Portpatrick

infobox UK place
country = Scotland
official_name= Portpatrick
gaelic_name= Port Phàdraig
scots_name=
population= 585 (2001 Census)
os_grid_reference= NW995545
map_type=Scotland
latitude=54.84504
longitude=-5.12429
unitary_scotland= Dumfries and Galloway
lieutenancy_scotland= Wigtown
constituency_westminster= Dumfries and Galloway
constituency_scottish_parliament= Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
post_town= Stranraer
postcode_district = DG9
postcode_area= DG
dial_code= 01776-81

Portpatrick (Gd: "Port Phàdraig") is a village hanging on to the extreme south-westerly tip of mainland Scotland, cut into a cleft in steep cliffs.

Dating back historically some 500 years, and built adjacent to the ruins of nearby Dunskey Castle, it boasts a position on the Rhins of Galloway that affords visitors views of the Northern Irish coast to the west, with clifftop walks and beaches both north and south. The Gulf Stream, flowing in from the north, gives the coastline a pleasant climate, in which subtropical plantlife can flourish.

Industrially, the village was founded on fishing origins, with construction of the crescent shaped harbour that remains the focal point of the village today. In latter stages of Portpatrick's history it was important as a ferry port for transport between Northern Ireland and Scotland, and handled postal mail and freight. However, in the late 19th century, when shipping became a considerably larger feature of industry, the village's vulnerability to strong westerly winds made it unviable for larger ships, and thus most of the profitable trading routes were diverted to nearby Stranraer, despite the longer voyage out of the northerly-facing Loch Ryan.

To the extreme north on the clifftop where the town's 100 year old Portpatrick Hotel stands, begins the scenic Southern Upland Way to Cockburnspath on the east coast.

Railway

The Portpatrick railway station was the original terminus of the Portpatrick Railway.

Today

Today the village retains a fleet of fishing craft, and a lifeboat is still stationed in Portpatrick. There are bowls clubs, a very active golf club (Dunskey), many guesthouses and hotels, and rustic public houses.