The Machars
Contents |
Machars
Introduction | Langholm | Moffat | Dumfries | Castle Douglas | Kirkcudbright | Gatehouse of Fleet | New Galloway | Newton Stewart | The Machars | Stranraer | Portpatrick | Wigtown
Introduction to Machars
South of the A75 is the peninsula of fertile rolling farmland known as the Machars. It's a somewhat neglected corner of the southwest but has strong early-Christian associations, and there are many important sites. The Machars is served by Stagecoach Western (Tel 01776-704484) bus No 415 which runs regularly between Newton Stewart and Isle of Whithorn, via Whithorn and Wigtown.
Isle of Whithorn
Four miles away is the misnamed Isle of Whithorn, which isn't an island at all but an atmospheric old fishing village built around a natural harbour. The village is the site of the ruined 13th-century St Ninian's Chapel, built for pilgrims who landed here from England and Ireland. Along the coast to the west of the village is St Ninian's Cave, said to have been used by the saint as a private place of prayer. It is reached via a footpath off the A747 before entering the Isle of Whithorn.
Sleeping There are a couple of places to stay in the village. Try the D-E Steam Packet Inn, Tel 500354, a popular fishermen's pub with rooms on the quayside, which serves good, cheap bar meals. There's also B&B at F Dunbar House, on Tonderghie Rd, Tel 500336. About 11 miles west of Whithorn, near the village of Port William, is the sumptuous B Corsemalzie House Hotel , Tel 860254, Corsemalzie House Hotel, a highly rated hotel and restaurant. Open Mar-Jan.
Glenluce
From Whithorn the A747 heads west to meet the coast and then runs northwest along the east shore of Luce Bay for 15 miles till it meets the A75 at the pretty little village of Glenluce. Two miles north of the village, signposted off the A75, is Glenluce Abbey, founded in 1192 by Roland, Earl of Galloway for the Cistercian order. The remains, set in a beautiful and peaceful valley, include a handsome early 16th-century Chapter House with a vaulted ceiling noted for its excellent acoustics.
The abbey was visited by Robert the Bruce, James IV and, you guessed it, Mary, Queen of Scots. It was also the home of the 13th-century wizard and alchemist, Michael Scott, who appears in Dante's Inferno and who, according to legend, cast a spell on King Arthur and his knights and sent them to sleep under the Eildon Hills overlooking Melrose. Info: Apr-Oct 0930-1830; Oct-Mar Sat 0930-1630, Sun 1400-1630, £1.80, £1.30 concession.
see also Port William