Where to eat in Wigtownshire | Food Guide 2022
Wigtownshire is a county in the southwest of Scotland; a place with vast beaches, clear roads, and fresh air. Tucked away, it’s a place that is often forgotten about, but so rich in history and beauty. I was blown away with the beauty of the coast here, it was truly beautiful and took my breath away (as did this wind because wow, it was windy!).
The area of Wigtownshire, or West Galloway, is largely untouched. It’s not rammed with tourists, nor are there loads of amenities. It’s cheap and cheerful, and you can find some gems – and it’s the perfect place to get away from the world and be inspired.
As a self confessed food lover, I wanted to share with you some of the brilliant place I’ve been for food over the last two years exploring the area…
Where to eat & drink in Wigtownshire
One of my favourite ways to explore a place is through their food and drink. However, something which shocked me about this area is the lack of places to eat and drink. In the space of 5 days, we went to the majority and they were mixed. It turns out, it’s really hard to get a decent decaf coffee, but I did find a place!
Gather at Laggan
Gather at Laggan is a gorgeous cafe/restaurant with unspoilt views over the sea. If you’re looking for a delicious meal, or coffee and cake sat outside on the heated seats, you won’t be disappointed.
We went for our breakfast here, and I tried their veggie breakfast which was delicious. The veggie haggis was full of flavour, and they were the best veggie sausages I’ve had! I also tried some of my mum’s meat breakfast, which was equally as tasty!
If you’re veggie, vegan, or have any dietary requirements, I really recommend here as they cater to everyone!
The Steam Packet Inn, Isle of Whithorn
There aren’t many places to have an evening meal in the area, but that’s not the only reason everyone flocks to The Steampacket Inn. The food here is beautiful. It’s way more than just pub food, and they have a range of local produce on offer, really showcasing the local meats and seafood.
I can thoroughly recommend the mussles (the main portion is HUGE but delicious)
Note : Booking is advised. We somehow managed to get a seat at the very end of lunch service, but they were fully booked in the evenings!
St Ninian’s, Isle of Whithorn
St Ninan’s is a community-run cafe, with the most stunning views of the bay of the Isle of Whithorn.
It’s a simple, yet tasty, menu and they’re open every day. It’s one of the few places you can get a bacon butty before 11 am, and the cakes here are huge and very tasty. They do takeaway as well as sit in, are dog friendly and even have a community shop inside where you can get essential groceries, postcards, and gifts.
Beltie Books, Wigtown
Wigtown is known for its book shops, and Beltie Books has the cutest little cafe at the back, with a magical garden for warmer days. Here you can find pretty decent coffee and an array of sweet treats too. Beltie Books is the Scottish Independence book shop, and is a really cute and quirky place, with really friendly staff.
This place is super dog friendly, inside and out, and a perfect place to have your afternoon coffee & cake.
Reading Lasses, Wigtown
Reading Lasses is another bookshop in Wigtown, and this one is all about women’s literature and authors.
Here you can find brilliant decaf coffee, the biggest selection of cakes I’ve come across, and a delicious menu. I had the nourish bowl one day (pictured) and it was possibly the best meal of the holiday!
Again, super dog friendly and Arthur really loved it here!
The Pheasant, Sorbie, Wigtownshire
Now, there aren’t a lot of food places in the Wigtownshire area, but they do have a great Italian restaurant! This is another one where it’s recommended to book and is dog friendly. It was really lovely to be able to take Arthur with us for an evening meal as well!
Expect freshly made pasta, flavoursome foods, and brilliant puddings!
The Harbour Inn, Garlieston, Wigtownshire
The Harbour Inn is an inconspicuous little pub on the front at Garlieston. It’s your typical Scottish pub, super dog friendly and a really big area to sit and eat. The staff here were lovely and it was a really friendly place.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really expecting much when we went but I had possibly one of the best toasties I’ve ever had. A haggis and cheese toastie and it was so full of flavour and I could have eaten 10! Their Sunday dinner is the incredible value (approx £12 for two courses) and so tasty! The fish and chips here also deserve a special mention because they were something else!
5 places to visit on your trip to Wigtownshire
You can find a bumper list of things to do in South-West Scotland here, but I wanted to share with you some must-visit places!
- Wigtown
Wigtown, also known as The Book Town, is a must visit on your trip. It has 14 second hand book shops, and so much character to it! On Saturday’s they have a little market as well, and there’s a really good atmosphere. You can spend the day here, just hopping from one book shop to the next. - St Ninian’s Cave
Sadly you can’t go in St Ninan’s Cave at the moment, due to saftey reasons, however it is still worth a trip to the beach there, and see the outside of the cave. The carpark has an honesty box (£1 for the day!), and it’s a lovely, fairly flat, 1.5 mile walk to the coast, through a gorgeous woodland. - Isle of Whithorn
Not only does the Isle of Whithorn have two brilliant places to eat, it’s also a really beautiful and interesting place. With a short walk to St Ninan’s Church to beautiful views over the bay. There’s also a free camping/parking place, perfect for wildcamping, - Monreith Beach
Monreith Beach is truly beautiful. There’s a place to park, just off the top road, or you can park at the Golf Club. It’s a breathtaking beach, perfect for walks and picnics, and well worth a visit. - Garlieston
Garlieston is such an interesting costal village, with some great walks. It’s peir also has a really interesting history, and was part of the secret Mulberry Harbour project in World War II
I hope this has been helpful and inspired you to visit South West Scotland on your next trip! If you’re wanting to explore more of Scotland, make sure you check out more of my Scottish food & travel guides. If you’re ready to book your trip to Wigtownshire, you can find places to stay here.
