As thoughts turn to summer holidays, now is a great time to embrace the ‘blue biosphere’, say the team at Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere, who share their suggestions for how to make the most of the coast
With many of us finalising plans for school holidays and summer leave, it’s a great time to embrace the ‘blue Biosphere’ – the amazing coast of our UNESCO-designated region. Last year’s boundary expansion meant the Biosphere came to also include 12 miles of the marine environment. In the west, this takes in the ancient rock of Ailsa Craig – a 99-hectare island best known for producing the granite for curling stones – and brings the boundary line to meet that of UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man.
Dumfries & Galloway’s coastal villages and towns have already made some great connections with the GSA Biosphere Partnership, the registered Scottish charity delivering a programme of local projects to benefit people and nature.
Stranraer hosted the Biosphere’s last AGM; Kirkcolm joined the Biosphere Communities scheme, and the Blue Biosphere teaching resource, created in collaboration with Solway Firth Partnership, is being rolled out in local schools this term. Here the team share some of their favourite things about nature and heritage along the coast to inspire your vacation time.
HIDDEN HISTORIES
The Biosphere’s coastline is dotted with natural shelters and man-made constructions dating back to prehistoric times, making best use of a rugged topography and clifftop vantage points. The Isle of Whithorn is famous as the site of the first Christian settlement in Scotland, established in the 4th Century AD; St Ninian’s Cave at Physgill was reputedly his hermitage, or at least a retreat for the monks at Whithorn Priory.
Barsalloch Fort, on a sea cliff between Port William and Monreith, was home to a farming tribe 2,000 years ago. Dunskey Castle, a 12th-century tower house half-a-mile south of Portpatrick, has been a romantic ruin since the late 1600s and more recently a shooting location for at least three films, including Kidnapped in 1951.
PORTS A-PLENTY
Trade with the rest of Britain, Ireland, and further afield has supported life and industry here for centuries. Kirkcudbright is the busiest commercial fishing harbour in the region and a sunny hour watching the boats is a real treat. Explore with Kirkcudbright Art Tours, visit the Dark Space Planetarium, browse in Gallovidia Books, and enjoy a tasting at Dark Art Distillery – all businesses which have been recognised for sustainability with awards of the Biosphere Certification Mark.
Over in the Rhins, Portpatrick is the westernmost point on the Southern Upland Way, a landmark for walkers and cyclists with a great choice of food and drink.
BIRDS AND BLOOMS
Britain’s largest Local Nature Reserve (LNR) at Wigtown Bay is part of the GSA Biosphere; the wild landscape is protected while signage, trails and hides facilitate learning and accessibility. Nearby Crook of Baldoon is an RSPB reserve where restored farmland has become an important home for wetland and heath bird species. The expanse of saltmarsh aka ‘merse’ is a landscape photographer’s dream.
RSPB Mull of Galloway has a nesting colony of around 4,000 gannets and unrivalled views along the clifftop trail; look out for some of the Biosphere’s wonderful wildflower species in late May through early June, including sea thrift and spring squill.
LIFE’S A BEACH
The Biosphere’s beaches are some of the best in Scotland for wellbeing walks or the simple joy of a picnic. Port Logan, Carrick, Mossyard, Luce Bay and Garlieston all have sandy beaches, while Dhoon Bay has rock pools for the kids. Look out for the wreck of the schooner Monreith (1900) at low tide. Monreith Bay has a sweep of cliffs to explore, including ‘the Butcher’s Cave’, named for the blood-red algae which streaks its walls.
Looking for a couple of nights away and a sea breeze to fill your lungs? Try a Biosphere-certified escape to Borgue. Solway View is a camping and caravan site with glamping wigwams, and visitors can stroll down to peaceful bays sheltered by acres of native woodland behind. Not far away, Ross Bay Retreat offers self-catering cottages with shoreline gardens and panoramic views towards Cumbria and the Isle of Man.
UNDER THE SEA
Explore beyond D&G this summer on the Ayrshire Snorkel Trail. The GSA Biosphere is one of the partners working alongside Adventure Centre for Education, South Ayrshire Council and other partners to launch the trail on World Ocean Day on June 9.
Scotland’s Snorkel Trails encourage connection with life beneath the waves using location maps and wildlife guides, with snorkel taster sessions to get people started on their marine adventures. Fun fact: Arran is one of10 existing Snorkel Trail sites and an aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark, status that would make it a sister designation to the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere.
More information about all the above plus maps, itineraries, and activity-planning resources, is available at www.gsabiosphere.org.uk.
