Best Beaches in The Machars, Galloway

Galloway has 200 miles of coastline so there is no shortage of beaches and rocky coves to explore. Way out west in The Machars of Galloway you can have whole sandy beaches to yourself and take winding paths down to hidden bays. Here are some of our best beaches.

sandy beach at Rigg Bay, garlieston, galloway

Rigg Bay is about a mile from Garlieston on the eastern edge of The Machars, the promontory of land that juts into the Solway Firth south of Newton Stewart. As a result of its location, the beach is sheltered from the prevailing wind and when the sun shines it is beautifully still and warm.

This is our favourite beach. It is a huge stretch of sand in a great arc edged by trees. The shallow incline of the bay allows the water to warm and it is safe and easy to swim, or mess about in an inflatable dinghy. The pools left by the retreating tide are full of darting shrimps and tiny fish, which are fun to chase with nets, while the rocks on the Garlieston side harbour lots of crabs.

Rigg Bay is a great spot for walkers, since you can stretch your legs for a few miles here walking out to the low water mark and back. It is also on the route of an excellent coastal walk. To the south are the remains of Cruggleton Castle, reached by a five-mile walk there and back, which climbs up through the wood onto the top of steep cliffs.

Rigg Bay has an interesting history. This is where The Allies tested the Mulberry Harbours used to launch the invasion of Europe on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Garlieston has the same tidal range as the Normandy beaches and was and is a long way from prying eyes. When we were children the remains of the harbour units could be seen dotted around the shore of the bay.

Perhaps appropriately, given its history, Rigg Bay cannot be seen from the road. It is accessed through the gardens of Galloway House. It remains hidden until the very last moment and when the trees finally part and the beach is laid out in front of you it is as if you have been let into a wonderful secret.

The Rock Beach, Galloway

The Rock Beach, or Step Beach, are our family names for the beach that sits beneath the A747 Port William to Monreith road. It is accessed from the layby via a steep staircase that plunges straight down to the shore. This beach stretches all the way around to the Back Bay and Monreith Bay and makes for a rewarding walk if you can creep around the rocky headland at low tide. Even if that option is not available there is lots of space here. The rocky outcrop on the beach at the bottom of the steps includes some comfortable grassy areas for lounging and soaking up the sun, when it is shining. The rocks give shelter form the wind and there are rock pools to explore.

St Ninian's Cave, Whithorn, Galloway

St Ninian’s Cave is found on a steep stony beach on the western side of The Machars, north of the Isle of Whithorn. It is believed to be where St Ninian sort solitude after he brought Christianity to south west Scotland in the fifth century AD. Christians still visit this site and mark crosses on the cave walls. The beach is reached via a car park signposted from the Port William-Isle of Whithorn road. From there it is a mile walk down a neat path by a small stream to the beach. This can form the beginning of an exciting coastal walk, which continues for a further six miles from the beach to the Isle. At the beach, one can often see seals close to shore playing in the surf.

Monreith Bay, Sandy Beach in Galloway

Monreith is perhaps the best known of The Machars’ beaches. The bay is reached along a delightful little lane, which also serves the golf club, or a long a path from Monreith village. There are two beaches at Monreith.

The Back Bay is at the bottom of the cliffs to the right of the lane, opposite the golf club. It is accessed via a grassy path that passes Kirkmaiden Church, which is one of the oldest churches in Scotland. Local legend has it that the bell of Kirkmaiden Church still tolls for the dead from its resting place at the bottom of Luce Bay. (For this and other stories see the excellent Whithorn website.)  Kirkmaiden is the resting place for many of the Maxwell family, who owned the Monreith Estate. The most famous son of the family is Gavin Maxwell, the author and naturalist who wrote Ring of Bright Water. There is a monument to him, a sculpture of an otter that is extraordinarily lifelike, on the cliff top above the church. In his lifetime he used to walk his famously tame otter on the beach below the church.

Monreith Bay is a giant sandy beach, around the corner from Back Bay, which sits beyond dunes and reeds. This beach is wonderful for games because there is so much space and it is almost perfectly flat. If you walk to far side you can find a sheltered spot in among the rocks. There are also some good rock pools to be found here and some satisfying clambering to do. The shallow water allows it warm up a little in summer so no excuse not to take the plunge.

Mossyard Beach, Galloway

Mossyard is a celebrated beach on the Solway between Creetown and Gatehouse of Fleet. It is about 40 minutes by car from Burnside Cottage, but many guests make the journey and describe it as a ‘little gem’. It is not a beach we visit, but on the recommendation of others we will now. By all accounts, it is worth checking the tide times before you go, since the water comes up very far, while at low tide there is lots to explore. A trip to Mossyard can be combined with other activities, including Laggan Outdoor, Kirroughtree, Carsluith Castle and the Marrbury Smokehouse, the Galloway Smokehouse, horse riding at Calgow Equestrian and Newton Stewart.