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Machars
The Machars () is a peninsula in the historical county of Wigtownshire in Galloway in the south-west of Scotland. Its name (in Scots and English) is derived from the Gaelic word ''Machair'' meaning low-lying or level land, known as "links" on the east coast of Scotland. Although there are no high peaks in The Machars, it is not flat and would best be described as undulating or rolling. The North Atlantic Drift or Gulf Stream creates a mild climate, and dolphins and basking sharks are frequently seen in the seas. Geography The Machars peninsula is roughly defined by a northern boundary stretching from Newton Stewart to Glenluce, the only other boundary being the sea. The coastline has enormous variety, starting with the mud-flats of Wigtown on the east facing Wigtown Bay, down to the sandy beach at Rigg Bay in Garlieston (where the Mulberry Harbours were developed). The coastline then rises to form dramatic cliffs as it passes the ruins of Cruggleton Castle, dropping a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dumfries & Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway (; ) is one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, located in the western part of the Southern Uplands. It is bordered by East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, and South Lanarkshire to the north; Scottish Borders to the north-east; the English county of Cumbria, the Solway Firth, and the Irish Sea to the south, and the North Channel to the west. The administrative centre and largest settlement is the town of Dumfries. The second largest town is Stranraer, located to the west of Dumfries on the North Channel coast. Dumfries and Galloway corresponds to the historic shires of Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, and Wigtownshire, the last two of which are collectively known as Galloway. The three counties were combined in 1975 to form a single region, with four districts within it. The districts were abolished in 1996, since when Dumfries and Galloway has been a unitary local authority. For lieutenancy purposes, the area is divided into three lieutenancy are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cruggleton Castle
Cruggleton Castle is a multi-period archaeological site on the coast of the Machars, in the historical county of Wigtownshire in south-west Scotland. It is located at Cruggleton Point, around east of Whithorn and south-east of Sorbie. Excavations in the 1970s and 1980s revealed several periods of use, from the 1st century AD to the 17th century. The first stone tower was built in the 13th century, on an earlier motte. The castle is located on a high outcrop of shale, which forms a promontory on the east-facing cliff edge, about above sea level. The name "Cruggleton" is taken to derive from the rocky nature of the site. History of the site Excavations on the site revealed the remains of a late Iron Age hut circle, and of a timber hall dated to the early medieval period. During the 12th or 13th century, the rock outcrop was raised to form a motte and a timber tower was built. During this time, Cruggleton Castle was possibly a seat of the Lords of Galloway, passing to the Earls ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wigtown
Wigtown ( (both used locally); ) is a town and former royal burgh in Wigtownshire, of which it is the county town, within the Dumfries and Galloway region in Scotland. It lies east of Stranraer and south of Newton Stewart. It is known as "Scotland's National Book Town" with a high concentration of second-hand book shops and an annual book festival. Wigtown is part of the Machars peninsula. History Name origins W.F.H. Nicolaisen offered two explanations for the place-name Wigtown. One theory was that it meant 'dwelling place', from the Old English 'wic-ton'; however, if it is the same as Wigton in Cumbria, which was 'Wiggeton' in 1162 and 'Wigeton' in 1262, it may be 'Wigca's farm'. Other sources have suggested a Norse root with 'Vik' meaning 'bay', giving the origin as a translation of 'The town on the bay'. Neolithic Age The surrounding area (the Machars peninsula) is rich in prehistoric remains, most notably the Torhousekie Standing Stones, a Neolithic stone circle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isle Of Whithorn
Isle of Whithorn (''Port Rosnait'' in Scottish Gaelic language, Gaelic) is one of the most southerly villages and seaports in Scotland, lying on the coast north east of Burrow Head, about three miles from Whithorn and about thirteen miles south of Wigtown in Dumfries and Galloway. Whithorn, (''Taigh Mhàrtainn'' in Scottish Gaelic language, Gaelic), is a former royal burgh in Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway, with which Isle of Whithorn is frequently incorrectly amalgamated or confused. It is referred to locally as 'The Isle' - never 'the Isle of Whithorn'. The village is the location of the long ruined 13th-century Saint Ninian's Chapel, previously a chapel linked to Whithorn Priory and a stopping off point for pilgrims landing on Isle Head and making their way to Whithorn. Although no longer a true island, John Ainslie's maps as late as 1782 and 1821 show the Isle as an island. The main street was originally a causeway, with the harbour located on what was then the true Isle. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown (, ) is one of the Counties of Scotland, historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Wigtownshire was an counties of Scotland, administrative county used for local government in Scotland, local government. Since 1975 the area has formed part of Dumfries and Galloway for local government purposes. Wigtownshire continues to be used as a territory for land registration, being a registration county. The historic county is all within the slightly larger Wigtown Area, which is one of the lieutenancy areas of Scotland and was used in local government as the Wigtown Districts of Scotland, District from 1975 to 1996. Wigtownshire forms the western part of the medieval lordship of Galloway, which retained a degree of autonomy until it was fully absorbed by Scotland in the 13th century. In 1369, the part of Galloway east of the River Cree was placed under the control of a steward and so became known as t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mulberry Harbour
The Mulberry harbours were two temporary portable harbours developed by the Admiralty (United Kingdom), British Admiralty and War Office during the Second World War to facilitate the rapid offloading of cargo onto beaches during the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. They were designed in 1942 then built in under a year in great secrecy; within hours of the Allies creating beachheads after D-Day, sections of the two prefabricated harbours were towed across the English Channel from southern England and placed in position off Omaha Beach (Mulberry "A") and Gold Beach (Mulberry "B"), along with old ships to be sunk as breakwater (structure), breakwaters. The Mulberry harbours solved the problem of needing deepwater jetties and a harbour to provide the invasion force with the necessary reinforcements and supplies, and were to be used until major French ports could be captured and brought back into use after repair of the inevitable sabotage by German ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mochrum
Mochrum () is a coastal civil and Church of Scotland parish situated to the east of Luce Bay on the Machars peninsula and southwest of Wigtown and in the historical county of Wigtownshire in Galloway, Scotland. It covers and is approximately in length and in breadth. The parish contains the eponymous village of Mochrum, as well as Port William and the clachan of Elrig. Etymology Mochrum is recorded as ''Mochrumm'' in Blaeu as a hill-name. It is a Cumbric name formed of the elements ''moch'' 'pigs, swine' and ''drum'' 'ridge'. It is possible, but unlikely, that the name is Gaelic rather than Cumbric, formed of the cognate elements ''muc-druim''. Kirk of Mochrum Mochrum kirk was built on the site of a previous church building dating back to the 12th century. The former building was largely destroyed by fire in the 1770s, and the current building used most of the former building's rectangular walls in its construction in 1794, and was substantially altered again ca. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
River Bladnoch
The Bladnoch is a river in Wigtownshire in the Machars of Galloway in southwest Scotland. One of the earliest descriptions of it is given by Sir Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw and Sir David Dunbar in an appendix to Andrew Symson's work "A Large Description of Galloway" written in the 17th century. In this they state that: Course The river Bladnoch rises at Loch Maberry in the parish of Kirkcowan, through which it runs south to Polbae. On its journey south it is joined by Reoch Burn as it passes through Carseriggan Moor. Continuing its journey it passes Isle-na-Gower and becomes a border between the afforested land at Hopeless Howe and the Ring of Barfad. Shortly after this it is met and joined by Black Burn. At this point the river is bordered on its east side by Barnley Plantation. Crossing the river at the stepping stones is a single-track road which links Mark of Shennanton with Little Eldrig. Shortly after this point the river widens briefly at Broad Wheel. Continuing on its jou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luce Bay
Luce Bay is a large bay in Wigtownshire in southern Scotland. The bay is 20 miles wide at its mouth and is bounded by the Rhins of Galloway to the west and the Machars to the east. The Scares are rocky islets at the mouth of the bay. Bombing range From the 1930s to the 1990s, it was a bombing range used for training purposes by RAF aircraft (and later allied aircraft on a leasing basis) based at West Freugh. Discharged bombs were retrieved by a retired minesweeper based at Drummore. It is still a licensed Ministry of Defence range with byelaws restricting access during test and evaluation activities conducted by QinetiQ on behalf of the MOD. Once an important commercial fishery, Luce Bay is now seldom used for this purpose. It contains important marine and littoral life, and has been declared a Special Area of Conservation by Scottish Natural Heritage Places on Luce Bay coastline * Ardwell, Auchenmalg * Chappel Rossan *Drummore * Glenluce * River Luce *Maryport, Mull ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Garlieston
Garlieston (, IPA:[ˈpaləʝeaːᵲʎis̪]) is a small planned coastal village in the historical county of Wigtownshire in Dumfries and Galloway, south west Scotland. It was founded in the mid 18th century by Alexander Stewart, 6th Earl of Galloway, Lord Garlies, later 6th Earl of Galloway. Location and history The village lies northeast of Whithorn and a few miles north of Cruggleton Castle which was abandoned in the 17th century. The former seat of the Earls of Galloway, Galloway House, is situated on the edge of the village, with the settlement being planned along Georgian lines. The port became an important import point for goods being brought into the Machars throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1876 the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway, Wigtownshire Railway was extended to the settlement and goods flowed regularly through the port, with the maritime industries of shipbuilding and associated activities taking place in the village. Second World War D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monreith
Monreith ( ; ) is a small seaside village in the Machars, in the historical county of Wigtownshire, Scotland. A ruined church near Monreith is called "Kirkmaiden-in-Fernis" and was dedicated to St Medan. The chancel was rebuilt as a mausoleum for the Maxwell family of nearby Monreith House and in which is buried Sir Herbert Maxwell, 7th Baronet, Sir Herbert Maxwell. Within the graveyard is the last resting place of François Thurot, Captain François Thurot, a French privateer captain who lost his life in a sea battle off the Mull of Galloway Above the church on the cliff is the memorial to Gavin Maxwell the naturalist, and author of Ring of Bright Water, an otter, sculpted in bronze by Penny Wheatley in 1978. On visits back to the family seat of Monreith House, Maxwell would exercise his tame otter Mijbil on the beach below The area around Monreith is also rich in prehistoric remains. Barsalloch Fort lies on the A747 west of Monreith between Monreith and Port William. It is the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Machair (geography)
A machair (; sometimes machar in English) is a fertile low-lying grassy plain found on part of the northwestern coastlines of Ireland and Scotland, particularly the Outer Hebrides. The best examples are found on North and South Uist, Harris and Lewis. Etymology ''Machair'' is a Gaelic word meaning "fertile plain", but the word is now also used in scientific literature to describe the dune grasslands unique to western Scotland and northwest Ireland. It had been used by naturalists since 1926, but the term was not adopted by scientists until the 1940s. The word is used in a number of Irish, Scottish and Manx place names to refer to low-lying fertile ground or fields, even in areas where no machair has ever been supported. In Scotland, some Gaelic speakers use ''machair'' as a general term for the entire dune system, including the dune ridge, while others restrict its use to the extensive flat grasslands inland of the dune ridge. In Ireland, the word has only been used in plac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
