Drummore

*No tae be confused wi [[Drummuir]], nor'east Scotland*

**Drummore** (; (fae Gaelic *An Druim Mòr* meanin "the great rig") is a veelage at the soothren end o the Rhis o Gallowa in the historical coonty o Wigtounshire, in Dumfries an Gallowa, Scotland. It his twa ootby clachans, cried Kirkmaiden and Damnaglaur. The veelage lies whaur the Kildonan Burn rins oot til the sea, north o the Mull o Gallowa. It is the soothrenmaist veelage in Scotland, an forder sooth than the English ceetys o Durham an Cairl. It is in the pairish an community o Kirkmaiden, an it is aboot 16 mile fae the nearest major toun, the ferry port o Stranrawer. In the 2011 census the population wis 534.

Drummor skares its name wi Heich Drummore, ae mile up Glen Lee, an wi Drummore Glen, a hauf-mile til the east an aw. The unnerlyin name is clear the Scots Gaelic *druim mòr* or *muckle rig*, an it his been suggestit that this reflectit the motte associatit wi the castle o the Adairs o Kinhilt, whase launds wis grantit in 1602 bi Keeng James VI o Scotland. The raither scaitert incidence o relatit names, houiver, maks it mair likely that the rig itself is in quaisten, awthou at 300 fit it is no aw that kenspeckle compare't til teh 450 fit Muntloch Fell an Inshanks Fell til the wast, or even the 205 Mull o Gallowa itsel, 3 mile til the sooth.

A brainch line wis propone't in 1887 linkin til the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway. It wis gainstaundit bi the laird, John Dalrymple, 10t Yerl o Stair, an feenal abandont efter the failur o  the City of Glasgow Bank in 1882; kythes o the veelage's street settin oot yet reflect plans for the railwey.

## Early history an leid

The soothren Rhins wis an aurie o early Christian acteevity follaein the meesionar wark o Saunt Ringan across Luice Bay in the Machars. Shortlins afore 1860, at Law Curghie less nor ae mile up the coast north o Drummore, an no faur fae an extant staundin stane, a heidstane wis diskivert that appeart tae dae til the 5t or 6t century, wi a dashelt Laitin inscrievin that his the name "Ventidius" veesible alang wi anither wird that translatit tae "sub-deacon". Mony place-names testifee til the Norse influence in the soothren Rhins, as in mony o the wast-coast islands and peninsulas, bit Drummore's Scots Gaelic name is in tuin wi the general uiss o Gaelic in Gallowa efter the Daurk Ages until it was replace't by the Englis name unner Presbyterian influence in the 17t century.

## Ecclesiastical history

Drummore is the lairgest sattlement in the pairish o Kirkmaiden, name't efter St Maiden or Medan. The pairish kirk wis oreeginal some five mile sooth o the veelage, bit in 1638 the pairishioners, ceetin the unconvenience o the jurney til the kirk, siccart the biggin o a new kirk kent as Kirk Covenant on Core Hill, about ae mile wast o Drummore. Follaein the Disruption o 1843, a new kirk wis again built, for worshippers in the Free Kirk o Scotland, an this time in the veelage itsel, in the street noo kent as Stair Street. Early in the 20t century the twa congregations wis reunitit. Noo worship is habitual at the kirk within Drummore, wi ae service ilka month in the simmer being haudit at Kirk Covenant.

## Drummore Herbour

The herbour, facin north an scuggit fae the prevailin wastlin wind, wis developit wi a jet in the early 19t century tae serve a lime-manufacturin industry. For mony years inthe haunds o the UK's Meenistry o Defence as a pairt o the management o thair bombin range an wappen development aure affshore in Luice Bay, it wis taen ower in 2004 for a nominal sum bi the Drummore Harbour Trust Ltd, that annunce't the ettle o developin it uiss for pleisur boats. 

This disposal bi the Meenistry o Defence attractit attention in the UK Pairlament as an upshot o branglins ower the richts o aiccess til the herbour bi fishers, an a subsequent Coort o Session juidgement confirmt a Victorian precent that no richt o herbour existit. Failur o the Drummore Harbour Trust tae widen its membership ayont the ineetial twa individual members, or tae begin its promised investement program, caused increasin concern. In Julie 2008 the Dumfries an Gallowa Cooncil decidit tae seek an Empouerment Order unner the Harbours Act 194 that wad enable the Cooncil tae tak ower teh herbour laund an operations, follaein the pattren o a nummer o successful herbours alang the Solway coast.  This wisna achieved. 

In 2015 the Harbour Trust becam liabe for a £15,000 personal injur claim, an it syne dissolved itsel, so the herbour revertit til the Croun Estate. As o Juin 2018 the Drummore residenters is attemptin tae buy the herbour, via the Kirkmaiden Community Harbour Trust.

## Chairacter an faceelitys

Aulder residenters mynd a time what the main streets wis fu o shaps, inclund no less nor three bappers, (ane on the corner o Stair an Mill Streets). Even recent thare his been signeeficant casualtys, includin on Mill Street the baunk, the butcher (noo a halesale butcher acause o heal laws), an the Harbour Stores (umwhile the seicont general shap, wi an additional speicialty in fishin fends).

The veelage's faceelitys houiver include yet the Mariners Coffee Shop, the Queen's Hotel, a post office, a volunteer tourist office and a general shap on Mill Street; a garage for mendins (no fuel); a primary schuil; a doctor's surgery an a pharmacy; the Ship Inn on the shore; a boulin club and childer's play pairk; a nummer o haliday cots; an twa caravan sites near saundy strands (ane o them associatit wi anither public hoose). The Kirkmaiden Community Cooncil meeths monthly in Drummore. Hoosin is mixed, rangin fae leetit Victorian residential an commercial houdins tae modren bungalows an harlt cooncil hooses.

Within leevin memory a nummmer o street names hae chainged namely Stair Street (umwhile Church Street), Mill Street (umwhile Main Street), and Harbour Road (umwhile Quay Road). Follaein a laundslip in the 1960s the umwhile Lower Road, that hid brocht traffeck in alang the coast tae Shore Street, wis baurt tae traffeck. It is noo a fitpaith, set thick aboot wi Japanese knotweed (*Reynoutria japonica*); in the simmer o 2014 it wis decore't wi fairy doors. 

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