Castle Douglas

**Castle Douglas** (Scottish Gaelic: Caisteal Dhùghlais) is a toun in Dumfries an Gallowa, Scotland. It is locatit in the lieutenancy area o Kirkcoubrieshire, in the eastlin airt o Gallowa, atween the touns o Dawbeattie (Dalbeattie) an Gaithoose o Fleet. It is in the ecclesiastical pairish o Kelton.

## History

Castle Douglas is biggit aside Carlinwark Loch that signacles o prehistoric crannogs can be fand in, evidence o early habitation o the pairt. A muckle bronze caudron conteenin aboot 100 metal objects wis fund in Carlinwark Loch near Fir Island aboot 1866. The huird o tuils o airn an bronze is belike Romano-Belgic in oreegin, o the late first or early seicont centuries CE an is belike tae hae been a votive offerin. It is noo in the Naitional Museum o Scotland in Edinburgh. Til the north o the toun Glenlochar is the site o twa successive Roman forts, the first bein biggit durin the invasion o Agricola an the saicont durin the Antonine speal. Thay appear tae hae been for cavalry units an evidence haes been fund that a "vicus" growed up around thaim. Thay wis completely abandont aboot 160 CE.

Nearby Threave Castle wis the seat o the pouerful Black Yerls o Douglas. A smaw collection o cots developit by the shore o Carlinwark Loch that wis a soorce o marl. Thir cots can yet be seen on the wastlin approach tae Castle Douglas an is kent as *The Buchan*. The development o a militar road throu Gallowa built bi Major William Caulfield passt throu the Carlinwark area an impruived the transportation connections in the 18t century.

Mary Queen o Scots is said tradeetional tae hae ludged at the Hoose o Fuffnock on the Crossmickle Road on her jurney tae Port Mary in 1568 efter the Battle o Langside.

Castle Douglas itsel wis foondit in 1792 bi William Douglas that claimt bit haed no close connection wi the auncient Douglases o Threave Castle. He haed made his walth in "American troke" an creatit a planned toun on the shores o Carlinwark Loch. The toun's ootset is sted on the "grid plan" pattren o streets as uised in Edinburgh's New Toun, built aroond the same time. Sir William Douglas creatit a nummer o industries in Castle Douglas, includin haund-wuiven cotton factorys that Cotton Street derived its name frae.

The Torrs Pony-cap an Horns is an Airn Age bronze hornit cap for a pownie fand in Torrs Loch at Castle Douglas in 1812. It wis acquire't by Joseph Frain, FSA Scot., the local antiquarian and scriever that propine't it tae Sir Walter Scott for his collection o antiquities at Abbotsford Hoose. It is noo in the Naitonal Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

The completion of the Dumfries an Gallowa Railwey in 1859 forder impruived the toun's connections, an it suin developit intil a major mercat toun for the surroondin area. This is yet true the day, an the hexagonal mercat biggin biggit in 1900 is constant in uiss. Awtho the railway wis closed in 1965, the A75 trunk road wis developit follaein slent the lines o the oreeginal military road an passes throu Castle Douglas. The mony hottles an inns that derived frae coach staps is a hint o the toun's importance as a stappin place for vaigers.

Castle Douglas Toun Hoose wis built in 1863 til the designs o Dumfries airchitect James Barbour.

The Clock Tour wis built 1834-5 an staunds on the corner o King Street an St Andrews Street, an is a leetit Category C biggin. It wis desgint bi the airchitecht William Forrest Valentine (1855-1957). http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB50164 The first tour, built bi Sir William Douglas, wis malafoustert bi fire in 1892, as wis a saicont clock tour fowerty year later. A plaque records that in 1935 Henry J Hewat of Paterson, New Jersey, USA donatit the praisent clock til the toun.http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB50164 Capt Hewat wis a native o Castle Douglas that haed lowpit the kintra til the USA in 1863.

The Erse scriever Freeman Wills Crofts set a important scene in his 1930 novelle *Sir John Magill's Last Journey* at Castle Douglas Railwey Station.

St John the Evangelist Kirk wis built in 1867 bi the London airchitect George Goldie an it is a Category B (S) listed biggin.

The foregane Castle Douglas Pairish Kirk (St Andrew's) wis remodellt by Robert Lorimer in 1900. It wis convertit intil a theatre noo kent as The Fullarton.

The Castle Douglas War Memorial wis designt by Captain Frank Mears an wis unveilt in 1921.

Castle Douglas wis a resettin area for Glesga's evacuatit bairns durin Warld War 2.

Frae Marich 1943 tae Apryle 1944, the toun wis the steid for the 92nd (Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery that wis trainin for Operation Overlord, the invasion of occupeed Europe. Thair headquarters wis at *Craigroyston*, a muckle Victorian hoose near the railwey station. Nissen huts wis biggit at Carlinwark Loch tae hoose the troups while ither billets includit a kirk an a bouls clubhoose.https://wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/allied/battalion.php?pid=4732

## Sichts an attractions

Castle Douglas Airt Gailerie is an offshoot o the Stewartry Museum at Kirkcoubrie. It wis bequeathe't til the toun by local airtist Ethel Bristowe an appent in 1938. It is an exheebeetion space an uised as sic bi local airtists tae shaw thair warks. Near the centre o the toun is Carlinwark Loch, a loch an SSSI (Site o Speicial Scienteefic Interest), hame tae a rowth o watter-birds.

Nearby staunds Threave Castle, the faimily castle o the Black Douglas line o the Hoose o Douglas. It is on an island in the middle o the River Dee, admeesion includes a short ferry jurney.

Til the wast o the toun an aw is Threave Gairdens that is a National Trust for Scotland aiverel.

Threave Rovers is the local fitbaw team in Castle Douglas, thay play at Meadow Park in the Sooth o Scotland Fitbaw League an thair strip colours is black and white strips.

Castle Douglas hosts an annual Ceevic Week that is the main event o the year. Its uisual format is a week o events aroond the last week o Julie, culminatin on Douglas Day whan a street paraud an carnival in Lochside Park taks place.

## Climate

Like the lave o the UK, Castle Douglas haes a climate clessifeed as Oceanic (Köppen: *Cfb*), resultin in moderate temperaturs, year-roond rainfaw, an windy, aften cloody condeetions. The nearest Met Office wather station is at Threave, about 1.5 mile wast o the toun centre.

## Amenities

The toun is uised for common by tourists as a steid for explorin the lave o the area. Thare is a campin grund an caravan pairk by Carlinwark Loch an mony hottles.

The main shappin street in Castle Douglas is King Street. It haes a wide range o shaps, includin mony shaps no fund on mony toun heich-streets. Castle Douglas has twa supermercats an a Scotmid convenience store. On King Street an aw is Italian, Chinese, an Indian restaurants, an inns and hottles an aw, servin meals an cairy-oots. Castle Douglas is designatit *Scotland's Fuid Toun* an blowsts some 50 weygates connectit wi the fuid industry.

Pairkin in the toun is free. Thare is a muckle car pairk at Market Hill at the tap o the toun nixt til the Heart of Galloway Visitors Centre. Thare is free pairkin an aw on mony o the side-streets that lead awa frae the toun centre.

As a Regional Mercat Toun, Castle Douglas accommodates Wallet's Mart, a fermstockin mercat veesitit bi Queen Elizabeth II in Julie 2010.

Thare is several kirks in Castle Douglas, including a Kirk o Scotland, a Bretheren, an Episcopalian St Ninians, the New Life Castle Douglas, an a Elim Pentecostal wan. The Catholic Pairish o St John the Evangelist offers Mass in St Ninian Episcopalian Kirk.

Castle Douglas Hospital wis biggit in 1897 as a memorial tae Queen Victoria's Diamant Jubilee. It wis designt bi Richard Park o Newton Stewart an appent on 13 October 1899.

The toun is hame til The Fullarton, a theatre appent in 1996 in the biggin o the foregane St Andrew's Kirk. It hosts noo plays an conferences, providin a local pictur theatre an aw.

2329 (Castle Douglas) Sqn Air Training Corps is locatit in the toun an is acteeve within the local community, offerin young fowk atween the ages o 12 an 20 opportuinitys tae flee, tae veesit RAF athort the UK, an tae experience adventurs an aw.

Thare is a leebrary, soumin puil, an bus hub in Market Street.

Castle Douglas Leebrary https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/200397257-king-street-castle-douglas-library-with-art-gallery-boundary-wall-railings-gates-and-gatepiers-castle-douglas-and-crocketford-ward, situatit on the Market Hill, wis designt bi airchitect George Washington Browne an appent in 1904 wi fondin fae Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-American industrialist an philanthropist. Asides beuks an a Local History section, it offers a range o services includin internet aiccess. The soumin puil has a fitness suite attacht. The bus hub provides services ootthrou Dumfries an Gallowa, an onwart through Scotland an England.

## Namely fowk

* Sir William Douglas, 1t Baronet 1801, (1745-1809), foonder o the burgh o Castle Douglas. Buirit in the Douglas Mausoleum on Kelton Hill leuking ootower the town
* Ted McMinn, born 1962, umwhile perfaisonal fitbawer an commentator, wis born in Castle Douglas
* Robert Burns spent the nicht here at the Carlinwark Inn while on his Galloway Tour. From here he wrate a letter tae Mrs Dunlop in Ayrshire datit 25 Juin 1794 beginin *"Here, in a solitary inn, in a solitary village..."* Here he wrote an aw his last letter tae Agnes McLehose wi the lines:
*Ah ! My ever dearest Clarinda ... ... Here am I set, a solitary hermit,in the solitary room, of a solitary inn with a solitary bottle of wine by me.*
* Arthur Smith (rugby union), (1933-1975) Scots rugby player
* The Rt Hon Dr David Clark, Baron Clark o Windermere, born 1939
* Major-General Sir Victor Fortune (1883- 1949)
* Kirsty Wark, jurnalist an telly presenter, born in Dumfries, bade in Castle Douglas in bairnheid afore the faimily flittit back tae Kilmarnock, Ayrshire.
* Samuel Rutherford Crockett (1859-1914) writer o *The Raiders* an mony ither warks o historical fiction, bade at 24 Cotton Street, Castle Douglas an attendit Cowper's School an aw in Cotton Street.
* James Clerk Maxwell, (1831-1879), Pheesicist and writer  o *Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism*, 1873. Maxwell bade at Glenlair, he dee'd in 1879 an is buirit in the kirkyaird at Parton Kirk. His wark influence't Albert Einstein that keepit a frame't photograph o him on his study waw.
* William Stewart MacGeorge, ARSA, RSA, (1862-1931), airtist associatit wi the Kirkcudbright Schuil o airtists. Bade at 120 King Street.
* Stansmore Richmond Leslie Dean Stevenson (1866–1944) wis a Scots airtist kent for her ile pentins. Associatit wi the Kirkcudbright Schuil o airtists.
* Ethel Bristowe (1862-1952) airtist an assyriologist, bequeathe't tae Castle Douglas the airt gailerie at the leebrary on Market Hill.
* Sir John Nairne, 1t Baronet (1861-1945) Chief Cashier o the Baunk o England an a foonding director o the BBC 
* Charles Dickens veesitit the antiquarian an writer Joseph Train, FSA Scot, (1779-1852) at his hame *Lochvale Cottage* an wrate aboot it in his periodical *Household Words*, no.173 Julie 1853, that appeart efter Train’s death.  A marble plaque commemoratin Train an his life an freendship wi Sir Walter Scott can be fund in Castle Douglas Toun Haw.
* Brown Derby (1914–2000) wis a Scots picture and teleevision actor.
* Kay Mander (1915–2013) wis a documentary pictur director an shootin conteenuity speicialist. She spent maist of the lave o her career wirkin in conteenuity on feature picturs sic as *From Russia with Love*, *The Heroes of Telemark*, an *Fahrenheit 451*. In her later years she bade at Castle Douglas.https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-kay-mander-documentary-film-maker-1-3253752 
* Alan Temperley, writer o childer's an young adult fiction includin *Harry and the Wrinklie*s an his rewarkin o tradeetional stories *Tales of Galloway*.
* David McMath, born 1996 is a Scots sport shuiter. He competit in the men's dooble trap event at the 2018 Commonweel Gemmes, winnin the gowd medal.https://www.teamscotland.scot/athlete/david-mcmath/
* Louisa Ramsey, born 1994 is a Scots Rugby player an ex-perfaisonal muntain biker. She noo plays for Darlington Mowden Park Sharks as ootside centre an is the first Scottish wumman tae score muir nor 10 tries in the Women's Premiership.

## 2016 Tour o Breetain

The first stage fae Glesga o the 2016 Tour o Breetain endit in Castle Douglas on 4 September. The winner wis Germany's André Greipel (Team Lotto–Soudal). Mark Cavendish that haed been the fauvourite tae win rattle't on the final corner. Cavendish rade awa fae the rattle, that includit Team Sky's Elia Viviani an aw.

## 2019 Tour o Breetain

The first stage fae Glesga o the 2019 Tour o Breetain that endit in Kirkcoubrie on 7 September passt throu Castle Douglas. The winner o this stage wis the Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jumbo–Visma).

## References

## External links
* http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/building_full.php?id=218230
* http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB50164
* https://curlie.org/search?q=castle+douglas&stime=92452189 Castle Douglas at Curlie
* https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Castle_Douglas Castle Douglas at Wikivoyage