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Stewartry and Shire
A historical overview of Galloway
The region of Galloway once included a much larger area comprising the fiefdom of the ancient Lords of Galloway, including much of what is now Ayrshire and Dumfriesshire (Nithsdale) and at times stretching into Lanarkshire. However, in more recent history, Galloway comprises the counties Kirkudbright and Wigtown - the Stewarty and the Shire, so-named from medieval times when they were administered, respectively, by the Steward of the Lord of Galloway and his Sheriff (the later becoming a hereditary position).
The province's position in the extreme Southwest of Scotland meant that, from the earliest times well into the 19th century, most of its natural links were by sea to the neighbouring nations of England, Man and Ireland, as well as the Western Isles, rather than to mainland Scotland. This isolated position meant that the Lords of Galloway enjoyed a high degree of autonomy from the Scottish crown (some contemporary sources even refering to the King of Galloway), at times being more closely allied to the Kings of England. Consequently the area enjoyed its own set of laws, many of which persisted well into the 17th century. Until the 18th century, the area remained quite remote from the rest of Scotland, with only one bridge over the River Nith, built by Devorgilla (mother of King John Balliol) in the 13th century, and the first bridge over the Cree appearing only in the mid-seventeen hundreds.
Prehistory
The Galloway region is rich in prehistoric archaeology, reflecting the fact that some of the earliest human settlements in Scotland were in this area. Some of the earliest evidence of stone age settlement is located around Luce Bay in Wigtownshire, with the most notable site open to the public being Cairn Holy chambered burial chambers, near Gatehouse of Fleet. Bronze and Iron Age sites abound, particularly in the Machars area, and include Barsalloch Fort near Port William and the Mote of Mark, near Kippford and numerous standing stones and cup and ring-marked rocks, including Drumtrodden Stones, near Port William and Torhouse Stone Circle, near Wigtown. Those moving into the area in these early times seem to come from two distinct tribes - blue-eyed Celts from Ireland and brown-eyed Celts from Wales (probably coming via Cumbria).
Roman Times
It is a common misconception that the Roman domination of Britain stopped at Hadrian's Wall. In actual fact, for quite some time the Antonine Wall formed the boundary of the Empire in southern Scotland. While never being fully colonised, Galloway itself saw considerable Roman influence, between around 80 and 400 AD, with numerous military sites in the area, the most important being at Glenlochar, near modern-day Laurieston. The Romans named the native inhabitants of the area the Novantes and noted their ferocity as warriors.
Post-Roman Era
After the retreat of the Romans to Southern Britain and the collapse of their Empire in the West, Galloway came under the dominance of Anglo-Saxon invaders from Northumbria, known as Gallwegians, and for some time formed an integral part of the kingdom of Rheged, with a major settlement, Rerigonium, near Loch Ryan, possibly near the modern village of Dunragit ('Dun Rheged').
Like much of western Scotland, Galloway later fell under the sway of invaders from Scandinavia, and for several centuries was ruled by Norse invaders, with close links to the nearby Isle of Man
Middle Ages
Industrial and Agricultural Revolution
Where to stay Where to eat What to see and do
