What’s going for it? In the – almost – words of Chandler from Friends: “Could anywhere be more Scottish?” Don’t @ me. Don’t write in. Here’s my pitch, hear me out. Dumfries was the home of Robert Burns. Back of the net. You can pay your respects at his statue opposite Nationwide Building Society, at his little sandstone house, or in person at his mausoleum in St Michael’s churchyard. Second: its warm red stone streets are chock-full of pinnacles, crow-stepped gables and baronial turrets, as if Disney’s imagineers had sketched it themselves. Third: in the late 13th century William Wallace and the townsfolk saw off the invading English here. Fourth: soon after, Robert the Bruce began his campaign for independence in Dumfries (and, at Bannockburn, won). Fifth: the remarkable, romantic hinterland – the red kites and pine forests of the Galloway hills, the ruined castles and abbeys of the Nith estuary, the white sands of the Solway coast – could turn Alf Garnett Hibernian. I could go on.
The case against A tad off the beaten track these days.
Well connected? Trains: hourly to Carlisle and the west coast mainline, every two hours to Glasgow (1hr 45 mins). Driving: 25 mins to Lockerbie and the M74, 30 mins to the beaches at Mersehead Sands, 50 mins to Carlisle.
Schools Primaries: almost all have no current reports, says Education Scotland, but Loreburn is “satisfactory”, while St Michael’s is “very good” or “excellent”. Secondaries: no current reports, either for Dumfries High, Dumfries Academy, St Joseph’s (Catholic) or North West Community.
Hang out at… I had a lovely welcome at the Globe Inn and the Cavens Arms. (It wasn’t a pub crawl, honest.)
Where to buy The centre of town has plenty of historic properties – but not so many to become a museum – particularly around Castle and George Streets and the ruddy Victorians around Lovers Walk. Across the river in Maxwelltown, Laurieknowe and the surroundings have a really beautiful stretch of historic properties. Good Victorians off St Mary’s Street, Cardoness Street and around. Look to Summerhill and Lochside for edge-of-town suburbans etc. Large detacheds and townhouses, £200,000-£500,000. Detacheds and smaller townhouses, £150,000-£200,000. Semis, £80,000-£250,000. Terraces and cottages, £70,000-£150,000. Flats, £50,000-£140,000. Rentals: a two-bedroom flat, £450-£600pcm; a three-bedroom house, £550-£700pcm.
Bargain of the week Five-bedroom Victorian townhouse in the centre, overlooking the River Nith, priced to sell at £70,000 with springbok properties.co.uk.
From the streets
Maureen Smyth “A vibrant open-water swimming community, with regular swims at Loch Etrick, Loch Ken and on the coast at Mossyard.”
Murray Sutherland “The 7stanes mountain bike trails in Mabie forest.”
Gillian Brydson “The Stove Network for lunch and live music.”
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