Discover 4 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Kirkcudbright (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Tolbooth Art Centre, MacLellan's Castle, and Broughton House. Also, be sure to include Stewartry Museum in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Kirkcudbright (Scotland).
Table of Contents
Tolbooth Art Centre
Kirkcudbright Tolbooth is a historic municipal building in Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Built between 1627 and 1629 to serve the town as a centre of commercial administration, a meeting place for the council, and a prison, it was used for all these roles until the late eighteenth century when the council moved much of its business to new, larger premises they had constructed across the street; the tolbooth remained in use as a prison until the early nineteenth century, after which it remained in council ownership and was put to a variety of uses.
Amongst the people incarcerated in the tolbooth during its use as a prison were people accused of witchcraft, and as late as 1805 it was used to imprison a woman convicted of pretending to be a witch. It was also used to imprison Covenanters during the Killing Time of 1679–1688; in 1684 a crowd stormed the building, killing a guard and freeing the Covenanters held within. American naval hero John Paul Jones was held in the tolbooth in 1770, following his arrest on suspicion of homicide after a sailor under his command died following a flogging Jones had ordered.
Kirkcudbright Tolbooth was designated a Category A listed building in 1971. It was renovated in the 1990s, and is currently used as a visitor centre and art gallery.[1]
Address: High Street, DG6 4JL Kirkcudbright
MacLellan's Castle
Castle in Kirkcudbright, Scotland. MacLellan's Castle in the town of Kirkcudbright, in Galloway, Scotland, was built in the late 16th century. It stands in the centre of Kirkcudbright, on the south side of the River Dee which flows into the Solway Firth. The L-plan castle was the residence of the MacLellan family from whom it derived its name. The family sold the castle in 1752, and from 1782 to 1912 it was held by the Earls of Selkirk. Today, the site is curated by Historic Environment Scotland.[2]
Address: Maclellan Castle Castle Street, DG6 4JD Kirkcudbright
Broughton House
Museum in Kirkcudbright, Scotland. Broughton House is an 18th-century town house standing on the High Street of Kirkcudbright, Scotland. It was the home of Scots impressionist artist E. A. Hornel between 1901 and his death in 1933. During this time Hornel remodelled the house and created the Japanese-influenced gardens. Since 1997 it has been in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, and is maintained as "a living museum of Hornel’s life and work". The house is a category A listed building, and the gardens are included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.[3]
Address: 12 High Street, DG6 4JX Kirkcudbright
Stewartry Museum
Museum in Kirkcudbright, Scotland. The Stewartry Museum is a local museum in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, which covers the history of this part of Galloway.[4]
Address: St. Mary Street, DG6 4AQ Kirkcudbright