Stranraer Coast Guide 

Stranraer is located at the western tip of Dumfries and Galloway - the south west corner of Scotland, which is reputed to be the warmest part in Scotland. Stranraer is situated at the southern end of Loch Ryan and is a resort and port with ferry connections to Ireland. 

For details of  Stranraer Hotels and Holidays, Guest Houses, Cottages  and Attractions.  Go to Stranraer Hotels  Guest Houses and Attractions

Stranraer is the closest UK port to Ireland, being only forty miles from Belfast and so it gets quite busy. Crossing times, via the fast ferry are around 2 hours. 

Stranraer has several beaches, but travel a few miles out of the town to Sandhead and New England Bay for miles of sand, or all around the loch for pebbly beaches. The Sailing Club at Wig Bay is a haven for yachts of all sizes. For a really spectacular beach head south 5 miles to Luce Sands which extend for around five miles over looking Luce Bay. 

Over the years, Stranraer has served as a market town, seaport, garrison town and administrative centre. Today it is a great centre for those with leisure time to spend in the town and in the surrounding gentle countryside. 

Nearby is Castle Kennedy ancestral home of the famous clan. The castle is a ruin after a devastating fire in 1720. To the west of Stranraer, is Portpatrick, a small fishing village and the start/finish of the Southern Uplands Way - a walking route that crosses Scotland to the North Sea coast. 

   Portpatrick

Wigtown is around fifteen miles to the east of Stranraer and over looks Wigtown Bay - there is a small harbour which used to be busy until it silted up. Today it is a picturesque tourist centre and the ruins of Castle Baldoon Castle are nearby At Kirkcudbright, 40 miles to the east, there is another castle - MacLellan's Castle and a small harbour. 

What to see around Stranraer

Castle of St John - Charlotte Street Stranraer Scotland T 01776 705544

Castle Kennedy Gardens - Stair Estates Stranraer Scotland DG9 8BX 01581 400225

Logan Botanic Garden - Port Logan, Ardwell, Stranraer, Wigtownshire DG9 9ND Tel: 01776 860231

Map of Stranraer area

Other sections of the guide you might also enjoy - see below.

Attractions - see listings pages

A huge selection of attractions are available within the coastal area and this section will have details of many of them. From piers and harbours to fun fairs and roller coasters, the listings will have details of what's available in your chosen area. For details of attractions look in the resort pages. 

 The National Marine Aquarium - Plymouth

Activities

Whether your idea of an ideal activity is sunbathing or you prefer something more strenuous, the  chances are that you will be able to pursue this at the coast. There is a wide selection of activities that can be found on our coastline - these range from a gentle stroll to the next bay, to swimming and snorkelling, to more energetic activities such as sailing, surfing, windsurfing and kite sailing. See Activities section.

Features

We will bring you feature  articles  about the coastline and  news items about life in the coastal area. contributions to this section are welcome.

Pubs, restaurants and shopping guide

The listings section will also have details of pubs, restaurants, nightclubs and shops available in the locality. Restaurants and shops coming soon.....

     The Beach Pub - Exmouth

Photo Gallery

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