News & Events

Rozelle House and the Maclaurin Galleries are open over the Christmas period. Please click title for details on opening times. The McKechnie Institute will be closed from 25th December 2007 until 2nd January 2008. It will reopen as normal on Thursday 3rd January.

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Paintings by John Halliday from his own and private collections, illustrating his creative career of over 50 years, are on show at the Maclaurin Galleries until 12th January 2008. We are pleased to have the opportunity to show the range of Halliday 's work at Rozelle, which he knew as a private house, and welcome his return to a familiar place. Over 100 works are on display – many on loan from private collectors, while others are offered for sale.

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Follow the St Andrew’s Holiday Trail around the galleries, test your knowledge of Scotland with quizzes and puzzles,  find out more about Dumfries and Galloway with our drawing and colouring challenges and try your hand at Christmas crafts with a Victorian theme.

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This new exhibition uses material from local and national collections to tell the story of the Romans in Galloway.

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This exhibitions explores the role of Dumfries and Galloway in the slave trade.

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An exhibition marking the 250th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Telford opens at Dumfries Museum on Saturday 13 October 2007. It tells the remarkable story of a shepherd’s son born in Glendinning, Westerkirk, who became one of the greatest architects and civil engineers Britain has ever produced.

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The Children of Sputnik
Tuesday 2 October 2007 at 7.30pm

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Alex Wilson "in-residence", Saturday 22 September 2007
11 am – 1 pm and 2 pm – 4 pm

Alex Wilson, the foremost authority on Mauchline box ware will be “in residence” at Dumfries Museum for the day. He will have a selection of examples from his own collection with particular relevance to Dumfries to show. There will also be an opportunity to view Dumfries Museum’s reserve collection of Mauchline box ware.

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Excavation at John Paul Jones Cottage, Arbigland

During the  first week of September Dr Julie Schablitsky of the University of Oregan and Dr Robert Neyland of the American Navy Historical Centre will carry out preliminary archaeological investigations around the 18th century childhood home of John Paul Jones, founder of the American Navy.

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The Search for the Bonhomme Richard
A lecture by Bob Neyland, Head of Underwater Archaeology, US Naval Historical Cen
7.30pm Friday 7 September 2007

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Raiders of The Dean Park a fantastic weekend event taking place at The Dean Castle as part of Archaeology month.

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A new exhibition opens at Dumfries Museum on Saturday, Ist September to mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade from Britain.

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7.30pm Saturday 1 September 2007 at Dumfries Museum.

A lecture by Frances Wilkins, and a chance to view The Slave Trade exhibtition.

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Stylish, young and vibrant, Scotland's flagship classical music group bring you an intimate afternoon of familiar favourites on Sunday 5th August.  Enjoy a free glass of sparkling wine on arrival and soak up the magical atmosphere that makes Dean Castle a premier venue for outdoor events.

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Join The Orchestra of Scottish Opera in the intimate courtyard of Dean Castle with singers Roland Wood and Gail Johnston as they perform a selection of Mozart Arias and highlights from popular operas including La boheme, Die Fledermaus and Eugene Onegin.

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The archaeology collection cared for by Dumfries and Galloway Museum Service has recently been judged to be one of the first ten museum collections recognised as significant to the nation. It is the only collection in the care of a local authority to achieve this status.

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The second exhibition by Future Museum, Strands - the Story of Textiles in South West Scotland is now showing at the Maclaurin Galleries. This exhibition explores the wide range of textile products created within South West Scotland, the processes involved, and touches on how these affected the economy of the area and the people who lived here.

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Knotting, Netting and Knitting at Dumfries Museum

with The Feral Choir
Saturday 14 July 2007

Come along and discover everything to do with rope, twine and yarn!

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Dean Castle Collections on Loan to Italy.

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Saturday 9 June 2007, 2.30 - 4.00pm.  At Dumfries Museum & Camera Obscura, The Observatory, Rotchell Road, Dumfries DG2 7SW.

A masterclass with Kirkpatrick Dobie on Scottish provincial silver of the 18th and 19th centuries. The focus for this fascinating afternoon will be the new exhibition of the work of Dumfries silversmiths at the museum.

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Dumfries Museum will be the venue for an exciting programme of family activities this summer.  On the last Saturday of every month between May and August there will be a drop in activitiy on offer, as well as a trail around the museum.

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The 10th of May sees the anniversary of one of the most important battles in Scottish History - The victory of Robert the Bruce over the English at Loudoun Hill in Ayrshire in 1307.  This battle marked the start of Bruce's campaign which would ultimately deliver Scottish Independance from the hands of the English Crown. 

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The new exhibition at Stranraer Museum looks at the work of the remarkable Scottish artist Joan Eardley. Eardley is one of Scotland’s best loved artists and her paintings and drawings are held in many major collections, including those of the Scottish National Galleries, Edinburgh City Arts Centre and Glasgow Museums.

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To tie in with East Ayrshire's Moving Image season, a new exhibition which runs from the 14th of April to the 16th of June will be on display at the Doon Valley Museum, Dalmellington, showcasing objects from East Ayrshire's collections which are linked with capturing and playing images including televisions, cameras, film, even magic lanterns.

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Clay Day @ the Baird is taking place on Saturday 5th May from 12-4pm at the Baird Institute in Cumnock.  This drop in day will give participants the chance to make small objects out of clay and also learn the techniques behind tile painting.  Come along and discover your creative side.

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Dumfries Museum & Camera Obscura, Saturday 31 March - Saturday 12 May 2007.

The first Future Museum touring exhibition opens at Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura on 31 March 2007. 

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At Dumfries Museum & Camera Obscura
Until January 2008

This year’s foyer exhibition at Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura is about its home territory of the burgh of Maxwelltown and the parish of Troqueer. 

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At Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura
7pm - 9pm Thursday 12 April 2007

Here We Go! These were the words spoken by Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on 12 April 1961 as he embarked on his historic first manned space flight. Twenty years later on 12 April 1981, the USA sent the first shuttle into space. 

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One of the newly-restored Stranraer Provosts' lamps is on display at Stranraer Museum for two weeks.

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The two new exhibitions 'The Legacy' and 'El Dorado' look at mining and quarrying in south-west Scotland.

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