Whithorn Isle of Whithorn priory caves gardens Galloway Scotland

Portpatrick, Dumfries & Galloway, DG9 9AD

Local Area > Whithorn

The Village
The village of Whithorn lies at the heart of the southern end of The Machars, the broad peninsula projecting south into the Irish Sea. The village is famous as the cradle of Christianity in Scotland, and can stake a credible claim to be amongst Scotland's oldest continuously occupied settlements.

In more recent times Whithorn was for a while home to Scotland's most southerly railway station, but this closed in 1950. Otherwise it remains an important local centre for The Machars, and the pilgrims of yesteryear have now been replaced by more worldly tourists, though equally interested in the story of St Ninian and Whithorn.

The Isle
There are two surprises awaiting first time visitors to the Isle of Whithorn. The first is that this beautiful little village hiding near the southern tip of The Machars is a real gem, an old seaport with true character and a powerful sense of history. And the second surprise? - there's no longer an isle at the Isle of Whithorn. Harbour improvements in 1790 included the building of a causeway linking island with mainland, and on which parts of the village have since been built.

The remains of St Ninian's Chapel form the spiritual heart of the Isle of Whithorn: and it is certainly the reason why the sense of history is felt so strongly here. St Ninian founded the first Christian church in Britain, in about AD430. Some believe that St Ninian's Chapel on the Isle of Whithorn is on the site of St Ninian's original church: but most now agree that it was actually inland at Whithorn, on the site later used as cathedral and priory.