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Rhins of Galloway
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Rhins of Galloway
The Rhins (or Rhinns) of Galloway is a double-headed peninsula in southwestern Scotland. It takes the form of a hammerhead projecting into the Irish Sea, terminating in the north at Corsewall and Milleur Points and in the south at the Mull of Galloway (the southernmost point of Scotland). It is connected to the rest of Wigtownshire by an isthmus, washed on the north by Loch Ryan and on the south by Luce Bay. From end to end, the peninsula measures 28 miles (45 kilometres). It takes its name from the Gaelic word rinn, meaning "point".
The principal settlements are Stranraer at the head of Loch Ryan and the small tourist village of Portpatrick on the west coast. Other villages are dotted up and down the peninsula, including Kirkcolm, Leswalt, Lochans, and, in the South Rhins, Stoneykirk, Sandhead, Ardwell, and Drummore.
The peninsula is bounded on its west coast by the North Channel and Loch Ryan and Luce Bay in the east. With around 50 miles (80 km) of coastline running from Stranraer in the north to Torrs Warren in the south, the sea heavily influences the land. The coastal landscape varies: the west coast has steep, rugged cliffs and occasional inlets, but the calmer eastern coast has sandy beaches and a softer landscape.
The Rhins are exposed to the westerlies from the Atlantic and thus receive a lot of rainfall (around 1,000 millimetres or 40 inches per year); this has led to the peninsula being principally used for farming, with the relatively flat land offering good dairy and beef production. As the land is almost surrounded by sea, its temperature is significantly stabilised by the North Atlantic drift, which cools the land in summer and warms it in winter. Thus there are few severe frosts. This allows the survival of numerous tropical palms and flora which otherwise could not exist this far north. Examples of these tropical plants can be seen at the Logan Botanic Garden.
The natural geography of the Rhins has led directly to the use of the area for development[clarification needed]: the entire peninsula acts as a huge breakwater against the currents of the North Channel and, to a lesser extent, the Atlantic. This creates relatively calm and safe navigable waters in Loch Ryan and Luce Bay. They are notably used by the ferries that sail to Belfast and Larne, which were originally based at Portpatrick. As the ships became larger, they required larger protective harbours, and the exposed Portpatrick was no longer suitable, so they moved to the shelter of Loch Ryan from where they still sail today.
The southernmost point of the Rhins is also the southernmost point in Scotland, the Mull of Galloway. Here the land and rocky cliffs support a diverse range of animals and plants, with the Mull area designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and also an RSPB nature reserve. Razorbills, guillemots, and puffins are three bird species that nest on the cliffs.
The land narrows significantly north of the Mull, south of Rhins, forming an isthmus dividing two bays (the East and West Tarbets). In ancient times boats were brought ashore and moved across the isthmus[citation needed] by human resources, with the aid of log rollers and lubrication—all this effort aimed to avoid navigating around the Mull with its dangerous currents.
The Southern Upland Way begins in the Rhins at Portpatrick and winds its way through the area on its long journey east across Scotland to its finish at Cockburnspath.
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Rhins of Galloway
The Rhins (or Rhinns) of Galloway is a double-headed peninsula in southwestern Scotland. It takes the form of a hammerhead projecting into the Irish Sea, terminating in the north at Corsewall and Milleur Points and in the south at the Mull of Galloway (the southernmost point of Scotland). It is connected to the rest of Wigtownshire by an isthmus, washed on the north by Loch Ryan and on the south by Luce Bay. From end to end, the peninsula measures 28 miles (45 kilometres). It takes its name from the Gaelic word rinn, meaning "point".
The principal settlements are Stranraer at the head of Loch Ryan and the small tourist village of Portpatrick on the west coast. Other villages are dotted up and down the peninsula, including Kirkcolm, Leswalt, Lochans, and, in the South Rhins, Stoneykirk, Sandhead, Ardwell, and Drummore.
The peninsula is bounded on its west coast by the North Channel and Loch Ryan and Luce Bay in the east. With around 50 miles (80 km) of coastline running from Stranraer in the north to Torrs Warren in the south, the sea heavily influences the land. The coastal landscape varies: the west coast has steep, rugged cliffs and occasional inlets, but the calmer eastern coast has sandy beaches and a softer landscape.
The Rhins are exposed to the westerlies from the Atlantic and thus receive a lot of rainfall (around 1,000 millimetres or 40 inches per year); this has led to the peninsula being principally used for farming, with the relatively flat land offering good dairy and beef production. As the land is almost surrounded by sea, its temperature is significantly stabilised by the North Atlantic drift, which cools the land in summer and warms it in winter. Thus there are few severe frosts. This allows the survival of numerous tropical palms and flora which otherwise could not exist this far north. Examples of these tropical plants can be seen at the Logan Botanic Garden.
The natural geography of the Rhins has led directly to the use of the area for development[clarification needed]: the entire peninsula acts as a huge breakwater against the currents of the North Channel and, to a lesser extent, the Atlantic. This creates relatively calm and safe navigable waters in Loch Ryan and Luce Bay. They are notably used by the ferries that sail to Belfast and Larne, which were originally based at Portpatrick. As the ships became larger, they required larger protective harbours, and the exposed Portpatrick was no longer suitable, so they moved to the shelter of Loch Ryan from where they still sail today.
The southernmost point of the Rhins is also the southernmost point in Scotland, the Mull of Galloway. Here the land and rocky cliffs support a diverse range of animals and plants, with the Mull area designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and also an RSPB nature reserve. Razorbills, guillemots, and puffins are three bird species that nest on the cliffs.
The land narrows significantly north of the Mull, south of Rhins, forming an isthmus dividing two bays (the East and West Tarbets). In ancient times boats were brought ashore and moved across the isthmus[citation needed] by human resources, with the aid of log rollers and lubrication—all this effort aimed to avoid navigating around the Mull with its dangerous currents.
The Southern Upland Way begins in the Rhins at Portpatrick and winds its way through the area on its long journey east across Scotland to its finish at Cockburnspath.
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