Garlieston
Encyclopedia
Garlieston is a small planned coastal village in south west Scotland
founded circa 1790 by Lord Garlies
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and a few miles north of Cruggleton Castle
which was abandoned in the 17th century. The seat of the Earls of Galloway, Galloway House, is situated on the edge of the village, with the settlement being planned along Georgian lines. The port became an important import point for goods being brought into the Machars
throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1876 the Wigtownshire Railway was extended to the settlement and goods flowed regularly through the port, with the maritime industries of shipbuilding and associated activities taking place in the village.
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the village became part of the secret Mulberry Harbour
project. The profile of the beach and sea bed at Garlieston was similar to that of the proposed harbour points in Normandy
and that, coupled with the remote nature of the locality, led to Garlieston and the surrounding area being selected as the development region for the harbours. Prototypes of the harbours were constructed at Conwy
in North Wales and then transported and positioned in Wigtown Bay, where they were tested and modified through 1943 and 1944. A fixed pierhead from the harbours could be seen in Cruggleton (or Rigg) Bay until it was destroyed by a storm on Sunday 12 March 2006.
Annually in the early summer there is a ferry trip from Garlieston harbour to the Isle of Man.
There is currently something of a surge in development. A long-abandoned old granary near the harbour has been demolished and is being replaced with blocks of flats, while a new estate of 24 luxury houses is proposed to the garage at the approach to the village. Plans are underway for two new houses on the site of a former garage beyond the southern edge of the village.
These changes may be connected with the increasing popularity of Wigtownshire as a second home and retirement location, especially for couples from the north-west of England.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
founded circa 1790 by Lord Garlies
Earl of Galloway
Earl of Galloway is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1623 for Alexander Stewart, 1st Lord Garlies, with remainder to his heirs male bearing the name and arms of Stewart. He had already been created Lord Garlies in the Peerage of Scotland in 1607, with remainder to the heirs...
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Location & History
The village lies 5 miles (8 km) northwest of WhithornWhithorn
Whithorn is a former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about ten miles south of Wigtown. The town was the location of the first recorded Christian church in Scotland, Candida Casa : the 'White [or 'Shining'] House', built by Saint Ninian about 397.-Eighth and twelfth centuries:A...
and a few miles north of Cruggleton Castle
Cruggleton Castle
Cruggleton Castle is a ruined castle on the eastern coast of the Machars peninusula, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.It is located on a high outcrop of shale, part of the cliff edge, about 4 km south east of the village of Garlieston...
which was abandoned in the 17th century. The seat of the Earls of Galloway, Galloway House, is situated on the edge of the village, with the settlement being planned along Georgian lines. The port became an important import point for goods being brought into the Machars
Machars
The Machars is a peninsula in Galloway in the south-west of Scotland. The word is derived from the Gaelic word Machair meaning low lying or level land, known as "links" on the east coast of Scotland...
throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1876 the Wigtownshire Railway was extended to the settlement and goods flowed regularly through the port, with the maritime industries of shipbuilding and associated activities taking place in the village.
Second World War
During the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the village became part of the secret Mulberry Harbour
Mulberry harbour
A Mulberry harbour was a British type of temporary harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy....
project. The profile of the beach and sea bed at Garlieston was similar to that of the proposed harbour points in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
and that, coupled with the remote nature of the locality, led to Garlieston and the surrounding area being selected as the development region for the harbours. Prototypes of the harbours were constructed at Conwy
Conwy
Conwy is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales. The town, which faces Deganwy across the River Conwy, formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. Conwy has a population of 14,208...
in North Wales and then transported and positioned in Wigtown Bay, where they were tested and modified through 1943 and 1944. A fixed pierhead from the harbours could be seen in Cruggleton (or Rigg) Bay until it was destroyed by a storm on Sunday 12 March 2006.
Currently
Today the village is in general a quiet sleepy place, with much of the local industry and port activity having ceased over the past 50 years. A bowling green sits on the waterfront and the village caravan site attracts tourists, with the harbour providing berthing facilities for those who are touring by boat.Annually in the early summer there is a ferry trip from Garlieston harbour to the Isle of Man.
There is currently something of a surge in development. A long-abandoned old granary near the harbour has been demolished and is being replaced with blocks of flats, while a new estate of 24 luxury houses is proposed to the garage at the approach to the village. Plans are underway for two new houses on the site of a former garage beyond the southern edge of the village.
External links
- Combined-ops Information on the Mulberry Harbours & the role Garlieston played in their development
- Undiscovered Scotland Entry on Garlieston