During the 1990s my wife and i owned the wigtown post office and newsagents. Machars action 26 south main street, wigtown the list. We offer a number of services please explore our site to find out more information. Rebecca giblin wigtown festival company is recruiting.
We raise funds for local organisations and groups within the wigtown machars. If the property was made available for sale, a full community consultation and ballot would be. Os explorer map 311 covers wigtown, whithorn and the machars. The machars peninsula is roughly defined by a northern boundary stretching from newton stewart to glenluce, the only other boundary being the sea. The machars the whithorn trust archaeology history. The housing needs analysis undertaken by dumfries and galloway small communities housing trust. Machars veterinary services is a mixed practice offering a full complement of veterinary services for farm, equine and companion animal. The machars action marchars action grew out of a local development project initiated by the former dumfries and galloway regional council, in partnership with representatives from the community council, in partnership with representatives from the community council and business associations in the machars of wigtownshire. Wigtown, whithorn and the machars os explorer map ordnance survey on. Unique airbnb is a book lovers dream come true cbs news. At first, the community representatives saw themselves as only. Today most visitors are drawn by its many book shops and annual book festival. Report dumfries and galloway council 24june 2010 7 7. The machars a name meaning coastal pastures is a quiet peninsula, full of small villages to visit, sandy beaches at monreith and garlieston, and is packed with history, some associations with famous people did you know that gavin maxwell, of the ring of bright water, had his family home here and first released his otter into the loch at monreith house.
We have books on all subjects and regularly refresh our stock. Buy wigtown, whithorn and the machars os explorer map series a1 by ordnance survey isbn. Os explorer map 311 wigtown, whithorn and the machars. As the gateway to the machars, wigtown and the region is known for its beauty and often described as miniscotland, with highlands, native forests, pristine beaches, pastoral farmland and charming towns all rolled into one.
Wigtown is the home of the annual wigtown book festival and the town has a wide range of independent bookshops. Machars action ltd, wigtown, 26 south main street, opening hours, machars action offers support, services and information to local communities, community organisations, local charities and. How cheap are bed and breakfast in machars of galloway. We successfully completed the purchase of 21 north main street, wigtown at the end of january and went straight to work with the architects to finalise the plans ready for gofundme to raise 5% of purchase price. Curly tale books is a small independent publishing company specialising in books for young children. Best walks and days out from wigtown travel the guardian. When it became scotlands national book town 15 years ago, it was a place suffering from the decline of traditional industries. I remember jak kane from machars action coming into the shop and getting the herald that morning. That happy combination of books and beaches gave me an idea.
Byre books specialising in folklore, mythology, theatre. At wigtown book festival, emily will be making a small model of the festival, encapsulating some of the wonder of the 10 days into a toysize town. The 10 best machars hotels where to stay in machars. Sep, 2017 shaun bythell lives in wigtown, scotland, where he runs the bookshop the largest secondhand bookshop in scotland. Buy wigtown, whithorn and the machars by ordnancesurvey isbn. Planes and trains stop hours shy of the remote village on scotlands seaswept west coast. Machars guide 2017 web published on mar 17, 2017 welcome to the machars and rhins of galloway visitors guide 2017, produced by the whithorn and district business association for the benefit. Here you will also find a number of bookshops based in dumfries and galloway itself. Go search best sellers gift ideas new releases whole foods todays deals amazonbasics. In 1998, wigtown was officially designated as scotlands national book town and the medieval square with its sea views transformed into a book lover s haven. As another season is drawing to a close i thought a few pics of flowers seen on the machars this year would be appropriate.
Situated seven miles south of newton stewart, wigtown is well placed for exploring the machars peninsula. How much does it cost to stay at a hotel in machars. Machars action have a brilliant whats on calendar with details of events taking place in the. A trip to wigtown, scotlands book town bookish beck. Map of south main street, wigtown, dg8 9, uk cylex. The 40mile 64 km coastline has enormous variety, starting with the mudflats of wigtown on the east facing wigtown bay, down to the sandy beach at rigg bay in garlieston. Garlieston has a lovely harbour and gardens and was a place where the mulberry harbour was trailed. There are 165 hotels in machars you can book on booking.
Tell us about your connection to wigtown and the book festival i moved from lancashire in december 1998 and a few weeks later got the job as book town assistant working with ian barr, firstly in an office at machars action, then moving to county buildings. It is a great example of a historic scottish town that has reinvented and regenerated itself in the face of an economic downturn. Wigtown, whithorn and the machars os explorer map series a1 edition by ordnance survey published by ordnance survey 2006 on. Machars guide 2017 web by caroline smith peninsula design. Further north, at the entrance to the machars near newton stewart, there is the old county town of wigtown, whose status as a book town brings a different kind of pilgrim. Wigtown book festival stall holder selling second hand books at wigtown national book town in the machars of galloway scotland for scotlands book town follow wigtown sign against sky september 2009 welcome to wigtown sign scotland september 2009. She will be onsite gathering ideas and information, as well as discarded odds and sods to use in her build. Buy os explorer map 311 wigtown, whithorn and the machars os explorer paper map september 2015 ed by ordnance survey isbn.
Drive in to wigtown, select a good tome for the day sack, then head off on some coastal exploration. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Wigtown book festival is a company limited by guarantee. Situated in what now seems a remote corner of southwest scotland, wigtown was once an important county town. The oldest human settlement in scotland was found in wigtown bay and later the site was a centre for covenanter activity in the late 1600s. Today it is a small sleepy place in galloway, but for most of its life, it was the chief town of galloway west of the cree.
Outside there is a swingset in the paddock next to the cottage. Wigtown was once the chief town of galloway with considerable strategic and commercial importance. The pretty town of wigtown has quite a few places to eat including the rendezvous cafe, shoots and leaves v, the craft hotel. No5 and no7 the smiddy are modern flats located in the heart of wigtown scotlands national. The companys work has changed over the years as needs have changed and has been influenced by the development of wigtown as scotlands national book town an initiative nurtured in its early stages by machars action. Steeped in literary history, wigtown and the region have featured in classic books such as mcneillies the wigtown ploughman, buchans the 39 steps and sir walter scotts bride of lammermoor.
South main street, wigtown, dumfries and galloway, dg8 9eh. The machars are an area or rolling green hills that have some important evidence or early settlements. It is located seven miles south of newton stewart, so its ideal for exploring the machars peninsula. The airfield, which was opened in 1941 and is often referred to as baldoon, was used in world war two as a training school hosting the no 1 air observers school from september, 1941, to february 1, 1942, and operating in conjunction with a tracked target range near the coast to the southeast. We did a few other short walks in the area, finishing off with a sunset sit in wigtowns bird hide. Machars action is a social enterprise company which offers support, services and. The south has many early christian sites and the 25mile pilgrims way walk. They now have their own book shop in wigtown which is a great place to buy a wide range of childrens books including beautifully illustrated tales based in galloway and a series featuring big bill the beltie bull there is also a range of gifts, toys, cards and local book merchandise.
Printmaking and bookbinding workshops will accompany the exhibition throughout. Wigtown, whithorn and the machars os explorer map active. The post office, scads, machars action, beltie books. At the wigtown emporium, we sell an intriguing and always changing variety of vintage and retro curiosities, including unusual gifts, jewelry, lights, cameras and clocks, art, and of course, books. On your next trip to machars of galloway, check out all of travelocitys bed and breakfast options. Baile na huige is a town and former royal burgh in wigtownshire, of which it is the county town, within the dumfries and galloway region in scotland. Nine well organised rooms, all full of books resting on nearly a mile of shelving. Dalbeattie domain attractions of south west scotland.
Machars action is a communitybased and communityowned company that offers a range of services to community and voluntary groups, charities, individuals and small businesses in the mid galloway area of dumfries and galloway. Book your stay in machars of galloway bed and breakfast through travelocity today and choose from 157 available options. Wigtown bay is both a site of special scientific interest and a nature reserve while luce bay is a special area of conservation. Heading west the route strikes inland to sorbie where the classic landscape of rounded glacial drumlins hillocks characteristic of the central machars begins to develop. Os explorer map active 311 wigtown, whithorn and the. I remember the day an article appeared in the glasgow herald saying it was hoped to establish a scottish national book town. Jan 02, 2015 the machars peninsula is a little backwater, in the best sense of the word, where the eddying flows of life come to rest.
There are plenty of places to eat out within the town. Dalbeattie domain attractions of south west scotland machars. Wigtown also has a coop, butchers, golf club, garden centre and has a great farmersproducers market on saturdays mar to oct. We offer support, services and information to local communities, community organisations, local charities and visitors to the area of mid galloway. Wigtown market is a small but successful weekly market in the centre of wigtown scotlands national book.
With centralbelt scotland and ayrshire to the north, and cumbria and the lake district to the south, this patchwork of green fields, rugged coastline, moorland and mountain is home to a rich cultural life. South of newton stewart, the galloway hills give way to the softly rolling pastures of the triangular peninsula known as the machars. Wigtown is scotlands book town, and has an amazing book festival annually, its home to a vast nature reserve and the wigtown matyrs and this area was historically wigtownshire. The return to whithorn is southwards down the central spine of the machars. Wigtown is the gateway to and main centre of the machars peninsula. Wigtown is well known for being scotlands national book. If the weather was good, i could imagine snuggling down in the long grass by the sea to enjoy reading. Part of the inspiring explorer series, the 311 from ordnance survey is a map which covers a spectacular and beautiful area of the machars. With its harbour and location at the lowest fording point of the river cree, wigtown was at one time part of a major network of land and sea routes, including a pilgrim route to whithorn. Open from 9am to 5pm monday friday telephone 01988 403 450 26 south main street wigtown, newton stewart dg8 9eh. The bookshop 17 north main street wigtown dg8 9hl tel. Today wigtown is known as scotlands book town and is thus compared to hayonwye in wales. Explore the machars holidays and discover the best time and places to visit. Apr 09, 2018 wales also has a feeding station we visited some years ago, and on both occasions seeing dozens of birds swoop down for meat was quite the spectacle though here you sit on an open porch, even closer to the action.
It contains over 100,000 books, spread over a mile of shelving along twisting corridors and roaring fires, set in a beautiful rural town by the edge of the sea. Wigtown, whithorn and the machars os explorer map series. The town square was originally built with gates at either side so that cattle could be enclosed within and kept safe from thieves and smugglers. Machars guide 2017 web by caroline smith peninsula. Hugh jaques has been working at machars action ltd. By the way, for the widest selection of used and rare books anywhere, you might like to take a look at uk uk site of the worlds largest network for used, rare and outofprint books. Set in wigtown, scotlands national book town, hillcrest house guest house offers free wifi and free onsite parking. Through time, wigtown has served as a fortress, a market town and most recently as scotlands national book town. Orchard cottage makes an ideal base for groups wanting to attend the wigtown book festival that is held at the end of september set up your own book club discussion group in the living room. The secondhand bookshop specializing in books on folklore and mythology, theatre, film and tv, archaeology, poetry, scotland and books of scottish and gaelic interest.