Annan, Dumfries and Galloway the boundaries of the Royal Burgh are confirmed when a mounted cavalcade undertakes the Riding of the Marches. Entertainment includes a procession, sports, field displays and massed pipe bands. Annan stands on the River Annan—from which it is named—nearly from its mouth, accessible to vessels of 60 tons as far as Annan Bridge and 300 tons within of the city. It is from Dumfries by rail, in the region of Dumfries and Galloway on the Solway Firth in the south of Scotland. Eastriggs is about to the east and Gretna is about to the east. Roman remains exist nearby. Annan
Galloway was taken over by the English kingdom of Bernicia. English dominance was supplanted by Norse-Gaelic () peoples between the 9th and the 11th century. This can be seen in the context of widespread Norse domination of the Irish Sea, including extensive settlement in the Isle of Man and in the now English region of Cumbria immediately south of Galloway. If it had not been for Fergus of Galloway who established himself in Galloway, the region would rapidly have been absorbed by Scotland. This did not happen because Fergus, his sons, grandsons and great-grandson Alan, Lord of Galloway, shifted their allegiance