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WHITHORN, town and parish in Machers district, Wigtonshire. The town stands 11 miles by road, but 12 by railway, south of Wigton ; took its name of Whithorn or Whithern, formerly Candida-Casa or Leucophibia, from the first ' white church,' or church of stone and lime, ever built in Scotland ; was the capital of the Caledonian Novantes, the birth-place of St. Ninian, the seat of an early Culdee establishment, the place of a famous priory of 12th century, the pristine seat of the bishopric of Galloway, and a crowded resort of pilgrims throughout the Romish times ; retains a beautiful fragment of its priory, with Saxon arches ; is a royal burgh, uniting with Wigton, Stranraer, and New Galloway in sending a member to Parliament ; comprises a main street about f mile long, with expansion in the middle ; and has a post office, with money order and telegraph departments, designated of Wigtonshire, a terminal railway station, 2 banking offices, a hotel, a steepled town-hall, Established, Free, United Presbyterian, and Reformed. Presbyterian churches, and a public school. Real property in 1880-81, 3374. Pop. 1653. The parish contains also Isle of Whithorn village, measures 8 miles by 4, and comprises 11,891 acres. Real property of landward part in 1880-81, 15,478. Pop. of the whole, 2929. The coast has an extent of 6f miles, is mostly rugged and partly cliff, and includes all Burrow Head promontory. The interior exhibits profusion and diversity of knolls, yet is almost level and mainly arable. Chief residences are Castlerigg and Tonderghie ; and chief antiquities are remains of a Roman camp and several forts. A Free church is at Isle of Whithorn.
