 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
We are renting a cottage there soon and I was wondering if anybody could give me some pointers for family stuff to do in the near vicinity. Not sure if I'll be taking a bike but I might get out for a run so if anyone knows of any offroad routes that'd be good too!
Ta.
I'd just stand and look at the sign for a while - it's got to be one of the UK's most glorious place names. I imagine if a Glaswegian said it he could be arrested for disorderly conduct.
Hmmmmm, mince pies.......
I was reading about that. Apparently locals refer to the place as 'Fechan' so would it be ok to ask in the shop where the Fechan Tarts are?
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/ecclefechan/ecclefechan/index.html
When they say "Ecclefechan is a quiet village...." they are not joking... OK the M74 goes right past it but its dead.
http://www.visitscotland.com/guide/see-and-do/
Sammy Ling (sp?) Buddhist place is nearby
I'd just stand and look at the sign for a while - it's got to be one of the UK's most glorious place names. I imagine if a Glaswegian said it he could be arrested for disorderly conduct.
Brooklyn Beckham should consider himself lucky he wasn't conceived in Ecclefechan
Theres not an awful lot going on in the immediate vicinity, but the M74 is about as pleasant a motorway as you could hope to travel, so there are quick easy daytrips to places like Moffat and Biggar ( pleasant towns) and perhaps New Lanark (big industrial history thang) to the north or the lake district to the south. Closer by though is Caerlaverock Castle, to the south of Dumfries, if you like that kind of thing. Staying in Galloway, the Galloway coast gets nicer the further west you go - starts quite wetlands/estuary like at the Dumfries end, gets sandier and more crinkly the further you go towards Stranraar. Kirkudbright is a nice destination town, Kipford and New Abbey are nice stop-off points.
http://www.samyeling.org/
"Samye Ling is situated in Eskdalemuir in South West Scotland, 15 miles from Lockerbie." middle of nowhere
Caerlaverock castle is worth a visit.
Hmm, not so sure my 3 teenagers would appreciate Samye Ling - although I might...
Cheers all.
There's also the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust place not far away
You're right in the middle of some of the best road cycling in the country - hundreds of miles of quiet scenic back roads. Off-road, you are close to Mabie and Ae trail centres, where you could hire bikes if your teenagers are interested in that sort of thing.
There isn't much in the way of pre-packaged entertainment for teenagers in the area, but Dumfriesshire is packed with historical sites and opportunities for walking. If you enjoy exploring the outdoors, old castles, etc, there is a lot to see around Fechan.
Check out the community websites for Lochmaben, Lockerbie and Annan for information about local activites.
David Coulthard F1
http://www.dcmuseum.co.uk/
Highest village in ... er... UK? maybe
http://www.leadminingmuseum.co.uk/home.shtml
Founder of the US Navy born in Scotland
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usbiography/j/johnpauljones.html
Camera Obscura... whats one of them? unusual though.
http://www.dumfriesmuseum.demon.co.uk/dumfmuse.html
spitfire pilot who was first to shoot down a German plane in WW2:
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/First-of-the-Few-is.6296828.jp
http://www.gretnagateway.com/
http://www.dgcommunity.net/dgcommunity/miniweb.aspx?id=310
http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4129
http://www.mabiefarmpark.co.uk/
http://www.dumfriesaviationmuseum.com/
http://www.dgvisitor.co.uk/dalbeattie.htm
http://www.sulwathbrewers.co.uk/
http://www.sulwathconnections.org/index.php?page=annandale-way
http://www.dumfriesandgallowaynaturalhistory.co.uk/walksAll.asp
http://www.lockerbieicerink.co.uk/
http://www.visitkielder.com/
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/sevenstanes
http://www.scottishrally.co.uk/
http://www.guidnychburris.co.uk/output/home.asp
http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=5208
http://www.wwt.org.uk/caerlaverock
I nearly forgot
St Mary's Loch! The Grey Mare's Tail and Loch Skeen!
The Glen Cafe at St Mary's Loch is unassuming but good.
The walk / climb up the path to Loch Skeen is not for people that do not like hieghts though.
If you do drive to the Eskdalemuir / Samye Ling make sure you have enough petrol / diesel to get there and back it is very remote. A genuine Tibetan Monastory, but in Scotland, very colourful only there because it was cheap and all they could afford when they came to the UK.
Did anyone mention the riding at Drumlanrig - I seem to remember it having something pretty family friendly. There is a guy there who builds oddball bikes and a tiny bike museum. (the bike was invented locally - rumour has it)
Rough old place.
Hoddam castle is pretty close and there are lots of walks and places to bike nearby. Or if fishing is your thing there is plenty of that.
There are a couple of quad bike trekking places close by that a quick google search will throw up. Carlisle is only 20 minutes drive away too.
This is good fun, and the guy that runs it is very helpful and not too strict (ie you can slide the bike about and he wont go mental, but push it too far and your trip is canceled)