There is evidence of habitation in the area around Port
William going back 6,000 years. To start with there
are signs of a Mesolithic site near the village, added to which there are standing stones at
nearby Drumtroddan, and there are several examples of Iron Age roundhouses to
the north of the village. However, Port
William itself was established as a planned village by the local Laird Sir
William Maxwell in 1770. Sir William was
keen to advance the local economy, particularly agriculture, and to this end he
built a corn mill with a water wheel and salmon ladder, and he also built the
area's first harbour, where fertiliser for the local farms was imported. However, fertiliser was not the only incoming
product. The proximity of the Isle Of Man led to a thriving smuggling trade in the 17th
and 18th centuries. Many of the farms
had hiding places known as "brandy holes" for secreting the smuggled
goods, including brandy and tea, which were destined mostly for Glasgow and
Edinburgh. Today, the main attraction
for visitors is the lovely sandy beach at Second Sands, while for the kids
there are rock pools on the shore ideal for mini sea creature safaris. Wildlife enthusiasts will not be
disappointed: among the species which have frequented the area are otters,
badgers and deer. Sightings of marine
creatures in Luce
Bay have included minke
whales, basking sharks, porpoise, seals, dolphins and even leatherback
turtles. Port William's Carnival Week
takes place in the first week of August.
Map of the area.
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Port William Harbour - geograph.org.uk - 30887. Photo by Bob Jones, via Wikimedia Commons
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