Mennock Pass, Dumfriesshire

This postcard shows a view of the Mennock Pass, Dumfriesshire, with the road running through the centre of the valley, surrounded by rolling hills.   Taken from "A Photographic Record of a Holiday in Dumfriesshire & Kirkcudbrightshire (with one or two views outside) August 1937".  This photograph album was compiled by H D Hewitt, January 9th 1938.   There is evidence of mining for lead ore or galena around Wanlockhead and Leadhills in the Lowther Hills since the Middle Ages. At that time lead was being exported to Holland and Belgium for use in the production of lead glazed pottery. This area, rich in both lead and precious metals, developed into the centre of the Scottish lead mining industry. More lead mines were opened across the region from the late 18th to the mid 19th Centuries. The lead mines of Dumfriesshire and Galloway were the source of almost all Scottish lead production.