A hamlet in Dumfries and Galloway, Southerness lies on the Solway Firth, 4 miles (6.5 km) south of Kirkbean. First recorded as Salterness in the 12th C. saltpans were probably established here by the Vikings and later worked by monks. The modern village was founded in the late 18th C. by Richard Oswald of Auchincruive (1705-84) in the expectation of finding coal in the vicinity. His name is remembered in Oswald Crescent. Several large holiday parks, with static and touring caravans, make an important contribution to the local economy. Southerness Golf Course was established in 1947. A distinctive lighthouse was built here in 1749.
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