DUMFEIESSIRE & GALLOWAY 



Scientific, Natural History, and 

 Antiquarian Society. 



FIELD MEETINGS, 1882. 



Kirkcudbright and its Environments. — 6th May. 



The first field meeting of this session was held on Saturday, 

 6th May, the places chosen for visiting being Kirkcudbright and 

 its environments and the Borness Cave. A party numbering 

 about 20 left Dumfries by the S.cO train, and arrived at Kirk- 

 cudbright at 9.. 50. At the station they were met by Mr G. 

 Hamilton of Ardendee, Mr Coles of Tongland, and Mr John 

 M'Kie, R.N., curator of the Kirkcudbright Museum, who con- 

 ducted them to the museum and pointed out the most interesting 

 objects of archajology and natural history under his care. The 

 party next proceeded to the Moatbrae, the site of an old convent 

 of the Greyfriars, immediately opposite the old castle and on the 

 south side of the river Dee. It is supposed that the convent 

 was founded by Alexander II., but owing to the i-ecords dis- 

 appearing at the time of its suppression nothing certain is known 

 of its former history. In 1564 the convent, which had been 

 previously despoiled, was bestowed by Queen Mary upon Sir 

 Thomas Maclellan of Bombie, Provost of Kirkcudbright, and 

 the Friars' Church adjoining was granted, at the request of the 

 General Assembly, to the magistrates of the Royal Burgh, to be 

 used as a Protestant place of worship. Out of the ruins of the 

 convent Sir Thomas erected Kirkcudbright Castle, whose massive 

 walls, having withstood the storms of three centuries, are still 

 complete in form, although they are now densely covered with 

 ivy. It is of the Gothic style of architecture, and has above the 



