Thornhill, Dumfries an Gallowa

**Thornhill** () is a toun in the Mid-Nithsdale aurie o Dumfries an Galloway, Scotland, sooth o Sanchar an north o Dumfries on the main A76 road. Thornhill sits in the Nithsdale glen wi the Carsphairn an Scaur Hills til the wast an the Lowther Hills til the east. It wis at first a smaw veelage, planned an built in 1717 on the Queensberry Estate on the road linkin Dumfries tae Glesga. The Yerl o Queensberry at first name'd the veelage New Dalgarnock houiver the name wisna popular.

The toun is maistly comprised o grid pattren wi the main street o Drumlanrig Street (the A76), East an Wast Morton Street, New Street, Townhead Street, an Gill Road (the A702).

The toun is near Drumlanrig Castle, a 17t century turretit big hoose yince ance the auncient Douglas hauld, noo hame tae the Duke o Buccleuch an Queensberry. The grunds conteen Tibbers Castle that wis foondit in the 12t or 13t century.

The maist-recent publisht Census data fae 2001 pits the population at 1,512 woners.

## Public Transport

The toun's bus service is operatit by the Sooth Wast o Scotland Transport Pairtnership (SWESTRANS) incorporatin a nummer o local an national operators.  [Thornill railwey station], closed in 1965, is on the auld [Glasgow and South Western Railway main lilne fae Cairl an Dumfries tae Kilmarnock an Glesga. The nearest train stations is locatit in Dumfries o Sanchar.

In 2016 the local community distreebutit a survey, an the woners shawed owerwhalmin support o the re-appenin o the station. Recent a community action plan wis released, that ootline't the nixt staps for veelage development, an the station's redevelopment is a praisent goal for the veelage.

## Eddication

The recent rebuilt schuil got its name, Wallace Hall Academy, on agalgamation wi the nearby Closeburn schuil o that name. The oreeginal Closeburn schuil wis foondit in 1723 by John Wallace, a merchand in Glesga an a native of Closeburn. 

Wallace Hall Primary Schuil an its Nursery flittit intil a new biggin in Januar 2010, as pairt o a skare't campus wi the Academy.

Alumni include the Andrew Coltart, gowfer; Bobby Black, fitbawer an bouler; an Moira Brown, soumer.

## Namely woners

A monument til the explorer Joseph Thomson efter wha the Thomson's gazelle is name't, that bade in neebourin Penpont an Gaitlawbrig, can be fund close til the schuil. The're an aw a column tappit by a Pegasus, the emblem o the Queensberry faimily, in the centre o the toun.

The Very Revered Dr James Harkness, the first non-Anglican Chaplain-General of the UK Airmed Forces an Moderator o the General Assemmly o the Kirk o Scotland in 1995, is fae Thornhill.

Helen Hyslop wrocht for thirty year at the Beccleuch Airms as a keuk. She is said tae hae been a luve-bairn dochter o Robert Burns an Helen Hyslop o Moffat.

Samuel Wallace, a Victoria Cross recipient, wis born in the toun. A plaque wis recent place't by the Thomson Memorial. 

John McLachlan (1843-1893), airchitect, was born here.

Joseph Lain Waugh (1868-1928), businessman an scriever, wis born an wis raised here.

## Amenities

Thornhill his a boulin green, a squash coort, a gowf coorse, an is renownt for the excellent fishin in the nearby River Nith an its watters.

Thornhill an aw featurs a wide variety o retail weygates, sic as claes boutiques, a chocolate shap, a Chinese cairy-oot, change-hooses, fuid stores, a lairge pharmacy, an ironmonger, an electrical merchand, gift shaps, and twa hairdressers. The lairge Victorian post office staunds on the north side o the toun, alang wi a Royal Mail sortin office that servies a lairge landwart aurie. The're an aw a garage an a smaw backstreet fillin station. The toun an aw has public watteries an a smaw hoose-infirmary.

## Thornhill Music Festival

Beginin in 2012, Thornhill Music Festival his growen intil a speeritit annual community event, wi regular atendees fae aw ower the UK comin ilk year. The festival his growen ila year thanks til the help o the local community, the comattee, the venues, an ither participants.

This Festival wis stairtit by The Lewis Hamilton Band that notice't a steidy dwyne in available live muisic, an sae in 2012 thay decidit tae pit on something seemilar til the estaiblisht an successfu Blues Festivals sic as Shetland, Arbroath, Callander, an in particular Montrose - thay played at aw o thaim several times - whaur aw the baunds is payed direct by the venues, bit differin in that thay wantit tae braiden the muisical scowth. Aw venues exceptin the Boulin Club is free entry aw weekend.

Fae 2018 wi the assistance o fondin received fae the National Lottery Awards, Thornhill Music Festival is plannin on bringin the muisic sae enjeyed in the veelage venues, tae thaim that isna able tae attend. Wi the greement o the local schuil, Wallace Hall Academy, thay plan tae provide the muisic tae baith the Dementia Group at the Friendship Club an an aw tae Briary Park Old People's Home.  It is howped tae stairt this program in Juin.

In 2018, the Festival lencht thair ain wabstaid.

## References

## External links

*Video footage o the feudal Gallows Hill.
*Video footage o Dalgarnock Kirk site an buirial grund.
*Video 'Crichope Linn - Sir Walter Scott, Elves an Covenaters
*'Crichope Linn - Devil's Cauldron, Burley's Lowp an the Souter's Seat.