Stranraer

For the aircraft, see Supermarine Stranraer.

Stranraer
Scottish Gaelic: An t-Sròn Reamhar
Scots: Stranrawer
Stranraer, as viewed from Gallowhill
Stranraer  Stranraer shown within Dumfries and Galloway
Population	10,851 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	NX059606
Council area	Dumfries and Galloway
Lieutenancy area	Wigtown
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	STRANRAER
Postcode district	DG9
Dialling code	01776
Police	Dumfries and Galloway
Fire	Dumfries and Galloway
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Dumfries and Galloway
Scottish Parliament	Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
List of places: UK • Scotland •

Stranraer (/strænˈrɑr/ stran-rar; Scottish Gaelic: An t-Sròn Reamhar, pronounced [ənˠ̪ t̪ʰɾɔːn ɾãũ.əɾ]) is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.

Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland. The name is generally believed to come from the Scottish Gaelic An t-Sròn Reamhar meaning "The Fat Nose", but which more prosaically might be rendered as "the broad headland". Another interpretation would link the second element in the name with Rerigonium, a settlement anciently noted by Ptolemy in this part of Britain.

Stranraer is an administrative centre for the West Galloway (Wigtownshire) area of Dumfries and Galloway. It is best known as having been a ferry port connecting Scotland with Belfast (and previously with Larne) in Northern Ireland, the last service was transferred to Cairnryan in November 2011.

A person from Stranraer is a Stranraerarian; someone from the original, lochside, part of the town, including Sheuchan Street and Agnew Crescent - the Clayhole or, in local dialect Cl'yhole - is a Clayholer ( /kleɪˈhoʊlər/).^{[citation needed]}

History

Stranraer became a burgh of barony in 1596 and a royal burgh in 1617. By 1600, it had become the market town for western Wigtownshire. At about this time Stranraer was reached by a military road built from Dumfries to allow easier access to Portpatrick for transportation to Ireland.

The first harbour in Stranraer was built in the mid-18th century, with further port development in the 1820s. The arrival of the railway from Dumfries in 1861 finally established Stranraer as the area's main port. In 1862, the line was extended to serve the harbour directly, and a link to Portpatrick was also opened. Some time later, a rail connection north to Girvan was established.

Stranraer remained the main Scottish port for the Irish ferries for the next 150 years or so. On 31 January 1953, 133 people died when the Princess Victoria sank near Belfast Lough after its car deck was swamped by heavy seas.

Stranraer and its surrounding area saw a significant amount of activity during the Second World War, as it became a focus for anti U-boat work. Flying boats operated from the area in an attempt to secure the waters of the North Channel and the south western coast of Scotland. Almost all Britain's shipping imports passed through those two sea areas en-route to the Clyde or the Mersey. Indeed, the flying boat Supermarine Stranraer is named after the town. Winston Churchill himself departed from Stranraer in a Boeing Flying Boat on the night of the 25 June 1942, when making his second visit of the war to the USA. Churchill also spent time at nearby Knockinaam Lodge during the war years.

Stranraer has an active local history trust which publishes work on the area's history commissioned from local authors.

Historic and notable buildings

The Castle of St. John is a medieval tower house, built around 1500 by the Adairs of Kilhilt. It has been used as a home, a court, a prison, and a military garrison, the latter during the Killing Times in the 1680s.

The Old Town Hall, built in 1776, now houses Stranraer Museum with its displays of Victorian Wigtownshire and the town's polar explorers, Sir John Ross and his nephew James Clark Ross.

The town is also home to the North West Castle, built in 1820 and the now first hotel in the world with its own indoor curling ice rink.

Geography

Stranraer is Dumfries and Galloway's second largest town with a population including the surrounding area of nearly 13,000+ compared to that of the next town Annan (nearly 8,000). It is currently undergoing redevelopment in the South Central Area (known as Dick's Hill, Ochtrelure and the southern part of Liddesdale Road area into the Gallow Hill).

Districts

Stranraer and the shores of Loch Ryan, as seen from the north-eastern end of the town

Part of the Dick's Hill area

• Stranraer Town
• West End
• Ailsa View
• Ochtrelure
• Sheuchan Parks / Liddesdale
• Stair
• Bishopburn
• Ailsa Gait

Outer districts

• Inchparks
• Innermessan
• Soulseat
• Culhorn
• Sandmill
• Auchtrelure
• Gallowhill
• Blackparks

Economy

The main industries in the area are the ferry port, with associated industries, tourism and more traditionally farming. The Caledonian Cheese Company (owned by Lactalis) operates a large creamery in the town which supports a large number of jobs. Stranraer is the home to Seriously Strong Cheese.

Landmarks

Local tourist attractions include:

• Ardwell Gardens
• Castle of St John
• Castle Kennedy Gardens - a 75-acre (30 ha) garden between 2 lochs noted for its rhododendrons, azaleas and embothriums in the grounds of Lochinch Castle, the seat of the Earls of Stair
• Glenluce Abbey - a 12th century Cistercian monastery
• Glenwhan Gardens - a 12-acre (4.9 ha) garden near Dunragit
• Logan Botanic Garden, near Port Logan village, one of the four sites of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
• Mull of Galloway - the most southerly point of Scotland with a lighthouse, visitor centre and RSPB bird reserve
• Portpatrick
• Southern Upland Way - a 212-mile (341 km) long distance path between Portpatrick and Cockburnspath
• Stranraer Museum
• Whithorn - with its relics of St Ninian
• Wigtown - Scotland's national book town

Transport

Stranraer railway station is the southern terminus for one of the branch lines of the Glasgow South Western Line. Trains are provided by First ScotRail daily to Ayr, Glasgow, and Kilmarnock. The main national coach providers operate services from Stranraer. National Express offer a service to London, and Scottish Citylink (in association with Ulsterbus) operate services (which connect with High-speed Sea Service sailings) to Edinburgh.

Local transport in and around the town is provided by Stagecoach Western, and three locally based companies, James King Coaches, Irvine and McCulloch's Coaches.

In November 2011 Stena Line relocated its ferry services to a new port at Old House Point, north of Cairnryan. It is hoped that the existing port in Stranraer will be redeveloped with the departure of Stena Line, with proposals to build a transport hub having been drawn up.

Both Campbeltown Airport and Glasgow Prestwick Airport at around 45 miles (72 km) are the closest airports in Scotland to Stranraer. Belfast City Airport in Northern Ireland is 39 miles (63 km) distant.

Redevelopment

At an estimated cost of £1.29m, the ‘Castle Square’ development will be the first phase of the redevelopment of Stranraer town centre and significantly change the flow of traffic with Castle Street and George Street both being narrowed in a bid to be more pedestrian friendly.

As of January 2010 work on the streets around the town centre is now complete, with the streets around the Castle of St John re-paved and re-profiled.

The Castle Square was formally unveiled in early Spring and has so far hosted a range of activities, including music and family events.

Education

Dumfries & Galloway College's Stranraer Campus

Stranraer has five primary schools; Belmont, Park, Rephad, St. Joseph’s R.C. and Sheuchan.

Stranraer Academy has another seven associated primary schools from areas outwith Stranraer; Castle Kennedy, Drochduil, Drummore, Kirkcolm, Leswalt, Sandhead and Portpatrick

The town has one secondary school, Stranraer Academy, a comprehensive school consisting of one modern building (New Building Phase 2 completed in 2010). The school has around 1200 pupils, 90 members of staff and serves both the town itself and the surrounding villages and rural populations.

Stranraer has no private education institutions.

Dumfries and Galloway College have a campus in the town, at what used to be the site of Stranraer Academy. In 1990 the John Niven Further Education College was built on Academy Street in the town, it has since been absorbed into the Dumfries and Galloway College.

Sport

The town is the home of Stranraer FC, the local semi-professional football team who play at Stair Park. They currently play in the Scottish Third Division. Stair Park is also home to Stranraer FC reserve team who play in the South of Scotland League. The rugby team Wigtownshire RFC are based in the town and are currently in West League Division 2. They play at London Road Playing Fields, opposite Stair Park.

Also at Stair Park are BMX and skateboarding ramps, and all-weather tennis and netball courts. The town also has a swimming pool (with flume), fitness suite, gymnasium and large sports hall at the council-run Ryan Centre, as well as other football fields, parks and all-weather multi-purpose pitches.

Throughout the years, Stranraer has also become a centre of excellence for Scottish curling. The town boasts the first hotel in the world with an indoor curling ice rink (North West Castle), and was the birthplace of Hammy McMillan, a World Champion curler, who continues to live in the town today. The town is host to a number of annual curling championships, including the Scottish Ladies Curling Championship and the World Juniors Curling Championship.

There is also an amateur Boxing club and amateur Kickboxing club currently active in Stranraer.

A small leisure boat marina was constructed in Stranraer Harbour in 2008.

Public services

NHS Dumfries and Galloway provides healthcare services in the town. The Galloway Community Hospital opened in 2006 and replaced the Garrick and Dalrymple hospitals of the town. GP services are based in the Waverly Medical Centre, adjacent to the new hospital.

The town has several care homes for the elderly, the biggest being Thorneycroft on the edges of the town run by the CIC company.

Media

Local newspaper the Stranraer and Wigtownshire Free Press is based and printed in the town's St Andrews Street. The Galloway Gazette also covers the town and surrounding area. Stranraer falls in the ITV Border television area. The nearest radio station is based in Belfast, however the nearest local station is based in Dumfries. West Sound FM broadcasts at 96.5FM in the town.

In June 2009, Stranraer started the transition from analogue to digital television, making it one of first areas in the country behind Workington and the Scottish Borders. This opened up a number of digital services for the town and the surrounding area, who previously struggled to get even the likes of Channel Five on their television sets.

Cultural references

• The song "Cap In Hand" by The Proclaimers says "I can understand why Stranraer lie so lowly, they could save a lot of points by signing Hibs goalie", a reference to goalkeeper Andy Goram, and to Stranraer F.C.'s poor league position at the time the song was written.
• In the 4th episode of the BBC Radio 4 series Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge, one of the guests was the Duchess of Stranraer. No such title exists.
• Stranraer has featured in Peter Kay's Channel 4 Phoenix Nights series, albeit only by name. Alan is said to be stuck in Stranraer with his lorry and not at the club.

Notable people

• David Broadfoot, hero of the 1953 Princess Victoria sinking
• Sir James Caird, agricultural writer and politician
• Colin Calderwood, footballer, former manager of Hibernian
• John Dalrymple, 1st Earl of Stair - sat as MP for the Burgh of Stranraer in the 1689 Convention Parliament
• Leander Starr Jameson, leader of the Jameson Raid, a precursor of the Second Boer War, and Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, and Editor of the Wigtownshire Free Press
• Robert William Jameson, author, Editor of the Wigtownshire Free Press, and father of Leander Starr Jameson
• Allan Jenkins, footballer
• Sir John Noble Kennedy, army officer, author and colonial governor
• William King, author, Slayer novels and Space Wolves, favoured by tabletop gamers
• Keith Knox, footballer
• Kevin Kyle, footballer
• Allan Little, BBC foreign correspondent
• John Claudius Loudon, landscape gardener and horticultural writer, who laid out the grounds at Castle Kennedy in 1841
• William Hunter McFadzean, Baron McFadzean, industrialist and President of the Federation of British Industries
• Alexander McGaw, bridgebuilder, and builder of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor
• Hammy McMillan, World Curling Champion 1999
• Henry Mavor, electrical engineer and co-founder of a Glasgow company, involved in early public lighting projects and the design of electric maritime engines, and father of playwright James Bridie (O.H. Mavor)
• James Mavor, economist, economic historian and Professor of Political Economy and Constitutional History at the University of Toronto
• John Rennie, naval architect
• Sir John Ross, polar explorer
• Peter Wilson, World Junior Curling champion 1981
• Rory Loy, Scottish Footballer

References

• Ordnance Survey Landranger Map (number 82) - 1:50,000 scale (1.25 inches to 1 mile).