Dunragit
Dunragit
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 Dunragit
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| Dunragit shown within Dumfries and Galloway | |
| OS grid reference | NX149576 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Dunragit (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Reicheit) is a village on the A75, between Stranraer and Glenluce in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. Dunragit is within the parish of Old Luce, in the traditional county of Wigtownshire. The modern village grew up around the west gate of Dunragit House, an 18th-century country house, though there is evidence of Neolithic settlement in the area. Dunragit Creamery was operated by Nestlé, but this is no longer in use.
The place-name Dunragit is said to derive from Din Rheged meaning "Fort of Rheged", referring to the Brythonic kingdom of Rheged which existed in northern Britain between the 5th and 8th centuries. It is possible that this was one of the royal sites used by the kings of Rheged, and it has been further suggested as the site of King Arthur's northern court, Pen Rhionydd, recorded in the medieval Welsh Triads.
Between 1999 and 2002, archeological excavations have explored the Dunragit area, and a complex of Neolithic monuments has been uncovered. Nothing can now be seen above ground, but aerial photography and excavation has revealed an early Neolithic cursus monument, and the remains of three later Neolithic concentric timber circles, dating to around 2500 BC; the outer circle of which was 300 metres (980 ft) in diameter. Around 400 metres (1,300 ft) south of the timber circles is the mound of Droughduil, which has been previously identified as a medieval motte. The location of the mound, aligned with one of the entrances to the timber circles, prompted speculation as to an earlier origin, and the 2002 excavation season focused on this feature. Optically stimulated luminescence dating of excavated material showed that the mound was constructed around 2500 BC, and has been compared to Silbury Hill in Wiltshire.
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