Whithorn to Garlieston - Villages & Isle

Navigating The Route

This is a circular Spy Mission around Whithorn, Sorbie, Garlieston and the Isle of Whithorn, with Agents working for the Scottish Secret Spy Hidden Hood (SSSHH) to uncover and crack a deactivation code before an enemy device can turn the Machars into a floating base and send it drifting into the Irish Sea.

The operation covers 20 miles overall and includes about 2 miles of walking at the various locations, plus cycling or driving between them. You'll start outside the Whithorn Story Visitor Centre, gather intel around Whithorn and The Priory, continue through Sorbie and Sorbie Tower, investigate Garlieston, then head on to the Isle of Whithorn section before returning to Whithorn for the final clues.

This Trail is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. In Whithorn, part of the route follows the pavement on the left-hand side of the road, while Garlieston includes a careful road crossing towards the bottom of one road.

Agents will need to use the road between locations, including the B7004 and B7063, so plan your travel between villages carefully and keep Mini Agents close whenever you are near traffic.

Getting There

By car: Start the mission outside the Whithorn Story Visitor Centre in Whithorn (DG8 8NS). From there, the circular route takes you between the different villages and the Isle before returning to Whithorn.

By public transport: Make your way to the Whithorn Story Visitor Centre in Whithorn to begin the operation. The Trail starts and finishes with clues in Whithorn.

Need the Loo?

Comfort stops are available in Garlieston, and there are also toilets in the car park at the Isle of Whithorn section.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Four-legged Agents can join the mission 🐾

The route includes village walking, road crossings and travel between locations using roads including the B7004 and B7063, so keep canine recruits close around traffic and secure during the cycling or driving sections. Take particular care in Garlieston, where the route includes a careful road crossing.

Food & Drink Stops

Every good spy squad needs supplies before a long-distance operation. There are a few places in Whithorn to stock up on provisions before setting off, and again when you return at the end.

Central Cafe is also on the route in Whithorn, giving Agents a handy chance to refuel before or after the intel-gathering begins.

Want to Make a Day of It?

The Priory

The mission begins by the arched entrance to The Priory, complete with an ornate coat of arms above it. Allow time to explore the wider area too, including the Dig Site showing the foundations of a Northumbrian church, a museum with a collection of Early Christian carved stones, the Priory ruins and the cemetery with its Covenanters stone.

Sorbie

Sorbie adds a strong slice of local history to the operation. The village was enlarged in the 18th century to accommodate a thriving damask weaving industry, which prospered for over sixty years and won the award for the best cloth in Scotland in 1834.

Sorbie Tower

Sorbie Tower is an interesting site on a road off to the left from Sorbie, and the Trail points Agents towards exploring it for more intel. Parking is on the left here, or through the gate if it is open. The tower was owned by the family who owned it in the 1500s.

Garlieston

Garlieston is one of the key village stops on the circular route, with the village plan, war memorial, water wheel and the large polished stone commemorating the building and trials of Mulberry Harbour all forming part of the mission. Look out too for the tall mill built in 1948, which supplied animal feeds to many Wigtownshire farms and employed over 40 men, making Garlieston the 'wealthiest village' in the Machars.

St. Ninian's Chapel and the Cairn

From the harbour area, the route continues to St. Ninian's Chapel. As you leave this area, keep watch for the distinctive white tower, the Cairn. From the top there are views of the Solway, the Irish Sea, the coastline of Kirkcudbright, the peaks of Cumbria's Lake District, and the Isle of Man, just 18 miles away.