Kirkpatrick Macmillan was born in 1812 in Keir Mill,
Dumfriesshire, the son of a blacksmith. He did a variety of jobs as
a young man, before settling into working with his father in 1824.
At around that time he saw a hobbyhorse being ridden along a nearby
road, and decided to make one for himself. Upon completion, he
realised what a radical improvement it would be if he could propel
it without putting his feet on the ground. Working at his smithy,
he completed his new machine in around 1839.
Courthill Smithy
This first pedal bicycle was propelled by a horizontal
reciprocating movement of the rider's feet on the pedals. This
movement was transmitted to cranks on the rear wheel by connecting
rods; the machine was extremely heavy and the physical effort
required to ride it must have been considerable. Nevertheless,
Macmillan quickly mastered the art of riding it on the rough
country roads, and was soon accustomed to making the fourteen-mile
journey to Dumfries in less than an hour. His next exploit was to
ride the 68 miles into Glasgow in June 1842. The trip took him two
days and he was fined five shillings for causing a slight injury to
a small girl who ran across his path.
He never thought of patenting his invention or trying to make
any money out of it, but others who saw it were not slow to realise
its potential, and soon copies began to appear for sale. Gavin
Dalzell of Lesmahagow copied his machine in 1846 and passed on the
details to so many people that for more than 50 years he was
generally regarded as the inventor of the bicycle. However,
Macmillan was quite unconcerned with the fuss his invention had
prompted, preferring to enjoy the quiet country life to which he
was accustomed. He died on 26 January 1878.
Cache Site
The cache is located a short distance from Keir Mill on the banks
of the Scar Water. There is a footpath nearby which takes you down
a pleasant riverside walk to the point where the Scar meets the
River Nith - well worth taking the time to enjoy as there is an
abundance of wildlife including kingfishers and otters.
You are looking for a small lock-n-lock style container with
room for small swaps, TBs and GeoCoins