With our current walking plan, later on when we finish walking the Rhins of Galloway, we would be left with a little six miler from Stranraer to Cairnryan. The other option was to do a 20+ mile walk from Cornwall Point. We would prefer not to do 20+ days anymore so have taken it in now. Job done!
Just after the castle, back down on the shore, there are the remains of a motte & bailey castle at Innermessan. Built in the 12th C, by early Norman settlers and part of a large estate, it rose to above 30 feet in height from the base. A small town grew up around the estate which flourished in the Middle Ages, awarded burgh status. With the establishment and rise of Stranraer, however, the burgh faded and was insignificant by the end of the 17th C. The mound can still be seen on the hilltop.
From the mote, rather than go back to the road, we continued straight on to go down the hill and with some difficulty crossed various fences and the Kirkclachie Burn to return to the shore and walk through the Ryan Bay Holiday Park. Once out of the holiday park we had a straightforward walk around the bottom of Loch Ryan Bay. With high tide there was no chance of walking on the shore and we finished as we started, walking on the road.
Tomorrow, we are going to do a circular route from Drummore down to the Mull of Galloway and back. In the following days we will complete the walks from Terally Bay to Glenlogan; Glenlogan to Port Patrick. With some friends joining us in Port Patrick for a couple of days another day off is planned.
Our day off ended with the kind of treat one associates with a rest day; coffee and cake. It is a great life being a Vagabond.