Places to visit while staying at a holiday cottage in the Wigtownshire
Where in the UK can you drive on good roads along a scenic coast route for mile after mile without ever meeting another vehicle ? Certainly not in Devon or Cornwall but most certainly in the corner of old Galloway that time (and traffic) has passed by. The Wigtownshire area of Dumfries and Galloway comprises the Machars Peninsula - it's not on the way to anywhere else and you need to make a conscious decision to leave the A75 Euro Route at Newton Stewart and head south. Travel into a rich agricultural area, which embraces the sea on both sides and is full of history just waiting to be discovered.
Yet the area is justly proud of its heritage - St Ninian first brought Christianity to Scotland around 450AD and is said to have landed near to Whithorn from Ireland. The ruins of a Chapel overlooking the shore at the Isle of Whithorn bear his name and in the town itself The Whithorn Story is a visitor centre well worth a visit. There too are the remains of an early priory and the site of the Whithorn Dig.
In times past, the area was much visited by sailing ships trading between harbours in England, Ireland and the Isle of Man. Today, the harbours of Garlieston, the Isle of Whithorn, and Port William are full of mostly pleasure craft although some commercial fishing still does take place. There are good launching facilities at all the harbours mentioned for small craft. Garlieston played an important part in World War II as one of the areas where the Mulberry Harbours were developed and tested.
Scotland is the home of golf and the area is not short of excellent courses. The St Medan course is only a nine hole one but it is certainly one of the most testing bordering Monreith Bay on the west side of the peninsula. Its lofty fourth tee is justifiably included in a book of the 50 most scenic ones in Great Britain. Monreith itself is well known as the birth place of Gavin Maxwell who wrote Ring of Bright Water and an otter memorial to his memory looks out over the shores of Monreith Bay. Nearby is the Monreith Animal World - home to many exotic birds, water fowl, animals including donkeys, alpacas, Galloway cattle, goats and Mij the Asian short-clawed otter.
Further inland is Wigtown, Scotland's National Book Town with no less than 20 shops either selling books or similar wares. The town also plays host to a pair of breeding ospreys, and there is a CCTV camera and visitor centre in the Town Hall showing live video of the nest. Nearby is the Wigtown Local Nature Reserve the larges LNR in the UK with a hide available free of charge for birdwatchers.
Walkers and cyclists will not be disappointed in the area - there is much to see on quiet gently undulating roads. The area is noted as having one of the darkest skies in the UK and unsurprisingly is much appreciated by astronomists. Galloway Astronomy Centre at Glasserton caters for visitors.
Whilst the days of trading by sea and indeed shipbuilding are long gone, visitors can charter one of only two original Yorkshire Cobles still sailing. 'Our Freda' regularly takes fishing trips out in Luce Bay from its base in Port William. For shipping enthusiasts, however, there is little to beat the trip on only two days a year which goes from Garlieston to the Isle of Man. Operated by the MV Balmoral built in 1949 and restored by a Charity, the vessel attracts increasing numbers of visitors to the area each year. Also operated by the same Charity - Waverley Excursions - the ship of that name is now the last sea going paddle steamer in the world. Although not sailing from Garlieston, she makes frequent trips from Girvan and Ayr around Arran, Ailsa Craig and the Firth of Clyde and is popular with visitors to this area.
The Machars then is certainly not without interest. Its climate, warmed by the Gulf Stream, is mild and snow is rarely seen. Its situation on a peninsula means that any showers soon blow over and it tends to be much drier than areas to the north and east. If a visit to Scotland means that long drive up thro Glasgow to the Highlands - think again, and visit Southwest Scotland - you won't be disappointed !
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