Tanpits lane is a well known shortcut from Castle St through to St Mary St and existed prior to the development of new houses in the early 90s. These are photographs taken by the late Robin Middleton as the bulldozers started preparing the ground. In one of the photos the Scout Hall and a pigeon loft can be seen. The Pipe Band Hall was built by members in a year in 1970 and was used by them as a practice hall till the site was required by the Council and they relocated to the new hall in 1994. The builder’s yard was where Daar Lodge car park is now
A link to an interesting account of “The Temple” in the Cally grounds has been brought to our attention. It was constructed in the last years of the 1780s as a feature in the landscape around the new mansion.
buildings in the town. Known at one time as the McKenzie Hall the interesting history of the building can be found in this article from a 1966 copy of the Galloway News.
Not instantly noticeable, a still older seat of lordship lies a few hundred yards to the SW. ‘Cumstoun Castle’ is a late-medieval rectangular tower-house, now ruined. Its builders were most likely the Kennedys, though in later time ownership passed to the MacLellans, then the Dunbars.
It is a true statement, that many of those who live locally, may have never visited their local visitor attraction or historic monument. This will certainly be true of the Castle which dominates the centre of Kirkcudbright.
One of the landmarks in the town illustrates the generosity of a Kirkcudbright born gentleman. Built with donations from an Edward Atkinson, who was Manager of the Provincial Bank of England, Atkinson Place is an attractive square in the middle of the town. Initially funded by anonymous donations, the instructions were for one or more alms houses to be built. Over the years, more anonymous donations were received and by 1897 the Session had completed a scheme for the whole site. Initially known as Lancefield, after the benefactor died, it became known as Atkinson Square, now known as Atkinson Place. Sam Kelly has produced a video about “the Square” which can be viewed on YouTube.