A vision of Britain through time
A vision of Britain from 1801 to now.
Including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions.
A vision of Britain through time
A vision of Britain from 1801 to now.
Including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions.
Kirkcudbrightshire, maritime co. in S. of Scotland; is bounded NW. by Ayrshire, NE. by Dumfriesshire, SE. by the Solway Firth, and SW. by Wigtownshire; greatest length, NW. and SE., 46 miles; greatest breadth, NE. and SW., 31 miles; 574,587 ac., pop. 42,127. Kirkcudbrightshire is also known as the "Stewartry of Kirkcudbright" and "East Galloway." The coast line, which extends, in semicircular form, from the head of Wigtown Bay to the mouth of the Nith, a distance of 45 miles, is in general bold and precipitous, but is broken by the estuaries of the Nith, the Urr, the Dee, the Fleet, and the Cree, which form natural harbours, the principal seaports being Kirkcudbright, Gatehouse-of-Fleet, and Creetown. In the NW. the co. is mountainous, with deep glens, and numerous small lochs; in the SE.-- except in the extreme SE. corner--it is for the most part level but undulating. Most of the soil in the higher regions is moorland and marsh; in the lower it is better suited for grass and green crops than for grain, and great attention is paid to the rearing of cattle. (For agricultural statistics, see Appendix.) Granite is quarried, and lead, iron, and copper exist, but are little worked. The mfrs. comprise linen, cotton, and woollen goods, and paper. Deep-sea fishing is carried on in the Solway Firth, and salmon-fishing at the mouths of the rivers, especially the Dee and the Urr. The co. contains 28 pars., the parliamentary and royal burgh of Kirkcudbright (part of the Dumfries Burghs), the royal burgh of New Galloway, and the police burghs of Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie, Gatehouse, and Maxwelltown. Kirkcudbrightshire returns 1 member to Parliament.
(John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887))
| Linked entities: | |
|---|---|
| Feature Description: | "maritime county" (ADL Feature Type: "countries, 2nd order divisions") |
| Administrative units: | Kirkcudbrightshire ScoCnty |
| Place: | Kirkcudbrightshire |
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