Kirkpatrick MacMillan -
the Inventor of the BICYCLE
a leisure ride for everyone
The bicycle changed the world, that is certain, but the story of who invented it depends on who you ask.
Kirkpatrick Macmillan , ‘Inventor of the bicycle’ is what it says on the grave of the Scottish blacksmith buried here in a remote cemetery near Thornhill.
Kirkpatrick did not make much fuss, he just loved to ride his bike, the faster the better. So there were those that copied it and others that tried to steal the idea.
‘Jamesie Burns and the Bicycle Thieves’ is a book by Ian Barr. Jamesie was a young fictitious boy, who in our imagination knew Kirkpatrick, and he tells story. Most of it we know is true, and all of it took place here in the beautiful countryside near Thornhill.
You will need to pay attention, but this is what Jamsie has to say:
“Hullaw awbody!
Ah’m Jamesie Burns an Ah’m shair ye’ll aw hae a braw time wi me oan Warren an Esther’s cyclin Tour. They’ve baith toured aw roon the world. Noo they’ve decidit tae bide here, sae that tells ye jist whit a grand wee corner o Scotland this is. Thon braw village Ah steyed in aw thon years lang syne, Pointgirth, is no here noo. Mind you, it’s weel-kennt fir Kirkatrick Macmillan, ma auld freen wha wis yin o the nicest buddies ye’d ever meet. Ye’ll lairn mair aboot ma freen Pate Macmillan as we gan oan oor tour.
Ye’ll no be bothered aboot Lowland Gold, yon world-famous whisky that wis made in the village. Ma uncle an stepfaither, Archibald Burns, feenished up workin at the distillery eftir aw yon fash wi the McCloy lot blew owre. The distillery shut when ma ain adventures an stravaigs feenished.
Pointgirth’s awa noo but it wis aye nearby tae Keir Mill an Thornhill. An tae Ellisland an aw, whaur oor namesake, Scotland’s national poet Rabbie, steyed 50 year afore Ah wis aboot. Ma guid freens wid like tae jyne me, mindin o the auld days as we’re aw daein the Tour. The Gemmekeeper’s boy Wullie Henderson wid be a couthie guide. He kens aw roon here like the back o his haun!
Ah’m wunnerin if Queenstoon Castle is the same as Drumlanrig…. The Duke o Buccleuch wisnae easy tae catch sicht o back then. Fae whit Ah hear, it’s nae different the day! It’s aye the same. Haud oan, whit’s that, ye dinnae think Ah’d be weel educatit? We were AW affy weel edicatit in thon days! Ah steyed oan at the skeel a lot langer than maist o ma daft pals. We lairned Latin, Greek, Maths, an Engineerin tae. Pate wantit that Ah should work aside him but aff Ah went owre tae Tennessee in America in 1854 tae gie them hauners wi a distillery fir makkin bourbon.”
You are going to have a great ride - bring a picnic, visit the castle and make a day of it.
Route & Map
The map is featured in a leaflet that can be downloaded here or picked up from Rik’s Bike Shed where you can also hire bikes for all ages.
Illustrations copyright Pete Bell
A little video - Cycling the wonderful family friendly loop.
The Worlds First Bicycle from conrad molleson on Vimeo.
Replica of Kirkpatrick Macmillan's bicycle, picture curtesy of Dumfries Museum
You an see this replica at the fantastic Dumfries Museum:
“This bicycle or velocipede was made by Thomas McCall, to the design invented by Kirkpatrick Macmillan. It is driven by cranks to the rear wheel. In the 1890s this bicycle was exhibited at Crystal Palace, London and then given to Dumfries Museum.”
“Macmillan's bicycle weighed 26kgs (57lbs) and must have been hard to get started to pedal. It would have been uncomfortable and possibly dangerous to ride. The position of the pedals restricted the turning of the front wheel making steering difficult, and the machine had no brakes.”
A longer cycling journey
Make this part of a wonderful holiday and take your time to see the bigger picture. Explore the world around Upper Nithdale: how it leads to the Solway Coast, or what lies within those hills around Thornhill. This little route is part of our wonderful Whisky & Burns Tour, as well as our unique Castles & Coast Tour. Both Tours are fantastic leisure rides - a holiday to fit you, your time and your leisure.
The Book
Jamesie Burns and the Bicycle Thieves
The book is sold through Hoggett Creatives @ ‘ Skinny Rhino’
A wonderfully written children’s book about the times and the inventions of its time. An entertaining piece of literature for young and old.
Find out more and buy it here: www.jamesieburns.co.uk
Our Kirkpatrick MacMillan project is sponsored by the spot-lit project and supported by the Wigtown Book Festival Company
Spot-lit is a three year project (2018-2021) that aims to grow the literary tourism sector in the Northern Periphery and Arctic region by supporting the organisations and businesses in this culturally-rich region to grow collaborate and better engage audiences together. The Vision of the project is “To grow entrepreneurship and SME reach beyond local markets by developing and marketing literary tourism products”.
