"WIGTOWNSHIRE, a maritime county in the
SW extremity of Scotland, forms the W division of Galloway, and contains
the most southernly land in Scotland. It is bounded on the N partly
by the mouth of the Firth of Clyde, but chiefly by Ayrshire, E by Kirkcudbrightshire,
S by the Irish Sea, and W by the Irish Channel....
...The interior is divided into three great districts. The peninsula,
or rather the double peninsula, W of Loch Ryan and Luce Bay, is known
as the Rhinns of Galloway; the district which forms the broad-based
triangular peninsula between Luce Bay and Wigtown Bay is called the
Machers; while the rest of the county, N of the Machers and E of Loch
Ryan, bears the loose general name of the Moors...
...The streams of Wigtownshire are very numerous, but for the most part
of short course and unimportant size. The chief is the Cree, which for
21 1/2 miles forms the boundaries between Kirkcudbright and Wigtown
shires, just before it enters Wigtown Bay at Creetown....
...Wigtownshire is almost exclusively an agricultural and grazing county,
its manufacture and commerce, and mining being but of little importance...
...The royal burghs in the county are Wigtown, Stranraer, and Whithorn;
the burghs of barony are Newton Stewart, Glenluce, and Portpatrick..."
Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, edited by Francis H. Groome, 1885 -
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