Wig Bay Walk

A circular shoreline and countryside walk,3.5km/2 miles long. Allow 1 hour to complete. Consists of hard surface track, roadside pavement and verge and sandy, pebbly shore.

Stout shoes or boots recommended. At high tide part of this route may be impassable. Parking is available at the Wig Bay car park and picnic site. From Stranraer, follow the A718 towards Kirkcolm for approximately 8km/5 miles. The car park is on your right, just south of Kirkcolm.

From the car park follow the sign for the circular walk to Kirkcolm. Continue along the track, enjoying good views across Loch Ryan. Beyond the mouth of Loch Ryan, Ailsa Craig, used by thousands of nesting gannets, can be seen on a good day.

Wig Bay is particularly good for wildlife, providing shelter and food throughout the year. There is a wealth of birdlife, including many species of ducks, gulls and waders. The long, narrow spit of shingle jutting out into the bay, known as The Scar, is alive with nesting terns between May and July and care must be taken not to disturb them. In the fields next to the shoreline, the cheerful, melodic song of the skylark can be heard in summer and flocks of finches flit by in search of food.

During World War II Wig Bay was a seaplane base, where flying boats were maintained and serviced. By the beginning of 1945 over 1000 RAF personnel were stationed here with 170 flying boats to maintain. There are relics of its military past all along the shoreline, the most obvious being the old observation post looking out onto The Scar.

From the observation post follow the sign to Kirkcolm, picking your way along the sandy, pebbly beach. Look out for a grass path alongside the shore then turn left after crossing a burn. Your route back lies along Fishers Road, a pleasant, treelined country lane. On reaching the main road, turn left and carefully follow the roadside pavement and verge back to the car park.