An Dumfries park which was the scene of a key event that changed the course of Scottish history is being used to highlight the town’s past.
In February, 1306, after the murder of John Comyn at the Greyfriars Kirk in the town, Robert the Bruce raised the royal standard at Dumfries Castle which stood at the site which is now Castledykes Park.
The Wars of Independence are now featured on a beautiful 36-feet long tableau, in the sunken garden, which graphically contains the “History of Dumfries, Castledykes and the River Nith” on nine distinctive panels.
It has replaced a concrete wall that was a remnant of the times when the site was a sewage works.
However, its launch in November was overshadowed by flooding which made it impossible to get close to see it.
And the winter weather since has brought snow, ice and frosty conditions and more severe flooding which has made it difficult to reach.
Now, with the weather improving, the tableau is finally accessible for the public to get up close to see the craftsmanship and information it contains – with photographer Jim McEwan making the most of the moment with these images for readers to enjoy.
And it is well worth a visit to see it on a walk around the 11-and-a-half acres flagship park which is being brought back to its former glory by volunteers from The People’s Project and Dumfries and Galloway Councils horticultural team led by Brian McAviney.
Each of the nine panels takes you from the Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age) to the Neolithic Age, on to the Romans, and then Scotland’s Frontier, the Wars of Independence; the Devorgilla Bridge; Sailing from Carsethorn to the America, Canada and beyond; and industry in Dumfries in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The murals were painted by local artist Jo McSkimming, who has skilfully linked the importance of River Nith to the history of Dumfries in all the panels.
The beautiful graphic work on the text boards was by Miranda Cloy of Signcraft of Dumfries and getting the historic information right was helped by Andrew Nicholson, the council’s archaeologist.
Hardie’s Engineering of Dumfries and RH Construction of Annan erected the framework and the panels, with the whole project financed and co-ordinated by the People’s Project.
Each of the nine panels also has a text board full of information and also directs visitors to other areas of Dumfries and the region as a whole.
It compliments the “Outdoor Classroom For All” concept for Castledykes Park where, among several artefacts discovered, there’s a Bronze Age axe – indicating human life there from 1000 BCE.
There is also a QR code for an eBook which allows teachers and leaders to access information from the eight individual interpretation boards dotted around the park.
