artistic community of Kirkcudbright. In 1975, the book was made into a film shot in the town, with Ian Carmichael
playing the lead role of Lord Peter Wimsey
.
The town also featured in the cult 1973 horror film The Wicker Man. Several parts of the town can be easily recognised in the film.
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The town lies south of Castle Douglas
Castle Douglas
Castle Douglas , a town in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, lies in the eastern part of Galloway known as the Stewartry, between the towns of Dalbeattie and Gatehouse of Fleet.-History:...
and Dalbeattie
Dalbeattie
Dalbeattie is a town in Dumfries and Galloway , Scotland.Dalbeattie is situated in a wooded valley on the Urr Water east of Castle Douglas and south west of Dumfries...
, in the part of Dumfries and Galloway known as the Stewartry
Stewartry
Stewartry 1975-dateStewartry is a committee area in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.It was formerly one of four local government districts in the Dumfries and Galloway Region of Scotland....
, at the mouth of the River Dee
River Dee, Galloway
The River Dee, in south-west Scotland, flows from its source in Loch Dee amongst the Galloway Hills, firstly to Clatteringshaws Loch, then in to Loch Ken, where it joins the Water of Ken. From there, the Dee flows southwards to Kirkcudbright, and into Kirkcudbright Bay to reach the Solway. The...
, some six miles (10 km) from the sea. It was the county town of the former county
Counties of Scotland
The counties of Scotland were the principal local government divisions of Scotland until 1975. Scotland's current lieutenancy areas and registration counties are largely based on them. They are often referred to as historic counties....
of Kirkcudbrightshire
Kirkcudbrightshire
The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright or Kirkcudbrightshire was a county of south-western Scotland. It was also known as East Galloway, forming the larger Galloway region with Wigtownshire....
.
History
An early rendition of the name of the town was Kilcudbrit, derived from the Scottish Gaelic "Cille Chuithbeirt" (Chapel of CuthbertCuthbert of Lindisfarne
Saint Cuthbert was an Anglo-Saxon monk, bishop and hermit associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Northumbria, at that time including, in modern terms, northern England as well as south-eastern Scotland as far as the Firth of Forth...
), the Anglo-Saxon
Angles
The Angles is a modern English term for a Germanic people who took their name from the ancestral cultural region of Angeln, a district located in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany...
saint whose mortal remains were kept here for seven years between exhumation at Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland...
and re-interment at Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street is a town in County Durham, England. It has a history going back to Roman times when it was called Concangis. The town is located south of Newcastle upon Tyne and west of Sunderland on the River Wear...
. The "kirk" element is Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
in origin and itself superseded the term chirch which was derived from Old English.
Spottiswood
John Spottiswoode
John Spottiswoode was an Archbishop of St Andrews, Primate of All Scotland and historian of Scotland.-Life:...
, in his account of religious houses in Scotland, mentions that the Franciscans or Grey Friars had been established at Kirkcudbright from the 12th century. No traces of the Greyfriars or Franciscan dwellings remain in the parish of Kirkcudbright.
In 1453, Kirkcudbright became a Royal burgh
Royal burgh
A royal burgh was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished in 1975, the term is still used in many of the former burghs....
, and about a century later the magistrates of the town obtained permission from Mary, Queen of Scots, to use part of the convent and nunnery as a parish church. From around 1570, Sir Thomas Maclellan of Bombie, the chief magistrate, received a charter for the site, its grounds, and gardens. Maclellan dismantled the church in order to obtain material for his proposed castle and proceeded to have a very fine house, MacLellan's Castle
MacLellan's Castle
MacLellan's Castle, in Kirkcudbright, south west Scotland, was the noble residence of the MacLellan family. It was completed in 1582 by Thomas Maclellan of Bombie.File:MacLellan's Castle 20080422 - great hall.jpg|The great hall of MacLellan's Castle...
, built on the site.
After defeat at the Battle of Towton
Battle of Towton
In 1461, England was in the sixth year of the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster over the English throne. The Lancastrians backed the reigning King of England, Henry VI, an indecisive man who suffered bouts of madness...
, Henry VI of England
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
crossed the Solway
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very...
in August 1461 to land at Kirkcudbright in support of Queen Margaret
Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471; and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453...
at Linlithgow. The town also successfully withstood a siege in 1547 from the English commander Sir Thomas Carleton, but after the surrounding countryside had been overrun was compelled to surrender.
The Tolbooth was built between 1625 and 1629 and served not only as the tollbooth, but also the council offices, the Burgh and Sheriff courts, the criminal prison, and the debtors' prison. One of its most famous prisoners was John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones was a Scottish sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to...
, hero of the American navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, who was born in nearby Kirkbean.
The Kirkcudbright Railway opened in 1864, but the railway line and station closed in 1965.
The war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
dates from 1922 and is by George Henry Paulin
George Henry Paulin
George Henry Paulin, often called Harry Paulin, or 'GHP' was a Scottish sculptor and artist of great note in the early 20th century....
.
Kirkcudbright Training Area
Like many other remote areas during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a 4700 acres (19 km²) area to the south east of the town and extending to the coast of the Solway Firth
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very...
, was acquired by the Army in 1942, as a training area for the D Day invasion. The area remains in active use for live-firing exercises to this day. Part of the training area is the Dundrennan Range
Dundrennan Range
Dundrennan Range is a weapons testing range on the Solway Firth, near Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway, in south west Scotland. It is part of the Kirkcudbright Training Area, of farming land acquired by the British Army in 1942 to train forces for the invasion of mainland Europe. The area...
a weapons development and testing range. The use of this range for the testing of depleted uranium
Depleted uranium
Depleted uranium is uranium with a lower content of the fissile isotope U-235 than natural uranium . Uses of DU take advantage of its very high density of 19.1 g/cm3...
shells has been controversial.
Museums
The Stewartry MuseumStewartry Museum
The Stewartry Museum is a local museum in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, which covers the past history of this part of Galloway. One of its most important collections is that of the prehistoric rock art carvings which have been found in the region. The museum also stores some casts made from rock art...
was founded in 1879 and was at first based in the Town Hall until it became too small. The collection moved to a purpose-built site and contains the local and natural history of the eastern part of Galloway, formerly known as Kirkcudbrightshire
Kirkcudbrightshire
The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright or Kirkcudbrightshire was a county of south-western Scotland. It was also known as East Galloway, forming the larger Galloway region with Wigtownshire....
and now known as the Stewartry.
Britain's earliest surviving sporting trophy, the Siller Gun, is part of the collection, as are paintings by many local artists.
The Tolbooth building is now used as an Arts Centre.
Notable people
Kirkcudbright has had a long association with the Glasgow art movement, which started when a colony of artists, including the Glasgow Boys and the famed Scottish ColouristsScottish Colourists
The Scottish Colourists were a group of painters from Scotland whose work was not very highly regarded when it was first exhibited in the 1920s and 1930s, but which in the late 20th Century came to have a formative influence on contemporary Scottish art....
, such as Samuel Peploe
Samuel Peploe
Samuel John Peploe was a Scottish Post-Impressionist painter, noted for his still life works and for being one of the group of four painters that became known as the Scottish Colourists...
and F. C. B. Cadell, based themselves in the area over a 30-year period from 1880 to 1910.
Many of them moved to the town from Glasgow, including E A Hornel
Edward Atkinson Hornel
Edward Atkinson Hornel was a Scottish painter of landscapes, flowers, and foliage, with children. He was a cousin of James Hornell....
, George Henry
George Henry (painter)
George Henry was a Scottish painter, one of the most prominent of the Glasgow School. He was born in Irvine, North Ayrshire, and studied at the Glasgow School of Art, later in Macgregor's studio, but learned most from his nature studies at Kirkcudbright.He was influenced also by his collaboration...
, and Jessie M King, and their presence led to Kirkcudbright becoming known as "the artists’ town", although town residents see the town as a "fishing town" as the town boasts a harbour and fine fresh fish takeout and restaurant "Polar Bites", this soubriquet may have originated more from tourist board publicity rather than local usage.
Kirkcudbright has been home to some professional footballers, most notably Bob McDougall
Bob McDougall
Bob McDougall was a Scottish professional footballer St Cuthbert Wanderers, Dumfries, Liverpool, Ayr United, Falkirk and Queen of the South.-Early years:Bob McDougall from Kirkcudbright began playing his football career with local side St Cuthbert Wanderers...
, George Cloy
George Cloy
George Cloy is former professional footballer who played his entire 12 year senior career with Dumfries side Queen of the South Cloy also played for Kello Rovers, Threave Rovers, Dalbeattie Star and Crichton...
and David Mathieson
David Mathieson
David Mathieson is a retired Scottish professional association footballer. A goalkeeper, he played for Queen of the South and Gretna and made three appearances for Scotland at under 21 level.-Queen of the South:...
.
David MacMyn
David MacMyn
Dr David James MacMyn TD, BA, MB, BCHIR was a rugby union international who represented Scotland from 1925 to 1928 later becoming president of the Scottish Rugby Union. He also practiced as a surgeon.-Early life:...
, Scottish rugby internationalist was from Kirkcudbright as was Ellis Cooper-Frater's family.
Sport
Kirkcudbright is represented in the South of Scotland Football LeagueSouth of Scotland Football League
The South of Scotland Football League is an amateur football competition based in the south of Scotland. Another earlier league of the same name briefly existed during the early days of competitive football...
by St. Cuthbert Wanderers F.C.
St. Cuthbert Wanderers F.C.
Saint Cuthbert Wanderers Football Club are a football club from the town of Kirkcudbright in the Dumfries and Galloway region in south-west Scotland.-History:...
. The club's best known ex players are Bob McDougall
Bob McDougall
Bob McDougall was a Scottish professional footballer St Cuthbert Wanderers, Dumfries, Liverpool, Ayr United, Falkirk and Queen of the South.-Early years:Bob McDougall from Kirkcudbright began playing his football career with local side St Cuthbert Wanderers...
, Billy Halliday
Billy Halliday
Billy Halliday was a Scottish footballer. He played for home town club Queen of the South, Newcastle United, Third Lanark, Exeter City, Stockport County and St. Cuthbert Wanderers F.C. Born in Dumfries, his position was inside left....
and David Mathieson
David Mathieson
David Mathieson is a retired Scottish professional association footballer. A goalkeeper, he played for Queen of the South and Gretna and made three appearances for Scotland at under 21 level.-Queen of the South:...
Cinema and literature
The whodunitWhodunit
A whodunit or whodunnit is a complex, plot-driven variety of the detective story in which the puzzle is the main feature of interest. The reader or viewer is provided with clues from which the identity of the perpetrator of the crime may be deduced before the solution is revealed in the final...
Five Red Herrings
Five Red Herrings
Five Red Herrings is a 1931 novel by Dorothy L. Sayers. It was retitled Suspicious Characters for its first publication in the United States, but reverted to its original title in subsequent printings....
by Dorothy L. Sayers
Dorothy L. Sayers
Dorothy Leigh Sayers was a renowned English crime writer, poet, playwright, essayist, translator and Christian humanist. She was also a student of classical and modern languages...
involves the artistic community of Kirkcudbright. In 1975, the book was made into a film shot in the town, with Ian Carmichael
Ian Carmichael
Ian Gillett Carmichael, OBE was an English film, stage, television and radio actor.-Early life:Carmichael was born in Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The son of an optician, he was educated at Scarborough College and Bromsgrove School, before training as an actor at RADA...
playing the lead role of Lord Peter Wimsey
Lord Peter Wimsey
Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey is a bon vivant amateur sleuth in a series of detective novels and short stories by Dorothy L. Sayers, in which he solves mysteries; usually, but not always, murders...
.
The town also featured in the cult 1973 horror film The Wicker Man. Several parts of the town can be easily recognised in the film.