'Nationally significant' regeneration planned for Stranraer

A "nationally significant" attraction telling the story of Scottish emigration is being planned for Stranraer.

The project is being proposed by the South of Scotland Destination Alliance and is backed by Outlander actor, Sam Heughan, who was born in Galloway.

He says the south of Scotland has "some of the most powerful stories, landscapes and communities in the country."

Development work has been underway for more than 2 years funded by South of Scotland Enterprise.

The next step is to build support and hammer out the final options before seeking further investment.

The developers hope the scheme will be of a similar scale to the Titanic Experience in Belfast or Cornwall's Eden Project.

The South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA) and Stranraer Development Trust (SDT) said they will use the Stranraer Oyster Festival in September to "build momentum".

A major public discussion and community collaboration will form much of the next phase of the project.

SSDA chief executive David Hope-Jones described the proposal as "nationally significant".

"You only have to look over the Irish Sea to see the Titanic Experience, where they turned a brownfield site into a world-class visitor attraction, so it is absolutely that scale," he said.

He added that they were also looking at the V&A in Dundee and the Eden Project in Cornwall for inspiration.

He said it is about telling the stories of people who have left Scotland and travelled to Australia and North America.

"It's a major motivation for North American visitors to Scotland to discover their ancestry and find their roots," he said.

For more than a century, Stranraer was best known as a ferry town with regular crossings to Northern Ireland.

But that changed in 2011 when Stena Line moved its operations up the coast to Cairnryan in a bid to cut both costs and journey times.

A wide range of measures have been undertaken or are planned in the town to help with regeneration.

Romano Petrucci, chair of SDT, said: "This is an important moment for Stranraer, we want local people to be part of shaping a project that can bring new energy, new visitors and long-term benefit to the town.

"It is 15 years since the ferries left the town, and we have worked hard to tackle the challenges this created. It's fantastic to see the developments under way in the town, ensuring a resilient future."

The project has also been backed by Outlander star Sam Heughan.

"The South of Scotland has some of the most powerful stories, landscapes and communities anywhere in the country," said the Galloway-born actor.

"The story of Scottish emigration and diaspora has deep emotional and global resonance.

"Millions of people across the world feel connected to Scotland through family, heritage and identity."

The visitor attraction plans sit alongside other investments including the Water Sports Hub, the redeveloped George Hotel, the Kirkpatrick C2C cycle route and coastal and marine projects.

More information on the public discussion will be announced later.