Полуостров Мачарс: История, природа и наследие Шотландии

The Machars (Machair Ghallghaidhealaibh) is a peninsula in the historical county of Wigtownshire in Galloway in the south west of Scotland. Its name (in Scots and English) is derived from the Gaelic word Machair meaning low lying or level land, known as "links" on the east coast of Scotland. Although there are no high peaks in The Machars, it is not flat and would best be described as undulating or rolling. The North Atlantic Drift or Gulf Stream creates a mild climate, and dolphins and basking sharks are frequently seen in the seas.

The area is rich in prehistoric remains, mainly in the form of standing stones and cup and ring marks. The most notable of these are Torhousekie stone circle and Drumtroddan standing stones. In Castle Loch near The Old Place of Mochrum are the remains of several crannogs. Burrow Head (the southernmost tip of the peninsula) is about 18 mile (29 km) from Point of Ayre on the Isle of Man, and trade links have long existed between the two places, much of which involved smuggling. The primary industry in the area was agriculture, though today the tourist industry probably employs more people and generates more income.

Saint Ninian first brought Christianity to what would become Scotland via the Machars, founding a small church at the Isle of Whithorn from which a mediæval cathedral later sprang at Whithorn. Ninian studied under St Martin of Tours and can lay claim to bringing Christianity to Scotland long before St Columba, whose church at Iona is often mistakenly credited as the cradle of Scottish Christianity.

The Machars is also home to the former RAF Wigtown. The airfield, which was opened in 1941 and is often referred to as Baldoon, was used in World War II as a training school hosting the No 1 Air Observers School from September 13, 1941, to February 1, 1942, and operating in conjunction with a tracked target range near the coast to the southeast. Although the site originally consisted of grass runways, flooding of the land soon caused these to become unusable, and two concrete runways were installed during 1942. Operations at the airfield ceased in 1945, to coincide with the end of the war, and control of the site was given over to Maintenance Command which was placed in care and maintenance, transferring to No 14 Maintenance Unit from July 1, 1946, to March 1, 1948, when the airfield was finally closed. Despite considerable deterioration much of the airfield remains intact; with the original control tower still standing and nearly all the perimeter and access roads remaining. Furthermore, the concrete bases of many of the hangars and other buildings can still be seen on the ground. Today much of the land has reverted to agricultural use, with the site becoming popular for locals to conduct leisure activities – such as walking or cycling.