Mull of Galloway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mull of Galloway
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 Mull of Galloway headland |
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 Mull of Galloway
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| OS grid reference | NX158303 |
| • Edinburgh | 112 mi (180 km) |
| • London | 292 mi (470 km) |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STRANRAER |
| Postcode district | DG9 |
| Dialling code | 01776 |
| Police | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Fire | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
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| Scottish Parliament |
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The Mull of Galloway (Scottish Gaelic: Maol nan Gall ) is the southernmost point of Scotland. It is situated in Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway, at the end of the Rhins of Galloway peninsula.
The Mull has one of the last remaining sections of natural coastal habitat on the Galloway coast and as such supports a wide variety of plant and animal species. It is now a nature reserve managed by the RSPB. Mull means rounded headland or promontory.
The Mull of Galloway Trail, one of Scotland's Great Trails, is a 59 km (37 mi) long-distance footpath that runs from the Mull of Galloway via Stranraer to Glenapp near Ballantrae, where the trail links with the Ayrshire Coastal Path.
Lighthouse
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| Lighthouse on the Mull of Galloway | |
| Location | Mull of Galloway Wigtownshire Scotland United Kingdom |
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| Coordinates | 54°38′06″N 4°51′27″W / 54.635005°N 4.857416°W |
| Year first constructed | 1830 |
| Automated | 1988 |
| Construction | masonry tower |
| Tower shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | white tower, black lantern, ochre trim |
| Height | 26 metres (85 ft) |
| Focal height | 99 metres (325 ft) |
| Range | 28 nautical miles (52 km; 32 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 20s. |
| Admiralty number | A4610 |
| NGA number | 4816 |
| ARLHS number | SCO-144 |
An active lighthouse is positioned at the point. Built in 1830 by engineer Robert Stevenson, the white-painted round tower is 26 metres (85 ft) high. The light is 99 metres (325 ft) above sea level and has a range of 28 nautical miles (52 km). The lighthouse and lighthouse keepers' houses are designated as a Category A listed building.
During World War II, on 8 June 1944 at 7.30 pm, a French member of the British Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), Cladius Echallier, died by striking the Lighthouse in a Beaufighter, while making a low landfall from the Irish Sea.
The lighthouse is now automatic, and an old outhouse has been converted into a visitor centre, run by the South Rhins Community Development Trust, a group of local people and businesses. In 2013 there was a community buyout and the Mull of Galloway Trust purchased land and buildings, with the exception of the tower, from Northern Lighthouse Board.
In 2004 a new café was built at the Mull of Galloway, called the "Gallie Craig". Its design incorporates into the landscape with a turf roof, giving views across to Northern Ireland and southwards to the Isle of Man.
