Creetoun

**Creetoun** (, sometimes ) is a smaw seaside toun in the historical coonty o Kirkcoubrishire, in Dumfries an Gallowa in soothwast Scotland. Its population is aboot 750 people. It is situatit near the heid o Wigtoun Bay, 18 mile wast o Castle Douglas. The toun wis oreeginal name't **Ferrytoun o Cree** (Scots Gaelic: *Port Aiseig a' Chrìch* as it formt ae end o a ferry route that teuk pilgrims thorther the River Cree mooth til the shrine o Saunt Ringan at Whithorn. This is whit for the local fitbaw team, formt in 1895, is kent as "The Ferrytoun".

Creetoun wis umwhile served bi the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway. The granite quarrels in the aurie wis the leadin industry fae aboot 1830 tae 1900, the stane for the Port o Liverpuil an ither public wirks haein been obteent fae them. The veelage dates fae 1785, and becam a burgh o barony in 1792. Sir Walter Scott set pairt o the scene o the novelle *[[Guy Mannering]]* in this neebourheid.

The clock tour commemorates Queen Victoria's Diamant Jubilee in 1897.

The Ellangowan Hotel wis uised tae portray the ben o the Green Man public hoose in Robin Hardy's pictur *[[The Wicker Man]]* in 1973.

John Knox steyed at Barholm Castle as a guest o the MacCullochs o Barholm in 1566 while on a preachin tour o Gallowa.

John Keats an his freend Charles Armitage Brown steyed at an in here on thair walkin tour o Scotland in 1818.

Thomas Brown the philosopher (1778-1820) wis native o Creetoun pairish.

James Thomson (1788-1854) - releegious hirder that wis born in Creetown

Mary Russell, Duchess o Bedford (1865-1937), "The Fleein Duchess", mainteent a permanent laundin grund (AA approved) fae about 1926 that she uised whan traivelin tae hir hame, nearby Cairnsmore Hoose.

Hideo Furuta (1949-2007) wis a Japanese sculptor, born in Hiroshima, that sattle't at Creetoun. He wrocht the Creetoun granite fae the disuised Kirkmabreack Quarrel. His wirk can be seen in the redesign o Adamson Square.

## Creetoun Heritage Centre

The Creetoun Heritage Museum is a community-steidit resoorce descrievin and recordin the cultural, industrial, an naitural history o Creetoun an the surroondin aurie. It is run bi a smaw volunteer comatee that is seekin constant tae add til the collections o photaes, tuils, and artifacts fae nouadays an past veelage life. 

Anither ongaun acteevity is the Oral History Project. Senior members o the community hae been inveetit tae tell thair memories o Creetoun durin thair lifetimes. The project his become a vital soorce o information an will be collatit an documentit for the futur as a livin reference tae Creetoun ower the last 70 year.

## Balloch Wuid Community Project

The Balloch Wuid Community Project araise fae an approach bi Forestry Commission Scotland in 2001 tae develop Balloch Wood as a community asset. Ower the follain three year a hantle o warks wis achieved. The first o several new paiths his been appent, that will eventual lead til a new netwark o walks stendin ootwart intil the surroondin hills fae the veelage.

The new paiths stairt less nor 220 yaird fae Kirkmabreck Kirk an follae the Balloch Burn til the Mid Burn an syne back doun the centre o the wuidland til the entry. Thir paiths hae beed addit tae bi a new link paith throu the auncient wuidland tae the completit Curlin Pownd wildlife aurie. It is planned that a forder paith alang the burnside til the Balloch Brig wil be developit in time tae creaut a circular route.

At the Curlin Pownd, an aw-abeelitys paith his been biggit aroond an atween the pownds, a smaw caur-pairk his been completed an aw for the uiss o the nae sae able.

It is howpit that local schuils an ither groups will uise the auncient wuidland as an appen clessroom til the benefit o the young people o the auries. The're the ettlin an aw tae introduce wuidland sculpturs an ither signeeficant airtistic warks that onybody can offer tae be insnorlt in.

## Creetoun Fitbaw Club

Creetown F.C. is a fitbaw club sted in Creetoun. It wis formt in 1905 as the Creetown Rifle Volunteers Football Club, bit they adoptit the nouadays name in 1920. Thay played oreeginal thair hame matchs at Barholm Pairk that his been the grund o the Barholm Rovers that gaed oot o existence in 1905. They noo play thair hame matchs at Castlecary Pairk.

## References

## External links

*Detailt information aboot Creetoun 
*Balloch Wuid Community Project 
*Creetowun Heritage Centre
*Curlin Pownd