Kelton Harbour and Village
architectural structure in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK
Kelton Harbour and Village (NX988708) are located on the East side of the River Nith opposite the Kirkconnell Merse, about 3.5 miles (5.6Km) from Dumfries and 1.5 miles (2.4Km) north of Glencaple Quay. The old harbour served the immediate area as well as its hinterland in Dumfries and Galloway. The quays at Dumfries, Kingholm Quay Laghall and Castledykes lay upstream and downstream jetties or quays were located at Glencaple Quay, Kirkconnell and Carsethorn.
The spelling Keltoun, Kellton and Kaltoun are also on record and the name may derive from the Scots Gaelic "cille" for a church or churchyard.
Location and purpose
The old harbour site lies on the east bank of the River Nith. A stone quay is not shown on maps and no indications are today present at the site. The estuary bank here is flat and covers a significant area. Five mooring bollards are indicated in the area on the OS maps.
The River Nith was only fully navigable for vessels of from 60 to 70 tons, however ships of 300 tons could sail up as far as Glencaple, close to Kelton. The Solway Firth proper starts about 1.5 miles or 2.4 Kilometre below Kelton Harbour and at this point the Nith frequently shifts its Channel.
“Kelton Harbour and Village” enters the record as architectural structure in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Kelton, Harbour and Village can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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