Visit Kirkcudbrightshire Places

Welcome to Visit Kirkcudbrightshire Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Kirkcudbrightshire

  

Kirkcudbrightshire Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Kirkcudbrightshire

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Kirkcudbrightshire history

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Early history

The country west of the Nith was originally peopled by a tribe of Celts called Novantae. After Gnaeus Julius Agricola’s invasion in 79 AD, the country nominally formed part of the Roman province of Britannia. The evidence is against there ever having been a prolonged effective Roman occupation.

11th, 12th, and 13th centuries

When Malcolm Canmore defeated and slew Macbeth in 1057 he married the dead king’s relative Ingibiorg, a Pictish princess. The event marked the beginning of the decay of Norse influence in Scotland. During the next two hundred years the country had no rest from Danish and Saxon incursions.

14th and 15th centuries

In 1308 the district was cleared of the English and brought under allegiance to the king. In 1372 Archibald the Grim became Lord of Galloway and received in perpetual fee the Crown lands between the Nith and the Cree. He appointed a steward to collect his revenues and administer justice, and thus arose the designation of the “Stewartry of Kirkcudbright”

16th and 17th centuries

After the Battle of Solway Moss (1542) the shires of Kirkcudbright and Dumfries fell under English rule for a short period. The debatable land on the south-east of Dumfriesshire was for generations the scene of strife and raid. The Maxwells, Johnstones and Armstrongs were always conspicuous.

18th century

No coast could serve the “free traders” better than the shores of Kirkcudbright. The Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745 elicited small sympathy from the inhabitants of the shire. The contraband trade flourished until the 19th century.

19th century

Kirkcudbright County Council was created in 1890. The Local Government (Scotland) Act established a uniform system of county councils in Scotland. The county council was abolished and replaced by the new Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council in 1975.

Kirkcudbrightshire geography / climate

It has a shoreline on the Solway Firth, between the rivers Nith and Cree. Inland, the area has many hills, with its highest point being Merrick 843 metres (2,766 ft) There are many “burns” and “waters”, but their length seldom exceeds 7 or 8 miles.

Geology

Silurian and Ordovician rocks are the most important in this county. They are thrown into oft-repeated folds with their axes lying in a north-east–south-west direction. Overlying the Llandovery beds on the south coast are strips of Wenlock rocks.

Climate and agriculture

The climate and soil suit grass and green crops rather than grain. The mean temperature for the year is 9 °C (48 °F) The annual rainfall averages 1,160 millimetres (45.7 in)

You can visit Kirkcudbrightshire places with Walkfo Kirkcudbrightshire to hear history at Kirkcudbrightshire’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Kirkcudbrightshire has 5 places to visit in our interactive Kirkcudbrightshire map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Kirkcudbrightshire, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Kirkcudbrightshire places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Kirkcudbrightshire & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 5 audio facts unique to Kirkcudbrightshire places in an interactive Kirkcudbrightshire map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Kirkcudbrightshire Places Map
5 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Kirkcudbrightshire historic spots	Kirkcudbrightshire tourist destinations	Kirkcudbrightshire plaques	Kirkcudbrightshire geographic features
Walkfo Kirkcudbrightshire tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Kirkcudbrightshire

  

Best Kirkcudbrightshire places to visit

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Kirkcudbrightshire has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Kirkcudbrightshire’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Kirkcudbrightshire’s information audio spots:

Loch Ken Loch Ken is 9 miles (14 km) long freshwater loch in Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It lies in the Glenkens, where it is fed from the north by the Water of Ken and from the west by the Dee. Loch Ken and River Dee Marshes was designated a Ramsar site on 21 August 1992.

Visit Kirkcudbrightshire plaques