
I watched the sun go down behind Dunskey Castle at the end of our day there.

We left Castlebay the next day on a bright but cool morning. From Portpatrick we drove over to the west side of Luce Bay and then south past Sandhead, New England Bay and Drummore (which has Scotland’s most southern store) before we reached the Mull of Galloway, the southern most point of Scotland. It has been owned by the Mull of Galloway Community Trust since 2013, has had an RSPB Reserve since 1975 and is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Ordnance Survey map indicated that Luce Bay was an MOD Bombing Range. The lighthouse was built by Robert Stevenson in 1830.

There are views to nearby cliffs

and over the sea.

There was a photographic exhibition in the lighthouse grounds

and a signpost indicating the distance to various towns and cities.

Cattle were grazing in the nearby fields.

After wandering around for a while, we headed back up the peninsula to the Logan Botanic Garden. The almost sub-tropical climate here, assisted by the Gulf Stream has led it to focus on plants from countries in the southern hemisphere, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Southern Africa. On arrival some of the first plants we saw were palm trees

and we then entered the walled garden.


After coffee some we passed the Gunnera Bog,

a pond,

a large Eucalyptus

and a coloured tree called Acacia baileyana.

The conservatory has a great collection of succulents and others.

Afterwards it was time to head north again past Ardwell and Sandhead and then rounding the head of Luce Bay. We saw a sign saying there was an MOD Soft Target Station. On the A747 down the east side of the bay we passed a couple of quarries and a wind farm before the road returned to the coast. Our lunch stop was on a beach with many pebbles.

Continuing past Port William, the road then turns inland. We passed a building which said it was the Galloway Astronomy Centre before reaching Whithorn and then our campsite at Garlieston Bay.

Garlieston was a planned village constructed in the 18th century by Lord Garlies who later became the 6th Earl of Galloway. Not long after we arrived it started to rain and was due to continue for the rest of the evening so no more exploration until the next day.