Enterprise, Inspiration Mark Visits To Dumfries – Dumfries And Galloway

Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, died in Dumfries, but he lives forever thanks to some of the devoted inhabitants of Dumfries – Dumfries and Galloway.

For example, the world’s first savings bank, now a museum, was founded by the Rev. Henry Duncan at Ruthwell in 1810. Scotland’s first penny newspaper the Eskdale and Liddesdale Advertiser, was founded in 1843.

Given the vital role that agriculture plays in the regional economy, it’s no surprise that the first successful milking machine with pulsators was invented by a Mr Nicholson of Bombie farm in Kirkcudbright. The inventor then went to work for J. R. Wallace and Co. In nearby Castle Douglas, where the machine was developed for sale to the public. No wonder that the world’s highest-valued ram and bull were sold in the area during the late 20th century! The region is ripe for such agricultural achievements.

J. M. Barrie’s relationship to Dumfries is only one of the many surprises awaiting visitors to this charming city in southwest Scotland and its surrounding countryside. The region is known for an impressive combination of agriculture, woodlands, light industry and tourism. Dumfries and Galloway offer many splendid opportunities for walking, hiking, cycling, fishing and other outdoor pursuits as well as local history with global connections. What’s more, the residents are a well-read lot quite versed in local lore.

Six years later, the first academic lectures in Great Britain (possibly in the world) for the nursing profession were given at the Crichton Royal, Dumfries in 1854. These occurred six years before Florence Nightingale, considered the mother of modern hygienic nursing, began to teach her methods for germ control and patient care.

Another Dumfries inventor was Patrick Millar of Dalswinton. He designed the “Carronade, ” an armament that later helped repel the French Navy. Millar also introduced the threshing mill and drill plough to Scotland.

Speaking of military machines, the world’s first submarine was made in a factory at N. E. 1, Cochrane, Newbie, near Annan in the region. And while we’re underwater, let’s not overlook the contribution of James Anderson of Dumfries, who was the first man to lay transatlantic cables in 1866. On top of the water, Dalswinton Loch near Dumfries was the site of the world’s first steamboat voyage in 1788. Scotland’s famed bard Robert Burns was reputed to have been a passenger on the vessel’s lone voyage.

After these urban centers, there’s no settlement in the region with a population greater than 4,500. In fact, the region’s total population density is 60 people per square mile, compared to the Scottish average of 168 per square mile. Makes getting to know your neighbors a lot easier, doesn’t it?

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