Auld Luice

**Auld Luice** (English: **Old Luce**) is a ceevil pairish in the historical coonty o Wigtounshire in Dumfries an Gallowa, Scotland. The pairish is aboot 10 mile lang and 8 mile wide, an conteens 40,350 acre.

It wis in auncient times named Glenluice that wis dividen intae twa pairshes, the northren ane name't New Luice, an the soothren ane name't Auld Luice.
 In 1661 the twa pairishes o Auld an New Luice wis reunitit for a time, an whan the 1684 Wigtounshire Pairish Leet wis recordit, it leetit baith Auld Luice an New Luice unner "Glenluice Pairish". In 1688, efter the Glorious Revolution, the separation o Auld Luice an New Luice becam permanent. Auld Luice haes a community cooncil.

## Veelages an places in Auld Luice

The toun o Glenluice an Glenluice Kirk is in Auld Luice Pairish, as is Glenluice Aibey. In 1846 the Topographical Dictionary o Scotland, Samuel Lewis wrate that the veelage o Glenluice wis situatit on the road leadin fae Newtoun Stewart tae Stranrawer. "The church, erected in 1814, is a commodious edifice, and situated close to the village. The members of the United Secession Church have a place of worship. There are several other schools, and one is supported by the Hay family."

Dunragit () is a veelage on the A75 road atween Stranrawer an Glenluice in Auld Luice. The place name haes been said tae derive fae *Din Rheged* meanin "Fort o Rheged". This wad refer til the Brythonic Daurk Ages Kinrick o Rheged that seems tae hae existit somewhaur in this aurie o the Mairch atween England an Scotland atween the 5t an 8t centurys. It is possible that this wis ane o the ryal sites uised bi the kings o Rheged an it his been suggestit as the site o the unidentified Northren Ryal Coort *Penrhyn Rhionedd*, recordit in the Welsh Triads. Thare is a possible Roman cremation seemetry an twa castle mottes in the veelage. The ex-King o Dublin an Man, Echmarcach mac Ragnaill, haed the title *Rex Innarenn* ("Keeng o the Rhins") attributit tae him on his deith in 1065. The wastren airts o Gallowa haed been firm in line wi the Isle o Man, an Norse an Gaelic-Norse dounset names fae the 10t an 11t centurys is spreid aw alang the coastal launds o soothwast Scotland. Glenwhan Gairden haed been creatit in Dunragit syne 1979, and is nouadays appen til the public.

Carscreugh Castle (o the Yerl o Stair in 1782) wis the hame o Janet Dalrymple, that Sir Walter Scott steidit his heroine Lucy, the Bride of Lammermoor (that becam Lucia di Lammermoor in Gaetano Donizetti's opera o the same name) on. Janet fell in luve wi an in saicret haund-festit til a sillerless local man, Archibald Rutherford. Her paurents bitter cried again this romance an gart her tae renunce her vou an gart her tae mairy anither man fae a walthie local faimily, Sir David Dunbar o Baldoon Castle near Wigtoun. Houiver something dreidfu happent on her waddin nicht that endit in her deith an the woundin o her guidman, that ever efterwart refuised tae lat ken tae onybody whait hid occurt that nicht.

## Archaeology

Fae Glenluice Saunds there hae been rekivert "mair objects o antiquity nor fae ony aurie o similar extent in Scotland". The relicts range fae neolithic tae medieval times.

St John's Chaipel at The Knock o Luice wis at ae time a chaipel o St John. The tenant, Mr Wilson, telt Rev. George Wilson o Glenluice that he remuived three perqueer streetit fluirs, the tane abuin the tither. This shawed a lang occupation.

### Forts an brochs

Rev. George Wilson o Glenluice, in his *Archaeological and Historical Collections relating to Ayrshire and Galloway*, tells that Wigtounshire conteens aboot saxty forts; 15 in Mochrum, 4 in Glasserton, 10 in Whithorn, an several mair in the ither pairishes not name't in his leet. He leets the follaein forts in Auld Luice:

#Three at Glenhinnie or Glenhinney bothy circles, Dunragit Muir

# Twa at Glenwhan, Dunragit

# Twa in a wuid cried Baraigle near Dunragit

# Round Dounan, Dunragit Hoose, north Dunragit veelage A stane built 5t-6t century fort o Rheged on a naitural hillock o ootcroppin rock, 12-14 fit heich wi an 18 fit terrace on the wast side

# Twa on Craig, ilk wi a bothy circle (Mebbe Auld Haw o Craig at Airyhemming)

# Three forts at Airyhemming, ane wi a cup-shape't fluir at ae end

# Stairhaven broch

# A fort a quarter-mile sooth o the pier shawn on the OS map as a cairn

# Near Law Sunnonness fort cried Garliachen

# Ring on Mull o Sunonness (mebbe Garliachen)

# On Barhaskine at the Carlinwark

# Fortified toun on Knock Hill. The Knock, Auld Luice, or Knock o Luice or Knock Fell fort. This auncient fortified veelage staunds on the heichest hill in Auld Luice an micht hae been built bi the makkers o the vast loch dwallins in Machermore Loch aboot twa mile til the wast. Thare wis hints o 6 or 7 bothy circles alang the line o fortification an ootby on a smaw flet space on the brent northren side thare wis a hauf-circle o aboot 20 fit across. Doun the wastren slope thare wis a boorach o smaw cairns, an a boorach o green bothy circles.

# Ring on Barnsallzie Muir, Barnsallie Bothy Circle

# Circular fort at Drumearnachan (at Barlea or Barfad, Kirkcowan), not on OS map, bit detailt on p.&nbsp;56 vol.III

# Mooth o the River Piltanton Corrylinn or Corachlinn

# Heich torrs cried Knockdoon

Droughdool Mote or Mund, sooth Dunragit veelage, has a steid 156 fit wide, is 30 fit heich, wi a level tap 40 fit wide.

Dunragit henge atween the Mund an Dunragit veelage is ane o the maist important Stane Age sites in Scotland. It is a pit define't cursus moniment, datin fae Neolithic an Bronze age times. It wis first diskivert bi aerial photography in 1992. The Dunragit Excavations Project archaeological howkin haes appluised the remeens o three gey muckle concentric timmer circles; the ooter circle wis 984 fit wide, amwast sax times the size o Stonehenge. Built aroond 2500 BC(E), this gey muckle moniment wis a ceremonial centre an a meetin place for soothwast Scotlands early fermin communitys.

### Crannogs

Whitefield Loch his twa crannogs: Dormans Island crannog o 250 BC(E); an Tree Island crannog. The latter is noo on dry laund acause o the fawen watter level in the loch.  Whitefield is near Machermore, the auncient castle o the MacDowall Clan.

## Gailerie


File:Carscreugh Castle - geograph.org.uk - 619349.jpg|Carscreugh Castle
File:Milton Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 431850.jpg|Milton Brig near site o Kirkchrist chaipel an well
File:Knock Fell trig - geograph.org.uk - 214276.jpg|Knock Fell trig (Knock Hill Fort) 
File:Knock of Luce from Mull of Sinniness - geograph.org.uk - 445842.jpg|Knock o Luice (Knock Fell), view f Fort location fae Mull o Sinniness
File:Wild rose, Knock of Luce - geograph.org.uk - 870071.jpg|Knock o Luice auncient veelage fort. Rock face on brent northren sclent
File:Stairhaven broch - intramural stairs - geograph.org.uk - 590703.jpg|Stairhaven Airn-age broch - intramural stairs
File:Black Cairn, Old Luce, Wigtownshire.jpg|Black Cairn
File:High Gillespie chambered cairn - geograph.org.uk - 727131.jpg|Heigh Gillespie chaumbert cairn
File:Garliachen Fort, Laigh Sinniness, Old Luce.jpg|Garliachen Fort, Laigh Sinniness, Auld Luice
File:Airyhemming Farm - geograph.org.uk - 757933.jpg|near 3 forts at Airyhemming (Arehemen)
File:Whitefield Loch, view north-west. possibly of Tree Island crannog.jpg|possibly Tree Island Crannog, Whitefield Loch - Machermore Loch
File:Whitefield Loch crannog, Old Luce.jpg|Dorman's Island Crannog, Whitefield Loch - Machermore Loch
File:Field at Machermore, near Glenluce - geograph.org.uk - 163176.jpg|Machermore, Barony Glenluice, o Clan Macdowall
File:Glenwhan Garden - geograph.org.uk - 331064.jpg|Glenwhan Gairden in Dunragit
File:Torrs Warren Machars.jpg|Ringadoo Pynt near Dunragit


## Leetit biggins in Auld Luice

* Glenluce, Ladyburn Masonic Temple, (Former Ladyburn Church), With Railings And Gates
* Glenluce, 17 Main Street
* Glenluce, 141 And 143 Main Street,Minn Cree And Woodbank, With Garden Walls
* Glenluce, 62 And 64 Main Street, Fernlea And Roseneath
* Glenluce, 72 Main Street
* Grennan, Farmhouse, Steading, Sundial And Boundary Walls
* North Milton, Farmhouse And Steading
* Drochduil School And Schoolhouse
* Dunragit, The Kennels
* Glenluce, 7 Church Street, Kirkton
* Glenluce, 35-39 (Odd Nos) Main Street
* Glenluce, 53 Main Street, Kelvin House Hotel
* Glenluce, 16 And 18 Main Street
* Glenluce, 76 Main Street
* Laigh Sinniness, Former Farmhouse And Steading
* Glenluce, Ladyburn Manse
* Glenluce, 61 Main Street
* Glenluce, 161 And 163 Main Street, Beechgrove And Ravenswood, With Railings
* Glenluce, 34 Main Street
* Glenluce, 36 Main Street, Crown Hotel
* Glenluce, 38 Main Street, Rowantree
* Glenluce, Millbank And Cottage
* Castle Of Park
* Craigenveoch
* Auchenmalg, Auchenbrae, With Boundary Walls
* Bridge Of Park
* Dunragit Home Farm, Sundial
* Glenluce, 28A Main Street
* Glenluce, War Memorial
* Carscreugh Castle
* Carscreugh Castle, Cottages
* Culroy, Farm Building
* Dunragit, East Lodge
* Bridge, Lady Burn
* Genoch Doocot
* Glenluce, 31 Main Street, King's Arms Hotel
* Glenluce, 47 Main Street, Ardville
* Glenluce, 57 And 59 Main Street
* Glenluce, 2 Main Street, With Railings
* Glenluce, 20 Main Street
* Glenluce, 30 Main Street, With Railings
* Glenluce, 32 Main Street
* Glenluce, 52 And 54 Main Street
* Glenluce, 1A Sun Street
* Abbey House With Boundary Walls
* Gillespie, Farmhouse And Steading
* Glenluce, 19 Main Street, Royal Bank Of Scotland
* Glenluce, 22 Main Street, Public Hall
* Glenluce, North Street, Bridge
* Old Luce Church, Graveyard, Graveyard Walls, Gatepiers And Gates
* Glenluce, Ladyburn Bridge
* Glenluce, 43 And 45 Main Street
* Glenluce, 12 Main Street
* Stair Haven, Store
* Dunragit, Signal Box
* Auchenmalg, Castle Daly Hotel, (Former School And Schoolhouse), With Boundary Walls
* Dunragit House
* Glenluce, Church Street, Bridge
* Glenluce, 55 Main Street
* Glenluce, 165 Main Street, Navarre, With Railings
* Glenluce, 24 Main Street, Otterburn
* Piltanton Bridge

## References