Loch Ryan is orientated on a north–south axis, its mouth looking northward into the North Atlantic and Firth of Clyde, and the town of Stranraer sitting on its southern shores.

Firstly, during the Devonian period (360 to 416 million years ago) the land in the area underwent a series of shearing events which considerably altered its shape, forming a basin.

When the ice sheet melted with the rising temperatures 10,000 years ago the basin was uncovered and was flooded by the sea, forming the loch that is seen today.

William Smith, Britain's foremost classicist of the 19th century, identifies Ptolemy's toponym Abrauannus (Ancient Greek: Ἀβραουάννος),[4] with Loch Ryan, particularly with its outlet to the sea.

Ptolemy described Abrauannus or Abravannus as a river of Britannia Barbara, that discharged itself a little northward of the Promontorium Novantum, or Mull of Galloway into Luce Bay.

[5] In early 1307 at the beginning of Robert the Bruce's campaign in the wars of independence he sent two forces to attempt to gain control of south west Scotland.

[citation needed] The reasons for this move were the increasing tonnages of the vessels operating the route which were more susceptible to harsh storms when moored at the exposed Portpatrick harbour on the Rhins coast.

A total of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of quayside was available, although the facilities were never used to their full capacity as the Clyde and Mersey never received the crippling bomb damage that was feared.

With the U-boat menace in the Atlantic taking a heavy toll on merchant shipping the area became an important centre for anti-U-boat operations.

Flying boats operated from the loch to protect allied shipping making its way to Liverpool or Glasgow either via the North Channel or the Firth of Clyde.

The loch was used by Winston Churchill when he departed from Stranraer in a Boeing Flying boat on 25 June 1942 when making his second visit of the war to the USA.

RAF Wig Bay is situated five miles north of Stranraer on the West shore of Loch Ryan and it is to here that Hancock was assigned to the Marine Craft Section.

There he did his comedy feeling that show business could provide the only escape from the icy hell of RAF Wig Bay in wintertime where it was so cold the men literally slept in their uniforms.

Everyone shaved fully dressed he remembered, you stood in ablutions at seven thirty in the morning singing "the whiffenpoof Song" in the boots you had been wearing in bed.

The ship breaking facility in Loch Ryan disposed of numerous former naval vessels; ranging from frigates and submarines to aircraft carriers.

It will also lead to future potential small craft maritime development at the southern end of the Loch, which will be completely free from large and regular ferry traffic.