the perfect holiday break
Moir Cottage, Portpatrick
Portpatrick, SW Scotland
3 Bedrooms. 6 Guests
Harbourside Location
Information
Location, Local Facilities and Nearby Places to Visit
Location
Moir Cottage is marked on the map at 27 South Cres. Portpatrick.
Around the Village and Nearby Places to Visit
The village is well served by waterfront pubs, two general stores, a post office, cafes, several craft and gift shops, and good restaurants. Beyond the village there is a wealth of places to visit and enjoy, whether you want to take a gentle stroll along the cliffs, walk part of the Southern Upland Way, play golf, drive up the coast to Culzean Castle, or just take a picnic or barbeque to one of the many almost-deserted beaches up and down the coast, you will find something that suits everyone.
Food & Eating
Connor’s Restaurant on the waterfront serves local seafood, Scottish lamb and beef, and other dishes. It is vegetarian friendly.
The Port Pantry just around the corner from Moir Cottage, serves breakfast, brunch and lunch. It is fully licensed and vegetarian and vegan friendly.
All the Seafront Hotels – The Crown, The Harbour House, The Mount Stewart, and The Waterfront – serve local Scottish cuisine.
The restaurant at Fernnhill Hotel, set back from the harbour, has an excellent reputation for fine food and caters well for people with special dietary requirements.
Knockinaam Lodge, a luxury boutique hotel two bays south of the village, is a 3 AA rosette restaurant and recommended in the Michelin Guide. Well worth a visit just for afternoon tea!
Local Beaches
There are sand beaches up and down the coast. Great for walking, picnics, and swimming for the hardy. Seals, dolphins, and porpoises are regular visitors.
Sandeel Bay (Port Mora) and Laird’s Bay (Port Kale) are a short walk north of the village. Beyond those Killintringan Bay, Knock Bay, and Larbrax Bay all have lovely sand beaches.
South of the village are Ardwell Bay and Port Logan beaches.
On the east side of the Rhins of Galloway there are numerous long beaches all the way dwon from Sandhead to Drummore.
Local Sights
There are many local sights including:
Killantringan Lighthouse. Just up the coast. You can walk to the lighthouse from the north end of the village along the Southern Upland Way, or get to it via a track off the A764. The turnoff is clearly marked. If you take the walking route you will pass Port Kale Bay where the first telegraph was laid to Ireland onto the USA. The old cables are still visible in the bank of the beach, The original telegraph hut has been repurposed for environmental studies.
Galloway Forest. Has beautiful forest drives, otter pools, wild goats, woodland sculptures and breathtaking scenery. Glen Trool oak forest has particularly fine walks.
Culzean Castle. Agreed by many to be Scotland’s finest, is about an hour’s drive up the Ayrshire Coast past Turnberry Golf Course. Drive a couple of miles further north on the A719 to Knowleside to see and experience the Electric Brae, a natural optical illusion on the road your car will run uphill!
Gardens
Due to the influence of the Gulf Stream, the area is rich in beautiful gardens, including:
Logan Botanic Garden is a few miles to the South of the village. Logan is a specialised part of Scotland’s Royal Botanic Gardens and has a wealth of sub-tropical flora, palm trees and tree ferns, a walled garden and conservatory. It’s the closest you can get to the Eucalypt forests of Australia without that terrible flight!
Glenwhan Gardens and Arboretum. Described as one of the most beautiful made gardens in Scotland, with stunning sea views across to the Isle of Man and the Mull of Galloway. Glenwhan is worth a visit at any time of the year.
Castle Kennedy Gardens. One of Scotland’s most important historical landscaped gardens. Set around the ruins of Castle Kennedy.
Ardwell Gardens. A 342 ha (970 acre) garden surrounding the 18th century Ardwell House. There is a walled garden, a health garden, large pond with ducks and swans, and extensive deciduous woodlands containing rhododendrons and exotic schrubs.
Walking & Cycling
Walking. Apart from the spectacular short walks out of the vilalge along the North and South Cliffs, there are plenty of longer walks. theSouthern Upland Way starts in the village and traverses 214 miles across the country to the East coast above Berwick-upon-Tweed. You might wand to walk part of the first section between Portpatrick and Castle Kennedy. The Mull of Galloway Trail, created by the Rotary Club, is a 24 mile long walk along the eastern side of the Rhins of Galloway between Stranraer and the Mull of Galloway lighthouse. You can shorten it by picking it up Sandhead.
Cycling. The Rhins of Galloway has quiet and mainly level roads. Although there are no dedicated cycle tracks, the roads are ideal for cycling. There are many quiet country roads, spectacular views, and interesting places to visit within a 30 mile radius.
Nearby Towns and Villages
The nearest large town is Stranraer, seven miles to the north-east of Portpatrick. There is a very good Morrisons supermarket, an Aldi and many other shops and services. The local Portpatrick-Stranraer bus service runs every hour.
The lovely towns of Wigtown and Kirkudbright are 30 and 50 miles from Portpatrick. Wigtown is Scotland’s ‘Book Town’. The old Royal Burgh of Kirkudbright is populated by artists with an Arts and Crafts Trail, festivals throughout the year, and a range of galleries and other interesting shops.
Historic sites
The Rhins of Galloway is full of historical sites well worth visiting, including:
Glenluce Abbey. 15 miles from Portpatrick. This former Cistercian Abbey is a ruin, but much of the fabric is maintained.
Kirkmadrine Stones. Near Sandhead, these early Christian memorials date back 1,500 years.
Bruce’s Stone. On the shore of Loch Trool, the Bruce’s Stone commemorates Robert the Bruce’s victory in 1307 over the English. the Bruce’s Stone is on the wonderful Loch Trool circular walk (approx. 5.5 miles/8.5 kms). 40 miles from Portpatrick.
Visit SOUTH WEST SCOTLAND
We Have Vacancies
Check our calendar here or on TripAdvisor to see availability.
Tel: 01962 868990
Moir Cottage, 27 South Crescent, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire, Scotland DG9 8JR
bookings@moir-cottage.co.uk
Or contact us from the CONTACT page.