Three Fascinating Places To Visit In Dumfries, Scotland

Posted by joanne on October 31st, 2008 at 03:28am

Dumfries, situated, not too great a distance from the Solway Firth, on the banks of the River Nith is, by a large number, the most populated town in the southwest of Scotland (the population is larger than 30 thousand souls). Dumfries, like Ayr, has numerous associations with the life and times of Robert Burns, the great poet.

For people planning to take a vacation in Dumfries we have listed below details of 3 popular attractions to visit; Dundrennan Abbey, Robert Burns House and Lochmaben Castle:

Dundrennan Abbey

King David I founded Dundrennan Abbey in 1142. During this time, Scottish abbeys were more often built of a reddish sandstone, but Dundrennan Abbey was built of very hard-wearing, local grey sandstone. This is probably the reason why many of the unique architecural forms and mouldings have survived. The first monks to reside in the Abbey, originally come from Rievaulx, Yorkshire. Mary Queen of Scots spent her last night on Scottish soil at Dundrennan Abbey in 1568. She then found her way across the Solway Firth to Workington, and was shortly imprisoned and captured by the English. The land passed into the hands of the Crown, following the Scottish Reformation in 1587.

Lochmaben Castle

The Lochmaben Castle, that is left today, was not the first Lochmaben Castle. The first was constructed by the Bruce family, Lords of Annandale, in the beginning of the 12th century. In 1298, King Edward I of England captured the castle, and then built another Lochmaben Castle in a better defensive situation. This second castle was completed at the beginning of the 14th century, leaving the old castle abandoned. From 1306 to 1588, the castle was either in the hands of the Scots or the hands of the English. It was in 1588 that James VI attacked and captured the castle from the Maxwell family. The castle was eventually abandoned after the Union of the Crowns in 1603.

Robert Burns House

One of the most famous men in Scotland, Robert Burns, resided in Dumfries during the latter years of his life. The home that he and his family once lived in has now become a place of pilgramge for his fans from across the globe. He died prematurely at the age of 37 years in 1796, at home. Today, one can catch a glimpse of how he and his family lived, back in the late 1700’s. The desk and chair where he sat and wrote are displayed, as are many of his orginal manuscripts. There are personal items on display as well, that once belonged to his family.

If you are planning on having Scottish vacation and you wish to stay in Dumfries you might want to book your accommodation online and you will find listings of Dumfries hotels and accommodation at http://dumfries.hotelreservationhelper.com.

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