St Ninian’s Portpatrick to the holy well at Sandeel Bay.
4km return, 1 hour without stopping to soak in the view.
This enjoyable stroll takes the walker from the garden bench outside St Ninian’s Episcopal Church (the wee church) in Main Street, Portpatrick, down through the village of Portpatrick and around the harbour.
There are several places in this stretch where the returning walker can take refreshments, but don’t be distracted yet!
Walk the full curve of the harbour until the children’s playground.
Watch for the signs indicating the beginning of the Southern Upland Way and follow those. Go up the stairs, as though heading for the imposing Portpatrick Hotel. Don’t be afraid to pause and catch your breath as you climb. There are benches perfectly placed for this purpose, and you can just take in the view. Continue past the stone pillars and take the spectacular clifftop path.
Go past the old radio house and mast, to join the track that leads by the side of Portpatrick Dunskey golf course.
This path is wide and accessible, but if required, the previous steps can be avoided by going up Braefield Road, opposite St Ninian’s church, and turning left along Heugh Road.
After a while, it begins to narrow before turning a sharp right-hand bend to begin the descent into Sandeel Bay.
This section of the path includes boulder steps and would not be easily accessible other than by foot or intrepid mountain bikes.
The path leads to a bridge over the burn close to two caves, one with a waterfall.
This is the Holy Well at the Cave of Uchtriemacken, where traditionally, on the first night of May, people would bring children suffering from rickets (who were thought to be bewitched) to be washed in the water from the spring that runs over the cave.
They would then leave an offering in the cave. Access is via a few stone steps.
Sandeel Bay is a great wee beach to stop and enjoy for a short while.
If further challenge is required, continue across the beach and as far along the Southern Upland Way as your legs will take you.
Then turn around and make your way back, taking the time to absorb the beauty and sheer power of nature. Finally, after walking back down those steps, find a warm and cosy pub or café to complete a pleasant pilgrimage.
Extract from a Paper “HOLY WELLS” IN SCOTLAND. BY J. RUSSEL WALKER, ARCHITECT, F.S.A. SCOT.
This was published in the Proceedings of the Society, February 12, 1883, p 200
There was another [well], thus described by Dr Archibald :—’ There is a large cave called the Cave of Uchtrie Macken, close by. the sea, near Portpatrick, accessible by six steps of a stair entering a gate built with stone and lime, at the end of which is built an altar, at least a structure after that figure, to which many people resort upon the first night of May, and there do wash diseased children with water which runs from a spring over the cave, and afterwards they tye a farthing or the like and throw it upon the altar.'”—Conway, ab Further Account anent Galloway, pp. 150, 151.