Rhins of Galloway

The Rhins of Galloway otherwise known as the Rhins of Wigtownshire (or as The Rhins, also spelt The Rhinns; Scottish Gaelic: Na Rannaibh) is a hammer-head peninsula in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Stretching more than 25 miles (40 km) from north to south, its southern tip is the Mull of Galloway, the southernmost point of Scotland.

The principal settlements are Stranraer at the head of Loch Ryan and the small tourist village of Portpatrick on the west coast, other villages are dotted up and down the peninsula, including Kirkcolm, Leswalt, Lochans, and in the South Rhins; Stoneykirk, Sandhead, Ardwell and Drummore.

Herbert Maxwell defines "Rhinns" as rionn, rinn, meaning a point or promontory.

The peninsula is bounded on its west coast by the North Channel and by Loch Ryan and Luce Bay in the east. With around 50 miles (80 km) of coastline running from Stranraer in the north to Torrs Warren in the south, the land is heavily influenced by the sea. The coastal landscape varies: the west coast has steep rugged cliffs and occasional inlets, but the calmer eastern coast has sandy beaches and a softer landscape.

The Rhins are exposed to the westerlies from the Atlantic, and thus receives a lot of rainfall (around 1000 mm per year); this has led to the peninsula being principally used for farming, with the relatively flat land offering good dairy and beef production. As the land is almost surrounded by sea, its temperature is significantly stabilised by the North Atlantic drift, which cools the land in summer and warms it in winter. Thus there are few severe frosts. This allows the survival of numerous tropical palms and flora which otherwise could not exist this far north. Examples of these tropical plants can be seen at the Logan Botanic Garden.

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