A recent Historic Environment Scotland (HES) survey found 60% of people reported improved wellbeing because of visiting a HES site. Because of this, they have launched Historic Places, Breathing Spaces - a new campaign to help boost wellbeing through connection to heritage.
Our Heritage, Our Future encourages communities to explore their local heritage, past and present, and Joanne Dunn, our Project Officer, has written about reconnecting with her childhood heritage.
The past year has been a time of reflection for me. A family bereavement saw me take some personal time away from the hustle and bustle of the central belt of Scotland as I headed back home to Dumfries to reminisce and reconnect.
I was brought up in Ruthwell Parish, a collection of wee sleepy villages nestled among vast expanses of lush, green farmland overlooking the Solway coast. I don’t think I ever appreciated all the heritage surrounding me when I was growing up so I decided to take some time for myself and walk in the footsteps of local hero Reverend Henry Duncan. I re-visited some of the landmarks of legacy he left behind to benefit our community and society as a whole. Each step was a tribute to him; and each path was a childhood memory for me.
Born and bred in Dumfriesshire, Rev. Duncan once rubbed shoulders with Robert Burns, another local legend, and was well known for the contributions he made to improve the lives of local people, tackling poverty and inequality.
First stop: Ruthwell Parish Church, where most of my family are laid to rest and where Rev. Duncan became minister in 1799 before spending the rest of his life here. The church is the oldest building in South West Scotland and is still in regular public use. It is a painted rubble kirk, which began as a long narrow medieval church.
As I sat surrounded by brightly coloured walls and the memories of past family celebrations, I was drawn to the focal point of the church, the Ruthwell Cross. It stands at a huge 5.2m tall and has been described as the most important sculptural survival of Anglo-Saxon Britain. It was carved in the early 700s, when this part of Scotland lay within the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria.
The cross features intricate inscriptions in both Latin and, more unusually for a Christian monument, the runic alphabet. We’re lucky to still have it here to enjoy as it was condemned by The Church of Scotland during the Reformation. It was saved when it was broken up and hidden in the graveyard and the main part was concealed as a church pew in the church itself. Rev. Duncan rediscovered and restored the cross and it now stands in the church today as a testament to our heritage. On the way out of the churchyard stands a lasting tribute to Rev. Duncan, a large monument marking his final resting place.
A short walk away is the Henry Duncan Savings Banks Museum, a 200-year-old cottage which was the birth place of the savings bank. It started its humble beginning as a grain store which Rev Duncan bought to help alleviate food scarcity in the local area by importing grain from England and selling it to local people at cost price.
He believed everyone should have access to financial security and dignity so in 1810 he created the first savings bank. Nowadays, the museum hosts several exhibitions celebrating the life and legacy of Rev. Duncan and his endeavours to enhance the welfare of local people, while influencing society nationally and worldwide.
Henry Duncan also believed that the press was a powerful tool for enlightening the public and influencing social change so he established the Dumfries and Galloway Courier and the Dumfries and Galloway Standard. This is something I didn’t even know so I’ve realised I still have a lot to learn about my local heritage! These local newspapers are still published today, so after a busy day of sightseeing, I relaxed with a hot cup of tea and leisurely read the very newspapers Rev. Duncan created to promote discussions about education, politics, religion and more.
I’m so pleased that Historic Environment Scotland is encouraging us all to take time to reflect, enjoy our local heritage and appreciate the legacies that those before us have left behind.
We are lucky in Dumfries that so much of our built heritage has been preserved, but with climate change causing dramatic changes to weather patterns, including much more intense rainfall, our historic structures all across the country face serious risks.
In Dumfries, Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Our Heritage, Our Future programme is supporting local groups to create a Community Heritage Climate Action Plan that will help them to move forward positively. We kicked off in summer 2025 with a series of heritage-themed drop-in sessions delivered in association with Summerhill Community Centre in the town.
If you would like to learn more about your local heritage, then why not get in touch with us. We offer a range of activities, that suit all ages, for you and your community to understand the threats to natural and cultural heritage and what you can do and the positive actions you can take to look after it. You can contract us at communities@keepscotlandbeautiful.org
Our Heritage, Our Future is made possible with Historic Environment Scotland and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players.
We support the 