Stranraer – Belfast
Ferries to Northern Ireland
Stranraer – Belfast
Ferries to Northern Ireland
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Stranraer is a town in the south of Scotland in the west of the region of Dumfries and Galloway and was formerly in the county of Wigtownshire. It lies on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhinns of Galloway to the mainland.
It was only in the mid 1700s that a harbour was first built in Stranraer itself, and further port development took place in the 1820s. But it was the coming of the railway from Dumfries in 1861 which finally established Stranraer as the area's main port.
For much of the following 150 years Stranraer was unchallenged as the natural location for the main Scottish port for the Irish ferries. Roll-on roll-off ferries appeared on the Irish routes well ahead of elsewhere in the UK.
Belfast Harbour is an important seaport in the United Kingdom, with one of the leading ferry operators, Stena Line, connecting it with Liverpool and Cairnryan. You can also reach Belfast from the Isle of Man, with seasonal services provided by Steam Packet.
Belfast is Northern Ireland's capital city, surrounded by mountains creating a specific climate beneficial to horticulture. Moreover, it lies at the mouth of the River Lagan located in County Antrim, although parts of east and south Belfast are actually located in County Down. It is, then, quite a green space and offers visitors plenty of parkland and forest parks to explore from Cave Hill Country Park and Lagan Valley Regional Park to the Victorian Botanic Gardens in the heart of the city.
From an architectural perspective Belfast has some fine buildings including the Edwardian City Hall and the modern Waterfront Hall. Many of the city's Victorian landmarks, including the main Lanyon Building at Queen's University Belfast and the Linenhall Library, were designed by Sir Charles Lanyon.
