Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
| |||
Primary Destinations | |||
Stranraer | |||
Other Important Destinations | |||
Cairnryan • Glenluce • Newton Stewart • Portpatrick • Whithorn • Wigtown | |||
Current Highway Authorities | |||
Dumfries & Galloway | |||
Borders | |||
Ayrshire • (County Antrim) • Kirkcudbrightshire | |||
Transport Scotland Roads | |||
A75 • A77 • A751 | |||
Wigtownshire is the southern most traditional county in Scotland. Along with Kirkcudbrightshire to the east, it forms the Galloway part of the modern authority of Dumfries & Galloway.
Geography & Economy
The county is one of the smaller ones in Scotland, and consists of 3 main areas. The southerly 'Machars' peninsula takes in the historic county town of Wigtown, the T shaped peninsula of The Rhinns of Galloway lies to the west, with Stranraer, the largest town at the neck, whilst the northern portion of the county is in the Galloway Forest. This last area is sparsely populated, with open moorland and dense forestry plantations cloaking the lower slopes of the hills.
The county's population has always been relatively small, with no traditional industries of any size. However, tourism has been an important part of the economy for centuries, with Whithorn Priory and the Isle of Whithorn Christian sites drawing pilgrims perhaps for 1500 years! Today, the presence of Cairnryan as the main Irish ferry port brings a lot of people through the county, and so provides a lot of employment in associated businesses, but tourism, farming and forestry are the largest parts of the economy.
Roads
With the exception of the A75, the A roads generally follow the coast line, with the B and unclassified roads criss crossing inland. The north of the county is comparatively poorly served, but with few settlements and vast areas of forest, there is little for a road to provide access to. The number of A roads has been reduced over the years from the post war maximum, which has left anomalies like the A714 - A746 - A747 route from Newton Stewart to Whithorn and back to Glenluce, a route which would normally carry a single number.
Stranraer was for many years an important port for ferries to Ireland, but in recent years all services have moved out to Cairnryan, away from the confines of the town but also away from the rail link and services for travellers. All non trunk roads in the county are maintained by Dumfries & Galloway. The Trunk roads are maintained by Transport Scotland and include the A75, A751 and most of the A77. There are various small schemes for improving the A75 and to a lesser extent the A77 that come to fruition every few years, but the long term aspirations to dual these routes remain long term.
Route | From | To | Length |
|
---|---|---|---|---|
A75 | Gretna | Stranraer | 95.8 miles | View |
A77 | Glasgow | Portpatrick | 91.7 miles | View |
A714 | Girvan | Braehead | 38.0 miles | View |
A715 | Whitecrook | Sandhead | 5.8 miles | View |
A716 | Whiteleys (S) | Drummore | 14.5 miles | View |
A717 | Stair Drive | Queen Street | 0.4 miles | View |
A718 | Stanraer | Kirkcolm | 6.7 miles | View |
A746 | Braehead | Glasserton | 10.3 miles | View |
A747 | Glenluce | Glasserton | 19.8 miles | View |
A748 | Dunragit | Piltanton Bridge | 0.6 miles | View |
A750 | Whithorn | Isle of Whithorn | 3.2 miles | View |
A751 | Innermessan | Aird | 1.7 miles | View |
A757 | Genoch Mains | Lochans | 4.3 miles | View |
A764 | Portpatrick | Portslogan | 3.4 miles | View |
B733 | Halfway House | Wigtown | 9.6 miles | View |
B734 | Braehead | Glasserton | 10.3 miles | View |
B735 | Kirkcowan | Shennanton | 1.4 miles | View |
B735 | Glenluce | Glasserton | 20.0 miles | View |
B736 | Sandhead | Dunragit | 5.2 miles | View |
B737 | Station Street | Leswalt Road | 1.3 miles | View |
B738 | Dinvin | Kirkcolm | 15.1 miles | View |
B798 | Craigenholt, Leswalt | Ervie | 3.4 miles | View |
B7004 | Kirkinner | Isle of Whithorn | 12.4 miles | View |
B7005 | Wigtown(N) | Garheugh Port | 12.0 miles | View |
B7021 | Whithorn | Drumtroddan | 6.1 miles | View |
B7027 | Challoch | Barrhill | 15.2 miles | View |
B7041 | Drummore | Castlemoor | 2.3 miles | View |
B7042 | Sandhead | Pinminnoch | 5.9 miles | View |
B7043 | Galdenoch | Leswalt | 2.6 miles | View |
B7051 | Dashwood Square | Barbuchany | 0.6 miles | View |
B7052 | Garlieston | Spittal | 11.8 miles | View |
B7063 | Cults | Isle of Whithorn | 5.6 miles | View |
B7065 | Balgowan | Damnaglaur | 6.4 miles | View |
B7077 | Genoch Square | Lochans | 4.3 miles | View |
B7079 | Calgow | Newton Stewart | 1.9 miles | View |
B7084 | Glenluce (W) | Sandhead (N) | 7.1 miles | View |
B7085 | Braehead | Port William | 8.3 miles | View |
T28 | Gretna | Stirling | View |
Key
Junctions
Bridges, Tunnels, and other Crossings