Haugh of Urr
Haugh of Urr (), is a village in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is approximately NNW of Dalbeattie, NE of Castle Douglas, west of Dumfries and east of Kirkcudbright. Description. The village is situated beside the River Urr. Scots "haugh", from Old English "halh", "healh" 'corner, nook' means river-meadow or a level piece of ground beside a stream. 'Urr' is from Cumbric "or" 'a border, boundary, limit'. It has one public house, the Laurie Arms which incorporates a part-time Post Office, one Church (Church of Scotland), a Village Hall, a  Scout hut, and a small village green. The village no longer has any shops. It used to have two shops, one of which included a petrol filling station, while the other included a full-time post office, which reduced to part-time in later years. The last shop closed in 2009. Hardgate is a nearby hamlet up the hill and the boundaries are indistinct. Agriculture and tourism are the mainstays of the local economy. The village is known to locals as ""The Haugh"". The Australian suburb of Urrbrae was named after the village. River Urr. The River Urr is noted  for salmon fishing. The river, also known as Urr Water originates at Loch Urr and flows for southwards past Corsock, Glenlair, Auchendolly, Bridge of Urr, Haugh of Urr, and close to Dalbeattie, via Palnackie to the Solway Firth at Rough Firth. Motte of Urr. The Motte of Urr, is the site of a motte-and-bailey castle. Today this medieval earthwork near the Haugh of Urr is said to be the most extensive bailey earthwork in Scotland. It lies beside the River Urr to the north west of Dalbeattie. It dates from the 12th century, and covers an area of  about 2 ha (5 acres). In the present day, there are no excavations or walls. It is associated with Buittle Castle, dated to about 1230, which was destroyed early in the 14th century and belonged to Devorgilla and her husband John I de Balliol (founder of Balliol College, at Oxford University). Together they bore the future king John of Scotland. List of listed buildings. List of listed buildings in Urr, Dumfries and Galloway