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Dumfries and Gallow...
 

Dumfries and Galloway - recommendations please...

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Hi all

We're staying in Portpatrick for a week in early July and any recommendations for stuff to do would be most welcome.

Just the Mrs and me, There will be no bikes - but we'll be doing some decent walks and the usual sight-seeing stuff.

I see there are two whisky distilleries in the area too!

Don't want to be driving more than an hour from Portpatrick.

Never done this area - and never done Scotland! So though we'd start at the bottom and work our way around over the years.

Ta! 🙂 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 4:33 pm
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I really like creetown gem rock museum. It's more interesting than it sounds and has a nice cafe. Closing for good in October.

Portpatrick is lovely place. 

 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 5:03 pm
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Mull of Galloway lighthouse  , which is the most southerly point in Scotland. Also has a cafe

They do tours which include going up the lighthouse.


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 5:06 pm
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Walk round Loch Trool, climb the Merrick (largest hill in sw Scotland), visit Kiroughtree for cafe/forest walks/hire e-bikes, visit Logan gardens. Visit the art gallery in my town (Kirkcudbright) and have a wander around.

Loads to do in this area, 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 5:21 pm
 aggs
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The first bit of Southen Upland Way is a nice walk.  A shortish loop. 

Along the coast, cliffs, beaches  past a Grand Designs type house and back to the harbour again with loop inland a bit.


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 5:25 pm
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My luck could be in here 😀

 

I'm looking to get/make a long bench for the garden. Its available just where you are going. But a bit far for me to go.

Green oak beam 3mx450mmx400mm

Have you a roofrack ? 😀


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 5:37 pm
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Bladnoch distillery is great - some really nice whisky, but IMO it's some of the pricier stuff.. 

Take some gravel / road bikes and explore many of the back lanes down the peninsulas. 

Wigtown - if you're into books, enjoy.

Community cafe at Isle of Whithorn is superb. Great with a book on a wet day, or just for superb home made grub. 

There's a good few ruined chapels / standing stones / abandoned historical / motte etc down Whithorn and round the area. We have wanded a good few fields to random historical finds.

Logan Botanic gardens are nice, Castle Kennedy I am told is nice but we've never been. 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 5:47 pm
 aggs
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The Red Kite centre was a good afternoon out. 🦅 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 5:59 pm
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I'd avoid kirroughtree visitors centre and go to the glen tool one. Much better scones and a nice bimble around the area.

I'm heading down to Kirkcudbright tomorrow, also my "home town" when I was a teen I swore I'd never go back, now thinking we might do our nonUK part of retirement there or there abouts.

Scran van for a tasty snack, swally and scran for tasty sit down (both kbt)


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 6:01 pm
 Spin
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Drive to about NW 97433 59709 (an adventure in itself) then walk north along the coast as far as you like. Then turn around and walk back.

 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 6:09 pm
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If you're in Wigton it's worth  taking a trip round the rest of the Machars peninsula..By car or on the bike . Isle of Whithorn is a particular favourite of mine, and it's not an island (anymore) Port William is nice too .

Lots to see nice coastline St Ninians Cave etc

 

 

 

 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 6:18 pm
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Posted by: onehundredthidiot

 

I'm heading down to Kirkcudbright tomorrow, also my "home town" when I was a teen I swore I'd never go back, now thinking we might do our nonUK part of retirement there or there abouts.

Scran

The entire Dumfries & Galloway area is rapidly turning into a retirement village, we have the oldest population per head in Scotland.

 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 6:22 pm
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Im in Newton Stewart.

 

Depends what you want to do!

Botanic gardens,light houses, neolithic history, castles.

Distillieries, breweries wildlife.

 

If your here on the 20th Duncfest is on.


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 6:31 pm
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Posted by: somafunk

Posted by: onehundredthidiot

 

I'm heading down to Kirkcudbright tomorrow, also my "home town" when I was a teen I swore I'd never go back, now thinking we might do our nonUK part of retirement there or there abouts.

Scran

The entire Dumfries & Galloway area is rapidly turning into a retirement village, we have the oldest population per head in Scotland.

 

 

Was always this. When I moved down in the early 80s kbt was known as the town England came to die.

 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 6:38 pm
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Posted by: onehundredthidiot

Posted by: somafunk

Posted by: onehundredthidiot

 

I'm heading down to Kirkcudbright tomorrow, also my "home town" when I was a teen I swore I'd never go back, now thinking we might do our nonUK part of retirement there or there abouts.

Scran

The entire Dumfries & Galloway area is rapidly turning into a retirement village, we have the oldest population per head in Scotland.

 

 

Was always this. When I moved down in the early 80s kbt was known as the town England came to die.

 

Living outside Kbt in the 1990s we would halve the average age in the pub when we went out...

 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 6:52 pm
somafunk reacted
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But then you did start drinking at 13.


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 7:05 pm
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Yep very true matt ^….. Thanks to all the old moaning ****s in the area it took decades before the tiny skatepark was finally built down the castledykes (nr swimming pool), they put in so many complaints it took years to get through the local council. 

The idea for it was originally raised in the early 90’s. 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 7:06 pm
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Posted by: onehundredthidiot

But then you did start drinking at 13.

Matt was very sensible indeed but he did like to unwind at the Masonic pub , I doubt he drank much in Paddy's bar 😉 , he ran the outdoor activities for the Barcaple Christian outdoor centre just outside town 

 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 7:11 pm
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My mum always reminds me about toddling fully clothed into Portpatrick paddling pool and the speed I scrambled out 🙂

Logan fish pond.

If you are Glentrool way there is also a little community cafe at The Hive.

 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 7:12 pm
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I'm sure LJ would be happy he was at the masonic. I worked the bar at the Gordon house. Some of the worst early shifts were opening for the fishing club after a lock in.


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 7:25 pm
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Posted by: onehundredthidiot

I'm sure LJ would be happy he was at the masonic. I worked the bar at the Gordon house. Some of the worst early shifts were opening for the fishing club after a lock in.

 

Did you?, I worked there from 93 to 97 and Thursday/friday/sat fights were the usual - it was all my mates that worked on the fishing boats so come Sunday afternoon/night everyone was good friends again, despite the broken noses/missing teeth/black eyes.

 

Simon/L-J are good mates, L-J got diagnosed with MS a few moths after I got diagnosed with SPMS so we have our bitch n' moan sessions as to how shite it is.

 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 8:41 pm
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Is Cocoa Bean still going? Seem to recall it was connected to someone on here


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 8:58 pm
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Posted by: MoreCashThanDash

Is Cocoa Bean still going? Seem to recall it was connected to someone on here

 

Yeah I worked there from 2008  (full time) through to when I left in 2017(part time - could only manage 2hrs/day) as a chocolatier, it's still going strong.

[img]

 


 
Posted : 03/06/2026 9:02 pm
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Posted by: somafunk

Posted by: onehundredthidiot

I'm sure LJ would be happy he was at the masonic. I worked the bar at the Gordon house. Some of the worst early shifts were opening for the fishing club after a lock in.

 

Did you?, I worked there from 93 to 97 and Thursday/friday/sat fights were the usual - it was all my mates that worked on the fishing boats so come Sunday afternoon/night everyone was good friends again, despite the broken noses/missing teeth/black eyes.

 

Simon/L-J are good mates, L-J got diagnosed with MS a few moths after I got diagnosed with SPMS so we have our bitch n' moan sessions as to how shite it is.

 

I did summer there certainly early 90s but probably just before you. It was U2 one and Spin Doctors 2 princes on the jukebox pretty much on continuous repeat.

LJ was in my sister's year at school.

 


 
Posted : 04/06/2026 7:26 am
somafunk reacted
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St Ninians cave - nice wee walk

Kirkcudbright itself is nice - Masonic Arms for Gin (impressive selection)

Isle of Whithorn Community centre - good lunch

Gatehouse of Fleet - Iron Brew Cafe

 

Had a lovely couple of days pottering around the area with just my dog for company a year or so back - and it's a regular destination for motorbike trips for us (via Girvan) - highly recommended


 
Posted : 04/06/2026 9:15 am