COUNTRY VIEWS
Scotland’s southernmost point – the Rhins of Galloway – is a trove of unexplored wonders
Scotland’s southernmost point is a trove of wonders, says Sara Maitland.
As you cross the border into Scotland on the M6 and pass the Gretna Green exit, a sign tells you that you are more or less equidistant from Edinburgh and Glasgow. There is no sign telling you that you’re closer to both of them than you are to the most southern bit of Scotland.
Drummore, Scotland’s most southerly village, is not only nearly 100 miles west of the border, it is also south of both Carlisle and Newcastle upon Tyne. In fact, it is at the tip of a finger of land that points more or less directly at the Isle of Man, with Ireland easily visible to the west and the ‘south coast’ of Scotland – the Solway Firth – running eastward north of the Lake District.
This finger is called the Rhins of Galloway; it’s about 25 miles long and is a magical place. You are seldom more than a couple of miles from the coast, which offers a pleasing mix of sandy bays and impressive cliffs. Because it is neatly tucked under the shelter of Ireland’s north coast, it is warmed by the Gulf Stream but protected from Atlantic storms so, among other things, it has a high rainfall but very mild temperatures. This leads to excellent grazing and famously early grass growth for the benefit of arable farms.
It is also underpopulated. Dumfries and Galloway as a whole has the second-lowest population density in the UK – only Highlands and Islands is lower. And because the whole area lacks the spectacular mountain scenery of the Highlands, it is under-visited as well. And this is a pity in various ways – although it does offer benefits to the well-informed visitor – because the Rhins has an extraordinary amount to offer beyond its remarkable green prettiness.
ANCIENT MEMORIALS
At Kirkmadrine Church, just a few miles south of Stranraer, are three of the oldest Christian monuments in Scotland – one of them at least dating to the 5th century. They are memorials, apparently, to some bishops, of whom absolutely nothing is known. But you can still view the ancient stones, for free. They have been placed in a glassed display cabinet set into the west wall of the church. There’s not even a car park; you pull in beside the single-track road and walk up a wooded path. I have never been at Kirkmadrine when anyone else was there, and yet these stones clearly predate Columba’s famous foundation on Iona.
Heading further south, you soon come to signs for Logan Botanic Garden, which is an outpost of the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. It is an incredible witness to the extraordinary climate of the Rhins. Because it is effectively frost-free, plants flourish here that can be grown nowhere else in Scotland. It is exotic, improbable and great fun to visit.
You can drive through the village of Drummore and down to the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse. It was designed by Robert Louis Stevenson’s grandfather, and is still functioning and open to the public. They needed a lighthouse here – just to the west of the peninsula is a group of rocks called The Scares! These are now leased to the RSPB and host a large gannetry, plus guillemots, shags and kittiwakes. The lighthouse has the only working foghorn on mainland Scotland; it’s no longer used to warn shipping but is still demonstrated to visitors.
Next time you’re heading north, give some thought to turning left at Gretna and travelling west to the south of Scotland.
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