GCS Programme for 2026
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AGM and Gatehouse Historical Walk
Thursday April 23rd
Lunch at the Mill on the Fleet, Gatehouse of Fleet at 1pm followed by the AGM at the Mill at 1.45pm, followed by a historical walk around Gatehouse.
Those wishing to attend the lunch and AGM are requested to RSVP, via the Chairperson’s email: a.buckoke1952@btinternet.com.
Organiser: David Steel and Alistair Buckoke.
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Visit to Gledpark Deer Farm Farm, nr Kirkcudbright
Wednesday May 20th, 2pm
Farm Visit to Gledpark Farm, Kirkcudbright. This is a Red Deer farm, and the Farmer has agreed to show us around the farm and the various facets of agriculture that are engaged in. All access will be by car on farm roads, with no significant walking involved. Gledpark is on the B727 between Gatehouse and Borgue, about halfway between the Barharrow turn off and Blackbriggs, near Borgue.
Organiser: Alistair Buckoke
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Visit to Whithorn
Early June, tbc
A day visit to Whithorn, which will include a visit to the Port Castle excavations (near St Ninians Cave) at 10 am, a tour of the Museum and Roundhouse at Whithorn at 11.30 am, focusing on new exhibits, lunch at the Museum Cafe, and then a tour of building conservation and boatbuilding skills workshops in the afternoon. We do not yet know the dates for the excavations, but the visit here would be for confident walkers, so some might wish to join us at the Museum a little later.
Organiser: Julia Muir-Watt and Alistair Buckoke
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Visit to DG Woodlands Trust Sites
Mid-July, tbc
A visit to DG Woodlands Trust sites with McNabb Laurie, looking at the aims of the Trust. This is likely to be in the Dalbeattie area.
The focus of the visit will be on the varied woodland conservation aims of the trust, and will include a visit to a wood recently acquired by the trust.
Organiser: McNabb Laurie
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A Visit to Drumlanrig Castle
Early – Mid September, tbc
Lunch at Thornhill followed by a visit to Drumlanrig. Further details will be supplied on this site in due course.
Organiser: Jane Maitland
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Extra Event Space
tbc
Details, times and places, as they become known.
Organiser: Various
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Extra Event Space
tbc
Details as they become available
Organiser: tbc
View Previous Years’ Programme →
Joining Us
If you would like to become a member of Galloway Conservation Society you will receive news and information throughout the year.
The annual fee is £15 payable by BACS:
Sort Code:80-06-11
A/c no: 00402803
or by cheque to The Acting Treasurer, Galloway Conservation Society, LM Bookkeeping Services,
8 Kings Road, Whithorn, Newton Stewart DG8 8PP, email: gcs_treasurer@lmbookkeepingservices.co.uk
Do think about joining us. We have a varied and active programme, available to see under Events.
Our contact details are on the Committee page, or via the Treasurer address and email as above.
2024 Programme of Events
Annual General Meeting
Saturday 6th April
2.00 p.m. St Ninians Church Hall, Castle Douglas
Lunch at 12.30 at the Kings Arms
Please let the Secretary know if you wish to attend the lunch. The options are fish and chips or soup and sandwiches if you wish to order in advance. Please let the Secretary know what your option would be.
Talk by Dave Cowley, HES, on LIDAR technology.
LIDAR stands for Laser Imaging, Detection And Ranging, and uses a pulsed laser source to scan areas of ground from the air and record what the reflected pulse indicates about the shape of the ground, in great detail. This has been revolutionising field archaeology.
Organiser: Alistair Buckoke
Rhinns Coastal Path Walk
Tuesday 30th April
We shall explore sections of the Coastal Path, looking at the remarkable archaeology and the wild flowers. We will meet at 11.30am at the Port Logan Fish Pond car park. After paying a courtesy visit to the Fish Pond, we will take the coastal path to the Clanghie Bay and Clanghie Point coastal promontory forts, which offer good examples of the kind of liminal features talked about by Dr Toby Driver recently. The walk is a little less than 1 Km each way, and is not strenuous, but is for reasonable walkers, though will allow shorter distances for those wishing to enjoy the beaches and wild flowers. We will have a picnic lunch at Port Logan, after which we will migrate by car to Port Gill to the NW of Port Logan. There we will walk c.0.5 Km along the coast bluff to the Duniehinnie promontory fort, another excellent example of the liminal siting so characteristic of these kinds of site. We will return to the parked cars by 3.30pm, 4pm at the latest. Those attending will need to bring a picnic lunch. The weather forecast is for showers, but with clear periods around the middle of the day, so those attending will need to have waterproofs available.
Organiser: Alistair Buckoke
Polmaddy/Carsphairn Walk
Thursday 30th May, 13.30pm
A cultural walk of c. 4 miles on paths, so for reasonable walkers.
The aim will be to look for evidence for the longevity of use of a routeway, significantly beyond medieval settlement.
We will meet at Carsphairn War Memorial, at NX 567 931, at 13.30 pm. There should be enough space for 3-4 cars, but we are looking for a volunteer to drive to the other end of the walk as below, in order to shuttle drivers back to Carsphairn.
From the War Memorial we will walk to Cairnavel long cairn, at NX 5594 9245, and then on up the hill on the old pack road, taking in round burial cairns, clearance cairns, hut circles, old field systems and farms (eg Faulds, Craigrocket, a possible gallows site). We will then walk down the forestry road to the point where it joins the A713, which is marked by signs with the letters STTS, at NX 587 902, the picking up point. We should get there at c. 16.30pm.
Some members plan to have lunch at The Clachan Inn, Dalry beforehand, meeting there c.12.15pm. All would be welcome to join us.
Weather advice at 10 am, 29/05/24: the forecast is for scattered showers in the area during the day, which do not appear to be heavily concentrated. The advice would be to bring waterproofs, which may not be needed for the duration of the walk.
Organiser: Michael Ansell
Dumfries House Visit
Friday 16th August
To replace the postponed Roman Carlisle event, a visit to Dumfries House is proposed on the 16th August, hopefully now benefiting from more establishment of the gardens and the main venues. The aim is to get to the house at 11.30 am, followed by an exploration of some of the gardens, and then lunch in the Cafe at 12.30pm. A ‘Grand Tour’ of the House is booked for 1.30pm, which will include the Upstairs Gallery and some bedrooms. We will then have a further exploration of the gardens and other available venues until departing for home at around 4pm. Car sharing is to be arranged, and those wishing to obtain a lift need to contact The Secretary or The Chairperson. Non-members are very welcome to join us.
Organiser: Dumfries House and Alistair Buckoke.
Whithorn Archive Collection Research Facility Visit
Thursday 12th September, 2pm, 14 Bellevilla Road, Stranraer
The Stranraer Museum Store Facility holds the entire Whithorn Excavation Archive, including all the skeletal material recovered. Now that new scientific methods are available to study excavated artefacts, the Excavation Archive has become a hub of research on this material. The Manager of this facility has kindly agreed to give a talk on the research under way, and to show us a variety of artefacts and the techniques that have been used to study them. Afterwards we will make our way to the Stranraer Museum on George Street, where the Director will show us some new material on display, including artefacts from the Dunragit Bypass excavations. The Bellevilla Road building is just the other side of the road from Morrison’s car park, on the W side. Members may wish to combine the visit with some shopping at Morrisons. Stranraer Museum is on the other side of the town centre, and is a relatively easy walk from Bellevilla Road. Some members may wish to drive there, however, and parking should not be too difficult in that area.
After the visits we will have tea at the North West Castle Hotel, which is a very short distance from Morrisons. Parking is available at the front of the Hotel.
Organiser: Bronwyn Chomitz
Roman Carlisle
Postponed until the Autumn due to building works overrun.
11.00: Meet at Tullie House, Carlisle
11.30: Talk, followed by visit to galleries in the Museum, then lunch in Tullie House Cafe.
PM: Walk round Roman City Centre (AB as guide)
Cost for talk and galleries: £15.00
Lunch prices and options TBC. The aim will be to look for evidence for the longevity of use of a routeway, significantly beyond medieval settlement.
Excavations and finds this summer have re-awakened perceptions of Carlisle as a significant place in Roman Britain, and anticipate renewed research efforts, including what might remain of a bridge linking Luguvallium Fort with Stanwix Fort on the north side of the river. Roman links with places such as Whithorn are now of established relevance for Galloway history.
Organiser: Tullie House and Alistair Buckoke
Galloway Conservation Society 