The larger half of the county in the north-west direction consists of a rugged and mountainous table-land, with lofty summits of every variety of aspect, intersected often by deep glens. The scenery of this region is for the most part wild and bleak, its solitary desolation being heightened by the presence of many small lochs and tarns, but almost totally unrelieved by a single tree or shrub, although the peat deposits give evidence that the district was at one time covered by an extensive forest. The most elevated regions are generally covered with heath, but at the northern boundary there is a range of grassy hills. Many of the mountains have an elevation of over 2000 feet, the highest summits being Mearroch (2762 feet) in the parish of Minnigaff, and Corserine (2668), Carlin’s Cairn (2650), and Cairnsmure in Carsphairn (2612)—all in the parish of Carsphairn. The south-eastern half of the county is for the most part level but undulating, its uniformity being broken by frequent rocky knolls or small rounded hills, and in the south-eastern corner rising into several elevated summits, the highest of which is Criffel, 1867 feet. The greater part of this district is finely wooded, and abounds in picturesque scenery, especially towards the sea-coast and in the neighbourhood of the rivers and numerous lochs.

The southern coast is usually bold and rocky, and is much indented by the estuaries of various rivers, which form a number of natural harbours. Owing to the shallowness of the sea-bed, large stretches of sand are exposed in the Solway Firth at ebbtide, and the rapid flow of the tide has often occasioned loss of life to the unwary.

Geology.— Geologically Kirkcudbright forms part of the Silurian belt of the south of Scotland, but this formation is interrupted in the county by several upheavals of granite, one in the north-west south of Loch Doon, another near the centre immediately west of Loch Ken, and a third round Criffel on the shores of the Solway Firth. The lofty table-land is supposed to have been at one time the seat of an immense ice-bed (see paper by W. Jolly, in Trans. Edin. Geol. Sue., 1868), whose action has doubtless in part created the isolated round-backed ridges of granite in the valley of the Urr, the finest example in Scotland of the Poches moutonnées, which constitute a peculiar feature in alpine scenery (A. Somervail in Trans. Edin. Geol. Soc., 1879). A more striking result of the glacial action was the dispersion of Kirkcudbrightshire granite to Cumberland, to North Wales, and even so far south .as the neighbourhood of Wolverhampton (D. Mackintosh in Quart. Jourη. Geol. Soc., 1879). The Silurian strata are for the most part of a slaty character, but in some places are composed of a species of red sandstone. Especially in the neighbourhood of the granite the strata are very much contorted, and give evidence of having at one time been subjected to the action of immense heat. The granite is principally of a pale grey resembling that of Aberdeen, but a red variety also occurs. The principal quarries are at Dalbeattie and Creetown. Strata of lead are believed to stretch between Minnigaff and the Leadhills in Dumfriesshire, but the metal is very little worked. Iron ore exists in different parts of the county, but from the absence of coal is almost wholly unutilized. Copper and barytes are also found, especially in the parish of Urr. Marl is obtained in large quantities from a number of the lochs.

Rivers.— The Nith, which rises in Ayrshire and flaws through Dumfriesshire, forms for about 12 miles the boundary between Dumfries and Kirkcudbright, an equal distance of boundary to the north-west being formed by its tributary the Cluden water. The Urr, which rises in Loch Urr on the borders of Dumfriesshire, flows south-eastward by Dalbeattie to the Solway Firth, where it forms a small bay. The Ken rises in Dumfriesshire, and after being joined from the west by the Deugh water flows south-east into Loch Ken, the stream that issues from the loch taking the name of the Dee, and after a beautiful course southwestwards falling into the Solway Firth. The Fleet, which rises in Loch Fleet, after a course of about 7 miles, falls into Wigtown Bay, where it forms an estuary. The Cree, which has its origin in two streams in Ayrshire, and forms the boundary of Kirkcudbright with Ayrshire and afterwards with Wigtownshire, flows south-east by Minnigaff and Newton Stewart, and falls into Wigtown Bay at Creetown.

Agriculture.— A considerable proportion of the land in the higher regions of Kirkcudbright is unsuitable for tillage, and yields a very small return as pasturage. In many cases also the soil is very marshy. In the lower regions it is generally dry but rocky. Much has been done of late years to increase the value of the land by draining the swamps, by the removal of stones, and by deepening the soil and enriching it with manures. Generally the climate and soil are not adapted for the rearing of grain, but are specially suited for grass and green crops.

According to the agricultural returns for 1881 the area under crops was 179,237 acres, or 29 per cent, of the whole area. The area under corn crops was 32,349 acres; under green crops, 18,091; under rotation grasses, 71,091; under permanent pasture, 57,471 acres. The area under woods was 19,741 acres. The system of cropping is generally as follows first year, in.breaking up from pasture, barley or more generally oats; second year, green crop; third year, wheat, oats, or barley; fourth year, hay or pasture, which is generally continued for three additional years. It is now becoming a very common practice to sow out in grass after turnips without taking a corn crop, the soil being also frequently allowed the advantage of the manure of the sheep which have eaten the turnips on the ground. Of corn nearly the whole area is under oats, which in 1881 occupied 31,061 acres, while only 933 were under barley and here, and 146 under wheat. Of green crops the area under turnips and swedes in 1881 was 14,596 acres, under potatoes 2847, mangolds 91, carrots 38, cabbage, kohl-rabi, and rape 402, and vetches 117.

The total number of horses in 1881 was 5395. Of these 3789 are stated to be used solely for agricultural purposes, and 1606 to be unbroken horses and mares kept solely for breeding. The breeding of Clydesdale horses has of late years been increasing. Cattle in 1881 numbered 40,737. The Ayrshire breed of cattle was introduced into Galloway about the beginning of the century, and has risen rapidly in favour, being now the principal stock in West Galloway. Polled or Galloway cattle is a common breed in East Galloway, especially on inferior farms, and is still preferred for dairy purposes on many low country farms. The number of cows in 1881 was 12,071, of other cattle above two years of age 14,002, and of cattle under two years of age 14,664. The number of cattle to every 100 acres under cultivation was 22 ’ 8, the average for Scotland being 23. Within recent years the increase in the number of cows has been very great, cheese-making, in which much progress has been made, now occupying the chief attention of the farmer. Cattle feeding is also largely practised, and for this purpose large quantities oflean cattle are imported from Ireland. Sheep in 1881 numbered 362,289, an average of 202 ’ l to every 100 acres under cultivation, the average for Scotland being 141 ’ 3. Blackfaced sheep are the most common on the high grounds, and even on the lower f arts the Cheviot breed is decreasing owing to the low price of wool.

n some districts crosses of a Leicester tup with a blackfaced or Cheviot ewe are common. Pigs, which are kept principally on dairy farms, are generally fed on whey and Indian corn. In 1881 theynumbered 5667.

The following table gives a classification of holdings according to size in 1875 and 1880 :— [table]

In 1872-73 the land was divided among 2386 proprietors, and amounted to 571,950 acres, with a gross annual value of £360,960. Of the owners 1908, or 79 per cent., possessed less than 1 acre, and the average value was 12s. 8d. per acre. There were three proprietors who possessed upwards of 40,000 acres, viz., the earl of Galloway, 55,981; H. G. Murray Stewart, 45,367; and William Forbes, 40,445. Other eight possessed upwards of 10,000 acres.

Manufactures.— The principal ports are Kirkcudbright, Creetown, and Gatehouse. Linen, woollen, and cotton goods are manufactured in the towns and villages, and there are also breweries, distilleries, tanneries, and paper-mills. Shipbuilding is carried on to a small extent at Kirkcudbright. Lead is obtained at Woodhe⅛d and Minnigaff; there are extensive granite works at Dalbeattie and Creetown; and at Dalbeattie there are brick and tile works. Deep-sea fishing is prosecuted in the Solway, and salmon fisheries at the mouths of the rivers.

Railways.— A line from Dumfries to Castle Douglas is continued by Gatehouse and Creetown to Newton Stewart, and a branch line runs south from Castle Douglas to Kirkcudbright.

Administration.— The county includes twenty-eight parishes. Quarter sessions are held on the first Tuesday of March, May, and August, and the last Tuesday of October; and justice of peace small debt courts are held at Kirkcudbright, New Galloway, Castle Douglas, Maxwell town, Gatehouse of Fleet, and Creebridge. The county forms a portion of the sheriffdom of Dumfries and Galloway. A sheriff court is held twice a week. A sheriff circuit small debt court is held at Castle Douglas, Maxwell town, New Galloway, and Creetown, and a small debt court for the whole stewartry at Kirkcudbright. The county returns one member to parliament, and the burgh of Kirkcudbright unites with Annan, Dumfries, and Lochmaben in returning another, New Galloway uniting with Wigtown, Stranraer, and Whithorn in returning a third, while Maxwelltown, a portion of which is in the county, forms part of the burgh of Dumfries.

Population.— From 29,211 in 1801 the population gradually increased till it was 43,121 in 1851. Since then it decreased in 1861 to 42,495 and in 1871 to 41,859, but in 1881 it was 42,126, of whom 19,796 were males and 22,330 females. None of the towns exceed 3000 in population. Kirkcudbright, a royal and parliamentary burgh, has a population of 2571. New Galloway, Maxwelltown, Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie, and Gatehouse are police burghs. The principal villages are Auchencaim, Creetown, Crossmichael, Dairy, Haugh of Urr, Kirkpatrick-Durham, and New Abbey.

History and Antiquities. —Anciently Kirkcudbrightshire formed part of the kingdom of Strathclyde, being occupied partly by the Novantae, who held the whole of Galloway westward from the Dee, and partly by the Selgovae, whose territory stretched eastward from the Dee to Northumbria. One of the towns of the Selgovae, Car-bantorigum, in all probability occupied the site of the stronghold called the Moat of Urr. In 79 b.c. Agricola landed on the shores of the Solway Firth and overran Strathclyde, but the district was not completely subjugated by the Romans till the building of the wall of Sevenιs in 208. Many traces of Roman camps are still to be seen, and a very perfect one exists at Pulcree in the parish of Anwoth. Some suppose that the important indications of human occupation in the caves on the coast were due to the fact that some of the inhabitants betook themselves to these during the Roman occupation (see “Accounts of the Exploration of the Borness Cave” in Proc. Soc. Aniiq. Scot., 1874,1875, 1877). The Pictish tribe which, according to Bede, inhabited Galloway in 608, is supposed by Skene to have been the original Novantae, — a tribe, he thinks, of Gaedel or Gaelic Fichts who retained their independence because of the isolated position of the country. In the 7th century the region was invaded by the Angles, but their rule over it ceased about the end of the 8th century. In 740 Alpin, king of the Scots of Dalraida, was slain in battle, probably near the site of the present town of Kirkcudbright. The name Galloway, by which the country occupied by Kirkcudbright and Wigtownshire is now known, seems first to have been applied to it while it formed part of the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria, the word Galwetha being formed from Galwyddel the Welsh equivalent of Gallgaidhel, the word meaning the Gaels under the dominion of foreigners. Of the ancient inhabitants of Galloway there are in Kirkcudbrightshire a large number of relics. In several of the lochs crannogs or lake dwellings as well as canoes and a variety of implements and other remains have been found. Druidical circles are very common, and among the numerous cairns maybe mentioned that of Drumlawhinnie on the moor of Barclay in Minnigaff parish, which is 891 feet in circumference. Of the Pictish kilns there are several specimens in the parish of Minnigaff and in other places. The most notable old forts are a very ancient one on a sea-cliff near Borgue, an old Pictish tower at Rattra in the same parish, a circular fort with vitrified walls at Castle Gower, parish of Buittle, and others on the hill of Halfame, Crossmichael, the hill of Dunguile, Kelton, and on Benarty hill. An old wall known as the Devil’s dyke, supposed to have been built previous to the Roman invasion, passed through Galloway from Lochryan into Dumfriesshire. In the 9th century the district was invaded by the Danes, and so much harassed that many of the inhabitants emigrated to Wales. In the following century Galloway along with Strathclyde was subdued by Edmund and brought under the rule of Malcolm I. of Scotland. Some time in the 11th century it was subdued by the Danes and the Norwegians, but in the beginning of the 12th century they were overpowered by a Celtic chief Fergus, who founded a line of lords of Galloway, some of whom asserted their independence of the Scotch crown. The line became extinct in the male branch in 1234, after which Galloway was for some time under the rule of Edward I. of England. The lordship in the female line became divided between two families, one of whose representatives, John Baliol, laid claim to the crown of Scotland, but in 1308 the district was freed of the English and brought under allegiance to Robert Brace, after which the lordship of Galloway was conferred upon Edward Bruce. Later in the 14th century Galloway again espoused the pretensions of the Baliols to the throne of Scotland, but the district was finally completely subjugated in 1353 by Sir William Douglas, whose descendant Archibald received from the crown in 1371-72 the lordship of Galloway. After the forfeiture of the estates of the Baliols, Kirkcudbright was placed under the immediate rule of the crown, and was governed by the royal steward, whence it has still the name of the “stewartry,” but it appears that the stewardship was afterwards transferred to the Douglases, and was not restored to the crown until the forfeiture of their estates in 1455.

The principal old castles are Threave Castle on the Dee, the seat of the Douglases, for the reduction of which during the siege of 1455 it is said that the famous cannon Mons Meg was manufactured; Cardross Castle, on the west side of the Fleet; and the castle of Kirkcudbright, which belonged .to the lords of Galloway, and was frequently the residence of royalty.

The principal monastic buildings were the Cistercian abbey of Dundrennan, founded in 1142; Tongland Abbey, founded by the Premonstratensians under the auspices of Fergus in the reign of David I.; the priory of St Mary’s Isle, founded also by Fergus, and subsequently united as a dependent cell to the abbey of Holyrood; the. New Abbey founded for Cistercian monks in 1275; the priory of Lincluden, founded by Uchtred, lord of Galloway, for Benedictine nuns; a convent for Franciscans or Greyfriars, founded at Kirkcudbright in the reign of Alexander II.; and a nunnery in the parish of Kirkcudbright.

See Syrnson, A Large Description of Galloway, 1684, new ed. 1823; Murray, Literary History of Galloway, 1822; and the Histories of Galloway by Mackenzie, 1841, and Mackerlie, 1870-78.