DUMFRIES-SHIRE. 



*193 



fchirt. 



Situation 

 and extent. 



Ancient 

 names and 

 jurbxlic- 



Fignre and 



Conforma- 

 tion and 

 aspect. 



DUMFRIES-SHIRE, a border county, in the south 

 of Scotland, adjacent to that of Cumberland, in England. 

 It extends in latitude from 55 2' to 55 31' North, and 

 in longitude from 2 39' to 3 53' West from London. 

 The counties adjacent to that of Dumfries are, on the 

 north, Lanark, Peebles, and Selkirk ; on the east, Rox- 

 burgh, and part of Cumberland ; and, on the west, Ayr, 

 and the stewartry of Kirkcudbright : the Solway Frith, 

 on the south of Dumfries-shire, separates it from Cum- 

 berland in that quarter. According to the observations 

 of Mr White, mathematical teacher in Dumfries, the la- 

 titude of this town, which is the most eminent in the 

 south-western districts of Scotland, is 55 8' 30". 



The territory which is now the county of Dumfries, 

 consists of three larger, and many lesser vales, together 

 with the ridges which divide or intersect them ; the moun- 

 tainous tracts at the sources of the main rivers, Nith, 

 Annan, and Esk ; and the open country through which 

 they pass, near the Solway Frith. Out of all these tracts, 

 were formed three ancient and separate jurisdictions, the 

 sheriffdom of Nithsdale, the stewartry of Annandale, and 

 the regality of Eskdale ; all which are now under the 

 civil jurisdiction of the sheriff-depute of Dumfries-shire, 

 and iiis substitute. Formerly, the conterminous districts 

 around this county also were known by other names ; 

 viz. on the north, Clydesdale and Tweeddale ; on the 

 east, Ettrick Forest, with Tiviotdale and Liddesdalc, 

 and part ot the Border Marches ; and, on the west, the 

 ancient province of Galloway, and the district of Kyle. 

 The Solway, on the south, appears to have been con- 

 nected with the Roman district-name of the Selgovae, of 

 whom the inhabitants of this county, in the time of the 

 Roman empire, were a part, when the province called 

 Valentia extended from the Solway to the Clyde. 



The figure of Dumfries-shire approaches towards that 

 of an ellipsoid ; the greater diameter measuring 50, and 

 the lesser 32 miles. The line of circumference consists 

 of 2 1 miles of sea-coast, 33 miles of low inland territory, 

 and 120 miles in the mountains; being, in all, 174 

 miles. Of land-surface, the contents are about 1006 

 square miles ; being, in Scots acres, 512,360; and, in 

 English acres, 644,385. The surface of the waters with- 

 in the county, consisting of lakes, rivers, and streams, is 

 about 10 square miles. 



In the lower part of the county, adjacent or near to 

 the Solway Frith, a gently undulating surface, consisting 

 mostly of dry soil, presents itself, intersected by those 

 rivers and streams which flow into the Solway, diversi- 

 fied also by spots or fields of haugh or clay soils, and of 

 peat moss. Farther inland, a few lakes appear, mostly 

 in the central district of Lochmaben. Towards the 

 sources of the principal rivers, a range of mountains en- 

 viron the county on the north, and form its boundaries 

 with those of Ayr, Lanark, and Peebles. These detach 

 considerable arms, terminating in ridges of less elevation, 

 which divide the river-courses, or form the boundaries 

 of the county on the east and west. The general slope 

 and aspect are to the south, in which direction the prin- 

 cipal rivers flow. Thus, on the north side the county is 

 mountainous, and partly also on the north-east and the 

 north-west. The middle districts are separated by lower 

 hills and ridges. Three principal dales open towards the 

 south, and lesser lateral vales communicate with each of 

 them, on either side; the courses of the rivers and 

 streams having tracts of holm or haugh lands along their 



VOL. VHL PART I. 



margins. As the main rivers approach the Solway, their Dumfries- 

 separating ridges vanish, and their course for some miles ._ sh " e ' ^ 

 is through an open country, elevated a little above the "" """ Y ~ 

 sea, and exhibiting a surface, not level, but in that wa- 

 ving form which commonly indicates a light soil, im- 

 provable rather than rich, and a country naturally adapt- 

 ed for pleasing embellishment and agreeable residence. 



From what has been mentioned relative to the moun- Climate. 

 tains on the north, and ridges of hills which descend as 

 arms from these downwards to the maritime parts of the 

 county ; and from the aspect of the mountain faces, and 

 the principal dales towards the meridian sun, it may be 

 supposed that the climate of the vales is comparatively 

 favourable. Situated in the southern extremity of Scot- 

 land, and so far west as not to be liable to cold rains or 

 hoars from the eastern quarter, the county of Dumfries 

 enjoys a mild climate. It is, indeed, liable to rains from 

 the south-west, especially in the mountainous districts ; 

 but, from the south, it is partially protected by the West- 

 moreland and Cumberland mountains; and, from the 

 west, by those of Galloway and Ayrshire. On the 

 whole, the climate is both agreeable and salubrious. Few 

 clay bogs of remarkable extent exist in it; and, though 

 considerable tracts of peat bog appear in various parts, 

 and one of uncommon extent near Dumfries, in the ma- 

 ritime district, the marsh-fever seldom occurs within 

 the county. It is particularly well adapted for the rear, 

 ing of cattle and sheep ; and all the kinds and varieties 

 of corn which are cultivated as field crops in the south 

 of Scotland or north of England, prosper in Dumfries- 

 shire.- The soil, however, is not commonly suitable for 

 the bean, nor the climate for the later varieties of the 

 pea, as ordinary crops in the fields. 



The mountains of Dumfries-shire do not form any M OUJ) tains. 

 regular continued chain. Black Larg and Corsoncone, 

 in the north-west quarter, are on the confines of Ayr- 

 shire ; the Lowthers arc an elevated groupe of moun- 

 tains, on the borders of Lanarkshire. Queensberry, on 

 the same border, stands almost in the central parts of 

 Dumfries-shire, into which, in that point, Lanarkshire 

 makes a deep inroad. This mountain appears like a cen- 

 tral giant, sending out his arms in several directions. 

 The most eminent of the mountains is the Hartfell 

 groupe, on the confines of the shire of Peebles, being 

 the highest land south of the Forth in this island, ex- 

 cepting only Snowdon in Wales. This groupe includes 

 Hartfell and White Coom in this county, and Broad Law 

 in that of Peebles. Ettrick-pen, on the confines of Sel- 

 kirkshire, and Lochfell near it, within the county of 

 Dumfries, in the north-eastern quarter, and the hills that 

 separate Eskdale from Roxburghshire, all terminate the 

 list of the principal environing mountains which defend 

 this county from the northern blasts ; and, forming an 

 elevated barrier in that direction, give Dumfries-shire a 

 favourable slope and aspect to the south. 



Of these mountains, Queensberry has been included Computed 

 in the general survey carried on lately by order of the elevation of 

 Board of Ordnance, and its elevation has been ascer- ome of . tne 

 tained to be 2259 feet above sea-level ; the latitude of mountam6 - 

 the summit being 55 17' 2" north, and the longitude 

 3 34' 47" west. The height of Wisp Hill in Ewes has 

 been also found, and is 1934 feet. The spirit-level ap- 

 plied on the top of Queensberry (allowance being made 

 for curvature and refraction), discovers Lochfell to be 

 fully higher, and the Lowthers and Hartfell consider. 

 SB* 



