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Dumfries & Galloway – an Unspoiled ParadiseBy Caroline M. Jackson
The adjacent triangular-shaped peninsula is known as the Machars. One of the best known towns here is Whithorn (white house) which is dubbed the Cradle of Christianity. St. Ninian established a monastery and church here and his shrine became a place of pilgrimage visited by Robert Bruce, James IV and Mary Queen of Scots before such pilgrimages were made illegal in 1581. The 14thC.chapel is remote with boats drawn up on each side of the peninsula studded with lupines bent over in the ever-present wind. Archaeologists have unearthed traces of an early Christian settlement and visitors can follow the interesting series of interpretive panels.
British Tourist Authority: http://www.visitbritain.com http://www.dumfriesandgalloway.co.uk http://www.globeinndumfries.co.uk Images by Hamish M. Jackson |
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Located
in the most southwesterly arm of the Scottish mainland, Dumfries and
Galloway are full of surprises even to a Scottish lassie like myself who
spent her childhood in Glasgow, a two-hour toss of the caber to the north. I
had always thought Christianity was introduced to Scotland by St. Columba
via the isle of Iona. Not so. St. Ninian beat him to it when he arrived in
Whithorn in 397. Renown poet and bard, Robert Burns did not spend most of
his life in Ayrshire, but in Dumfries. The last misconception was
geographical in nature. I had envisioned an area of low rolling countryside
dotted with cows, not the vast swathes of forest and hills as high as 2,765
feet. No wonder they say travel broadens the mind because it smashes
mothballed mindsets accumulated over the years. 
The
best way to reach this unspoiled part of Scotland is to rent a car in
Glasgow and drive south down the Ayrshire coast past a plethora of golf
courses, the most famous being Turnberry. As we skirted the coastal town of
Girvan, we spotted a strange rock in the distance. Located 10 miles
offshore, this was the 1,000 ft. high volcanic island of Ailsa Craig. A
nesting ground for thousands of seabirds, it is also the source of high
quality granite used for fashioning curling stones. A little further south
as we skirted Loch Ryan, we had to pull over onto the grass verge to inspect
and photograph a white carpet of swans interspersed with flocks of oyster
catchers. With 200 miles of coastline, this part of southwest Scotland is an
ornithologist’s paradise. Almost at our destination, we passed through the
busy port of Stranraer which is a ferry terminus for passengers crossing to
Larne in Ireland. Feeling peckish we reached our first overnight stop at the
lovely Fernhill Hotel which overlooks the charming holiday resort of
Portpatrick. 
Over
the next couple of days, we set out to explore this quiet low-lying piece of
land which shaped like a hammerhead, is referred to as the Rhinns of
Galloway. First stop was the southernmost point of Scotland, the Mull of
Galloway. This wild, rocky headland rises 210 ft. above the crashing ocean.
The keening wind was so strong that I kept a little further back from the
cliff-top paths lest I should be accidentally blown across the Irish Sea to
the Isle of Man. A 60 ft. lighthouse stands at the tip and the climb down
the many steps to the foghorn is worth every step. The view towards
Ireland and the Isle of Man are a sight to behold. Binoculars are a bonus if
you want to view the nesting gannets and puffins trying to land along the
precipitous ledges plastered with guano. The Scots are fond of ice cream
cones and sure enough, an ice cream vendor was doing a roaring trade. The
biggest challenge for me was finding a sheltered spot behind a wall where I
could lick my cone without it being blown seaward.
Feeling
refreshed but rather windblown, we drove 15 minutes north back up the
peninsula to Logan Botanic Garden. Because of the warming influence of the
Gulf Stream, this unusual garden is able to grow exotic subtropical trees
and ferns, groves of eucalyptus and other-worldy Gunnera which looks a bit
like giant rhubarb. The overhead leaves were so large that we were able to
shelter under them during a brief shower. The local innovative technique of
making low walls of peat has also enabled the proliferation of many exotic
flowers such as Himalayan poppies. 
By
taking an extra loop west, we visited a svelte bronze sea otter monument, in
memory of author and naturalist, Gavin Maxwell who penned “Ring of Bright
Water”. Still within the boundaries of the Machars, we spent a couple
of hours in the medieval town of Wigtown which has become known as
Scotland’s National Book town with dozens of specialty book stores. Down by
the water, the Martyrs’ Stake commemorates the spot where two female
Covenanters were tied to a stake in front of the incoming tide in 1685.
Now
traveling east, we drove to the picturesque sandy Colvend Coast. Our route
took us through the 300-sq-mile Galloway Forest Park which is studded with
lochs overshadowed by pine-studded and heather-clad mountains. The area is
well signposted and is truly a walker’s and cyclist’s paradise. The sign
pointing to Wild Goat Park caught our attention and we were able to watch
these nimble animals without the aid of binoculars. We ambled past
Clatteringshaws Loch and followed an old cattle rustler’s route
appropriately called Raiders Road. This part of the country was known as the
Land of the Border Reivers where in the 15th and 16th centuries, life was
marked by cattle rustling, murder and thievery. With the forest behind us,
we headed south again to the tiny coastal hamlet of Rockcliffe. Our
bedroom window in Baron’s Craig Hotel overlooked a high granite outcrop – an
Iron Age hilltop settlement known as the Mote of Mark. Nearby was a 20-acre
bird sanctuary on Rough Island which is accessible at low tide. This sandy
area is popular with hikers and many take the Jubilee Path which follows the
rough coastline between Rockcliffe and Kippford which once had a history of
smuggling. 
Dumfries
and Galloway are also dotted with many magnificent castles, churches and
abbeys and historians could easily spend a week here visiting different
venues. Drumlanrig Castle, an ancient Douglas stronghold just north of
Dumfries, is made of local pink sandstone with outstanding views across
Nithsdale. The symmetry of the castle’s horseshoe staircase is eye-catching
and is more reminiscent of the entrance to a French chateau. Medieval
Caerlaverock Castle may be a ruin but its setting on the edge of the Solway
saltmarshes and sands is stunningly beautiful. This area is the site of the
Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve, home to Barnacle Geese and thousands
of wildfowl that wing their way south from the arctic.
Many
admirers of poet and bard, Robert Burns, make a special trip to follow in
his footsteps. They will not be disappointed. A circular route known
as the Burns Heritage Trail loops through Ayr, Dumfries and Kilmarnock. For
just a taste of Burns’ history, an ideal spot is the main town of Dumfries
where aficionados can visit the Robert Burns Center and the Selkirk Arms
where he wrote the famous Selkirk Grace. A highlight for me was a visit to
Burns’ favorite pub, the Globe Inn. Established in 1610, it is located along
a narrow close off the High Street. Amazingly the interior, especially the
Burns Room, remains much as it did in his day. Therein for me lies the
secret of what makes this part of Scotland so attractive.