Dumfries Through Time

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Dumfries has changed and developed over the last century.

Dumfries, a market town in south-west Scotland known as the Queen of the South, is the administrative capital of the Dumfries and Galloway region and has a population of almost 32,000. Dumfries has a turbulent and sometimes bloody history with links to the Roman occupation of Britain, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s failed Jacobite uprising, the colonisation of America and imperialism. Most famously Scotland’s bard, Robert Burns, spent his final years in Dumfries with many places in the town having connections to the poet. Its thriving port trade is now a thing of the past and although once one of the largest tweed producers in the world, it has never been a major industrial centre.The photographs show that much has changed in Dumfries – not always for the better. Some of the photographs in this collection have special poignancy as many historical buildings have been demolished in the name of progress. Doonhamers are proud of their town and its history. Dumfries Through Time hopes to demonstrate the importance of the town’s built heritage and is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of Dumfries.