Dumfries Tourist Information

Dumfries is the centre of the present day Dumfries and Galloway region and it has Neolithic and Roman origins. Lying close to the English border; the history of Dumfriesshire was often bloody and turbulent. King William the Lion made Dumfries a Royal Burgh in 1186. The "Queen of the South" as it is known, is initially viewed by the visitor as a mix of the striking traditional red sandstone and pastel coloured painted houses.

The River Nith flows through Dumfries on its way to the Solway Firth. In earlier centuries the town was a trading port for many parts of the world. Dumfries was home to Scotland's National Bard; Robert Burns, J.M. Barrie of ‘Peter Pan' fame, and was the site of the murder of ‘The Red' Comyn by Robert The Bruce. Castles, Neolithic cairns and stone circles and beautiful countryside abound in this area.

William Wallace, Robert The Bruce, Bonnie Prince Charlie, and Robert Burns all left their mark in the History of Dumfries.

For those seeking the area where Robert Burns spent his final years and wrote his most famous works, you will find his farm Ellisland, his dwelling house, his favourite pub- The Globe Inn, his mausoleum, the Robert Burns Centre, the Burns Memorial Centre, Burns Walk along the River Nith, and a magnificent statue of Burns in the High Street.

In addition to Museums, Libraries, and the Family History Research Centre, there is a camera obscura with a moving panorama of the area. There is also a railway station, swimming pool, ice bowl, parks, golf courses, cinema, loads of shopping, and 54 pubs. Each year there is an arts festival, Border Gathering and Games and the Guid Nychburris Festival with the Crowning of the Queen of the South.

Description by Robertson Wellen