4 Days Golfing in The Machars & The Rhins of Galloway

Wigtown & Bladnoch Golf Club is a very pleasant 9-hole golf course set in lush parkland just half a mile from Wigtown, Scotland’s National Book Town.

Wigtown is Scotland’s National Book Town, where the books outnumber people 250 to 1! Home to 17 bookshops and book-related businesses, including Scotland’s largest secondhand bookshop, Wigtown hosts the world’s only bookshop AirBnB and the annual Wigtown Book Festival.

Wigtown Bay Local Nature Reserve is the largest LNR in Britain. The estuary, with large areas of salt marsh and mudflats is vitally important for many of the species that live there, especially for salt-tolerant plants and wintering wildfowl. The reserve is a popular venue for a range of recreational activities including angling and bird watching.

Wigtownshire County Golf Club – The ‘County’ is one of the most popular holiday golf courses in South West Scotland, an 18-hole, true links course situated on the shores of Luce Bay.

Tucked in a tranquil valley is one of Scotland’s best-preserved monasteries. A highlight is the magnificent chapter house, with its ornate windows and grotesque carvings. There is also a remarkable plumbing system that supplied the Cistercian monks with running water.

This beautiful sandy beach in Sandhead village near Stranraer stretches for more than a mile and boasts unlimited sand when the tide is out. Luce bay is designated a Special Area for Conservation for its dune, seashore and seabed habitats and the fantastic marine wildlife it supports. With ample car parking and picnic tables by the beach, the area is a great place for a picnic before walking on the beach.

Glenwhan Gardens are a labour of love, hewn from rough moorland 40 years ago. With the warming influence of the Gulf Stream, Glenwhan grows many tender plants from around the Southern Hemisphere, together with large collections of rare trees and shrubs.

Situated on the coast in south west Scotland, Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club is just a short stroll from the picturesque village of Portpatrick and boasts two superbly maintained courses. Overlooking the North Channel to Ireland, Portpatrick Dunskey enjoys a temperate climate due to the Gulf Stream and is playable all year round.

Portpatrick is a picturesque seaside village on the west coast of the Rhins of Galloway peninsula. It was once a busy port, and is now a popular seaside resort.

Dunskey Castle dates back to the 13th or 14th Century and has a gruesome history. It was plundered and burned in 1489 and was rebuilt in 1510 and extended in 1648. The entire building became derelict by 1700 and hasn’t changed much since. The castle has featured in several film and TV sets.

The Five-Star Logan Botanic Garden is Scotland’s most exotic garden as it is warmed by the gulf stream. Discover plant treasures rarely seen in the United Kingdom.

The course was designed in 1950 by the distinguished golf course architect, the late James Braid who was also involved in designing such great courses as Gleneagles, Rosemount, Carnoustie and Dalmahoy. His spirit lives on in this classic championship course at Stranraer.

The Castle of St John is a fine example of the tower houses built and used by Scottish Lairds in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Founded in 1947 Stranraer and District Angling Association offers visiting anglers a diverse choice, from remote wild brown trout fishing, to a well-stocked user-friendly loch especially suited to the younger and disadvantaged anglers as well as those wishing to enjoy some fishing whilst visiting the area.

This is one of the most scenic trails in South West Scotland. After the initial section from Stranraer to Luce Bay, the trail follows the coastline of the Southern Rhins of Galloway to end at the Mull of Galloway where there is a visitor centre with an excellent cafe with stunning views.