No damp proofer listed in New Abbey yet.

A damp proofer diagnoses and treats damp problems in buildings - rising damp, penetrating damp and condensation - using chemical injection, tanking, waterproof membranes and ventilation solutions.

Many older Scottish properties, particularly stone-built ones, suffer from damp issues that worsen if left untreated, leading to damaged plaster, timber rot and unhealthy living conditions.

Be cautious of firms that diagnose rising damp everywhere - get an independent survey first, as the cause is often condensation or penetrating damp, which requires a different and often cheaper solution.

New Abbey is a small village on the Solway coast south of Dumfries, dominated by the beautiful red sandstone ruins of Sweetheart Abbey - founded in 1273 by Lady Devorgilla in memory of her husband John Balliol.

The abbey ruins, managed by Historic Environment Scotland, are among the most complete and atmospheric Cistercian remains in Scotland.

The village also has a working 18th-century corn mill and Shambellie House, a Victorian country house set in woodland above the village.

Criffel, the prominent hill that overlooks the village and the Solway Firth, is a popular walk with views to the Lake District, the Isle of Man and the Irish coast.

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Dumfries and Galloway is the most south-westerly council area in Scotland, stretching from the English border at Gretna to the Mull of Galloway - the southernmost point in Scotland - and from the Solway Firth coast inland to the hills of the Southern Uplands.

Dumfries is the largest town and administrative centre, a handsome red sandstone burgh on the River Nith where Robert Burns spent the last years of his life and is buried in St Michael's Kirkyard.

The region divides naturally into three historic areas: Dumfriesshire to the east, Kirkcudbrightshire (the Stewartry) in the centre and Wigtownshire to the west - each with its own character, landscape and loyalties.

The Galloway coast and countryside have a mild climate influenced by the Gulf Stream, fertile farmland, dark-sky reserves and a string of small harbour towns that attract artists, writers and visitors drawn to the quiet and the landscape.

Despite its size, the region is one of the most sparsely populated in Scotland - a place where community is strong, the pace is slower and the landscape ranges from river valleys and rolling farmland to wild moorland and rocky coastline.