Scottish photography and Photographs of Scotland normally conjure up an image of mountains, lochs and wild landscape where the mighty stag is king, but the Mull of Galloway is different. The most southerly point in Scotland and probably the least known, the Mull of Galloway has no mountains and no huge lochs and the royal animal in this part of Scotland is the cow. Nevertheless this is an enchanting area of Scotland and a grand area for the landscape photographer and painter,
The piece of land on the left of the map is known as the Rhins of Galloway and is twenty miles long from north to south and at it's southerly end is the Mull of Galloway. Stranraer is the areas largest town and is also the ferry port for Belfast. There is also a ferry for Larne in Northern Ireland at Cairnryan just north of the town. On the west coast of the South Rhins there are many lovely spots including Port Logan, Ardwell Bay and Portpatrick great holiday spots for the family, with beaches which are safe for the children.The Rhins of Galloway are first mentioned in the history books in 82AD when Julias Agricola the Roman general was in Galloway and thinking of invading Ireland. Like most other areas in Scotland the history, the myths and the legends make great reading.

In the 8th Century, Medana, a lovely Irish princess and a convert to Christianity, fled her native land to settle with some of her handmaidens in a cave near East Tarbet Bay and, from that bleak spot, ministered to the early local Christian community.
One day, to her horror, Medana was confronted by her former lover who had followed her from Ireland. To escape him the saintly virgin simply stepped onto a rock which conveniently floated across Luce Bay to Monreith and, in thanksgiving for her escape, she built a chapel at Kirkmaiden in Ferness.
Undaunted, however, at her speedy departure, the besotted Irishman chased her to the Machars and, on being asked what made her so attractive, indicated that her eyes were so beautiful that he could not live without them. At this point, the pious lady plucked them out and cast them at his feet, whereupon he rushed off homewards very much shaken.
However, on washing her now bleeding face at a small well, known today as St. Medan's Well, Medana's sight was miraculously restored. She then resumed her religious life and travelled all over Scotland founding several churches.

Click here to take you to the Mull of Galloway site where you can learn more about this beautiful area.

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.