Gavin Millar Jnr. contacted us with the information that he has been storing the Trophies from the Kirkcudbright Pigeon Club and would like to donate them to a local heritage group. After photographing them for us he has given them to the Stewartry Museum. The photographs can be found on https://www.kirkcudbrighthistorysociety.org.uk/image-library/kirkcudbright-pigeon-club-trophies/
A former member of the club, Sam Kelly agreed to research its history.
Kirkcudbright Pigeon Club
The club began in the early 1950s, founded by Mr and Mrs Maxwell. With Mr Maxwell being 
station master, storage space was available for baskets and equipment to prepare pigeons for races. After each race, timing clocks were checked to determine the winners. The club belonged to the Kyle Racing Pigeon Association, but a split occurred in 1955 when half the members opted to join the Solway Federation, which proved beneficial.
The new club first set up its headquarters at Jack Ross’s house, Quarry Knowe, which used to be behind Penman’s Garage. Jack and his brother Drew were both enthusiastic pigeon fanciers. Later, the club moved its headquarters to The Wee Tin Kirk, now the site of the Fire Station. After that, they relocated to one of the council buildings past Gavin Millar’s workshop. The next venue was a workshop in Beaconsfield Square near the harbour,
previously used by a company that built fiberglass boats. The club then shifted down Tan Pits Lane, opposite the Pipe Band Hall. I believe their final location was the car park just below Silver Craigs Caravan Park, an area still in use today with several lock-ups. I had already left the club several years before it disbanded. Dick Baty recalls giving up pigeon racing around 2000, as he frequently travelled to visit his son in New Zealand—sometimes for three or four weeks at a time—making it impossible to care for the pigeons.
At that time, the whole country faced an unusual problem: pigeons weren’t returning home. Many people suspected this was caused by something in the atmosphere, perhaps a solar
