Dumfries and Galloway
§ This page gives an overview of the Dumfries and Galloway local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. This is one of 361 LAD profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ Dumfries and Galloway occupies the southwest corner of Scotland, bordered by the Solway Firth and the Galloway Hills. Known for its rural charm, historic towns like Dumfries, and outdoor attractions such as Galloway Forest Park, it has a strong agricultural and tourism base.
Dumfries and Galloway Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Dumfries and Galloway local authority district, based on the latest geographic data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It provides a clear view of the district’s extent and helps you understand how the area fits within the wider regional and national landscape.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The administrative boundary of Dumfries and Galloway can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Dumfries and Galloway.
Key Facts about Dumfries and Galloway
What region are Dumfries and Galloway in? Dumfries and Galloway are in Scotland, a statistical region and also a country in United Kingdom.
Is Dumfries and Galloway a city? No, Dumfries and Galloway is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Dumfries and Galloway? The local government for this district is: Dumfries and Galloway Council (Scotland Council Area).
▶ Official website of Dumfries and Galloway Council 🔗 dumgal.gov.uk
Which police force covers Dumfries and Galloway? Policing in Dumfries and Galloway is provided by Police Scotland 🔗 scotland.police.uk, which covers the whole of Scotland.
Dumfries and Galloway in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Dumfries and Galloway is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) Scotland
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Southern Scotland
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Dumfries and Galloway
The International Territorial Levels are used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes to classify administrative areas. We have this listable page for easy browsing of ITL names and codes: International Territorial Levels.
Constituencies in Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is divided into 2 parliamentary constituencies, listed below in alphabetical order.
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 57 of them are in Scotland. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is divided into 12 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Abbey
- Annandale East and Eskdale
- Annandale North
- Annandale South
- Castle Douglas and Crocketford
- Dee and Glenkens
- Lochar
- Mid and Upper Nithsdale
- Mid Galloway and Wigtown West
- Nith
- North West Dumfries
- Stranraer and the Rhins
In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data. We have this list page for easy browsing of all electoral wards: List of all Electoral Wards in the UK.
Post Towns in Dumfries and Galloway
Below is a list of post towns in Dumfries and Galloway, grouped by postcode area:
- DG ▸ Annan (DG12) ⁞ Canonbie (DG14) ⁞ Castle Douglas (DG7) ⁞ Dalbeattie (DG5) ⁞ Dumfries (DG1 / DG2) ⁞ Gretna (DG16) ⁞ Kirkcudbright (DG6) ⁞ Langholm (DG13) ⁞ Lockerbie (DG11) ⁞ Moffat (DG10) ⁞ Newton Stewart (DG8) ⁞ Sanquhar (DG4) ⁞ Stranraer (DG9) ⁞ Thornhill (DG3)
The UK postal hierarchy begins with broad postcode areas (such as “CB” or “M”), which are divided into smaller postcode districts (such as “CB8” or “M1”) to support accurate mail routing. Each postal address is anchored by a designated post town, the official locality name used in the UK postcode system, which operates independently from Local Authority Districts —the administrative boundaries used for council tax and local government services. Because they serve different purposes, a property’s postal address and its local authority district do not always align exactly.
Built-up Areas in Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway covers 50 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Annan
- Beattock
- Bladnoch
- Cairnryan
- Canonbie
- Cargenbridge
- Castle Douglas
- Collin
- Creca
- Creetown
- Crossmichael
- Dalbeattie
- Drummore
- Dumfries
- Eaglesfield
- Eastriggs
- Ecclefechan
- Gatehouse of Fleet
- Glenluce
- Gretna
- Heathhall and Locharbriggs
- Hightae
- Isle of Whithorn
- Kippford
- Kirkconnel
- Kirkcowan
- Kirkcudbright
- Kirkpatrick-Fleming
- Langholm
- Lochmaben
- Lockerbie
- Millhousebridge
- Moffat
- Moniaive
- New Abbey
- New Galloway
- Newton Stewart
- Parkgate (Dumfries and Galloway)
- Port William
- Portpatrick
- Rockcliffe
- Sanquhar
- Southerness
- St John's Town of Dalry
- Stoneykirk
- Stranraer
- Thornhill (Dumfries and Galloway)
- Tongland
- Whithorn
- Wigtown
In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of Dumfries and Galloway.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is served by a number of National Rail stations, providing rail connections to nearby towns, cities, and destinations across Great Britain. The railway stations listed below are located within the Dumfries and Galloway Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- ScotRail ▸ Dumfries (DG1 1NF) ⁞ Lockerbie (DG11 2HA) ⁞ Annan (DG12 6AS) ⁞ Gretna Green (DG16 5HF) ⁞ Stranraer (DG9 8EJ) ⁞ Sanquhar (DG4 6DQ) ⁞ Kirkconnel (DG4 6NL)
This is a district-level view only. For a complete list of all National Rail stations across Great Britain, see the UK National Rail Stations Directory.