Dusdeer

**Dusdeer** ()  is a smaw veelage in the historical coonty o Dumfriesshire, in Dumfries an Gallowa, Scotland. It lies 6 mile north o Thornhill, abuin the Carron Watter, a watter o the River Nith.

## History

A Roman road ance passt throu the site o the veelage as a direct route fae Nithsdale tae Clydesdale, an the remeens o a smaw bit weel-preserved Roman fortlet is locatit aboot ae mile up the Wall Paith (or Wald Paith) til the nor'east; the defensive ditch an rampairt is clear veesible.

Twa temporar Roman camps, lyin til the richt o the loan rinnin up til the veelage, wis identified on RAF aerial photaes, awtho naething remeens veesible tae the nakit ee.

Haein traivelt alang the Wall/Wald Paith, King James IV o Scotland steyed at Dusdeer in 1497 while on a pilgrimage tae Saunt Ringan's kirk at Whithorn.

The first recordit meenister at Dusdeer is John de Cader in 1394, an the oreeginal pairish kirk wis likely dedicatit tae Saunt Mary. Thare wis a buirial aisle for the Menzies faimily, wi thair names, airms, an mottos. In 1607 Sir James Douglas o Drumlanrig exhume't the bouk o William Menzies, the latest buirial, an rebuirit him ootby. The Menzies faimily retourt the bouk til the aisle, bit Douglas threitent William's faither, Adam Menzies o Enoch, an exhume't the bouk a seicont time. The Privy Cooncil o Scotland condammt Douglas's actions in this feid.

The auld kirk is merkit as Dursdyire Kirk in a 1654 map. It wis demolisht tae mak wey for the praisent-day Georgian kirk, a Category-A leetit biggin in the veelage, that serves an aw Drumlanrig Castle, the 17t century hame o the Duke o Queensberry. Dusdeer Kirk wis rebuilt bi the third Duke in the 1720s, tae designs bi James Smith. Neist til the kirk is the slicht earlier Queensberry Aisle, buirial place o the Dukes, by Smith an aw, wi a lairge merble moniment tae James Douglas, 2nt Duke o Queensberry an Mary, his duchess, cairved bi John Nost. The umwhile manse is noo a preevat dwallin.

In 1732 the pairish wis eikit bi the addeetion o aboot hauf o the cried doun pairish o Kirkbride (umwhile Kilbride),

A merkit featur o the kirk complex is the ducal apairtments, that wis later uised as the pairish schuil at the requeest o the Duke. Thir apairtments wis replenisht an in 1968 wis appent again for kirk uiss. Hewison records that the stane uised tae build the new kirk cam fae the demolisht Dusdeer Castle, "*famous in the Wars of Independence*". The masons wis the same men that built Drumlanrig Castle.

The clock in the kirk tour wis a propine fae the Buccleuch Estates tae merk the Millenium an the tercentenary o Dusdeer Kirk.

Dusdeer veelage mill staunds on the Carron Watter, some distance awa. It is a Category B leetit biggin.

Dusdeer wis includit in the 1978 pictur verson o *[[The Thirty Nine Steps]]*, starnin Robert Powell, an a pictur o John Galt's *Annals of the Parish* makkit uiss o the inby o the kirk.

Andrew de Durisdeer (or Durisdere) wis a 15t century Bishop o Glesga whase name suggests that he cam fae Dusdeer, possibly wi the faimily name *Muirhead*.

## Toponymy

Dusdeer is recordit in the form *Durrysder* in 1328. This likely represents the Scots Gaelic *dubhros* "a daurk wuid" an *doire* "an aik shaw". The name wad tharefore mean "daurk wuid o the aik shaw".

## References
;Notes

;Soorces
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*
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* Hewison, James K. (1912). Cambridge County Geographies *Dumfrieshire*. Cambridge University Press.
* Scott, Rev. James W. (2000). *Durisdeer Parish Church. Three Hundred Years of Worship*. Tercentenary Booklet.

## External links
*Video an commentar on the Queensberry Aisle an Douglas Vaut
*Video an annotations anent the kirk an kirkyaird
*Video an commentar on the Dusdeer Roman Road an Fortlet