Wigton-Bay, p.812.

[Gazetteer of Scotland Contents]

   WIGTON-BAY, the estuary or frith of the Cree, bringing up the sea north-north-westward between the counties of Wigton and Kirkcudbright. Its extremities or the headlands at which it becomes lost in the Irish sea, are Burrowhead in the Wigtonshire parish of Whithorn, and the Slack of the Ross in the Kirkcudbrightshire parish of Borgue. Its entrance, measured in a straight line between these points, is 12 miles wide. Its length, measured from the middle of this straight line to a point a little north of Creetown, where the river begins to be estuary, is 15 miles. Its breadth over the upper half slowly expands from 6 furlongs to 4 miles; an over the lower half averages about 7½ miles. Fleet-bay opens from about the middle of its Kirkcudbrightshire side; and forms of itself a considerable estuary: See FLEET (THE). Of smaller bays which open from it, the chief on the Wigtonshire side are Isle of Whitborn-bay, Port-Yarrock, Rigg-bay, Garlieston-bay, and the little estuary of the Bladenoch, – and on the Kirkcudbrightshire side are Bridgehouse, Boreness, Kirkandrew, and Knockbrex bays. Five islets look up from its bosom, but lie near the shores; the Isle of Whithorn, at the mouth of the bay to which it gives name; two Murray Isles off the coast of Girthon; and Knockbrex and Barlocco Isles off the coast of Borgue. Though a large aggregate extent of the coast is bold, rocky, and precipitous, most of the bays afford good and safe anchoring-ground. Over between 5 and 6 miles from the head or begun expansion of the estuary, broad belts of sandy beach are on both sides left dry at the efflux of the tide.