One of my favourite coastal towns in Dumfries & Galloway is Portpatrick. Sitting about 7 miles to the south west of Stranraer, it’s a pretty little place with a harbour, a smattering of colourful houses and beautiful views over the Irish Sea to Ireland.
I have been there previously, on a wonderful walk out to Killantringan Lighthouse and I recently returned to visit another historic structure, this one being a bit older.
To the south of Portpatrick lies Dunskey Castle, a 16th century tower house in remarkably good condition. It lies just half a mile to from the town and offers a wonderful bit of history and beautiful views for a bit of brief effort.
As if this wasn’t tempting enough, it makes part of a fantastic circular route which carries on beyond the castle and follows the coastal cliffs before joining a small road that loops back to Portpatrick.
So, on a very sunny late-autumn day, I set off for Portpatrick.
Setting Off From Portpatrick
Portpatrick is very popular with visitors so expect it to be quite busy. Thankfully, Dumfries & Galloway is known for free parking and Portpatrick is no different. There’s a large, free car park at the harbour and on this cool autumn day it was pleasantly quiet.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to start the walk without taking pictures of the very pretty Portpatrick. I thought to myself “I’ve already taken pictures of it for the Killantringan Lighthouse blog post…I can’t keep taking pictures of Portpatrick.” but it was no use. The water was sparkling, the colourful houses shone in the autumn sun and boats were bobbing in the little harbour.
It was my dad and I on this walk and we were noticing a few other visitors in the car park, who were standing taking pictures of the town and the views to Ireland.
Just to the south of the car park, where South Crescent Street and the aptly-named Dunskey Street merge, is a small signpost for the start of the walk.
Dunskey Castle
At the bottom of a large set of steps, which lead high on to the cliffs above Portpatrick, is a nice information board which shows the walk to Dunskey Castle. Containing some history on the castle, maritime incidents and a little bit on the flora and fauna of the area, it’s well worth a read even if you aren’t doing the walk!
Now I feel I should come clean at this point of the blog post. The next part is the hardest part of the entire walk. Remember when I mentioned steps up on to the cliffs? Well it’s a bit steep, so bare that in mind when you are preparing to tackle this. It doesn’t last for too long and some wonderful folks have placed a few strategic benches (readers of this blog know I’m partial to a bench) on the ascent to help you get your breath back if you need it!
After some exertion (and a couple of pauses) we reached the top of the cliffs. As is so often the case with coastal walks in Dumfries & Galloway, the views were spectacular. Absolutely nothing stands between these cliffs and Ireland, except for endless ocean.
The bright autumn sun was making the water shimmer far below the cliffs and a small yacht had departed Portpatrick and was heading out to sea. It was a wonderful autumn coastal walk scene in Scotland.
Heading over a little bridge that crosses a chasm between the cliffs (not fun if you don’t like heights!) the path ambles along through the grass before the incredible sight of Dunskey Castle appears, sitting alone at the edge of the cliffs.
The castle is awe-inspiring as you approach it, and we stopped to gaze up at the remarkably well-preserved structure. The sun was hitting the castle at just the right angle as we strolled out to a little outcrop to the north-west of the structure, making for a lovely picture of it at the cliff edge.
Dunskey Castle is a Scheduled monument and was built in the 16th century by the Adairs of Kilhilt, on the site of an earlier 12th century castle. Sitting on a promontory, the castle has sheer cliffs on 3 sides and a ditch at the entrance! It’s incredible to think the building has stood here for so long, being battered by winds and rain from the Irish Sea.
Being in such fantastic condition, we were delighted to discover that not only is it open to visitors but it’s possible to climb up through it to an upper floor! The castle has multiple, sneaky entrances and some of the spiral staircases are somewhat intact. We managed to get up to the first floor of the castle, which made the views out to sea and along the cliffs even better.
Despite being a quiet autumn day, there were quite a few visitors roaming around the castle ruins, peaking into the dark rooms and roaming throughout the atmospheric building. What I hadn’t expected was a colony of pigeons who had also made it their home. They were in multiple nooks throughout the structure and, outside, they were perching on the little fence.
Unsurprisingly, we spent quite a while at the castle, even having a little seat on the soft grass outside it. It’s a wonderful spot to visit and soak up the views and a tangible part of Scottish history. I wouldn’t blame you for turning back at this point. It would make for a fine afternoon walk and everyone we saw at the castle returned the same way.
If, like us, you want to press on and do the full walk, you will be rewarded with even more wonderful views. I’d really recommend it if you are able.
The Cliffs and Morroch Bay
The next destination, to the south of Dunskey Castle is Morroch Bay.
Departing the castle, the path skirts alongside Castlebay Holiday Park and suddenly dives into a small valley via a rather steep set of stairs, crossing a bridge over a small burn before ascending again on the other side back up on to the cliffs.
This bit is a little steep and I did think in winter, if it had rained, it’d be quite icy! It is, however, a fun little feature on the walk and soon we were back on the flat coastal cliffs heading towards Morroch Bay.
When we did arrive at the bay, it was beautiful. A couple of very small holiday cottages sit on the beach at the sea. I wondered how they would fair in winter with high tides and driving wind and rain!
Regardless, we concluded that it must be an incredible spot to spend a few days and relax.
Following the cliffs around the bay brought us to the access track for the cottages with a rather amusing warning sign for ‘dangerous cliffs’ and ‘very steep track’. This access road cuts through the fields and connects to the main road, offering an easy return to Portpatrick.
Heading Home
The little road was very quiet, only getting even remotely busier when we passed the caravan parks. We enjoyed looking over the rolling fields and out to sea and also seeing what wildlife we could spot. A hare bolted from quite close to us and raced along a field before hopping out on to the road, stopping for a think, then darting into the opposite field.
A couple of geese sat lazily at a pond at the foot of someone’s garden and a variety of sheep grazed peacefully in the fields.
The whole day had been slow paced and calming.
Eventually the little road returned us to Portpatrick and we strolled through the town towards the car park as a fleet of bikers roared by, no doubt having had a great time riding along the A75 to Portpatrick.
We arrived back at the car, once again greeted by the tranquil Portpatrick scene of a little fishing boat heading out to sea as the town sat peacefully looking out to the Irish sea.
This walk is a real diamond in Dumfries and Galloway. It can be as short as just 1 mile if you want to head for Dunskey Castle and return or it can be a beautiful 6 mile coastal circuit.
I recently did a blog post on ‘10 of the Best Coastal Walks in Dumfries and Galloway‘ and I think this walk could make the cut. It reminds me of the circuit walk at Stairhaven, with the wonderful cliffs and return road back. The difference is this walk also has a wonderful historic castle to visit (and go in!) plus this walk is far more dog-friendly.
Between this walk and Killantringan Lighthouse, Portpatrick has two fantastic coastal walks, one to the north and one to the south, that I would strongly recommend doing if you are in the west side of Dumfries & Galloway.
Walk Information
Parking: FREE
Route Length: 6 Miles
Portpatrick South Crescent Car Park Postcode: DG9 8LE