Kippford Nature Reserve’s new shelter was officially unveiled on Sunday.
And a crowd of around 150 people turned out to see it dedicated to honour a well-known member of the community.
The shelter has been named in tribute to Colvend and Southwick Community Council chairman Derek Roan, who lost his life in a farm accident at Barnbarroch in 2022. It was dedicated by his widow, Kathleen.
In a speech to the audience, community council vice chairman Simon Pain said: “Even if you didn’t know him, you will either have received his cheery wave as he passed along the main road on his quad bike, or even if you didn’t see that, you almost certainly had milk from Roan’s Dairy on your cornflakes in the morning.
“Derek was a giant of our communities. He was involved in every aspect of our lives. He was an elder of the church, on the church session and congregational committee, but also chairman of the community council and involved in NFU affairs. If it had been an option, he would have been our mayor.
“As the sixth generation of farmers in the family, he led and expanded the family farming business and introduced many technical and commercial innovations into the two farms until his untimely accident over two years ago. He was a man who would give practical help to anyone and it was always done in a cheery way.
“He is greatly missed not just by the family but also by many of us. The community council decided that such a huge loss to the community should be marked and what better way than to resurrect the project that Derek himself was so enthusiastic about.”
The idea for the shelter was first mooted more than five years ago and the striking design is one of just two in the world. It was built by Finn Barlow, who trades as the Forge Squad at Auchencairn, and his colleague Charlie Graham.
After the ceremony, refreshments were on offer in Kippford Village Hall.