Saint John's Tower

Stranraer is a town in Dumfries and Galloway near the tip of Southwest Scotland. It's a ferry port, connecting Scotland with Northern Ireland, though nowadays all ferries run from Cairnryan a few miles north. The town itself has little of interest, but it's a good base for exploring the scenic Rhins of Galloway, the peninsula stretching north and south of Stranraer.

An alternative base 17 miles south is the village of Drummore: see that page for details of the Logan gardens and fishpond, and the Mull of Galloway.

Get in

By boat

Ferries to Northern Ireland nowadays sail from Cairnryan, on the east bank of Loch Ryan a few miles north of Stranraer.

• Stena Line ferries sail to Belfast from 1 Loch Ryan Port, north of Cairnryan village and about 8 miles from Stranraer. There are 4-6 ferries per day taking 2 hr 15 min. Buses from Edinburgh run via Glasgow and Ayr to the Stena terminal at Loch Ryan, then onward to Belfast, Dublin and Londonderry. Passengers by rail change to the bus at Ayr. There's a car hire desk at the Loch Ryan terminal.
• P&O Ferries sail to Larne from 2 Cairnryan harbour, four miles north of Stranraer. There are six ferries a day taking 2 hours. There is no linked bus service for the P&O sailings, so either catch a local bus (below) or take a taxi.

By train

There are four direct Scotrail trains M-Sat to Stranraer from Glasgow Central via Kilmarnock, Ayr and Girvan, taking 2 hrs 40 min. It's usually quicker to take the frequent train to Ayr and change.

By bus

Scottish Citylink / Ulsterbus 923 runs four times daily from Edinburgh via Glasgow Buchanan Street and Ayr to the Stena terminal at Loch Ryan thence to Stranraer town.

National Express / Ulsterbus 920 runs overnight from London Victoria via Luton airport, Coventry, Birmingham, Manchester airport and city, Preston, Carlisle, Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Newton Stewart, Stranraer, Cairnryan then by Stena ferry to Belfast.

Stagecoach West Scotland Bus 500 runs to Stranraer from Dumfries via Castle Douglas, Newton Stewart and Glenluce, M-Sat every couple of hours and Sun every four hours. It doesn't serve Cairnryan.

Stagecoach West Scotland Bus 358 / 360 runs to Stranraer from Girvan M-Sat every couple of hours via the two ferry terminals. Four buses a day continue to Ayr.

By car

From England leave M6 at Gretna and follow A75 west past Dumfries. From the Glasgow area follow M77 / A77 southwest via Kilmarnock and Ayr.

Get around

WCT local bus 350 runs 8 times a day M-Sat from Stranraer Charlotte St to either the Stena or P&O ferry terminal, depending on sailing times.

Bus 367 runs 8 times a day M-Sat from Stranraer via Lochans to Portpatrick on the west coast.

Bus 407 runs south down the peninsula from Stranraer via Lochans and Port Logan to Drummore, four times a day M-Sat, 45 mins.

See

• Stranraer Museum, 55 George Street, Stranraer DG9 7JP, ☏ +44 1776 705088. M-Sa 10:00-17:00. Stranraer Museum is in the Old Town Hall, built 1776. Discover Wigtownshire's history and that of Stranraer's own Polar explorers. Archaeology, dairy and agriculture feature heavily, with changing temporary exhibitions. Free. (updated Sep 2019)
• 1 Castle of St John, Charlotte Street, DG9 7EJ. June- Sept: Tue - Sat 10.00 - 13.00 and 13.30 - 16.30. A medieval tower house, built around 1500, used as a military garrison in the 1670s and converted to a jail in the 1820s. Videos and reconstructions tell the sometimes grizzly story of the house. Magnificent views from the top of the tower Free admission. (updated May 2016)
• Castle Kennedy ruins and gardens are off A75 three miles east of town. They're open Apr-Oct daily 10:00-17:00, adult £5.50.
• Glenluce Abbey is a ruin off A75 ten miles east of town. It's open Apr-Sept Su-Tu 09:30-17:30, adult £5.
• 2 Portpatrick is a fishing village set in the cliffs of the Rhins. Until the 19th C it was a port for sailings to Northern Ireland (and something of a "Gretna" for quickie-weddings for Irish couples), but it was too exposed and the port shifted to Stranraer. Visit the ruined 17th C St Patrick's church, Dunskey castle ruins and walled garden, and Cairnpot hill fort. There's a dozen B&Bs here, and the upmarket Mount Stewart Hotel.
• Sandhead has a good beach. A mile south of the village, turn inland up the lane to Kilmadrine Stones, eight memorial stones from very early Christian times, the three oldest dating to the 6th C.
• Logan Botanic Garden is a subtropical garden 14 miles south of Stranraer off A716, and the Mull of Galloway is the scenic headland at the tip of the Rhins. See Drummore for details.

Do

• The Southern Upland Way is a long distance coast-to-coast hiking trail. It starts at Portpatrick, follows the coast north then turns east to Stranraer and Castle Kennedy (13.5 miles, 21.5 km, lowland with no great ascent; use OS Landranger maps 309 and 310.) From there it crosses the hills via Sanquhar, Wanlockhead and Beattock to head into the Scottish Borders, eventually reaching the east coast at Cockburnspath.
• The Mull of Galloway Trail starts at the Mull and runs up the east shore of the Rhins via Drummore and Sandhead to Stranraer (26 miles). It continues up the coast via Cairnryan and Finnart Bay to Glenapp (11 miles), where it joins the Ayrshire Coastal Path to Skelmorlie (100 miles). The Mull-to-Stranraer stage is just right for a marathon, run annually in June, with a half-marathon from Ardwell to Stranraer.
• Ryan Centre. Has a swimming pool, theatre and cinema. (updated May 2016)
• Stranraer Golf Club is 3 miles northwest of town centre.
• Watch football at Stranraer FC. They were relegated in 2020 and now play in Scottish League Two, the fourth tier of soccer in Scotland. Their home ground is Stair Park, capacity 4100, on London Rd A75 just east of town centre.
• Stranraer Agricultural Show is held in late July. The next event is tbc, probably Wed 28 July 2021.

Buy

There's a Tesco and a Morrisons in town centre.

Eat

Kebabs, tandoori, Chinese, fish & chips, all cluster round town centre.

Drink

Places in Stranraer include Swan Inn, Custom House, Arkhouse Inn, The Pub and The Grapes.

Sleep

• North West Castle Hotel, Royal Cres DG9 8EH, ☏ +44 1776 704413. This used to be the grand hotel for ferry passengers, but these nowadays bypass Stranraer, so its status, glitter and cleaning schedules are fading into history. How long can its chandeliers, spa and curling rink survive? B&B double from £90. (updated Jan 2019)
• Splurge at 1 Glenapp Castle, Ballantrae, Girvan KA26 0NZ (11 miles north of Stranraer off A77), ☏ +44 1465 831212. Opulent Victorian pile, great comfort, service and dining. B&B double from £350. (updated May 2020)
• Or at 2 Knockinaam Lodge, Portpatrick DG9 9AD, ☏ +44 1776 810471. Victorian lodge with 10 rooms, lovely out-of-the-way spot with fine restaurant. B&B double from £350. (updated May 2020)

Go next

It's either east towards Dumfries and Carlisle, north via Ayr towards Glasgow, or hop on a ferry to Northern Ireland.