The Isle has a long history of habitation: for example, a survey of the ground between the Isle village and Saint Ninian's Chapel revealed Clearance cairns and cultivation furrows, as well as the remains of a rectangular building occupying the crest of the low hill immediately to the west of the chapel, with possible steps leading downhill towards the east.

The village hall is well used: in August 2008, the community took over management control of this facility and it is now completely refurbished and home to Scotland's most southerly cinema, 'Machars Movies'.

Following a substantial award from the Big Lottery Fund, a new tearoom, post office and shop selling gifts and foodstuffs, 'Saint Ninian's', was built alongside the hall, and this opened in October 2014.

Also on the harbour there is a fish shop and general store called Isle Sea Foods; upstairs are a launderette, a toilet and shower facilities.

Pliny the Elder died in AD 79 and in his Natural History he describes Britain, Ireland and the smaller islands off the coast, one being vectis and this has been identified with the Isle of Whithorn.

[4] This was a haunt for smugglers and a principal harbour for legitimate trade and transport; here you caught the Countess of Galloway, the steam packet which would take you to Liverpool and maybe a passage on an emigrant ship to the New World or Australia.

Above the door of these quarters is a stone with the initials of Patrick Houston of Drummaston and his wife Margaret Gordon, together with the likely date of construction, 1674.

This building was probably erected to replace a 12th to early 13th century chapel, whose foundations were found during excavations and consisted of a nave, 17' 6" × 16' 6" (5.3 m × 5.0 m) with a square chancel.

The Isle's most familiar landmark is the square, white tower known locally as 'The Cairn', that has been a navigational aid for hundreds of years.

Initially, radio-controlled 'Queen Bee' aircraft were used, and the flat concrete foundation by the white tower on the cairn, now the location of the Solway Harvester memorial stone, was laid down for one of the control huts.

On the seaward side of the promontory are intermittent stretches of rubble linking and using natural outcrops of rock; in the south-east corner are inner and outer faces, indicating the footings of a wall up to 3 yards wide.

On the levelled summit area are slight indications of rubble walling and artificial scarping on the south and east sides; and in the north-east corner are the possible remains of a hut circle.

[11] A small block of rig[clarification needed] is clearly visible on Isle Head, lying between the path leading to the promontory and the ramparts and ditch of the Iron Age fort.

The Wigtown Bay Sailing Club welcomes all visiting yachtsmen whether they arrive by sea or by land with trailered boats.

The harbour dries three hours either side of high water, and there is a dedicated visitors' berth at the outer end of the quay.

The co-owner of the Isle of Whithorn castle, Elizabeth McAdam Laughland, plus several other local people featured in various scenes.