The Paddy Line

The journey continues

When our young family arrived in Scotland (see yesterday), they travelled only a short distance from Portpatrick to eventually settle in Glenluce. 

Glenluce is a village set in the beautiful valley of the Waters of Luce as it flows into Luce Bay. It has a long history, much of it linked with the 12th century Glenluce Abbey. At the time of the Crawfords’ arrival, around 1848, there were around 900 inhabitants and, whilst there was much farming, there were also carding mills, corn mills and a flax mill. The main road from Dumfries to Portpatrick ran through it and mail was brought every day. 

The family, which included Hugh’s brother who had obviously come across with them, soon settled in. In 1849 another son was born and baptised at the local church and in 1851 the boy who was to become Gordon’s great grandfather was also born and baptised in Glenluce. They lived on North Street and Hugh was a farm labourer. 

Then came the railway. The Portpatrick Railway, or Paddy Line as it was known because it linked Scotland and England with Ireland, was opened in 1861, and it was only then that Hugh is described as working on the railway, so we assume he was not involved in the building of the railway, as a lot of Irish navvies were, but became some sort of maintenance worker, which links with what he was to become later. The coming of the railway must have had a huge impact on the people of Glenluce, both positive and negative. The line itself and the station cut through the middle of the village and one of the roads had to be re-routed. But what freedom it must have also brought with it. 

The railway closed in the 1960s. We tried today to envisage the station, but the site has all been obliterated and houses have been built on the land. What does remain is the splendid 8-arch viaduct which took the railway line high above the river and the road. It is a massive structure, but now serves no purpose, as even the road which used to wind itself around the pillars has been bypassed and now goes nowhere. It’s a glorious, but sad sight. 

The family moves on - the journey continues tomorrow. 


The rest of the day
We headed this morning to somewhere Gordon has always wanted to go to - the Mull of Galloway at the end of the peninsula known as the Rhinns of Galloway. We wandered the RSPB reserve by the lighthouse and admired the wonderful views on this lovely day. Then we visited the old Kirkmaiden church where Gordon’s great, great grandmother was baptised (except we weren’t even allowed through the gates because of ‘lightning strike damage’!), we visited pretty and peaceful Port Logan and then went to see, at Kirkmadrine chapel (see extra) the early Christian memorial and other stones, which, dating from the 500s, are the oldest such stones in Scotland. 

We have just had a family Zoom meeting and the girls wanted a conducted tour of the caravan we are staying in.