You Want Lighthouses...

...I got lighthouses. Well, one anyway.

Portpatrick (Scottish Gaelic: Port Phàdraig) is a village hanging on to the extreme south-westerly tip of mainland Scotland, cut into a cleft in steep cliffs.

Dating back historically some 500 years, and built adjacent to the ruins of nearby Dunskey Castle, its position on the Rhins of Galloway affords visitors views of the Northern Irish coast to the west, with clifftop walks and beaches both north and south. The Gulf Stream, flowing in from the north, gives the coastline a pleasant climate, in which subtropical plant life can flourish.

Industrially, the village was founded on fishing origins, with construction of the crescent shaped harbour that remains the focal point of the village today.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Portpatrick was important as a ferry port for passengers, postal mail and freight between Ireland and Scotland. During this period (1759–1826) Portpatrick was described as the Gretna Green for Ireland. There was a daily packet boat from Donaghadee, and marriages for couples from Ireland were conducted by the Church of Scotland minister in Portpatrick, although he often overlooked the rules about the publication of banns or the required period of residence.

Ye olde pictures be here:
http://www.portpatrick.co.uk/index.html