Kirkcudbright

Kirkcudbright

infobox UK place
country = Scotland
official_name= Kirkcudbright
gaelic_name= Cille Chuithbeirt
population= 3447 (as of 2001)
os_grid_reference= NX685505
latitude=54.832
longitude=-4.048
unitary_scotland= Dumfries and Galloway
lieutenancy_scotland= The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright
constituency_westminster= Dumfries and Galloway
constituency_scottish_parliament= Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
post_town= KIRKCUDBRIGHT
postcode_district = DG6
postcode_area= DG
dial_code= 01557
static_

static_image_caption=Kirkcudbright

Kirkcudbright, (pronEng|kɚˈkuːbriː ("Kirr Coo Bree")) ( _gd. Cille Chuithbeirt) is a town in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway.

The town lies south of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie, in the part of Dumfries and Galloway known as the Stewartry, situated at the mouth of the River Dee, some six miles from the sea. It was the county town of the former county of Kirkcudbrightshire.

History

The early rendition of the name of the town was Kilcudbrit, derived from the Scottish Gaelic "Cille Chuithbeirt" (Chapel of Cuthbert), the saint whose mortal remains were kept here for seven years between exhumation at Lindisfarne and re-interment at Chester-le-Street.

Spottiswood, in his account of religious houses in Scotland, mentions that the Franciscans or Grey Friars had been established at Kirkcudbright from the 12th century. No traces of the Greyfriars or Franciscan dwellings remain in the parish of Kirkcudbright.

In 1453, Kirkcudbright became a Royal burgh [ [http://www.old-kirkcudbright.net/index.asp Old Kirkcudbright history] ] , and about a century later the magistrates of the town obtained permission from Queen Mary to use part of the convent and nunnery as a parish church. From around 1570, Sir Thomas Maclellan of Bombie, the chief magistrate, received a charter for the site, its grounds, and gardens. Maclellan dismantled the church in order to obtain material for his proposed castle and proceeded to have a very fine house, MacLellan's Castle, built on the site.

After defeat at the Battle of Towton, Henry VI of England crossed the Solway in August 1461 to land at Kirkcudbright in support of Queen Margaret at Linlithgow. The town also successfully withstood a siege in 1547 from the English commander Sir Thomas Carleton, but after the surrounding countryside had been overrun was compelled to surrender.

The Tolbooth was built between 1625 and 1629 and served not only as the tollbooth, but also the council offices, the Burgh and Sheriff courts, the criminal prison, and the debtors' prison. One of its most famous prisoners was John Paul Jones, hero of the American navy, who was born in nearby Kirkbean.

The Kirkcudbright Railway opened in 1864, but the railway line and station closed in 1965.

Museums

The Stewartry Museum was founded in 1879 and was at first based in the Town Hall until it became too small. The collection moved to a purpose-built site and contains the local and natural history of the eastern part of Galloway, formerly known as Kirkcudbrightshire and now known as the Stewartry.Britain's earliest surviving sporting trophy, the Siller Gun [ [http://www.old-kirkcudbright.net/pages/siller.asp Siller Gun] ] , is part of the collection, as are paintings by many local artists.

The Tolbooth building is now used as an Arts Centre. [ [http://www.kirkcudbright.co.uk/oldhighst/tolbooth.htm Tolbooth Arts Centre] ]

Famous residents

Kirkcudbright has had a long association with the Glasgow art movement, which started when a colony of artists, including the Glasgow Boys and the famed Scottish Colourists, such as Samuel Peploe and F. C. B. Cadell, based themselves in the area over a 30-year period from 1880 to 1910.

Many of them moved to the town from Glasgow, including E A Hornel, George Henry, and Jessie M King, and their presence led to Kirkcudbright becoming known as "the artists’ town", although this moniker may have originated more from tourist board publicity [ [http://www.kirkcudbright.co.uk/ Kirkcudbright: Artists' Town official website] ] rather than local usage.

The whodunit "Five Red Herrings" by Dorothy L. Sayers involves the artistic community of Kirkcudbright. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072502/ Five Red Herrings] ] In 1975, the book was made into a film shot in the town, with Ian Carmichael playing the lead role of Lord Peter Wimsey.

The town also featured in the cult 1973 horror film "The Wicker Man". Several parts of the town can be easily recognised in the film.

References

External links

* [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/UK/0/Kirkcudbright.html FallingRain Map - elevation = 65m]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Kirkcudbright — Koordinaten 54° 50′ N, 4° 3′ W …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Kirkcudbright — Kirkcudbright …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Kirkcudbright — Kirkcudbright, so v.w. Kirkudbright …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Kirkcudbright — (spr. körkūbrĭ), Hauptstadt (royal burgh) der nach ihr genannten Grafschaft (s. unten), an der Mündung des Dee in eine schöne Bai, hat Schloßruinen, ein altes und ein neues Grafschaftshaus, ein Gymnasium (Academy), Ausfuhr von Vieh und Kartoffeln …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Kirkcudbright — (spr. körkköddbreit) oder East Galloway, Grafschaft in Südschottland, 2325 qkm, (1901) 39.407 E. – Die Hauptstadt K., an der Mündung des Dee, 2386 E., Hafen; Ausfuhr von Vieh und Kartoffeln …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Kirkcudbright — (Kerkubrit) od. East Gallovay, Grafschaft im südl. Schottland. 40 QM. groß mit 43000 E., gebirgig, hauptsächlich auf die Viehzucht angewiesen. Die Hauptstadt K. an der Mündung des Dee hat 3500 E., Hafen, Akademie …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Kirkcudbright — [kər ko͞o′brēshir΄, kər ko͞o′brēshərkər ko͞o′brē] former county of SW Scotland: also Kirkcudbrightshire [kər ko͞o′brēshir΄, kər ko͞o′brēshər] …   English World dictionary

  • Kirkcudbright —    1) KIRKCUDBRIGHT, a royal burgh and a parish, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, of which it is the capital, 28 miles (S. W. by W.) from Dumfries, and 100 (S. W.) from Edinburgh; containing 3526 inhabitants, of whom 2692 are in the burgh. This …   A Topographical dictionary of Scotland

  • Kirkcudbright — Original name in latin Kirkcudbright Name in other language Kircudbright, Kirkcudbright State code GB Continent/City Europe/London longitude 54.8383 latitude 4.04908 altitude 4 Population 3367 Date 2011 03 03 …   Cities with a population over 1000 database

  • Kirkcudbright — or Kirkcudbrightshire geographical name former county S Scotland capital Kirkcudbright …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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