Whithorn
Whithorn shown within Scotland
Population	867 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	NX445405
Council area	Dumfries and Galloway
Lieutenancy area	Wigtown
Constituent country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NEWTON STEWART
Postcode district	DG8
Dialling code	01988
Police	Dumfries and Galloway
Fire	Dumfries and Galloway
Ambulance	Scottish
European Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Dumfries & Galloway
Scottish Parliament	Dumfries & Galloway
List of places: UK • Scotland

Coordinates: 54°44′07″N 4°25′00″W / 54.73535, -4.4167

Whithorn (Taigh Mhàrtainn in Gaelic) is a small burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about ten miles south of Wigtown. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude For local government purposes Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as Dumfries and Galloway ( Gaelic: Dùn Phris agus an Gall-Ghaidhealaibh, d̪̊unˈfɾʲiʃ aɡ̊əs̪ əŋ ɡ̊auɫ̪ɣəɫ̪əv is one of 32 council areas The Lieutenancy areas of Scotland are the areas used for the ceremonial lord-lieutenants, the monarch 's representatives in Scotland. It is not to be confused with the town in north-west England called Wigton Wigtown ( Gd: Baile na h-Uige Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Dumfries postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Annan, Canonbie, Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie, The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary is the Police service for the council area of Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Dumfries and Galloway Fire and Rescue Service is the Statutory fire and rescue sercvice for the area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. SASDivmap copyjpg|right|200px]] Helimed5jpg|thumb|right|EC-135 G-SASA "Helimed 5" based at Glasgow City Heliport]] The Scottish Ambulance Service ( Scottish Scotland constitutes a single Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Dumfries and Galloway is a County constituency of in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates This List of places in Scotland is a complete collection of lists of places in Scotland. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. A Burgh (ˈbʌʀə is an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland, usually a Town. Dumfries and Galloway ( Gaelic: Dùn Phris agus an Gall-Ghaidhealaibh, d̪̊unˈfɾʲiʃ aɡ̊əs̪ əŋ ɡ̊auɫ̪ɣəɫ̪əv is one of 32 council areas Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It is not to be confused with the town in north-west England called Wigton Wigtown ( Gd: Baile na h-Uige

Whithorn Priory

The town was the location of the first recorded Christian church in Scotland, Candida Casa the 'White [or 'Shining'] House', built by Saint Ninian (original form Nynia) about 397. Candida Casa was the name given to the church established by St Ninian in Whithorn, Galloway, southern Scotland, in the mid fifth Traditional story Ninian is first mentioned by Bede, in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People (book III chapter 4 Events By Place Asia The Xiongnu occupy the Gansu area in China. A monastery and diocese of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria was founded on the site in the 8th century. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south The 8th century is the period from 701 to 800 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. It was the centre of the revived See of Galloway (or Candida Casa) under the patronage of Fergus, Lord of Galloway and Bishop Gille Aldan from the 12th century. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Galloway is an ecclesiastical territory or Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. Fergus of Galloway was King or Lord of Galloway from an unknown date (probably in the 1110s until his death in 1161 Gille Aldan or Gilla Aldan (Gaelic "Servant of Saint Aldwin" of Whithorn, was a native Galwegian who was the first Bishop of the The late medieval cathedral priory is ruinous, much of it having disappeared completely apart from the much-altered aisleless nave and vaults at the former eastern end which once held the shrine of St. Ninian, one of medieval Scotland's major pilgrimage destinations. In Romanesque and Gothic Christian Abbey, Cathedral Basilica and church Architecture, the nave is the Traditional story Ninian is first mentioned by Bede, in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People (book III chapter 4 In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance A museum in the town contains finds from the site, which has been extensively excavated in recent years. A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development open to the public which acquires conserves researches communicates and exhibits the A late medieval gateway with the arms of the King of Scots leads into the site of the priory, which contains the 19th century parish church and a museum of carved stones (Historic Scotland). Historic Scotland is an Executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland. The collection of early medieval stones is one of the largest in Scotland, and includes the country's earliest surviving Christian memorial, the 5th century inscribed 'Latinus Stone'. The museum layout and display was revised and greatly improved in 2005.

Whithorn was first known (in Latin) as Candida Casa. 'Whithorn' is a modern form of the Anglo-Saxon version (actually a literal translation) of this name, Hwit Ærne, 'white house'. In Gallovidian Gaelic, it was called Rosnat, or Futarna, the latter a version of the Anglo-Saxon name (Gaelic has no sound corresponding to English 'wh'). Galwegian Gaelic is an extinct Goidelic Dialect formerly spoken in South West Scotland.

Whithorn's link to the sea was the port known as the Isle of Whithorn (a separate community from Whithorn itself and actually a peninsula). Much used in the Middle Ages by pilgrims arriving by boat. The thirteenth century St Ninian's Chapel marked the point where pilgrims came ashore (the roofless remains are looked after by Historic Scotland). Traditional story Ninian is first mentioned by Bede, in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People (book III chapter 4 Historic Scotland is an Executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.

The 1st Century settlement of Rispain Camp, about 1 mile west of Whithorn is also in the care of Historic Scotland. The 1st century was the Century that lasted from 1 to 100 according the Julian calendar. Rispain Camp is the remains of a fortified farmstead 1 mile west of Whithorn, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

Remains of the Priory Nave at Whithorn

Railway

Whithorn was once served by a railway station until the Beeching axe. Whithorn is the closed terminus of the Wigtownshire Railway branch from Newton Stewart, of the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway. The Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Government 's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system