10 fascinating facts about… Dumfries and Galloway

Dumfries and Galloway is an incredible area, full of history, beautiful sites, and incredible things to do.

Scottish Field has compiled 10 fascinating facts about the area.

The Star Hotel in Moffat is the world’s narrowest hotel, and stands near Syme Street, the narrowest road in Scotland.

Opened in 1738, the post office in Sanquhar is the oldest in the world.

Stranraer FC was the last senior football club in Britain to have floodlighting installed.

Scotland’s oldest working theatre is the Theatre Royal in Dumfries.

The last two recorded trials for witchcraft in Scotland occurred in Dumfries: Elspeth Rule (branded and banished) on 2 May 1709, and Janet Hairstanes (not guilty) on 3 May 1709.

The world’s first savings bank was opened in 1810 in Ruthwell by Dr Henry Duncan.

Samye Ling Tibetan Buddhist Centre in Eskdalemuir was the fi rst of its kind in the West.

The Galloway Forest Park contains over a million trees. It is a designated Dark Skies Park.

The earliest known oil painting of Sydney, Australia, is by Thomas Watling, a convicted forger from Dumfries.

Britain’s oldest man, smuggler and King of the Gypsies Billy Marshall (1672-1792) is buried in Kirkcudbright. He reputedly lived until he was 120.

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