Palms, Poets & Pilgrims - Day 5

Burns an' a' that!... and much more

It's back to Burns today for the last leg of our tour, in the charming old country town of Dumfries. Situated on the banks of the River Nith, near the border with England, Dumfries has a long history going back to its inception as a royal burgh in the 12th century. The town's most prominent landmark is the midsteeple in the high street that was built in 1707 as a jail.

There is a statue in tribute to the one and only Rabbie, who lived in Dumfries in his later years, at the top of the town opposite Greyfriars Church, and you can visit the Robert Burns Centre.

A few miles to the south of Dumfries at New Abbey is Sweetheart Abbey, a late 13th-century and early 14th-century Cistercian abbey founded by Devorgilla, Lady of Galloway, in memory of her husband John Balliol.

Across the estuary of the River Nith is Caerlaverock Castle - one of Scotland's finest. The scene of two famous sieges, this Medieval moated castle has a children's adventure park, two model siege engines, and nature trail in its grounds.

Nearby is Caerlaverock Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve, home in the winter months to thousands of wild geese - one of the great spectacles of Scotland's wildlife.