got a week in a cottage in rockliffe in august with the family , best places to visit ? cheers

Glentress isn’t that far away, you can hire a bike there. The rest could go for a walk or something?

Huh! 7 days in range of the 7 stanes? TAKE YOUR BIKE! 😀

Erm, Mabie, Dalbeattie, Kirroughtree, Newcastleton, Glentrool, Drumlanrig, Inners – All of those closer than Glentress.

Your within touching distance of Dalbeattie and with a bit of imagination you can miss the dull fire road bits and just do the ace stuff. We were less than a mile from 2 entrances to the trails this year and early morning/evening rides were great.
best entrance is at Barnbarroch straight onto the lovely singletrack climb that tops out at The Slab and you can shortcut to various points from there or even drop out to the south to get back to where your staying.

Depends on how old the children are. Ours are 2 and 3.
plenty of stuff to do.
Chocolate Factory on the way west indoor and outdoor play and chocolate making.
Ice Cream Factory in the same sort of area with similar but different and a little bit bonkers outside play wooden tower.
http://gallowaywildlife.org.uk/how-to-find-us/ was superb.
The cafe next door to Dalbeattie trail head is nice.
Sandyhills beach just to the east. Not as good as the western isles but ticked a box.
RSPB centre a bit further east.
Brewery tucked in a court yard in Castle Douglas (maybe not for the kids)
We didn’t get to
The most southerly lighthouse in Scotland far west
Birds of prey near Castle Douglas.
Sculpture Trail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenkiln_Sculpture_Park
Drumlanrig

Plenty more around there too.

Sandyhills for the beach, kipford for the walk along the painted rocks and ‘found’ art thenon to Rough Island. No need to go anywhere really in those 3 places there is plenty to do so longyou want to take it easy. Great palce with kids

loads to do down here, depends on your interests and ages of youngsters. Let us know and we’ll help as best we can

Cream of Galloway. We had such a laugh there. Don’t think the hse have ever been round for a visit tho 😉
We had an action packed 10 days up and around port William. Loved it and would go back tomorrow. Check out also when Kirkcudbright tattoo is on. Was a great night there.

Our 3yo particularly enjoyed the Choc Factory, Cream of Galloway, Mabie Farm Park and Sandyhills. Caerlaverock castle and Sweetheart Abbey worth a look too.

cheers chaps , kids are 9 and 13 🙂

http://www.lagganoutdoor.co.uk/
http://www.dgone.co.uk/index.aspx?articleid=9900
http://www.lochken.co.uk/
http://www.drumlanrig.com/
http://www.leadminingmuseum.co.uk/home.shtml
http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4129
http://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry/routes/cairnryan-belfast/
http://www.gorsebank.com/gorsebank_equestrian/Cycle_Hire_-_Gorsebank.html
http://www.7stanesmountainbiking.com/Home
http://www.visitdumfriesandgalloway.co.uk/see-do/
http://www.dumfriesandgallowaynaturalhistory.co.uk/walking-routes/1-walking-route/14-criffel-hill

Alternative to Sandyhills;
http://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/powillimount-p314841
http://www.dalbeattie.net/rockcliffe.asp
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/galloway/rockcliffe-sandyhills.shtml
http://www.bainlochdeerpark.com/

http://www.dumfriesmuseum.com/
http://www.gemrock.net/
http://www.thecocoabeancompany.com/
http://gallowaywildlife.org.uk/
http://www.gallowaykitetrail.com/
http://www.gallowayforestpark.com/object-29-red-deer-range
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Loch-Arthur-Farm-Shop-and-Cafe/491872847525334

Caerlaverock is great for kids – properly cool castle. The red kite feeding station is worth checking out too, can be pretty impressive.

A trip to Drumlanrig would be good – kids can go play on the adventure playground which is awesome (I don’t get why I can’t go play on it anymore…) and you can go see Rik and hire a bike.

Alternatively you could do the P-ram trail through the Galloway Hills and go see some very dead larch trees. I think it’s got untapped tourist potential!

The aviation museum at Dumfries is worth a visit (it’s not Duxford but it does very well for being volunteer run) and has some interesting stuff.

The workie’s cafe next door does good breakfasts too.

I’ve stayed at Sandyhills before. You can easy ride to trails at Dalbeattie from there and get a loop in. I also know where Rockcliffe is, I reckon it’s just as easy to get from there. Take a bike!

Watch the tide a Sandyhills, it can come in fast. There is coastal path round the head land from Rockcliffe to Sandyhills, which is a nice walk

As a slightly different suggestion which even as an adult is still one of my favourite things to do up there. Walk out to Ardwall Island at low tide and explore it before nipping back as the tide returns. It has abandoned cottages and an old ruined church plus rockpooling, old stone harbours and all sorts of other things to find.

Honestly, it makes me slip straight into Swallows and Amazons mode just thinking about it.

That is a cracking photo! I grew up not far away from carrick and used to go down there a lot. Not been over to the island in years though.

If you do go down that way definitely pay a visit to Cream O’ Galloway. The ice cream is truly fantastic and the adventure playground is ace too. They also have tours around the farm, ice cream tours and making sessions and nice walks around the farm land too.

My young cousins love the , good fun with a play area too.

Sulwath brewery in Castle Douglas do a few nice beers and there’s a bar in there too if you fancy stopping for an hour or so.

Kirkcudbright is a nice town, its where I went to High School. A nice wee castle, lots of nice shops and a few arty places that might be worth a look. Check out the summer festivities they have going on, usually plenty to do if you time it right.

Kite feeding at Belliemack
Gem Rock Museum at Creetown
Any of the beaches, especially Brighouse Bay and Carrick Shore as in lemonysam’s photo (but if you go to Nun Mill Bay at Kirkcudbright make sure the tide’s going out, because it’s very shallow. If the tide’s incoming it can catch you unawares).
Cream of Galloway
Drive along the Raiders Road (picnic at the Otter Pool on Blackwater of Dee obligatory), then the Red Deer Centre at Clatteringshaws
Threave Castle (boat trip across the river from Kelton Mains. Also nesting Ospreys visible from the castle via warden’s spotting scope!)
David Coultahrd Museum and Chocolate Factory at Twynholm
Cairn Holy
Carsluith Castle
Cardoness Castle
Dundrennan Abbey
Sweetheart Abbey at New Abbey
Drumlanrig Estate
Tours of the Hydro-Electric powerstation at Tongland
Stewartry Museum in Kirkcudbright great for rainy days – it’s a proper old school Victorian type museum with lots of dead animals and stuff.
Scottish National Museum of Costume at Shambellie House
John Paul Jones birthplace museum at Arbigland

I could go on…visit a tourist info place as soon as you land.

Looks like about 2.5 miles from Rockcliffe to the Red at Dalbeattie. I guess there is access through Colvend Rockcliffe to Dalbeattie Red.

There’s definitely access through Douglas Hall further down the A710

As above, also grew up there and went to KBT Academy. Plenty to do as long as the weather is kind. Glentrool is a dark sky park so great for stars on a clear night.

http://www.devilsporridge.co.uk/
http://www.savingsbanksmuseum.co.uk/
http://www.drummuirfarm.co.uk/