Stranraer to see, Castle of St John first
The locality itself has 3 places on our list; one more is within 5 km of its edge. Among them are 3 castles and a museum. On foot, 3 are within 1 km of the centre. Lochnaw Castle lies 7.1 km out, the pick for a day trip.
The first to see in Stranraer
Close behind Castle of St John are 2 castles and a museum.
CastleCastle of St Johnin town
CastleNorth West Castlein town
MuseumStranraer Museumin town
CastleCastle Kennedy3 km outside town, to the eastEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
The lie of the land
The map ends at Castle Kennedy, 5.3 km out.
The dashed line is Stranraer’s locality; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · NRS locality 2022
What is on offer
The biggest group is castles or historic places, with 3 of the 4.
Green: inside Stranraer. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
Every entry
The 3 inside Stranraer come first, then one more within 5 km of its edge.
The 3 inside Stranraer come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
73 listed buildings are on Stranraer’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Stranraer →
Bigger names, a drive away
Start with Lochnaw Castle, 7.1 km off, the best known of 5.
Places well known beyond Stranraer (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust for Scotland or Historic Environment Scotland property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Know before you go to Stranraer
What are the main attractions in Stranraer?
The best known inside Stranraer’s locality are Castle of St John, North West Castle and Stranraer Museum. In all, 3 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 1 more within 5 km.
Does Stranraer have a museum?
1 museum or gallery is in or within 5 km of Stranraer: Stranraer Museum.
Is there a National Trust for Scotland or Historic Environment Scotland property near Stranraer?
None is recorded within 5 km of Stranraer.
What are the best-known days out near Stranraer?
Within 40 km: Lochnaw Castle (7.1 km), Glenluce Abbey (13 km), Castle of Park (13 km), Logan Botanic Gardens (18 km).
Where are Stranraer’s historic buildings listed?
Stranraer has 73 listed buildings, 3 of them Category A. They are on its History page, from Historic Environment Scotland’s list, not repeated here.
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Stranraer when it is inside the NRS 2022 locality boundary, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the NRS 2022 locality (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Castle of St John: jaqian from Dublin, Ireland, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- North West Castle: R lee, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stranraer Museum: Rose and Trev Clough, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Castle Kennedy: LornaMCampbell, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.