[Closed] Dumfries & Galloway - holiday location recommendations

Kippford, or the surrounding villages, colvend etc. Dalbeattie just up the road, lovely coastal path and beaches, screel/criffel for walks.

Gatehouse of Fleet. Got that stuff quiet and family friendly.

Aye, we stayed in Kippford a few years back, lovely. Barholm might tick the same boxes?

Anywhere around Mabie is good for access- you're right close to Dumfries but it really doesn't feel like it.

We like Rockcliffe, lovely walk to Kippford , and longer coastal to Sandyhills bay (small shop at hol village and bus back) * few years ago now.

See raiders road, (forest drives, off road in car) .

The pub at carsethorn was good

We liked driving the nick of the balloch, partly as **i think’ house o hill hotel required you to use a walkie talkie to get service. (And that was well pre COVID)

Glentrool is nice , bike trail and loops and can loop loch. (Take midge nets, smidge etc, honest)

For a (*quite a long drive), you could do dunure (nice wee harbour, crap parking, cafe and pub, ruined castle with admission charge), and you could show the kids the electric brae (*take a bottle of water to watch gravity being denied and watch out as lots of people will be driving badly, slowly, and rolling uphill), it’s a truly weird but really quite impressive natural optical illusion.

*edit sort of FYI, as it surprised us, (and I think all the bits are gone as is the photos etc) but they tested mulberry harbours for d day at gairlieston

Camped at Sandhills a couple of times on Spring Bank holiday and May/June half term week. Was generally quiet after the weekend and a relaxed campsite in the tent field. A bit more 'built up' in the field with statics and hook ups.

Campsite runs onto the beach but the sea is often over a mile away due to the shallow slope. Lovely walk heading West along the beach or cliff path and a good beach all along.
Shop on site or a bigger village shop in Colvend a mile up the road. There is a track from Colvend that you can cycle into Dalbeattie forest from so no need to use the car to go biking or ride through the forest to get to Dalbeattie. Lots of walking paths and a lake with ducks to entertain kids too.
Rockcliffe is nice as above but a bit busier. Mabie forest a few miles East and good trails on bike or foot.
Threave Castle near Castle Douglas was a good day out. You get a boat across the moat to enter.
Castle Douglas was also a nice town. Dalbeattie is smaller but has a good butcher and other general shops.
Lots of walks in the smaller forests and near the coast as well as the Stanes.
Great part of the world for a holiday.

Glentrool is nice , bike trail and loops and can loop loch. (Take midge nets, smidge etc, honest)

The only campsite I've ever heard of that basically was shutdown by midges.

Dunure castle doesn't have an admission charge, just a couple of quid to park, the parking is fine if you're willing to walk 200m and not be a lazy biffer. 😋

There's a great campsite in Southerness...

Galloway Watersports centre on Loch Ken do all sorts of boat hire, plus nice campsite, and pretty Central to hills, rides, beaches etc.

I think around Sandyhills/Kippford etc is the best mix of beaches, the walking and biking. Ideal if you want to park up and stay local but still have loads to do. But the water quality is horrendous. We had 2 holidays there but a bit put off going back by the state of the beaches after rain. Truly rank - collects all the shite and farm runoff from Dumfries and Dalbeattie but not exposed enough for it to wash away.

Around Newton Stewart is good too. Lot's of great forrest and hills but slap bang in the middle for days out.

Glentrool is nice , bike trail and loops and can loop loch. (Take midge nets, smidge etc, honest)

The only campsite I've ever heard of that basically was shutdown by midges was at glentrool, the old caldons site.

Dunure castle doesn't have an admission charge, just a couple of quid to park, the parking is fine if you're willing to walk 200m and not be a lazy biffer. 😋

Loch Ken worth a look too, particularly if you fancy watersports.

Don't think you can go far wrong anywhere up that way TBH.

Kippford / Rockcliffe / Colvend coast is lovely - plenty round there that should tick your boxes. Dalbeattie Forest on the doorstep plus trails to be had round the back of Kippford if you’ve a keen enough eye. We’ve ridden the coastal path from Kippford along to Portling and back in through Dbt forest a couple of times - bit of hike-a-bike in places but it’s a good 10 mile loop if you’ve a bit of adventure about you.

Gatehouse of Fleet always has a holiday vibe about it to me - it’s a nice wee spot, Galloway Forest Park to the north and coast at Sandgreen / Carrick to the south - both easily bike’able (though to get to the best MTB stuff you’d need to drive to Dbt/Kirroughtree).

Scran wise:

Polarbites in Kirkcudbright for fish n chips (best in the area)

Two pubs in Kippford - The Anchor the better of the two but both fine

Gather @ Laggan, Mabie House or The Steamboat Inn (Carsthorn) all well worth a short drive.

Haven’t eaten in Gatehouse but plenty of options there.

Enjoy!

Anywhere it’s all bloody lovely.

We stay in cottage on a farm just outside Lochmaben. You have to drive to anywhere but everywhere is worth travelling too.
From Dumfries you can get to Dalbeattie Kippford, Kirkcudbright all easily enough.

We stayed up near Newton Stewart a couple of times which is really nice but quite out in the sticks, nearer to Luce Bay which is nice and close to Kirroughtree which is one of my favourite places

I'd not bother its shite😂

Camping or cottage?

Don't rule out the machars area for Wigtown, the book town, the isle of Whithorn where St Ninian landed long before Columba went to Iona. Burrow head where the wickerman was filmed, Bladnoch distillery lots of nice beaches and lovely quiet undulating roads for cycling. This is all within easy reach of Kirroughtree or NewtonStewart.
Bike routes can be found here https://cycledumgal.wordpress.com/

I need to try and find some kind of not crazy expensive and nice camping/glamping (hate using that word!) option round that way in August, wonder if there's any chance. Live near the Lakes but I'm going to be avoiding it like the plague during the summer holidays.

@grum solway view. But don't go it's rubbish 😀

Gorsebank Grum.👍🏻

Danti,

I have a cottage in Kirkgunzeon which is in between Dumfries and Dalbeattie with easy access to Mabie, Dalbeattie forest, Kipford, Sandyhills and about an hour from Ae, Drumlanrigg or Kirroughtree. It sleeps 6 with bike storage.

We are heading up there in a week or so with bikes, paddleboards and walking boots. its lovely!

Happy to chat anytime if it is of interest.

Dogsby.

grum
Free Member

I need to try and find some kind of not crazy expensive and nice camping/glamping (hate using that word!) option round that way in August, wonder if there’s any chance. Live near the Lakes but I’m going to be avoiding it like the plague during the summer holidays.

No use for families if that's what you need, but, I like Corriehall Stopover- it is definitely glampy, just 4 wee shepherd's huts in a field, cheap but nice. Very close to Dumfries but you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere (also very close to Mabie). If the showers were just a bit hotter it'd be perfect.

Have you checked availability??? We are in gatehouse from monday and everywhere local is booked up (was checking stuff to do)

We’re just back from a cracking couple of nights in a Yurt at Marthrown of Mabie. Lovely place, straight on to the Mabie trails and awesome views over to the Lakes. Bit pricey given it’s still glamping, but ok for a couple of nights. Kids loved it.

Is that you Jamie? Dogsby ?

GRUM another vote here for Gorsebank . I’ve stayed in their wigwams , pods and the bothy and they’re all ace .

https://www.dumgal.gov.uk/article/22333/Visit-Dumfries-and-Galloway
https://www.visitsouthwestscotland.com/towns/dumfries/
https://www.dumfries-and-galloway.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Welovedumfriesandgalloway//
https://forestryandland.gov.scot/visit/activities/mountain-biking/7stanes
https://www.drumlanrigcastle.co.uk/
Quite a few caravan parks such as ( as above, fully booked)
https://www.mossyard.co.uk/
https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Solway_Coast_Heritage_Trail
https://info.dumgal.gov.uk/mapviewers/pathsmap.aspx

https://scotlandstartshere.com/

http://annandaleway.org/

Incidentally, the Annandale Way passes by my wee rum distillery (unique to D&G). Guided tours are available 😉

Another +1 for Gorsebank

Fat-Boy-Fat,

Yep, that's me!!

Dogsby

Kirkgunzeon! It could only be. Lovely neighbours too.

Kit
Full Member

Incidentally, the Annandale Way passes by my wee rum distillery (unique to D&G). Guided tours are available 😉

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