Charlie wasn't our darling!

I am a Doonhamer. My Uncle George penned this drawing of what the centre of Dumfries would have looked like in 1800. You can see on the right the Midsteeple - scene of all the civic happenings, especially the Guid Nychburris festival in June each year.

Room No. 6 of the Commercial Hotel on this street was where the Young Pretender had his headquarters during a 3-day sojourn in Dumfries towards the end of 1745. £2,000 was demanded by the Prince, together with 1,000 pairs of brogues for his kilted Jacobite rebel army, which was camping in a field not one hundred yards distant. A rumour that the Duke of Cumberland was approaching, made Bonnie Prince Charlie decide to leave with his army, with only £1,000 and 255 pairs of shoes having been handed over. The townsfolk were relieved!

"Warm to the heart as kin and kith
Dear burgh by the crystal Nith,
Your charms, your joys, your magic spell,
Who would not sing that loves thee well.
Fair are thy meadows, fair thy face,
Queen of the South, beloved place."