Думфришир: Тарихи және Географиялық Шолу

Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries (Siorrachd Dhùn Phris) is a historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the historic county. In terms of historic counties it borders Kirkcudbrightshire to the west, Ayrshire to the north west, Lanarkshire, Peeblesshire and Selkirkshire to the north, and Roxburghshire to the east. To the south is the coast of the Solway Firth, and the English county of Cumberland, later known as Cumbria. Dumfriesshire has three traditional subdivisions, based on the three main valleys in the county: Annandale, Eskdale and Nithsdale. These had been independent provinces in medieval times but were gradually superseded as administrative areas by the area controlled by the sheriff of Dumfries, or Dumfriesshire. A Dumfriesshire County Council existed from 1890 until 1975. Since 1975, the area of the historic county has formed part of the Dumfries and Galloway council area for local government purposes.

The coastline measures 21 miles (34 km). The county slopes very gradually from the mountainous districts of the Southern Uplands in the north, down to the sea; lofty hills alternating in parts with stretches of tableland or rich fertile holms. At various points within a few miles of the Solway are tracts of moss land, like Craigs Moss, Lochar Moss and Longbridge Moor in the west, and Nutberry Moss in the east, all once under water, but since largely reclaimed. The principal mountains occur near the northern boundaries, the highest being White Coomb (2695 feet (821 m)), Hart Fell (2651 feet (808 m)), Saddle Yoke (2412 feet (735 m)), Swatte Fell (2389 feet (728 m)), Lowther Hills (2377 feet (725 m)), Queensbury (2285 feet (696 m)) and Ettrick Pen (2269 feet (692 m)). Loch Skeen in the north (1750 ft or 533 m above the sea) and the group of lochs around Lochmaben, are the principal lakes. There are few glens so named in the shire, but the passes of Dalveen, Enterkin and Menock, leading up from Nithsdale to the Lowther and other hills, yield to few glens in Scotland in the wild grandeur of their scenery. For part of the way Enterkin Pass runs between mountains rising sheer from the burn to a height of nearly 2000 feet (610 m) Loch Skene finds an outlet in Tail Burn, the water of which at a short distance from the lake leaps from a height of 200 feet (61 m) in a fine waterfall, known as the Grey Mare's Tail. A much smaller but picturesque fall of the same name, also known as Crichope Linn, occurs on the Crichope near Thornhill. Mineral waters are found at Moffat, Hartfell Spa, some three miles (5 km) farther north, Closeburn and Brow on the Solway.

The origins of Dumfriesshire as a county or shire are obscure. There was certainly a shire of Dumfries by 1305, with some suggestion that it had existed from the twelfth century. Annandale and Eskdale retained a degree of independence from the sheriff of Dumfries, leaving the sheriff's practical control focussed on the Nithsdale area until 1747 when the separate jurisdictions of Annandale and Eskdale were ended under the Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746. Commissioners of Supply were created in 1667 for each shire, and formed the main administrative body for the area until county councils were created in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889. The 1889 act also led to a review of boundaries of many of Scotland's counties; in the case of Dumfriesshire the two parishes of Moffat and Kirkpatrick Juxta which had previously both straddled Dumfriesshire and Lanarkshire were brought entirely within Dumfriesshire. Dumfriesshire County Council was based at County Buildings in English Street. In May 1975 the county council was abolished and its functions were transferred to Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Two lower tier district councils were created from parts of Dumfriesshire, being Annandale and Eskdale covering the east of the county and Nithsdale covering the west of the county and a small part of neighbouring Kirkcudbrightshire. For lieutenancy purposes, the last lord lieutenant of the county of Dumfriesshire was made lord lieutenant for the combined area of the Nithsdale and Annandale and Eskdale districts when the reforms came into effect in 1975. The districts were abolished in 1996, with their functions passing to Dumfries and Galloway Council. The Dumfries lieutenancy area continues to cover the combined area of the pre 1996 Nithsdale and Annandale and Eskdale districts.

The population in 1891 was 74,245, and in 1901, 72,371, when there were 176 persons who spoke Gaelic and English. mountain biking centres in Dumfriesshire at Dalbeattie, Mabie and Ae. The Sustrans Route 7 long distance cycle route also runs through the Dumfriesshire. There is excellent hill walking in the Moffat Hills. The Southern Upland Way coast to coast walk passes through Dumfriesshire and the 53 mile long Annandale Way travels from the Solway Firth into the Moffat hills near the Devil's Beef Tub. There is also sailing on Castle Loch at Lochmaben.