Kirkconnel

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Kirkconnel
A 76 entering Kirkconnel.jpg
A76 entering Kirkconnel
Dumfries and Galloway UK location map.svg
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Kirkconnel
Location within Dumfries and Galloway
Population1,970 (mid-2020 est.) [lower-alpha 1] [1]
Language English
Scots
OS grid reference NS7311
•  Edinburgh 50 miles (80 km) NE
•  London 312 miles (502 km) SSE
Council area
Lieutenancy area
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town SANQUHAR
Postcode district DG4
Dialling code 01659
Police Scotland
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°23′13″N4°00′02″W / 55.387009°N 4.000611°W / 55.387009; -4.000611

Kirkconnel (Gaelic: Cille Chonbhaill) is a small parish in Dumfries and Galloway, southwestern Scotland. It is located on the A76 near the head of Nithsdale. Principally it has been a sporting community. The name comes from The Church of Saint Conal. In 1850 the village had only a single street. Next to Kirkconnel is a separate village called Kelloholm.

Contents

It is also associated with the ballad Helen of Kirkconnel .

History

The early church and settlement were situated at the foot of Kirkland Hill on the drove road from Ayrshire to Lanarkshire, which followed the steep incline beside the Glenaylmer Burn. Whether Saint Conal was an Irish monk or the son of a local shepherd befriended and educated by Glasgow's Saint Mungo, Christianity came early to this part of Nithsdale. A Celtic cross, erected in 1880 by the Duke of Buccleuch at the instigation of the minister, the Rev. John Donaldson, marks the reputed burial place of Saint Conal. From the neighborhood of the cross, on a clear day, can be seen the churches at Kirkconnel, Sanquhar and Kirkbride, all associated with Saint Conal.

St Conal's Church is one of the oldest church sites in Southern Scotland with archaeological remains dating to the 9th century and the present foundations of a church dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries.

Life changed dramatically for this small town in the 1890s when a coal pit was opened at Fauldheld. Coal had always been mined in the district before, but never in large quantities. From then on coal dominated the life of the little town. The coal industry moved away in recent decades, and with it much of the population.

Transport

The A76 road runs through the area. Kirkconnel is served by bus routes 221 and 246. [2]

Kirkconnel is served by Kirkconnel railway station on the Glasgow South Western Line.

Notable people

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ includes nearby Kelloholm

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References

  1. ↑ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "Kirkconnel, Main St, Queensberry (On Main Street)". transport direct. Retrieved 29 December 2011.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ Willie Ferguson career profile Archived 2009-02-26 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ "Kris Haddow - complete guide to the Playwright, Plays, Theatres, Agent". Archived from the original on 20 October 2011.
  5. ↑ "Kris Haddow - Actor - Equity". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011.
  6. ↑ Bill Taylor at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
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