Stranraer's fortunes as a port have followed a somewhat
different trajectory from those of nearby Cairnryan (see previous post). Whereas Cairnryan started out from next to
nothing and grew into an important military, then civilian port, Stranraer has
gone in the opposite direction. The
harbour was built in the mid-18th century, but it was not until the arrival of
the railway in 1861 that the town became the area's main port. In 1872 the town became the main terminal for
steam packets to Northern Ireland, and these services continued until recently
with Stena and P & O both operating services from there. However, they have both since moved to new
facilities in Cairnryan. This has left
the town with the dilemma of what to do with its waterfront, which is why a
regeneration of the waterfront area is now underway.
The origins of the town date back to 1511, with the building
of the Castle of St John, a medieval tower house which
was flanked by a medieval chapel, since demolished. In the late 17th century it was the
headquarters of John Graham of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount Dundee (aka Bluidy
Claverhouse), a much feared persecutor of Covenanters. The castle later came to be used as a prison,
a courtroom and a police station, and this period of its use is remembered in
some of the exhibits on show to visitors.
There is a handsome building on the waterfront which was built in 1820
for the Arctic explorer and naval officer Sir John Ross, the son of a minister
in the local Inch parish. The building
is now the North West
Castle hotel, which has
its own indoor curling rink. The Old Town Hall
was built in 1776 and now houses the Stranraer Museum, which includes
displays on Sir John Ross and his nephew James Clark Ross, also a polar
explorer. As well as the attractions of
the town itself, Stranraer is the gateway to the Rhins of Galloway, the
distinctive hammer-head shaped piece of land, which includes the Mull of
Galloway, Scotland's most southerly point.
Map of the area.
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"Millennium Centre", George Street, Stranraer - geograph.org.uk - 164305. Photo by Oliver Dixon, via Wikimedia Commons
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