Rickwood House Hotel

Visitor Attractions

Although Portpatrick is literally at the end of the road (the A77 from Glasgow) it is an excellent centre for touring beautiful countryside on quiet roads.

The following pages give some suggestions for days away from Portpatrick to help you plan your holiday.

From Portpatrick you can explore southwards to the Mull of Galloway, Scotland`s Lands End.

Eastward to villages such as Isle of Whithorn, Wigtown - Scotland`s Book Town, Kirkcudbright and Castle Douglas

North -East to Galloway Forest Park, New Galloway , the Raiders Road and the Glenkens,.

Northwards to Ayr via the stunning coast around Turnberry and Dunure, perhaps including a visit to Culzean Castle or the Robert Burns Centre near Ayr. A colony of seals can often be seen on rocks close to the road near Lendalfoot.

There is even the option to head West on a sail to Northern Ireland.from Loch Ryan Port which is only 25 minutes away with the possibility of shopping in Belfast or maybe a visit to the Giant`s Causeway.

Gardens

Portpatrick has no less than 11 gardens and nurseries within less than an hour's drive from the village, including the famous Logan Botanic Gardens. One of the gardens is even within walking distance (see walks section).

From 2011, six of these gardens, Logan Botanic, Logan House, Ardwell, Dunskey, Castle Kennedy and Glenwhan have linked up for marketing purposes to form the Gardens of Galloway - Scotland's Gardens Route.

Portpatrick is an ideal central point from which to visit all six with none being any more than 30 minutes by car and one is even within walking distance.

A passport can be downloaded from the group's website which entitles visitors to 10 percent discount.

Mull of Galloway

The Mull of Galloway is Scotland's own Lands End!.

Mull of Galloway - Scotland's own Lands End

It is at the end of a very narrow peninsula and the drive to "the Mull" is one of the best in the area, especially the last few miles as the views vary all the time. Interestingly, The Mull of Galloway is further south than Durham!

Killantringan Lighthouse

Killantringan Lighthouse was built around 1899. The name Killantringan is derived from Ringan or Ninian's Cell.

This must be one of the few spots in Southern Scotland where both the Mull of Galloway and the Mull of Kintyre can be seen at the same time!

Killantringan Lighthouse near Portpatrick

Killantringan Lighthouse is within walking distance of the hotel along a picturesque coastal walk with outstanding views.

Dunskey Castle

Portpatrick's Dunskey Castle is a spectacular 16th Century ruin in a stunning cliff-top location and makes for a relatively easy walk.

Dunskey Castle

The path follows above a railway cutting and carries on to the spectacular ruin of Dunskey Castle. Porpoises can sometimes be seen from the cliff top.