St Andrew's RC Church
St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Cathedral, built in 1815, stood on this site until it was totally destroyed by fire in 1962. 
The ruin was demolished shortly afterwards, all but the spire was removed and a new church was built over the cathedral crypt.
Dumfries had been the seat of the R.C. Bishop of Galloway since the early nineteenth century.
By the 1960 the centre of the catholic population had move westward, so the new church
was not given the same status.  Instead the church in Ayr became the Diocesan Cathedral.
Built to a modern design using steel and concrete, the use of Locharbriggs red sandstone gives the outside a pleasing warm appearance. This use of sandstone as a decorative addition can be seen in a number of recent building projects throughout the town. The Royal Bank of Scotland in the Whitesands and the new Lorebourn Shopping Centre are two notable examples. Visitors to St Andrew's will be surprised by the unique internal layout to this square building. The expected traditional arrangement of pews parallel to the rear wall with the congregation seated facing the alter at the front is not found here. Instead the whole plan has been laid out on the diagonal. The arrangement for taking rain water away from the large roof is also quite unique.
An inspection of the steeple in 2003 found the top to be dangerously unstable and in need of urgent repair before it fell on to the busy road below. 
As an interim measure the top was removed leaving the rather odd looking spire seen below.
St Andrew's RC Church