Gateway to Galloway hub opens

Destination Stranraer as Gateway to Galloway Hub opens

Stranraer’s ambition to redefine itself as a waterfront destination is set to receive a boost this week with the opening of Gateway to Galloway, a community-led visitor information centre and community hub based at Stranraer Harbour.

Developed by community organisation, Stranraer Development Trust, Gateway to Galloway is the culmination of three years of planning for the group, as they take over the striking art deco clock tower and former harbour master building, recently refurbished by Dumfries and Galloway Council.

The goal of Gateway to Galloway is to establish a tourism focal point for visitors to the town which will showcase the wealth of things to do and experience in Stranraer and the wider Galloway area.  The information centre will also promote local businesses, produce and crafts; as well as providing volunteering opportunities and space for community groups to showcase their activities.

It is hoped that Gateway to Galloway will replicate the success of Stranraer Oyster Festival, also organised by Stranraer Development Trust, in putting Stranraer on the map as one of Scotland’s up and coming destinations.

Romano Petrucci, Chair of Stranraer Development Trust, said:

“The purpose of Gateway to Galloway is to let people know what we have in this area, to promote the amazing things we have in Galloway and encourage them to spend time here. To explore Port Logan and Portpatrick, to visit Whithorn and Wigtown, to be amazed by the Mull of Galloway and to spend time enjoying Stranraer itself.

"When it was announced that the former Tourist Information Centre was to close a few years ago, just as the community was committing to developing tourism, it was the last thing we wanted to hear.  At the time we had just held our hugely successful first Oyster Festival, we knew we needed a tourism hub for Stranraer, and we spent a lot of time looking at other examples of community-run information centres.

“We are really serious about promoting this area, and we’ve gone to great lengths to secure a stunning building with the assistance of our local council to help make that happen. What an incredible thing it is for the Development Trust to now be based in the marina overlooking the native oyster beds, watching our dream expand to include all things relating to local tourism.

“Gateway to Galloway will be for the people of our community as much as for those who visit our town. We are really excited at the number of local businesses that Gateway to Galloway can support and promote, there is just so much going on, and we are astonished at the abundance of quality that there is here. Our job is to inspire every visitor to Stranraer to see all the incredible things there are to do, to return and to encourage their friends and family to visit too."

Gateway to Galloway is launching on Friday 2^nd July with a drop in for local businesses, between 10am and 2pm.