More Fascinating Facts About Dumfries & Galloway
Brother Walfrid, founder of Glasgow Celtic Football Club, is buried in Dumfries
Robert the Bruce murdered his key rival for the crown of Scotland, John Comyn, in Dumfries. In a twist of legitimacy, Isabella, Countess of Buchan, who had married into the Comyn family, crowned Bruce King of Scotland, as was her right as the daughter of the Earl of Fife.
The long coastline of the Solway Firth welcomes over 40,000 wildfowl and 83,000 waders each winter making Dumfries & Galloway an ornithologist’s paradise. Places such as WWT Caerlaverock and Mersehead Nature Reserve make it easy to get close to flocks of thousands of barnacle geese, which travel every year from Norway to winter on the wetlands of the Solway.
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Destination Dumfries & Galloway
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Destination Dumfries & Galloway is now up & running!
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‘Destination Dumfries & Galloway’ (DD&G) is the official name of the company formed to lead tourism development in Dumfries & Galloway. At a historic meeting last week, some of the region’s most successful tourism businesses gave the thumbs up to DD&G by agreeing to act in an advisory capacity to DD&G board members in promoting our fabulous region.
Among those signing up to support DD&G are: Wilma Finlay of Cream o’ Galloway, Tom Gillespie of Gillespie Leisure, Douglas McMillan of the McMillan Hotel Group, Mark Coombs, Estate Manager of Drumlanrig Castle and Country Estate and Alasdair Houston of the Gretna Green Group. Wilma Finlay said “It is vital that businesses in Dumfries & Galloway start to really work together to promote tourism in the region. A huge amount of work has been done already by the shadow board of DD&G in preparing the framework for co-operative initiatives, and it is vital that we get behind them”.
In a welcoming speech, Prof. Terry Stevens (of Stevens View Partnership - the consultants who advised on the establishment of DD&G) referred to the work done in successful destinations worldwide. “It is essential” he said “that tourism operators are closely involved in the development of the destination, so that industry can effectively influence the development and growth of tourism in the region”.
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The meeting also served to launch an ambitious fundraising initiative, to secure matched Growth Funding from VisitScotland for an intensive campaign to put D&G firmly on the tourism map. This will be a high profile and creative marketing campaign to make a step-change in people’s awareness of Dumfries and Galloway. Our target budget is £100,000. We can get 75% funding from public agencies but must have 25% from businesses to secure this. Over £10,000 of the target of £25,000 has already been pledged by businesses both large and small, just days into the campaign. We now call upon others to join in and make a financial commitment to the development of our fabulous region. If you are committed to the success of D&G please click HERE to make your pledge and you will be contacted shortly.
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Springboard Scotland backs DD&G
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As a key supporter of DD&G, Springboard Scotland will be working with Jobcentre Plus and D&G College to provide training opportunities for unemployed people wishing to enter the industry. This will help provide a better trained, better informed work force that, in turn, will help DD&G reach their strategic objectives.
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