Whithorn Timescape

Top choice in Dumfries & Galloway


Ruined Whithorn Priory (Scotland's earliest recorded church) is part of this excellent complex, which introduces you to the history of the place with a very informative audiovisual and exhibition. A highlight is the brilliant replica Iron Age longhouse (three charismatic tours daily) based on nearby excavations. There’s also a museum with some fascinating early Christian stone sculptures, including the Latinus Stone (c 450), reputedly Scotland’s oldest Christian artefact.

Learn about the influences the carvers of these stones drew on, from around the British Isles and beyond.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Dumfries & Galloway attractions

1. St Ninian's Cave

3.01 MILES

Around Burrow Head, to the southwest but accessed off the A747 before you enter the Isle of Whithorn, is St Ninian's Cave, where the saint apparently went…

2. St Ninian's Chapel

3.27 MILES

The roofless 13th-century St Ninian's Chapel, probably built for pilgrims who landed nearby on their way to the shrine at Whithorn, sits evocatively on…

3. Bladnoch Distillery

8.84 MILES

Browsing books can be thirsty work, so it's fortunate that Bladnoch Distillery is just a couple of miles away from Wigtown, in the village of Bladnoch…

4. Torhouse Stone Circle

10.81 MILES

Four miles west of Wigtown, off the B733, this well-preserved ruin dates from the 2nd millennium BC.

5. Cream o' Galloway

11.91 MILES

Ideal for families, this offers a plethora of activities and events at the home of that delicious ice cream you’ll see around the region. There are 4…

6. Cardoness Castle

12.97 MILES

One mile southwest of Gatehouse of Fleet just off the A75, this well-preserved stronghold was the home of the McCulloch clan. It’s a classic 15th-century…

7. Mill on the Fleet

13.79 MILES

In the centre of town, in a converted 18th-century cotton mill, this centre has an exhibition on the history of the local industry and environment. The…

8. Tolbooth Art Centre

16.04 MILES

As well as catering for today's local artists and holding a cinema, this centre has an exhibition on the history of the town's artistic development. The…