Notable people
[edit]
Artists[edit]
Jessie M. King's house, Greengate
Kirkcudbright has had a long association with the Glasgow art movement. Several artists, including the Glasgow Boys and the famed Scottish Colourists, such as Samuel Peploe and Francis Cadell, based themselves in the area over a 30-year period from 1880 to 1910, establishing the Kirkcudbright Artists' Colony. Also among those who moved here from Glasgow were Edward Hornel, George Henry and Jessie M. King. Later another small group of Glasgow-trained artists built their studios across the river at The Stell, including John Charles Lamont and Robert Sivell. Landscape painter Charles Oppenheimer moved to Kirkcudbright in 1908. He is given credit along with artist Dorothy Nesbitt for protecting the Harbour Cottage (art) Gallery from demolition in 1956. Kirkcudbright became known as "the artists' town". Other artists include:
Joseph Simpson (1879–1939), British painter and etcher of portraits and sporting subjects.
Phyllis Bone (1894–1972), Scottish sculptor who moved to Galloway and lived in later life in Kirkcudbright.
William Hanna Clarke (1882–1924), landscape and figure painter who lived in Kirkcudbright, and many of his works featured the town. He is buried in the town's churchyard and his tombstone was carved by his friend Alexander Proudfoot, a Glasgow sculptor.
Sportspeople[edit]
Bob McDougall (1894–1936), George Cloy and David Mathieson (born 1978), professional footballers who lived in the town.
David MacMyn (1903–1978), Scottish rugby international, was from Kirkcudbright.
Others[edit]
Lawrence of Arabia's family lived at Craigville, St Mary's Street, Kirkcudbright between 1889 and 1891
Nigel Biggar (born 1955), in 2025 became "Baron Biggar" of Castle Douglas in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright.
Malcolm Caldwell, born James Alexander Malcolm Caldwell (1931–1978), British academic and a prolific Marxist writer. Caldwell was murdered, under mysterious circumstances, a few hours after meeting Pol Pot in Cambodia. His father, Archibald Thomson Caldwell was County Architect for Kirkcudbrightshire from 1950 until his death in 1957. Caldwell was Dux of Kirkcudbright Academy in 1949.
Cecil Coles (1888–1918), a composer who was born in Kirkcudbright and killed on active service in the First World War.
John Duncan (1805–1849), a Scottish explorer in Africa. Born at Culdoach, the family farm.
Marriott Edgar (1880–1951), lyricist and poet who wrote, amongst other things, Albert and the Lion for Stanley Holloway, was born in Kirkcudbright.
John Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine of Rerrick (1893–1980), banker and Governor of Northern Ireland.
T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) (1888–1935), lived in infancy with his family between 1889 and 1891 in Craigville, St Mary's Street. His brother William George was born here in 1889.
Gary Lewis (born 1957), actor in Gangs of New York, Billy Elliot, etc. lives in Kirkcudbright.
Sara Maitland (born 1950), daughter of Adam Maitland of Cumstoun House (a descendant of Judge Thomas Maitland, Lord Dundrennan). She is a British writer of religious fantasy. A novelist, she is also known for her short stories.
