No roughcaster listed in Kirkcudbright yet.

A roughcaster applies a textured external finish to buildings - the traditional Scottish harling that protects stone and blockwork walls from the weather while giving them a clean, uniform appearance.

Harling is one of Scotland's most common wall finishes and when it cracks, blows or starts to let in damp, getting it patched or replaced promptly prevents more expensive damage to the masonry underneath.

Ask whether they use traditional lime harling or modern cement render - on older stone buildings, lime-based finishes allow the walls to breathe and avoid the moisture problems that cement can cause.

Kirkcudbright is a small harbour town on the River Dee estuary, known as the Artists' Town for the colony of painters who settled here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The town has a beautifully preserved centre of colour-washed Georgian houses, a ruined castle and the Tolbooth Art Centre which houses a permanent collection of works by the Kirkcudbright artists.

Broughton House, the former home of artist E.A. Hornel, is now a National Trust for Scotland property with a Japanese-influenced garden running down to the river.

Kirkcudbright has a working harbour, a strong community of artists and makers and a quiet charm that draws visitors and residents who value its character and setting.

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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.