Dumfries

Dumfries stands on the River Nith near the Solway Firth, in the border country between Scotland and England. Its bridge and market made it an important burgh for the surrounding countryside. In 1306 Robert Bruce met his rival John Comyn in the church of the Greyfriars here; Comyn was killed, and Bruce soon claimed the Scottish crown. Centuries later Dumfries became the home of the poet Robert Burns. He lived in the town from 1791 until his death in 1796, working as an excise officer as well as writing poetry and songs. His association with the burgh gave it a lasting place in Scotland's literary history.