Port Patrick (from the west), Scotland, 1890's

Portpatrick 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 according to Brack (1997) he often overlooked the rules about the publication of banns or the required period of residence. However, in the late 19th century, when shipping became a considerably larger feature of industry, the village's vulnerability to strong westerly winds made it unviable for larger ships, and thus most of the profitable trading routes were diverted to nearby Stranraer, despite the longer voyage out of the northerly-facing Loch Ryan.