We drove from our mansion in Ochiltree to Cumnock, the village home where (James) Keir Hardie spent most of his life, one of the founders of the Labour Party and its first leader in the House of Commons.

Born in 1856 at a time of huge growth in industry, commerce, trade and financial institutions. Hardie’s Scotland, while an age of industrial triumphs, was also an age of appalling social deprivation – urban squalor, compounded by drink abuse, bad housing, low wages, long hours and shame education. Before the age of 10, he was the sole wage earner in his working class, atheist family. His experience of hardship was the source of his passion for social justice.  “I am an agitator. My work consisted of trying to stir up divine discontent with wrong”.

He was self-taught, avidly reading books lent by a clergyman. This led to two major conversions in his life – first to Christianity and then to socialism.

Passing through Dumfries, we saw the red sandstone bridge arching over the River Nith. The Devorguilla bridge is one of the oldest in Scotland (named after Dervorguilla of Galloway, c. 1210 – 28 January 1290, a ‘lady of substance’ in 13th century Scotland, mother of John I, a future king of Scotland. Just as a by-the-by, when her husband died in 1269, she had his heart embalmed and kept in a casket of ivory bound with silver. The casket travelled with her for the rest of her life. Awwh!).

We soon came across the picturesque New Abbey village, getting out of the car to stretch our legs with a walk past adorable old cottages.

Then onto see the cottage where Jean Paul Jones was born in 1747, with stunning views of the Solway and the Lake District.
He first went to sea at 13 from the nearby port of Carsethorn, where he signed up for a 7 yr seaman’ apprenticeship. In 1766 he transferred as first mate to a slave ship in Jamaica. He quit the slave trade son after in disgust calling it an abominable trade and was given free passage home on the “John” of Kirkcudbright. He took command of the ship when the captain died from a fever. The ship’s owners appointed him master for the John’s next voyage to America. He became a high ranking naval officer, serving in the American, French and Russian navies. He is famous as the “father of the American Navy” due to his exploits during the American War of Independence. In Great Britain, he was known as a pirate, notorious for his raise on the Cumbrian port of Whitehaven and for his daring attack on the Royal Navy at Flamborough Head in He considered himself a “citizen of the world” and died penniless in Paris in 1792.  He rested in an unmarked grave in a Parisian Cemetary for over a century before Teddy Roosevelt initiated a search and his body was brought back to the US in 1905 and laid to rest in Annapolis Naval Academy.

Travelling three miles south of Dalbeattie, a side road turns west and leads you the extra mile along the cul-de-sac road to Kippford. This narrow village runs along the shore of the Urr Estuary and is in places just a single building wide. At the northern end of the village, the road into the village meets the sea. The estuary here remains extremely popular with yachtsmen as well as with those simply wanting to be beside the sea. With its largely white coated buildings, the village is extremely charming. Lunch at the Anchor hotel for the 3 of us.

Jacqui, Jack and I were then on our way to Kirkcudbright (pronounced Kir-coo-bree) and saw this beautiful, huge but random wicker structure in a field. What was the meaning, why was it there?? Don’t know, but had to scream to a halt and take a pic!

Last spot for the day was Kirkcudbright, which takes its name from a church established in the 8th century, the area being part of the Kingdom of Northumbria. By 1200, it was an important centre for the Lords of Galloway, who made use of the natural for their fleet of warships. From military beginnings, the town grew by the River Dee, becoming a busy port by the mid 1500’s. The charms of this town and its surroundings have attracted artists since the late 1800’s and its reputation as a artists town is well-established. I loved the restored 18th and 19thC merchant houses in the High St.