Author Archives: manonabeach

About manonabeach

On a beach…welcome to manonabeach.com, where I’ll regularly add video of my beach visits, so you can enjoy a flavour of the beach, even when you’re not there.

Turnberry

Season: autumn

Turnberry is best known for the championship Ailsa golf course, which used to often host The Open. The links course sits behind the dunes and runs the full length of the beach. Turnberry village is at the southern end, where you’ll also find parking. Beyond the northern end of the beach, Turnberry Lighthouse, built on the site of Turnberry Castle, Robert the Bruce’s birthplace, is now part of the Trump Turnberry luxury golfing resort. Looking out from the beach across the Firth of Clyde towards Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran, there’s a strange echo of the past in the present. This is a fine place for a dog walk, with free access all year round.

What the beach means to Max.

A view from the back of the beach.

Marine Lake Beach Stranraer

Season: autumn

Before the relocation to Cainryan, five miles to the north, Stranraer was a popular ferry gateway to Belfast and Northern Ireland. Despite being a town beach, it is sandy and sits just west of the harbour. This is not only a good spot to watch leisure boats coming and going, but also to relax and the beach has a popular picnic area on the grassy backdrop. There’s a lake in Agnew Park, just behind the beach, where you’ll also find a good sized car park. As you’d expect, the town has plenty of facilities for visitors, including cafes, restaurants, bars and shops, plus a museum and a medieval tower house.

What the beach means to Ian and Sharon.

On Marine Lake beach in Stranraer.

Portpatrick

Season: autumn

Portpatrick is a charming coastal village on the western side of the Rhins of Galloway. There’s a sheltered harbour and the beach is sandy at low tide. The feel here is bustling in the summer, as the boats pass in and out of the harbour. I recommend a stroll along the promenade and a visit to the lifeboat museum. There are pubs, cafes, restaurants and shops to explore in the town, all within walking distance. The prevailing wind is mild, thanks to the Gulf Stream, so gardeners are happy in Portpatrick, with its sub-tropical climate.

The harbour at Portpatrick.