Galloway is an area of
Southern Uplands of
Scotland. It is generally defined as the area between
North Channel to the west, the river
Nith to the east, the
Galloway Hills to the north, and
Solway Firth to the south. How much of the Galloway Hills are part of Galloway is up for debate, as they are rather barren and did not have many settlers claiming them; they are now a part of
Galloway Forest Park.
Historically, Galloway consisted of historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire, but as of 1975 it is one-half of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway. The name comes from the Gaelic i nGall Gaidhealaib ("amongst the Stranger-Gaels"), a reference to the decedents of mixed Scandinavian and Gaelic populations that inhabited the area.
The area has long been known for the Galloway pony, a hardy but handsome breed of pony, and Galloway cattle, a likewise hardy breed of black, hornless cattle. In the 1920s a second local cattle breed was established, the Belted Galloway, which is known for quality marbled beef. Historical documents also note that they had excellent eels. Currently the area is most likely to be touted for its tourism potential, with the Galloway Forest Park -- claiming to be the largest forest in the UK -- and the Mull of Galloway -- the southernmost point of Scotland -- having a number of picturesque, if desolate, hiking trails.
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