Towns such as Stranraer, New Galloway, Kirkcudbright and Dumfries served as collecting points on the droving routes, which ran the length of Galloway from Portpatrick to Carlisle. One of the favourite crossing points which saved a detour of miles was from Dornock across the Solway and there is a pub on the English side at Monkhill near Burgh by Sands called the Drovers Rest. One of the places on the distance marker affixed to the Midsteeple is Huntingdon, in the last century one of the most important of the English cattle markets. Droving was killed off by development of steam shipping but meat export continued to be important. By the 1820s Dumfries had nine tanneries, about a third of the total number in Galloway.
Tanning is a complicated process but is worth describing.
Then the hides are put into a pit of strong liquor called ooze, made up of bark infused with water. After this they are removed into another pit which contains water impregnated with vitriolic acid or vegetable acid. This opens the grain of the hide and gives firmness to the leather. The hides are then removed and spread out flat in another pit of water and ground bark. After six weeks the hides are lifted out and the whole process repeated.