How Dumfries first started supporting Norway 86 years ago

In the same year, the Scottish Norwegian Society (SNS) was also founded in the town and a permanent base – named Norway House (Norges Hus) – was created.

Town clerk of the time, James Hutcheon, said he had been told that Dumfries reminded many of them of their own towns and countryside back home.

Over time, the soldiers were deployed across Scotland as part of defence forces, including spells at Tain and Callander, but their Dumfries links remained strong with a special farewell party when the war ended.

The connections, though, have continued – especially thanks to the number of Scottish-Norwegian marriages, estimated to have been as many as 200.

Just last year, an exhibition opened celebrating the time when Dumfries became the “unofficial capital city of Norway”.

Called “Alt for Norge” – which translates as “All for Norway” – it included a telegram sent from King Haakon VII thanking the people of the town for all they had done to help liberate his country.