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Callie's Port Cave

Burrow Head, Cairndoon, Callie's Port, Wigtownshire.

Sea Cave in widened fissure just above the high tide mark on the north side of the landing point at Callie's Port. Contains graffiti of William Hardie of Garrarie.

A graffito from the 19th century This is carved on to the side of a cave (not far from the farm known as Garrarie). The face on which it is carved faces the back of the cave, so is difficult to find without artificial light. The cave is above the high water line but is difficult to reach. Shining the light at an obtuse angle reveals less distinct scratchings. Above 'AM HARDI' appears to be 'John Clell(?and)'. Other people have left their names and dates elsewhere in the cave, the earliest date being 1831. [Spooner, 2018]

The term for the rock is 'friable'. It seems to flake away easily in places, but facing away from the cave opening this face is not subjected to such a battering from winter storms and wave action as other bits of the cave. [Spooner, 2018]

Alternative Names: Garrarie's Cave [3], Garrerie's Cave [3]

Notes: See also Garrarie's Cave [1] and Garrarie's Cave [2].

Do not confuse the landing point at Callie's Port with the wider southern part of Back Bay. This has been done on later (more modern) OS maps. Callie's Port should be only the 50 m wide inlet at the extreme eastern end of Back Bay where the water meets the rock cliff even at low tide.

Garrarie's Cave [1] is marked on older OS maps.

William Hardie, born 1794, Whithorn, died 1875, Glasserton. Farmed Galloway cattle and sheep at Garrarie before 1850. William Hardie was a tenant farmer, he was not the owner of the farm so could not be described as the Laird of Garrarie even if he had not been born about 200 years too late.

Hydrographic Feeds: None

Hydrographic Resurgences: None