Dumfries, gateway to Galloway (Kirkcudbrightshire - also known as the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, and Wigtownshire - including the Machars and the Rhins of Galloway), occupies a position in the South West of Scotland not far from the border with England (around 25 miles). It has many associations with Robert Burns who lived here in the 1790s. The Robert Burns Centre is situated in an 18th century watermill on the west bank of the River Nith. The two homes Burns lived in survive - one (Burns' House) is open to the public. A few miles to the N of the town a farm (Ellisland), the tenancy of which attracted Burns to the area, can also be visited.
Above the mill there is an 18th century windmill tower which houses Dumfries Museum and the Camera Obscura Observatory. The Museum has exhibits from prehistoric times, the wildlife of the Solway saltmarshes, stone carvings of Scotland's early Christians, and many Victorian farm implements. The Camera Obscura, originally an astronomical instrument installed in 1836, has a table top screen on to which are projected panoramic views of Dumfries and the surrounding countryside.
Across the 15th century Devorgilla Bridge there is Old Bridge House, Dumfries' oldest house, dating from 1660 and built into the sandstone of the bridge itself. Dumfries has a large number of public houses, including, on the town's High Street, The Globe Inn, which Robert Burns himself frequented.