Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland. To the north it borders onto South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire; in the east the Borders; and to the south the county of Cumbria in England. It lies to the north of the Solway Firth and to the east of the Irish Sea.
Dumfries and Galloway covers the traditional counties of Wigtownshire (in the west), Kirkcudbrightshire (centre) and Dumfriesshire (in the east). Together Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire are referred to as Galloway.
The Galloway part of the region is made up of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, the Machars and the Rhins. The Dumfries part includes the Inner Solway and the former county of Dumfriesshire.
It was created in 1975 as a two-tier region with the districts Annandale and Eskdale, Nithsdale, Stewartry, and Wigtown. These districts were abolished in 1996, and so Dumfries and Galloway became a unitary authority.
The region is well-known for its many artists and writers. It is the scene of Dorothy Sayers's novel Five Red Herrings (1931).
Towns and villages
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Ae, Annan
- Beattock
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Caerlaverock, Cairnryan , Carsphairn , Castle Douglas, Castle Kennedy , Creetown
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Dalbeattie, Dalton , Drumlanrig , Drummore , Dumfries
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Ecclefechan, Eskdalemuir
- Gatehouse of Fleet , Glenluce , Gretna Green
- Kirkcolm , Kirkcudbright
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Langholm, Lochmaben , Lockerbie
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Moffat, Moniaive, Mull of Galloway
- New Abbey , New Galloway, New Luce , Newton Stuart
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Portpatrick
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Ruthwell
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Sanquhar, St. John's Town of Dalry , Stranraer
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Thornhill
- Wanlockhead , Whithorn, Wigtown
Places of interest
Last updated: 10-29-2005 02:13:46