There is so much going on at the Mull of Galloway this summer for everyone young and old , so why not make a trip to Scotlands most Southerly point and experience it for yourself. Visitors can climb the Lighthouse every day from Saturday 2nd July through until the end of August. Open from 10am to 4pm daily (last ticket sales 3.30pm).
Smugglers’ Weekend
There are still some places left for the talks and tours that will be taking place during our Smugglers’ Weekend with Frances Wilkins on 9th and 10th July. Details of how to book and more about the event can be found on the events page of our website and the programme is attached to this email.
Saturday 9th July
10am to 12.30pm – A Lecture: The Mull of Galloway Smugglers’ Homecoming – Free of charge
2 to 5pm – A Tour: The Bay of Luce Smugglers’ Route: The East. Cost £7.50 (see flyer for more information)
Sunday 10th July
10am to 12.30pm- A Lecture: The Bay of Luce’s Smuggling Story – Free of charge
2 to 5pm – A Tour: The Bay of Luce Smugglers’ Route: The West. Cost £7.50 (see flyer for more information)
5pm Grand Finale: African Drummers outside the Gallie Craig Coffee House, Mull of Galloway.
Summer Craft Market
Our Summer Craft Market takes place on Sunday 24th July from 10am to 4pm. Our local crafts people and artists will be selling their items from stalls by the Lighthouse and indoors in the RSPB building. (Outdoor stalls are subject to weather conditions).
Owl Magic
Join the Owl Magic Team on Sunday 7th August from 11am until 4pm. The Mull of Galloway Trust will be hosting this hoot of a day inside the Visitor Centre and everyone is welcome (the event is free of charge). Meet the owls and birds of prey and learn about the lifestyles and habits of these magnificent birds. The Owl Magic Team can introduce you to the birds and you can even have your photograph taken with them as a memory of your experience (small charge applies).
International Lighthouse Heritage Weekend (ILHW)
The date for your diary is 20th and 21st August. ILHW intends to raise the profile of lighthouses, light vessels and other navigational aids, promoting our maritime heritage. Many lighthouses and places of associated interest will be open to the public, and there will be special events at lighthouses and light vessels both at home and abroad. There will be a special event at the Mull of Galloway with talks by Northern Lighthouse Board Commissioner, John Ross and the photographic journey around Scottish and Manx Lighthouses by Ian Cowe. Two former Lighthouse Keepers will be joining us to chat about their life and times at various lighthouses during their career. Curly Tale Books have something for the children with ‘Treasure Island’ story time by Robert Louis Stevenson. Full details are attached.
RSPB Update by Robert Conn, Information Officer, RSPB Mull of Galloway
Seasonal changes are in full flux around the Mull of Galloway, the early blossoming wildflowers of spring are now being superseded by summer flowers, all of which are attracting a wide diversity of wildlife. Goldfinches are becoming more abundant feeding on the flower heads of thistles. Red-tailed bumblebees, common blue butterflies and a host of brightly coloured hoverflies are frequently seen buzzing around the heathland. Rose chafer beetles (a large iridescent metallic green/copper coloured beetle) are abundant on the flower heads of hogweed, cow parsley and wild carrot. The number of these and other insects attracted to the wide range of wildflowers are providing a banquet for swifts, swallows, house martins, wheatear and pipits to name a few.
Kittiwake chicks are due to begin hatching by the end of June/early July and will be visible from the RSPB visitor centre via the live camera. Sightings of seals and porpoise are frequently reported around this time of year along with bottlenose dolphins, basking sharks and the occasional minke whale. Puffins, although in small numbers, are seen most days feeding in the waters between Lagvag and the foghorn.
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