The Glenkens is made up of the parishes of Kells/New Galloway, Parton, Balmaclellan, St. John’s Town of Dalry , Carsphairn and Laurieston and nestles in ‘the Heart of Galloway’. People have been settling here for more than 5,000 years and the land is steeped in human history. In the past the Glenkens has been referred to as ‘The Womb of Scotland’ and ‘The Cradle of Scottish Independence’ such has been its prominent role in Scottish history.

BALMACLELLAN

Balmaclellan is a 19th century village built on a steep hillside. There is an earthen Motte to the north of the village. The T-plan Parish Church has an excellent stained glass west window, with a statue of Robert Paterson (Old Mortality) and his pony in the cemetery. Barscobe Castle is an L-plan laird’s house restored 1971-87. Grennan Mill (19C) has evidence of milling on the site since 1506. The Holy Linn Covenanter meeting and baptismal place commemorates the killing times of the 1680s. Ironmacannie still has working reminders of its industrial past whilst Barscobe Castle is a family home to this day.

LAURIESTON

Laurieston was, at one time, ruled by ‘the Laird of Hell’; the Laird of Slogarie was so named for his cruelty. There you will find the memorial to Samuel Rutherford Crockett, Bargatton Cairns and Laurieston Hall.

BALMAGHIE

Balmaghie is joined to Laurieston by the ancient track running along Kirk Road. The Parish Church has an octagonal tower and is the burial place of Samuel Rutherford Crockett. The cemetery contains a monument to the Reverend McKie as well as Covenanter stones and a War grave. Glenlochar Chapel and Livingston House are reminders of grand lives: perhaps that of Professor HMB Reid?

GLEN TROOL

Glen Trool is a Forestry Commission village. Nearby Caldons contains a memorial to six Covenanters killed on the spot. Bruce’s Memorial Stone commemorates a famous victory against the armies of the English and there is an inscription inspired by Sir Walter Scott on the bridge at Buchan Burn. A Bronze Age hoard was discovered some years ago and you can see cairns that are more than 3,000 years old.

NEW GALLOWAY

New Galloway is the region’s smallest Royal Burgh and used to be known as ‘The Roddings’. The local church is known as Kells Parish Church and is the burial place of members of the Trotter literary family. The cemetery contains a Gamekeeper’s grave, an Adam & Eve stone and Covenanter memorials. Now-derelict Kenmure Castle was the magnificent home of the Gordon family for six hundred years and stands on the site of an earlier fortification. Dalarran Holm is just north of Ken Bridge and is a standing stone reputed to mark the burial place of a Danish King. Lowran Glen conceals a wonderful World War I memorial deep in its folds.

ST JOHN’S TOWN OF DALRY

St. John’s Town of Dalry is a large hillside village, formerly known as Auld Clachan. There is an earthen Motte standing next to the Water of Ken, adjacent to the Parish Church. The cemetery contains a Covenanter table monument, The Gordon Aisle (a family tomb in which the dead were placed upright) and a beautiful avenue of Elm trees. There is a modern monument to the Covenanters in the grounds of the school whilst the pilgrim connection can be seen in St. John the Baptist’s Seat and the road to Whithorn. Close by is Earlstoun Loch power station and dam.

PARTON

Parton straddles the A713. It has a fine Parish church and is the last resting place of James Clerk Maxwell; the giant of physics who was called “a genius” by Albert Einstein. There are two mottes plus an octagonal privy – an eight-sided toilet built for estate workers for whom the village was created.

CARSPHAIRN

Carsphairn has its own Heritage Centre and further information is available there. Polmaddy Settlement is very close by, as are Woodhead Lead Mine and the Galloway Hydro-electric Scheme at Carsfad (which was the scene of a gruesome tragedy). There are numerous sites of historical interest from agriculture through industry to religion and beyond. Celtic crosses, cairns, Bronze Age graves and cup-and-ring-marked stones can all be seen. A number of listed walks have been drawn around Carsphairn to link the history of the area, which is associated with several figures of note including Thomas Murray, AWM Clark Kennedy and John Loudon MacAdam. The church has a first-class stained glass window.

CLATTERINGSHAWS

Clatteringshaws is an artificial loch formed during the construction of the Galloway Hydro-electric Scheme. There is evidence of farming on the site from Romano-British settlement to the present day as well as the Galloway window.

DUNKITTERICK

Dunkitterick displays the monument to Alexander Murray on top of a hill but if you go behind the hill you will find Black Loch Needle.