Kirkcudbright

Kirkcudbright, STEWARTRY OF, a county of south-west Scotland, washed on the south for 50 miles by the Solway Firth, and elsewhere bounded by Wigtown, Ayr, and Dumfries shires. Measuring 41 by 38 miles, it has an area of 954 sq. m.; is watered by the Nith, Urr, Dee, Fleet, and Cree; and in the south-east sends up conspicuous Criffel (1867 feet), on the north-west border Merrick (2764), the loftiest summit in the south of Scotland. The rocks are mainly Silurian, with intrusive granite and carboniferous patches; the soil is variously extremely fertile and extremely barren. Little more than a fourth of the entire area is in cultivation, though great improvements have been effected since the foundation in 1809 of the Stewartry Agricultural Society. Nearly 31 sq. m. are occupied by woods. Towns are Kirkcudbright, New Galloway, Castle-Douglas, Dalbeattie, Gatehouse, Creetown, and Maxwelltown; and the antiquities include the Deil's Dyke, Threave Castle, and the ecclesiastical ruins of Dundrennan, Lincluden, New Abbey, St Mary's Isle, and Tongue-land. The history of the Stewartry is sketched under GALLOWAY; among its worthies have been Samuel Rutherford, Paul Jones, Thomas Brown, and Alexander Murray. It returns one member to parliament. Pop. (1801) 29,211; (1851) 43,121; (1881) 42,127; (1891) 39,985.