Isle of Whithorn - The Community and Amenities

The Community and Amenities

The village has two pubs, the Queen's Arms and the Steam Packet Inn. A Community Council represents the village and a Church of Scotland church, previously a Free Kirk, sits on the old boatyard, a site extending into the harbour and threatened at exceptionally high tides. There is a bowling club, a basic football pitch and two play areas for the young. The village hall is well used - in August 2008, the community took over management control of this facility and it is now completely refurbished and home to Scotland's most southerly cinema 'Machars Movies'. A post office and shop are situated on the roadside near the Queen's Arms. Also on the harbour there is a fish shop/general store called Isle Sea Foods, where you can buy fresh fish and also groceries. Upstairs in the building there is a launderette, a toilet and shower facilities. The old village school is now a private house, overlooking the Stinking Port, the bay on the other side of the Isle promontory. The war memorial sits at the North end of the village on the main Street to Whithorn. It is a granite memorial overlooking the Bowling Green with twelve WW1 names on it and five WW2 names. The regiments and ships are given for the First War only.

Fishing is widely available on the lochs, local rivers Bladnoch and Cree, and on the sea itself by boat or from the shore. There are numerous trails and quiet roads for walking, horse riding or cycling. Signposted by the Whithorn Pilgrimage Trust, The Pilgrim's Way follows a route southwards from the Southern Upland Way through The Machars, passing through New Luce and the early Christian holy sites of Glenluce Abbey, the White Loch, Whithorn, Isle of Whithorn and St Ninian's Cave. The main part of the route from Glenluce to Whithorn is 25 miles (40 km) long.