We left Ayr for our next overnight destination of Penrith in Cumbria, and, rather than taking the direct route we decided to drive through the beautiful Galloway Forest Park. We stopped for a break at Glentrool Visitor Centre and to take some photos and then headed to what, in 2018, was named as Britain’s happiest town – Dumfries! Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, lived in here for the last seven years of his life, and is buried in the town. The Waterstones here is located in an attractive 18th century town house, formerly owned by Richard Lowthian of Stafford and latterly a hotel. Only the façade remains now, the site being redeveloped in the early 80s.
There are two plaques on the front of the building. One commemorates a stay of ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ and the other is for the Cyclists’ Touring Club, which was founded in 1878 – these plaques showed hotels that were ‘cycle friendly’.
The Midsteeple of Dumfries
This Dumfries Town-House was completed in 1707 and has been used variously as a prison, a court, a council chamber and as a Register Office for births, marriages and deaths – these days it is used as a theatre box office. On the front is a plate showing the distances to various towns.
Galloway Forest Park
Janet's Adventures in Waterstones 