Day 11: Mull of Galloway, Dumfries & Galloway to Turnberry Point, South Ayrshire

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021

 15th January 2021: 136.41km walked today taking the total to 1166.58km/8854km. 7.5% of 273 entries submitting 1818.81km.

Route1B: Traquair to Stranraer

Route 2. Stranraer to Ardrossan

From Port Logan we walk the nearly 15 km to the very tip of the Mull of Galloway where we first pass the Gallie Craig Coffee House, perched on a cliff with a turf roof to make it as unobtrusive as possible, before we visit the Mull of Galloway Experience. Here we can climb to the top of the lighthouse and take a walk to the foghorn and viewing platform. The lighthouse known as Stevenson Tower was built by Robert Stevenson and was first lit on 26th March 1830. The lighthouse itself is 26 metres tall but because it is built on a cliff the light is 99 metres above sea level. In 1971 the lighthouse was converted to run on electricity and in 1988 it became fully automatic. The foghorn was first installed in 1894 and would be operated by the Lighthouse Keepers when visibility dropped below 4 miles. It was last used operationally in November 1987 but has now been returned to full working order.

After leaving the Mull of Galloway Experience we visit the RSPB Visitor Centre and reserve. The reserve consists of grassland and heath surrounded by steep cliffs. These cliffs are home to colonies of guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and shags.

On leaving the RSPB reserve we start to follow the Mull of Galloway trail north. Initially the path follows the cliff top, passing above St Medan’s Cave and Chapel which used to be a place of pilgrimage. It is thought that St Medan was an Irish princess who converted to Christianity and at one time a chapel was built out from the cave entrance but is now in ruins. Beside the cave are three circular rock pools which were regarded as healing wells. It was thought that they were most effective on the first Sunday in May and until the end of the 18th century locals would congregate at the site to bathe in the well on the day known locally as Co’ Sunday (Cave Sunday). As it is not easy to find without a guide, we will have to leave visiting it today.

Towards Maryport the trail descends from the cliffs and we walk along the shore towards Drummore. Drummore, from Gaelic meaning ‘big ridge’, is the southernmost village in Scotland looking out over Drummore Bay. It is thought the name refers to the motte associated with a castle of the Adairs of Kinhilt who were granted the lands by King James VI in 1602. The harbour at Drummore was developed in the early 19th century to serve the lime manufacturing industry. It faces north and is shielded by the Rhins from the prevailing south-westerly wind. It was then used by the Ministry of Defence for over 70 years to manage their bombing range and weapon development area which was offshore in Luce Bay. It was taken over in 2004 by the Drummore Harbour Trust Ltd but after an accident and the subsequent claim for damages the board members resigned and ownership was transferred to the Crown.

From Drummore the trail follows mainly along beside the A716 before reaching the shore again at Terally Bay where we continue along the trail until we head inland towards Auchness Tower, formerly Auchness Castle. This tower house was originally built around 1600 by the McDoualls of Logan and in 1621 was given to Jane Agnew by Alexander McDouall, the then Laird, as part of her dowry. It was converted into a farmhouse in the 19th century and is now in private hands.

Before we reach Ardwell we turn left to take the path which heads into the estate of Ardwell House. This house was built in the early 18th century by the McCullochs before being sold to the MacTaggart family in 1797. They landscaped the gardens, including creating a loch by damming the Killaser Burn, and these are open for us to be able to walk around. As we enter the estate, we take the path to the right passed the remains of a medieval motte. The path continues through woodland before reaching the walled garden and then the loch.

Returning to the Mull of Galloway trail we head into Ardwell before the trail heads along the coast northwards towards Sandhead before heading along minor roads into Stranraer.

Stranraer is one of the largest towns in south west Scotland. It lies at the head of Loch Ryan and used to have a ferry service which ran to Ireland. The town’s origins date back to the building of Stranraer Castle, now known as the Castle of St John, in 1511 by the Adairs of Kinhilt. The town then grew up around the castle and by 1600 it had become the market town for the Rhins of Galloway and the rural area to the east.

When we reach the coast at Stranraer we turn left before turning left again onto Royal Crescent. In front of us is the North West Castle Hotel which was built in 1820 by Sir John Ross who was a famous Scottish Rear Admiral and Arctic explorer. His expeditions were aimed at solving the question of the Northwest Passage. In 1860 it was sold to the Rev Robert Cunningham who was influential in Scottish education in the 19th century and then in 1970 it became a hotel. It was the first hotel in the world with an indoor curling rink.

After walking down Royal Avenue and London Road we arrive in Castle Street where we find the Castle of St John. As said already it was built in 1511 by the Adairs of Kinhilt who later also built Dunskey Castle. It was called the Castle of St John as it was built on land formerly owned by the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem. Towards the end of the 16th century, it was acquired by the Kennedy family who lobbied to create the town of Stranraer around the castle in 1595. This was granted and Stranraer then became a Royal Burgh in 1617. In 1677 it became the castle became the property of John Dalrymple, the Earl of Stairs, before being seized in 1678 on behalf of Charles II and used as a military garrison for the government troops commanded by John Graham of Claverhouse who was known as ‘Bloody Clavers’ for his persecution of Scottish Presbyterians. It was restored to the Earl of Stairs by King William III of England but later they abandoned it and it came under the ownership of Stranraer council. In 1820 it was converted to a jail and from 1850 until 1907 it was also used as the Police Station. The castle was restored in 1988-89, was opened to the public in 1990 and is now part of Stranraer Museum.

Walking along George Street we pass the Victorian fountain, a cast iron fountain erected in 1897 for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. It originally stood outside the Old Town Hall where we will go next. The Old Town Hall was built in 1776 and now houses Stranraer Museum. The museum tells the story of Wigtownshire through the ages and also has displays on the Arctic explorations of Admiral Sir John Ross and his nephew Sir James Clark Ross.

We take King Street to take us to the Agnew Park where we will walk round the pond before walking to Stranraer harbour. On the way we pass The Simpson Memorial Tower and Harbourmaster’s Office. This building, with its art deco clock tower, was built in 1938 using a bequest from a local businessman, John Simpson, as the office for the harbour master.

The harbour at Stranraer was first developed in the mid-18th century, with further development in the 1820s. It was however the coming of the railway in 1861 which established Stranraer as the area’ main port. In 1871 the Larne and Stranraer Steamboat Company was formed and a new paddle steamer the Princess Louise commenced a regular service between Stranraer and Larne on 1st July 1872. In the 1970s P&O moved their services from Stranraer to a new terminal built at Cairnryan and in later 2011 Stena also moved to Cairnryan. Stranraer Harbour has since been redeveloped as a marina.

Leaving Stranraer, we head north up the coast on the Loch Ryan Coastal Path. Due to its position Loch Ryan, which faces north and is sheltered from the North Atlantic, has been an important safe harbour for shipping and in World War II, flying boats. These flying boats were important in the securing of nearby waters from German U boats. In fact, it was in Loch Ryan, at the end of World War II, that the Atlantic U-boat fleet surrendered before being towed to the North Channel and scuttled.

The path takes us up the coast until we reach the P&O Cairnryan ferry terminal, which opened in 1973, where ferries travel to Larne in Northern Ireland. We then reach the village of Cairnryan which was established in 1701 with houses built for the people who worked on the estate of Lochryan House. In the 19th century Cairnryan was a staging post on the coach route to Ayr but achieved a less than desirable reputation as a haunt of highwaymen preying on the passing traffic. During World War 2 Cairnryan became No. 2 Military Port with 3 harbour piers and a military railway with its main role to allow the construction of Mulberry Harbours, the floating ports on which the allies depended after D-Day. Of the three piers built only one remains. The path passes Loch Ryan or Cairn Point Lighthouse which was built in 1847 by Alan Stevenson. and guards the eastern side of the entrance to Loch Ryan.

Just past here we pass the entrance to Lochryan House, a Queen Anne style house, which was built in 1701 for Colonel Andrew Agnew of Croach and extended in the 1820s. The landscaped gardens were established by 1750 and extend to include the woodland round the Glen Burn. Just after crossing the Glen Burn, we turn to head inland. As we climb the views open out over Loch Ryan and we can see the Stena Line ferry terminal where ferries cross the Irish Sea to Belfast.

We pass another standing stone, called the Taxing Stane. This standing stone is said to have been erected as a memorial to Alpin, King of the Scots of Daldriada who was murdered in nearby Glenapp. We then head inland with views up Glen App before descending to the A77 where we turn right to visit Glenapp Church.

Glenapp Church was built in 1850 and is one of the smallest churches in Scotland. It was built as a chapel-of-ease which were small churches built for people who could not travel to the nearest parish church. It is known locally as the Glen Kirk and seats about 70 people. From here we leave the Loch Ryan Coastal Path and join the Ayrshire Coastal Path. We follow the track as it curves between Sandloch and Blarbuie Hills to reach a wild moorland plateau dotted with prehistoric earthworks and standing stones.

At Glenapp we take a diversion up the A77 to visit Glenapp Castle, a hotel, and its gardens. They serve luxury afternoon teas on the lawn in their walled garden tea room, overlooking Victorian greenhouses. It was built in 1870 for James Hunter who later became the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the Ayrshire and was designed by the Edinburgh architect David Bryce. It was built in the Scottish Baronial style, combining Gothic and Renaissance design with soaring turrets and towers. In 1917 the castle passed to James Lyle Mackay who became the first Earl of Inchcape and who was chairman of P&0. His daughter, Elsie Mackay, was even better known as she was a respected actress, an interior designer for P&O who also performed aerial stunts. In 1928 she set out to cross the Atlantic in a single engine monoplane but sadly her and her co-pilot Captain Hinchcliffe did not arrive. The castle and grounds were eventually sold and fell into disrepair before the Mcmillan family purchased the property in 1994 and restored it over a 6 year period to become one of the finest luxury hotels in Britain.

Returning to the Ayrshire Coastal Path we cross the River Stinchar into Ballantrae where we will see the remains of Ardstinchar Castle above us. This castle was built by Hugh Kennedy of Ardstinchar in the mid-15th century but by the 1770s the castle had fallen into disrepair and was quarried to build the three-arch bridge over the River Stinchar. There is little left of the castle today apart from what we can see on the rocky hill above the village.

Heading up the coast we walk round the old disused A77 round the seaward side of Bennane Head. This passes a small cairn erected in memory of Henry Ewing Torbert (nicknamed Snib), a hermit that spent years living in Bennane Cave until his death in 1983. We soon pass the walled Bennane Cave before reaching Sawney Bean’s Cave. This is where Sawney Bean and his wife are said to have lived and raised a family of 14 children and 32 grandchildren in the 16th century. The cave is cut off at high tide and is supposed to run for more than 1 km underground. The legend has it that the Sawney Bean family were murderers and cannibals who preyed on travellers, robbing, killing and then eating them. It is said that they cannibalised over 1000 people over a 25-year period! They were only caught when they set upon a man who fought back and escaped. He reported them and they were tracked down to the cave where they were caught and then executed for their crimes.

Before reaching the village of Lendalfoot we pass a bronze memorial to the memory of the Imperial Russian battle cruiser, Varyag, which sank 500m offshore of this point whilst being towed south for scrap in 1920. The Varyag holds legendary status amongst Russians thanks to heroism displayed in an epic battle in the Russo-Japanese war in 1904.

We then pass the ruins of the 15th century Carleton Castle, which was the ancestral home of the Cathcarts, allies of the feared Kennedy family that once ruled over Carrick. There is a story associated with the castle about Sir John Cathcart. Apparently, he was in the habit of marrying heiresses to make himself rich but unfortunately one by one each of his brides accidentally fell from the path at Games Loups cliffs. Mary Kennedy of Culzean was Sir John's ninth heiress bride and he asked her to give him her jewels and clothes before she was to be thrown from the cliff. To protect her dignity she asked him to turn round and, when he did, she grabbed his arm and threw him off the cliff instead. It is said that you can hear the screams of Sir John or his eight murdered wives from the castle.

Leaving Lendalfoot we walk along the coast before crossing over the A77 and heading inland on Pinbain Hill old coach road which was once the only road. On this road you can see an early example of the macadamised construction technique for surfacing roads developed by local man, John Loudon McAdam in the late 18th Century. We then descend back to the coast at Ardwell and walk along the beach into Girvan.

Girvan was given burgh status in 1668 and over the next 200 years it grew slowly with its wealth coming from fishing, weaving and shoemaking. It was only when the railway arrived in 1860 that Girvan really grew with tourists coming to enjoy its beaches. As we walk into the town along the beach, we pass Stair Park which was gifted to the burgh by the Countess of Stair in 1875. The main focal point of the park is the War Memorial, and the undulating landscape shows that it was once part of the sand dunes along the shore. We soon reach the harbour, which is built at the mouth of the Water of Girvan, and which is one of the few safe anchorages on the South Ayrshire coast.

From all along the coast Ailsa Craig, (Gaelic for ‘Fairy Rock’) dominates the seascape. It is a volcanic plug rising to 340 metres and lies 16km from shore. It is sometimes called ‘Paddy’s milestone’ as it lies approximately halfway between Glasgow and Belfast. It is well known as being where "blue hone" microgranite is quarried to make curling stones and today it is a bird sanctuary providing a home for gannets and puffins. The only place where boat trips can be taken out to the island is from Girvan.

As we walk from the harbour, along Knockcushan Street, we pass Auld Stumpy from the Gaelic ‘Olladh Stiom Paidh’ meaning ‘Great Circle of Justice’ which used to be the town jail. This was built in 1825 to replace the previous jail which had a thatched roof which made it too easy for prisoners to escape. It was the main jail until the 1870s when a new jail and police station were built. In 1908 buildings around Auld Stumpy were demolished and the McMaster Hall built. This however was destroyed by fire in 1939 with only Auld Stumpy remaining intact.

Girvan is also the home of the Hendrick’s Gin Palace which is owned by William Grant & Sons who originally built their distillery in 1963 on the site of an old munitions’ factory distilling a few famous whiskies, including Glenfiddich and Monkey Shoulder. Hendrick’s Gin isn't that old as it was introduced to the market in 1999 and by 2003 was described by many as the ‘Best Gin in the World’. A catalyst responsible for the eruption of artisanal gin manufacturers, and its enjoyment, today. The gin is distilled in 2 stills; one a Bennet still made in 1860, 139 years before Hendricks started and the other a Carter-Head still made in 1948!!

Leaving Girvan we keep along the coast until we reach Turnberry Golf Course. We keep along the coast turning inland at Turnberry Point where there is a small fragment of Turnberry Castle. This was the seat of the Earls of Carrick at the beginning of the 13th century. In the late 13th century the castle belonged to Marjorie, the widowed Countess of Carrick who is alleged to have held Robert de Brus captive until he agreed to marry her. Their son born in 1274, also called Robert went on to become Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. It is not known whether he was actually born in the castle, but he definitely did spend his boyhood there. In 1307 it is known that Robert the Bruce tried to recover the castle from the English who were occupying it at the time. It led to the withdrawal of the English soldiers and he ordered the destruction of the castle in 1310 to prevent it falling into the hands of the English again. The castle was nearly destroyed and has been affected by the weather and erosion since then meaning little is left of what is thought to have been a fortress of some considerable size. A lighthouse was built on part of the castle site in 1873 by David and Thomas Stevenson and it was automated in 1986.

We head inland across the Turnberry Golf Course where we reach the A719 where we turn left towards Maidens.