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Portpatrick Seaside Resort. The Mull of Galloway, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland UK
Pretty Dumfries & Galloway seaside resort Portpatrick south of Stranraer on the coast makes an excellent base for exploring the area with a golf course, pretty harbour and coastal walking.
Portpatrick is also the start of the 212 mile Southern Upland Way, one of Scotland's most popular official trails which winds all the way across the southern uplands of Scotland to Cockburnspath on the east Scottish Borders coast.
Portpatrick Scotland & the Southern Upland Way
To the south west of Stranraer on the Rhinns coast sits pretty Portpatrick, somewhat of a Dumfries and Galloway far west holiday hotspot. As well as the scenic harbour, rocky coastline perfect for walking and its own golf course, Portpatrick is the start of the 212 mile walking trail the Southern Upland Way (weblink right).
Stroll up to the perched ruins of Dunskey Castle. The ruins date from the 15th Century and are situated right at the cliff edge - the setting is truly spectacular. Like the Castle of St John in Stranraer, Dunskey Castle was built for the Adairs of Kinhilt. Dunskey's been derelict since 1700, and makes for a spooky sight on the coastal trail. There is evidence of an earlier castle situated here from the 14th century, and destroyed by the McCullochs of Myrton and Cardoness in 1500.
Hard to believe now that Portpatrick was once a bustling port, the main port in fact for visitors and goods from Northern Ireland (see postcard images on the Portpatrick local history weblink right for details). Today it's a chilled out place, popular for coastal walking and as a base for linking into the Southern Upland Way. Sea angling is also popular here. Portpartick makes a pretty base for coastal walking, and exploring both the Rhinns of Galloway, the Mull of Galloway, west Dumfries and Galloway and up into Ayrshire and the Robert Burns trail.
Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club, Portpatrick, Stranraer, Scotland DG9 8TB. Tel. 01776 810273. (weblink right). Two golf courses are on offer here - The Dunskey golf course is an 18 hole course (handicap required), whilst the Dinvin golf course is a 9 hole golf course/Par 27. A pro-shop and clubhouse are on-site. See also the website right for Portpatrick's annual folk festival held at the end of August.
Port Logan, Drummore, RSPB Nature Reserve & the Mull of Galloway
Moving down the Rhinns of Galloway towards the Mull, it's wild landscape down here which attracts numerous visitors looking to explore the stunning local scenery and wildlife. The RSPB reserve visitor centre is situated near Drummore. The visitor centre building served as base for those who built the Mull of Galloway's famous Lighthouse in 1828. The centre is a good starting point for audio and visual displays exploring the extensive wildlife in the area such as gannet, puffins, kittiwakes and shag. Right on the southern tip of the mull high on the cliffs sits the Lighthouse (there are two lighthouses on either end of the Mull, one heere south of Drummore and one on the northern tip of the Rhinns at Corsewall Point). The Mull Lighthouse was de-manned in 1988, but it remains remotely monitored from the Northern Lighhouse Board's headquarters situated in Edinburgh. The Lighthouse is open for tours at weekends between April and Spetember, 10am to 3.30pm. (see Mull of Galloway weblink right for details).
The Mull of Galloway RSPB Reserve is around the Lighthouse. Taking in the stunning scenes of lichen smothered cliffs and viewing nesting seabirds like black guillemots, puffins, fulmars and razorbills are on the menu down here. The Mull of Galloway is one of the UK's most stunning coastal cliff locations. Entrance to the reserve is free, and seasonal highlights include the Spring nesting season of the puffins and in Summer watch out for off-shore dolphins, Atlantic grey seals and Minke whales.
For spectacular coastal cliff views of the Mull of Galloway you'd do well to stop in for a coffee at the Gallie Craig Coffee House. This glass house cafe sits right on the edge of the cliff, offering views of the Lighthouse, the South Rhins peninsula, Luce Bay and on a clear day the Isle of Man and Ireland. Check the Mull of Galloway weblink right for opening times. In the Kirkmaiden paris to the south the two main villages are Port Logan and Drummore. At Port Logan the main attraction is the botanic garden - its history is in fishing. It's renowned for its stunning skies (as depicted in a recent BBC documentary - 'Two Thousand Acres of Sky'). Drummore, the largest village on the Rhinns of Galloway is Scotland's most southerly village with a pretty harbour and a selection of accommodation.
The Mull of Galloway visitor Centre & RSPB Reserve, Nr Drummore, Stranraer, Dumfries & Galloway, DG9 9DH, Scotland. Tel. 01776 830682.
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