Garlieston

infobox UK place
country = Scotland
official_name= Garlieston
population= unknown (2001 Census)
os_grid_reference= NX485465
map_type=Scotland
latitude=54.79045
longitude=-4.35776
unitary_scotland= Dumfries and Galloway
lieutenancy_scotland= Wigtown
constituency_westminster= Dumfries & Galloway
constituency_scottish_parliament= Dumfries & Galloway
post_town= NEWTON STEWART
postcode_district = DG8
postcode_area= DG
dial_code= 01988

Garlieston is a small planned coastal village in south west Scotland founded circa 1790 by Lord Garlies.

Location & History

The village lies convert|5|mi|km northwest of Whithorn 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.

econd World War

During the second world war the village became part of the 'most 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 very remote nature of the locale, led to Garlieston and its 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 & 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.

However, 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 under construction next 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, and for additional housing filling in the gap between this location and the village itself.

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.

External links

* [http://www.combinedops.com/Mulberry%20Harbours.htm Combined-ops] Information on the Mulberry Harbours & the role Garlieston played in their development
* [http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/garlieston/garlieston/ Undiscovered Scotland] Entry on Garlieston