Luce Bay

Sunset over Luce Bay

Luce Bay is a large bay on the south coast of Wigtownshire, in a great arc separating the southern arm of the Rhinns of Galloway from the Machars. The bay is 20 miles wide at its mouth, with the Rhinns to the west and the Machars to the east.

The head of the bay, its northernmost coastline, is where the Water of Luce enters it, along with the Pitanton Burn, and here are the broad Sands of Luce, which stretch either side of the rivermouth, from Crow's Nest in the east and along the shore of the Rhinns past Sandhead to the little headland north of Ardwell.

From the 1930s to the 1990s the bay was a bombing range used for training purposes by RAF aircraft (and later allied aircraft on a leasing basis) based at West Freugh. Discharged bombs were retrieved by a retired minesweeper based at Drummore.

Once an important commercial fishery, Luce Bay is now little used for this purpose. It contains important marine and littoral life, however, and has been declared a Special Area of Conservation by Scottish Natural Heritage

Coastal villages

Garheugh Port on Luce Bay

Port William

Barlockhart Loch

The villages and features on the coast of Luce Bay, running from east to west, are:

Machars:

• Monrieth
• Port William
• Auchenmalg
• Glenluce

River Luce

Rhinns:

• Whitecrook
• Sandhead
• Ardwell
• Chappel Rossan
• Balgowan
• Terrally Bay
• Kilstay
• Drummore
• Maryport
• Mull of Galloway

Flood tide in Luce Bay