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Port Logan
to
The Mull
Leaving the bay at Port Logan you follow a track between cattle grazed fields and join a minor road to Slockmill and Crammag Head.
Passing the lighthouse at Crammag Head you climb up onto Dunman where the highest cliffs on the Rhins fall dramatically into the sea below. From the top you can see the Mourne Mountains across the Irish Sea, and the distant lighthouse at the Mull of Galloway, the southernmost tip of Scotland, and your destination for this section of the route.
The cliffs are the haunt of ravens which can be seen in their breeding pairs in early spring, family groups in summer or larger flocks patrolling the coast in winter. The collective term of “unkindness”, “treachery” or “conspiracy” of ravens fails to conjure up the joy of watching them perform amazing aerial acrobatics in the updraughts created by the cliffs – a truly memorable experience.
In wild weather on these towering cliffs it is easy to imagine why the howling winds reminded superstitious folk of ghouls and witches. As you walk along you might startle the occasional hare that will remain motionless until the last minute and then dash off zigzagging its way into the distance and safety.
Folklore tells us that witches can shape shift into other creatures, particularly hares. One local tale tells of a Church Minister being struck dumb every time he entered the pulpit after his path was crossed by a witch disguised as a hare.
The hare will remain motionless and then dash off zigzagging
Whatever the weather it is always worthwhile descending the steps to the foghorn at the Mull of Galloway and experience the swirling seas below. You will be standing above Carrickcarlin Point – carrick means rock and carlin is a Scots word for a witch or old woman, a name probably inspired by the tale of witches that conjured up nine tides at the Mull of Galloway.
Several versions of the story are told in old books but they all agree that nine witches cast a spell to trap a boat as it sailed round the peninsula but failed to lift the spell and now a dangerous tidal race remains for all time.
Mull of Galloway
From the car park at the Mull of Galloway a circular walk takes you along the windswept clifftops crowded with nesting seabirds in the spring and down to the pinch point at East and West Tarbet. Or you can take a longer walk along the sheltered coast of Luce Bay and then across farmland to the exposed cliffs of the Irish Sea coast to complete a longer figure of eight route.
South West Coast
Modern light
A small lighthouse with a flashing white light every 10 seconds has warned sailors of the rocky coast at Crammag Head since 1913. It was replaced by a modern lighthouse in 2009 which sits on an outcrop of granite next to the remains of an abandoned coastguard lookout station.
Two Tarbets
The bays of West Tarbet and East Tarbet form a pinch point as you enter the Mull of Galloway and are named after the Gaelic word tairbairt meaning crossing point where boats could be hauled across a narrow isthmus. Here the work involved in dragging a boat across land was a worthwhile effort to avoid having to circumnavigate the wild seas at the Mull.
Southern delight
The peninsula at the Mull of Galloway is aligned to the east and so it is easy to be disorientated. The furthest tip of land is therefore not the southernmost point of Scotland, instead you need to seek out a pointed rock called Gallie Craig to discover its true location. The relatively mild climate here means wildlife usually only seen further south occur here; the yellow flowers of Golden Samphire can be seen on the cliffs and the jewel like rose chafer beetle can be seen feasting on flowers.
Standing room only
Sea birds have specific nesting requirements. At the RSPB reserve on the Mull of Galloway fulmars can be seen nesting near the top of the cliffs on vegetated ledges or hollows, while guillemots jostle on narrow cliff ledges in the middle section of the cliff. Razorbills and black guillemots usually seek out small caves and crevices nearer the sea.
Mull of Galloway
Your destination for this section
is the Mull of Galloway.
Mull of Galloway
Your destination for this section is the Mull of Galloway, a narrow peninsula at the southernmost point of Scotland. It is an RSPB reserve with a visitor centre and rangers who help you spot nesting seabirds on the cliff-face, rare flowers on the clifftops or porpoises in the sea.
The working lighthouse has an exhibition that includes the engine room where air is compressed to power the foghorn. Lighthouse tours are also available in the summer and perhaps after all the excitement you will be tempted by the Gallie Craig café with its panoramic views out to sea.
| Start | Port Logan |
|---|---|
| Finish | Mull of Galloway |
| Distance | 20 kms / 12.5 miles |
| Height Range | 0 – 130m |
| Total Ascent | about 300m |
| Grade |
Intermediate |
| Supplies | There is a cafe at the Mull of Galloway otherwise there are no supplies on this section. |
| Facilities | Public toilets are available at Port Logan and at the RSPB Visitor Centre at Mull of Galloway. |
| Public Transport | Regular buses from Port Logan to Stranraer. Note, there is no public transport from the Mull of Galloway. Nearest bus stop Drummore. For further information visit TravelineScotland.com |
