This triangular peninsula juts out into the Solway Firth creating Wigtown Bay on one side and Luce Bay on the other. People have inhabited this land for millenia. From prehistoric standing stones to the cradle of Christianity, the landscapes here remain largely unchanged. Gently rolling hills give way to stunning coves and beaches that go on for ages, patiently waiting for footprints to explore their rockpools and tidelines.  

Wigtown, Scotland’s official Book Town, plays host to a major 10-day book festival each autumn to which the literary connoisseurs flock – authors, journalists, celebrities, politicians, sportsmen and women come to celebrate the written word. In addition to the festival, the town hosts more than a dozen bookshops that positively encourage exploration and mooching about. The town’s former harbour is part of the Wigtown Bay Local Nature Reserve, the largest in Britain and together with the nearby RSPB Crook of Baldoon, they ensure plenty of feathered friends to spot. 

Head south to Whithorn to discover the ruins of one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Scotland. Today it is the penultimate stop on the Whithorn Way, a long-distance route from Glasgow. This pilgrims’ trail replicates the journeys undertaken by many, including the Kings and Queens of the House of Stuart to visit the shrine of St Ninian. Today’s Whithorn Trust and Priory Museum detail the story of the site. Discover also a full-scale replica of an Iron Age roundhouse, based on the prosperous farmhouses of the earliest Christians. 

Journey to the peninsula’s end at the Isle of Whithorn for sustenance, stunning coastal views and perhaps a hearty walk along the cliffs to the cave thought to have been a retreat for the early Christian, Saint Ninian. Take in the views as the road leads to Port William and then follows the coast to an endless sandy beach awaiting footsteps.