A pilgrim’s journey: arriving at Whithorn

On arrival at Whithorn, pilgrims would have been tired but exhilarated too. The sick might have felt a surge of hope that they would be cured of their afflictions. The streets would have been crowded with traders and pilgrims and, on special days, religious processions.

The pilgrims would have processed along Whithorn’s main street, then through the gatehouse at the head of Bruce Street and along the lane to Whithorn’s priory. This is the same route taken by visitors today.



Queen Elizabeth II’s visit of 1956 gave a sense of what it might have been like when medieval kings and queens came to Whithorn.