Wigtown
—  County (until circa 1890)  —
Country	Scotland
County town	Wigtown
Area
• Total	1,263 km2 (488 sq mi)
	Ranked 17th
Chapman code	WIG

Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown is a registration county in the Southern Uplands of south west Scotland. Until 1975, the county was one of the administrative counties used for local government purposes, and is now administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway.^[1] The county town was historically Wigtown, with the administrative centre moving to Stranraer - the largest town - on the creation of a county council in 1890. As Wigtown, the county forms the lieutenancy area of the Lord Lieutenant of Wigtown.

Wigtownshire borders Ayrshire to the north, and the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright to the east. Together The Stewartry and Wigtownshire are referred to as Galloway: until the 19th century Wigtownshire was also sometimes known as West Galloway.^[2]

Geography[link]

Wigtownshire includes the southernmost point in Scotland, the Mull of Galloway, the Machars and the Rhins of Galloway peninsula. Major road links to the area comprise the A77 to the north, and the A75 to the east.

Major towns[link]

The original County Buildings at Wigtown.

• Newton Stewart
• Stranraer
• Whithorn
• Wigtown

Other significant towns and villages[link]

• Ardwell
• Sandhead
• Castle Kennedy
• Drummore
• Glenluce
• Kirkcowan
• Portpatrick
• Port William
• New Luce

References[link]

1. ^ Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889
2. ^ New Statistical Account of Scotland. (1834).

Coordinates: 54°50′N 4°45′W / 54.833°N 4.75°W / 54.833; -4.75

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