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Photo: jaqian from Dublin, Ireland, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A medieval tower house, built around 1510, used as a military garrison in the 1670s and converted to a jail in the 1820s. Videos and reconstructions tell the sometimes grizzly story of the house. Great views from the top of the tower.
The Castle of St John, also known as Stranraer Castle, is an early 16th-century L-plan tower house in the centre of Stranraer, in Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland. It was built by the Adairs of Kilhilt c. 1510. It has been used as a home, a court, a police station and as a military garrison during the "Killing Times" of Covenanter persecution in the 1680s. During the Victorian era, the castle was modified to serve as a prison, and it was used as an ARP base during the Second World War. The castle was refurbished in the late 1980s and is now a museum.
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Stranraer Museum is in the Old Town Hall, built 1776. Discover Wigtownshire's history and that of Stranraer's own Polar explorers. Archaeology, dairy and agriculture feature heavily, with changing temporary exhibitions.
Accessible garden, wetland and woodland trails, some paths prettified with Gruffalos, twee pixie dwellings and the like.
Beautiful gardens open year round, created on the moor. Dogs welcome on lead.
The focus is on Cold War military aviation, with a collection of cockpits. Check website for opening days.
A ruin, established in 1192 and disestablished in 1602, off A75 ten miles east of town. In May 2025 access is restricted due to masonry inspections, the museum and grounds are open at a reduced price.