Sheltered by the Rhinns of
Galloway, a promontory lying to its west,
Stranraer sits at the head of beautiful Loch Ryan
and is a busy ferry port linking Scotland with
Northern Ireland. Archaeologists believe it may
also have been a naval base in Roman times. Close
to the town centre is the 16th century
Castle of St John, once the local jail for
Covenanters, while the a local – built to look
like a ship - was the one-time residence of Sir
John Ross, the Victorian explorer who established
the true position of the Magnetic North Pole.
On the outskirts of the town
is Port Logan Fish Pond, a 200-year-old pool
created by a blow hole in the Ice Age which is
used to store live sea fish.
The grand Castle Kennedy
Gardens was the creation of the Earl of Stair in
the 18th century. It has ruins, lakes
and woodland walks and is a near-neighbour of the
remarkable Logan Botanic Garden.
