Buittle, a coast parish of Kirkcudbrightshire, which, reaching NW to within a mile of Castle-Douglas, and E to within 5 furlongs of Dalbeattie, is traversed for 3½ miles by the section of the Glasgow and South-Western between those towns, and towards the S contains the post office village of Palnackie or Polnackie. The latter stands on the right bank of Urr Water, 5¾ miles above Urr Waterfoot, and 3¾¾ SSW of its post-town Dalbeattie; and, having a good natural harbour, was formerly the port of Castle-Douglas, coal, lime, and slate being the chief imports, livestock and farm produce the exports. Since 1861 the railway has mostly diverted its trade; and now it is a drowsy-looking place, with 2 inns and only some half-dozen shipowners.
The parish is bounded N, NE, and E by Urr, SE by Colvend, S by the Solway Firth (here 15 miles wide), SW by Rerwick and Kelton, NW by Kelton and Crossmichael. From N by W to S by E it has an extreme length of 9½ miles; its breadth from E to W varies between 1 and 41/8 miles; and its area is 12,431 acres, of which 860¾ are foreshore, 104¾ water, and 74½ ` inks. ' The seaboard consists of a peninsula, running 2½ miles down to Almorness Point, and ½ to ¾ mile broad, which rises 200 and 100 feet, and is washed on the E by Rough Firth, on the W by Orchardton and Auchencairn Bays. The surface inland is pleasantly diversified by grassy or arable hills, attaining 597 feet in Barskeoch, and somewhat exceeding 400 in Guffogland, 500 in Tod Fell, 500 in Barlochan, and 400 in Blackbelly. Urr Water flows to Rough Firth along all the boundary with Urr and Colvend; whilst the south -western, with Kelton and Rerwick, is traced by Doach Burn and Potterland Lane, descending to Orchardton Bay through a beautiful wooded glen, the so-called 'Trossachs of Galloway.' Other streams, in the interior, are Corra Lane, Mill of Glen Burn, and Little Lane. The Craignair granite quarries, situated near Urr Water at 390 feet above sea-level, were opened about 1806, and were worked by the Liverpool Dock Trustees from 1825 to 1832. Once more in active operation, they employ several hundred labourers, including those of Messrs Newall, who furnished granite for the Thames Embankment. Iron-ore, rock-crystal, talc, and spar are also found. The soil is fertile on the arable lands, which comprise a considerable aggregate of reclaimed foreshore and moss; nearly 1000 acres are under wood. Antiquities are a vitrified fort at Castlegower, in the W; another hill-fort at Almoness, in the S; the picturesque old tower of Orchardton, 11/8 mile S by W of Palnackie, the only round tower in Galloway, with the rare Ceterach fern growing on its walls; the vaults and ditches of the grand Castle of Botel or Buittle on the Urr, ¾ mile N by W of Buittle Bridge, a favourite seat this (it is said) of Baliol; the site of Kirkennan church, ¾ mile NNE of Palnackie; and the ivy-clad First Pointed ruins of Buittle church, held anciently by Sweetheart Abbey. The mansions are Munches and Kirkennan, 2 and 2½ miles SSW of Dalbeattie; and 11 proprietors hold each an annual value of £500 and upwards, 5 of between £100 and £500,2 of from £50 to £100, and 2 of from £20 to £50. Buittle is in the presbytery of Kirkcudbright and synod of Galloway; its minister's income is £396. The present church (1819; 400 sittings) stands by the old one towards the middle of the parish, 2½ miles WSW of Dalbeattie. Two public schools, High Buittle and Palnackie, with respective accommodation for 88 and 100 children, had (1879) an average attendance of 56 and 72, and grants of £39,10s. and £55,4s. Valuation (1881) £12,993,15s. 9d. Pop. (1811) 858, (1861) 1165, (1871) 1026, (1881) 991.—Ord. Sur., sh. 5,1857.
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errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from
the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be
different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original
text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity.
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