stewartry

The Stewartry, formally the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, is a historic county in the southwest of Scotland. It lies within the modern council area of Dumfries and Galloway and incorporates a coastal and inland landscape along the Solway Firth, with a rural economy that has long depended on agriculture, fishing, and, more recently, tourism.

The name derives from the office of the Crown’s steward, who held and administered the territory on behalf of the king. As a political and judicial district, the Stewartry grew up around the authority of the steward in the medieval period, becoming a distinct administrative entity in the region that is now often referred to as Kirkcudbrightshire or the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright.

Geography and settlements are characterized by a mix of coastal towns and inland countryside. Notable places in the stewartry include Kirkcudbright, a historic harbor town with castles and galleries; Castle Douglas, a market town that has been associated with the area’s development; and Gatehouse of Fleet, located near the River Fleet. The region also features the rural villages and rolling hills typical of Dumfries and Galloway.

In administrative terms, the Stewartry remained a separate county until 1975, when local government reorganization created the Stewartry district within the Dumfries and Galloway region. The district system was later superseded by a unitary council area in 1996, though the Stewartry name continues to be used in cultural and historical contexts.

Today, the Stewartry is recognized for its coastal scenery, historical sites, and cultural heritage, including museums and festivals that reflect its long-standing rural and maritime traditions.