Cairnryan was established in the early 18th-century and quickly became an important staging post for coaches on the main road to Ayr from the south. Located around 6 miles north of Stranraer on the A77, the small village has a local shop. Nowadays, many travellers pass through Cairnryan en route to or from Northern Ireland on the ferry.
The village has a proud maritime history but the modern port dates from the Second World War when it was developed to build the famous floating Mulberry Harbours which were used on the Normandy beaches on D-Day.
