Dalbeattie
Dalbeattie is located in Dumfries and Galloway
Dalbeattie
Dalbeattie
Location within Dumfries and Galloway
Population4,160 (mid-2020 est.)[1]
OS grid referenceNX832613
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDALBEATTIE
Postcode districtDG5
Dialling code01556
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

Dalbeattie (/dælˈbiːti/, Scots: Dawbeattie,[2] Scottish Gaelic: Dail Bheithe meaning 'haugh of the birch' or Dail bhàite 'drowned (i.e. liable to flood) haugh') is a town in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Dalbeattie is in a wooded valley on the Urr Water 4 miles (6 km) east of Castle Douglas and 12 miles (19 km) south west of Dumfries. The town is famed for its granite industry and for being the home town of William McMaster Murdoch, the First Officer of the RMS Titanic.

Etymology

Dalbeattie is a Gaelic name, recorded in 1469 as Dalbaty.[3] The first element of the name is Gaelic dail 'water-meadow, haugh'. There are two possible interpretations for the second element. The most common is Gaelic beithich, genitive singular of beitheach 'abounding in or relating to birch trees', derived from beith 'birch'.[3][4][5] Dalbeattie would thus mean 'haugh of the birch'. The second interpretation takes -beattie to be bhàite (from bàite) 'drowned', meaning 'liable to flooding'.[3] W. J. Watson offers this derivation for Dalbate in Middleby.[6]

Dalbeattie is popularly interpreted as 'birch valley' or 'birch vale', which is adopted in the names of local businesses such as Birch Valley Dental Clinic[7] and Birchvale Theatre.[8] The interpretation of the first element as 'vale' or 'valley' may be due to confusion with the word dale. The association with 'valley' goes back to at least 1955, when the Third Statistical Account records that the 'accepted derivation' is Celtic, meaning 'the valley of the birches'.[9]: 325 

History

Dalbeattie, Scotland, ca. 1890 - 1900.

The formal beginnings of Dalbeattie originate in 1781 when George Maxwell of Munches and Alexander Copeland of Kingsgrange (or Colliston) decided to encourage the development of the town by feuing their property. The Maxwells owned the land on the north side of the burn and the Copelands owned the land on the south side.[10][11] They also established a soup kitchen for local workers.[12]

The building of the bridge over the River Urr at Craignair in 1797 and the rapid expansion of the granite industry in Dalbeattie attracted more people to settle in the town.[11]

Governance

The town is under the management of Dumfries and Galloway council and is located in the Abbey ward. The town is in the Westminster constituency of Dumfries and Galloway and currently represent by Alister Jack. In the Scottish Parliament the town is within the Galloway and Upper Nithsdale constituency and the South of Scotland region and was represented by Alex Fergusson.[13]

Geography

Dalbeattie is situated in the Urr valley of which most of the east side is covered by forest. The River Urr flows from the north southwards to the Solway Firth and passes by the west side of the town. The town has an abundance of distinctive grey granite.[14]

Economy

Granite Quarrying

Craignair quarry is a notable town landmark
Sculpture in Colliston Park commemorating Dalbeattie's heritage as a producer of the quality granite which has been used in major construction projects worldwide

Formerly granite quarrying was an important part of the Dalbeattie economy. The most prominent of which is the characteristic Craignair quarry which is clearly visible to the west of the town. Dalbeattie Granite works was established in 1820 and was situated in Craignair Street, following a direct route from Craignair quarry.[15]

Many of the workers emigrated to other parts of the world in order to find work, a number emigrated to the United States to work at a sister quarry in Westerly, Rhode Island. Granite exported from Dalbeattie went into the Mersey Docks in Liverpool, the Thames Embankment in London, various British lighthouses, even as far as the lighthouse at the southern tip of Ceylon (Sri Lanka).[16]

Landmarks

  • The war memorial in Colliston Park was unveiled in September 1921, attended by Mr William Duncan.[17] It commemorates those that died in World War I and, with additions, those that died in World War II.[17] The memorial is a simplified version of the Mercat Cross in Edinburgh made of Dalbeattie granite, topped with the lion rampant of Galloway by Pilkington Jackson.[18]: 211 [19] The designers were W S Macgeorge and E.A. Hornel.[17]
  • The fountain on the junction of Mill Street and High Street was built in 1887 by D.H. & J. Newall to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.[18]: 212 
  • The single arch Buittle Bridge, or Craignair Bridge, that crosses the Urr Water is a Category A Listed building. It was completed in 1797 and replaced an earlier 2-arch bridge upstream which was destroyed by flooding shortly after it was built. The bridge is notable for having an unusually wide span for a single arch construction.[20]
  • Dalbeattie Town Hall was completed in 1862.[21]

Transport

The town is accessible by roads from Dumfries, Castle Douglas, and is on the Solway coastal road. A regular bus service based in Dumfries travels through Dalbeattie and Castle Douglas to the west of the region and back. The town also acts as a minor hub for bus routes across the Solway coast. The town previously had access to the rail network; however, Dalbeattie railway station was removed in the 1960s as the line was deemed unprofitable.[22]

Museums and Galleries

Dalbeattie has a museum[23] devoted to the history of the town and surrounding area. There is also a small art gallery, the Nail Factory which hosts temporary exhibitions, usually of work by local artists.[24]

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  2. ↑ Andy Eagle (27 February 2003). "The Online Scots Dictionary". Scots-online.org. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Grant, Alison (2010). Macleod, Iseabail (ed.). The Pocket Guide to Scottish Place-Names. Glasgow: Richard Drew Ltd. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-899471-00-3. OCLC 759569647.
  4. ↑ Mills, A. D. (2011). A Dictionary of British Place Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 145.
  5. ↑ "Dalbeattie". www.ainmean-aite.scot. Archived from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  6. ↑ Watson, W. J. (1926). The Celtic Place-Names of Scotland. Edinburgh and London. p. 180. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ↑ "Birchvalley Dental Clinic". birch-valley.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 January 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  8. ↑ "Home". www.birchvaletheatre.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 November 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  9. ↑ Halliday, R. M. (1955). "The Quoad Sacra Parish and Burgh of Dalbeattie". In Laird, John; Ramsay, D. G.; Arnott, M. C. (eds.). The Third Statistical Account of Scotland: The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright and The County of Wigtown. Glasgow: Collins (published 1965). pp. 324–338.
  10. ↑ Donnachie, Ian L.; Macleod, Innes F. (1974). Old Galloway. David and Charles. p. 67. ISBN 978-0715364598.
  11. 1 2 "Timeline History of Dalbeattie". Visitor UK. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  12. ↑ Evidence taken in the synods of Angus and Mearns, Perth and Stirling, Fife, Glasgow and Ayr, Galloway, Dumfries, Merse and Teviotdale, Lothian and Tweeddale. Poor Law Inquiry Commission for Scotland. 1844. p. 594.
  13. ↑ Black, Andrew (14 May 2007). "Alex Fergusson, Countryside Man". BBC News. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  14. ↑ "Dalbeattie Granite Industry". The Gallovidian. 1902. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  15. ↑ "Craignair Granite Quarries, Dalbeattie". Future Museum. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  16. ↑ Francis Groome, ed. (1885). Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical. Grange Publishing.
  17. 1 2 3 "Dalbeattie". Imperial War Museums. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  18. 1 2 Gifford, John (2002) [1996]. Dumfries and Galloway. Pevsner Architectural Guides: The Buildings of Scotland. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300096712.
  19. ↑ "Inventory: Acc.7445: Papers of the late Charles D'Orville Pilkington Jackson Esq, ARSA, FRBS, FRSA" (PDF). National Library of Scotland Leabharlann Nàiseanta na h-Alba. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  20. ↑ "BUITTLE BRIDGE, DALBEATTIE (ALSO KNOWN AS CRAIGNAIR BRIDGE) (LB3364)". portal.historicenvironment.scot. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  21. ↑ "Buildings on the High Street". Dalbeattie Matters. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  22. ↑ "Dalbeattie, Station Road, Station". Canmore. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  23. ↑ "Dalbeattie Museum - Dalbeattie Museum". www.dalbeattiemuseum.co.uk.
  24. ↑ "The Nail Factory - Gallery and Art Space".
  25. ↑ "Andrew Carruthers". Parks and Gardens. 7 February 1770. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  26. ↑ "Former rally driver tells of lucky escape from helicopter crash". Herald Scotland. 24 November 2003. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  27. ↑ "The Rt Hon Alister Jack MP". Gov.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  28. ↑ Walker, Carol Kyros (1992). Walking North With Keats. New Haven and London: Yale University. pp. 236–237. ISBN 0-300-04824-6.
  29. ↑ "John Maxwell 1905-1962". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  30. ↑ "Legends". Queen of the South F. C. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  31. ↑ "Proposed memorial to Lieutenant Murdoch". The life and mystery of First Officer William Murdoch. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  32. ↑ "Ian Simpson to make a comeback at the North West". Bike Sport. 28 April 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  33. ↑ "Jim Steel full career profile". Qosfc.com. 19 December 2010. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  34. ↑ "John Strain". Catholic Encyclopaedia. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  35. ↑ "Andrew Swann". Partick Thistle - The Early Years. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  36. ↑ "Scottish Bishop pays tribute to former MP who became a priest". indcatholicnews.com. 1 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
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