Friday 18 July 2025
Welcome to Community, your Dumfries and Galloway community bulletin.
We are always keen to hear of any positive stories about things that are happening in your community and would like to feature them in Community – please email us at communitybulletin@dumgal.gov.uk and one of our reporters will get back to you.
What's That Stat? £10 million
This is the amount generated for the local economy each year by nine signature events held across the region. During 2024, more than 70,000 people attended these events.
Signature events are international-quality events held annually in Dumfries and Galloway or regularly attracted here. The nine signature events receive grant funding from the council and support from council services. One of the successful events held this year was Spring Fling, which drew around 6000 visitors to participating studios and is expected to generate nearly £1.5 million in economic impact.
Hannah McAndrew and Doug Fitch, pictured in their studio by Shannon Tofts, were among the participating artists in Spring Fling. Hannah said:
“Spring Fling is important to us because it offers a way of showing visitors from the region and further afield an insight into what we do… Dumfries and Galloway is home to a myriad of phenomenal craftspeople and artists and this incredible event has helped to connect them to the wider communities that we live in.”
The list of signature events now includes the Stranraer Oyster Festival and the Kirkcudbright Galleries temporary exhibitions.
Other events are supported by the council’s major events fund, including the SkiffieWorlds coastal rowing event at Loch Ryan, Stranraer – returning for the first time since 2019.
 Record Breaking SkiffieWorlds 2025
Stranraer Water Sports Association is celebrating the success of SkiffieWorlds 2025. The world championships of coastal rowing reached a spectacular conclusion on Saturday, the hottest day of the year, on the waters of Loch Ryan.
The competition saw a record-breaking 78 clubs and more than 2000 rowers participate from across four continents. The triennial world championship returned to Stranraer following the town's highly successful hosting debut in 2019, with teams travelling from Australia, USA, Canada, South Africa and the Netherlands, alongside strong representation from across the UK and Ireland.
In addition to the rowing, the championship featured a shoreside festival in Agnew Park, including live music, family activities, an artisan market, theatre performances, a wellbeing hub and nature-based activities that attracted thousands of spectators throughout the week.
The event built upon the success of SkiffieWorlds 2019, which generated up to £4 million for the local economy. Early indications suggest the 2025 event, with its increased participation, has delivered even greater economic benefits to Stranraer and the wider region.
Stranraer will be home to a new £6.7 million Water Sports Hub, which is scheduled to open in summer 2026. The facility will further establish Stranraer as a major water sports destination and training hub.
Stranraer’s hosting of SkiffieWorlds 2025 was supported by funding from Dumfries and Galloway Council, EventScotland, South of Scotland Enterprise, Kilgallioch Community Fund and The Galloway Association of Glasgow, with local company EcoGen serving as headline sponsor.
King's Own Scottish Borderers Commemorated in Dumfries
A commemorative stone bearing the emblem of the King's Own Scottish Borderers regiment will be unveiled in Dumfries Garden of Remembrance on Saturday 19 July.
The regiment held long associations with the town and the wider region until its merger with several other Scottish regiments to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland in 2006. The stone will be unveiled by Major Charles Milroy, Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Dumfries and members of the Nithsdale Area Committee will be attending.
The ceremony will be held in the the Dumfries Garden of Remembrance, Brooms Road, Dumfries at 1pm.
 Area Committee Tackling Poverty and Inequalities Funding
There is still time to apply for funding from the Area Committee Tackling Poverty and Inequalities Funds.
These funds are here to help organisations that support people in our communities who need it most.
- Groups can apply for at least £1000 and up to £7500 to help run their projects.
- The money is for activities that will happen within 12 months after the decision is made.
- Decisions about who gets the funding will be made in September 2025.
The funding priorities are for projects that support, in particular:
- Food insecurity and clothing.
- Access to employment.
Other priorities include:
- Support for securing and sustaining tenancies.
- Access to transport.
- Financial management.
- Support for young people in relation to transport and mental, physical and sexual health.
- Digital connectivity.
- Fuel poverty.
The applications closing date will be Monday 21 July 2025 at midday.
Details of available funding can be found on our Grants and Funding page.
Shambellie House Photography Convention
This year's Shambellie House Photography Convention, held on 28 and 29 June, invited participants to pause, reflect and reconnect with the joy and meaning in their photography.
Over 75 guests arrived on Saturday for the photography convention, which included inspirational talks from leading photographers and a choice of talks from local speakers.
For those who wanted to fill up their whole weekend, a day of taster workshops was arranged on Sunday that offered people a guided photo-walk around the village of New Abbey or an introduction to cyanotypes.
People came from London, Penicuik, Lanarkshire, Fife, Troon, Aberdeenshire and across Dumfries and Galloway. There was a brilliant turnout from young people, now eager to grow a photography collective with support from Shambellie House.
Guest presenters included Judith Hewitt, who spoke about Dr Werner Kissling’s legacy and Dumfries’ ethnographic photography heritage.
Shambellie House was built in 1856 and sits in 2.33 hectares of grounds near the village of New Abbey in Dumfries and Galloway. A trust was set up in 2015, and in 2021 the Scottish Government transferred the house and grounds to the trust. The house opened in April 2022 and offers year round workshops in art, photography, textiles, craft and the environment as well as offering an annual programme of festivals and exhibitions.
 The Summer Reading Scheme
Do you love reading, story-telling and nature?
This year's Summer Reading Challenge – Story Garden – lets children explore the connection between storytelling and nature through reading about magical creatures, vibrant plants and enchanting landscapes.
Available for free in our libraries and online, the Summer Reading Challenge helps children stay engaged with reading during the summer holidays.
 First School Visit to the Woodland Laboratory
Bennel Wood received its first school visit on 24 June, when Sam Lomax from D and G Woodlands and ranger Toni Lamont hosted fourteen S2 pupils from Dalbeattie High School.
During the afternoon visit, Sam provided the group with a brief introduction to the Bennel Woodland laboratory, sharing recent history of the site and current plans.
The pupils, working with Ranger Toni Lamont, then became Bennel Woodland laboratory scientists for the afternoon, listening out for and recording the species of birds found on site that day. Pupils used mobile phone apps to help them identify the birdsong they were hearing – bird names were recorded on maps of Bennel Wood, with pupils marking down the approximate location of the birdsong.
Further discussion was had regarding where birds might nest, what they might eat, and what that means for the biodiversity of the site – what other creatures might make their home at Bennel Wood and what impact might that have on the bird population. The pupils were fully engaged and enjoyed sharing their ideas and knowledge with Toni and Sam.
The Bennel Wood site was clear-felled in spring 2024 and was purchased by Dumfries and Galloway Woodlands last December.
Galloway RDA Welcome New Volunteers
New volunteers for the Galloway Riding for the Disabled Association received a 'thank you' lunch at Rosava's in Castle Douglas.
After a period when Galloway RDA struggled to attract volunteers, they have now recruited several enthusiastic and capable people to help their riders.
The Riding for the Disabled Association has nearly 500 Groups across the UK who organise activities for 28,000 riders and carriage drivers with help from around 18,000 volunteers. At Galloway RDA, horses and ponies provide therapy, achievement and enjoyment to people with disabilities.
Galloway RDA group meet up at Gelston Castle Stables on Wednesday mornings during term time. There are three sessions each Wednesday, with a maximum of three rides per session.
Galloway RDA are always looking for volunteers and if anyone is interested, they can contact Claire Cooper at gallowayrda@gmail.com.
Last year's winners at the Great Corsock Show
Entries Invited for the Great Corsock Show
The Great Corsock Show returns on Saturday 23 August at Corsock Hall.
The show has become a family favourite and it allows bakers, crafters, growers, brewers and creatives to compete for trophies in 59 categories.
The full list of categories and programme of events are available online or through local shops. The judge’s challenge this year is ‘an individual cheesecake’ and ‘local wildlife’ is the photography theme.
Entries can be dropped off on the Friday night or on Saturday morning until 10.45am, when the doors are sealed for the judging to take place. At 1pm the ribbon is cut and all are welcome to assess the entries, enjoy the cafe, BBQ and bottle stall.
Castle Douglas Enjoys the Soapbox Derby
The annual Castle Douglas Soapbox Derby on 13 July attracted large crowds as homemade karts competed in the glorious sunshine.
The Soapbox Derby has become a popular attraction since it began in 2019. Competitors roll down a slope to gain speed before gravity takes them along an obstacle filled track in King's Street. This year, the karts came in all kinds of designs and their crews entertained with costumes and choreography.
Both locals and visitors turned up to support those who had made such a huge effort with entries.
Roads Updates
Several utility works are scheduled to take place in Dumfries over the coming weeks that are likely to result in some disruption to journey times.
SGN is continuing the urgent work to repair the gas network in the A701 Bloomfield Roundabout, Dumfries.
Local businesses such as Dalscone Farm and Heathhall Garden Centre remain open. Please follow local diversion signage to reach them.
During the period of this repair, planned works by other utility providers have been re-arranged to minimise impact to traffic.
Major utilities companies now have works planned in and around Dumfries over the coming weeks in addition to planned Dumfries and Galloway Council maintenance works.
The locations expected to cause most disruption to journey times include:
- 28 July to 4 August, Lockerbie Road, Peel Centre by Scottish Water and SPEN.
- 4–8 August, Galloway Street by SGN.
- 7 August, Lockerbie Road by Scottish Water.
- 11–15 August, St Michael Bridge Road by SPEN.
Any queries or questions regarding works should be directed to the utility company. Your patience and understanding are appreciated at this time.
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