Dumfries & Galloway
‘Lead mining’: even the phrase has a sort of dulling effect on the brain, and you’d think it’d be a tough ask to make the subject interesting. But this…
Must-see attractions in Dumfries & Galloway
Dumfries & Galloway
The ruins of Caerlaverock Castle, by Glencaple on a beautiful stretch of the Solway coast, are among the loveliest in Britain. Surrounded by a moat, lawns…
Dumfries & Galloway
Ruined Whithorn Priory (Scotland's earliest recorded church) is part of this excellent complex, which introduces you to the history of the place with a…
Dumfries & Galloway
Scotland's southernmost point is a spectacular spot, with windswept green grass and views of Scotland, England, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland. The…
Dumfries & Galloway
Seven miles east of Caerlaverock Castle, in tiny Ruthwell, a church holds one of Europe’s most important early Christian monuments. The 6m-high 7th…
Dumfries & Galloway
This is a place of pilgrimage for Burns enthusiasts. It's here that the poet spent the last years of his life, and there are various possessions of his in…
Dumfries & Galloway
Three miles east of Stranraer, these magnificent gardens are among Scotland's most renowned. They cover 30 hectares and are set on an isthmus between two…
Dumfries & Galloway
Stretching for 9 miles northwest of Castle Douglas between the A713 and A762, Loch Ken is a popular outdoor recreational area. The range of water sports…
Dumfries & Galloway
If your kids are complaining about historic sights and Robert Burns, pack up the clan and get down to this spot, between Dumfries and New Abbey off the…
Dumfries & Galloway
The 18th-century Broughton House displays paintings by EA Hornel, one of the Glasgow Boys (he lived and worked here). The library, with its wood panelling…
Dumfries & Galloway
The mild climate in this southwestern part of Scotland is demonstrated at Logan Botanic Garden, a mile north of Port Logan, where an array of subtropical…
Dumfries & Galloway
Surrounded by wooded hills, Eskdalemuir is a remote settlement 13 miles northwest of Langholm. About 1.5 miles further north is this, the first Tibetan…
Dumfries & Galloway
Two miles west of Castle Douglas, this impressive tower sits on a small river island. Built in the late 14th century, it became a principal stronghold of…
Dumfries & Galloway
Ideal for families, this offers a plethora of activities and events at the home of that delicious ice cream you’ll see around the region. There are 4…
Dumfries & Galloway
The shattered red-sandstone remnants of this 13th-century Cistercian abbey stand in stark contrast to the manicured lawns surrounding them. The abbey, the…
Dumfries & Galloway
At the centre of the village of Gretna Green, the touristy Famous Blacksmith’s Shop complex has a number of mediocre shops and eateries, a maze, and a…
Dumfries & Galloway
As well as catering for today's local artists and holding a cinema, this centre has an exhibition on the history of the town's artistic development. The…
Dumfries & Galloway
This protects 546 hectares of salt marsh and mudflats, the habitat for numerous birds, including barnacle geese. There are various activities, including…
Dumfries & Galloway
Six miles northwest of Dumfries, you can visit the farm that Robert Burns leased in 1788 by the River Nith. He had the house built for his family and…
Dumfries & Galloway
This new conversion of the town hall into a shiny new gallery opened just after we last passed by. There's a permanent exhibition on this town's artistic…
Dumfries & Galloway
A worthwhile Burns exhibition in an old mill on the banks of the River Nith; it tells the story of the poet and Dumfries in the 1790s. The optional…
Dumfries & Galloway
You can climb the lighthouse at the Mull of Galloway for views over four different political entities: Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and the Isle of…
Dumfries & Galloway
Near the harbour, this is a large, atmospheric ruin built in 1577 by Thomas MacLellan, then provost of Kirkcudbright, as his town residence. Inside, look…
Dumfries Museum & Camera Obscura
Dumfries & Galloway
This museum covers local history and prehistory with a wide range of displays from fossils to farm implements. In the tower is a camera obscura, built in…
Dumfries & Galloway
The red sandstone bridges arching over the River Nith are the most attractive feature of the town. Devorgilla Bridge (1431) is one of the oldest bridges…
Dumfries & Galloway
Burns' mausoleum is in the graveyard at St Michael's Kirk. It's in the far corner (ie eastern corner) from the entrance. There’s a grisly account of his…
Dumfries & Galloway
One mile southwest of Gatehouse of Fleet just off the A75, this well-preserved stronghold was the home of the McCulloch clan. It’s a classic 15th-century…
Dumfries & Galloway
This museum houses exhibits on local history and you can learn about Stranraer's polar explorers. The highlight is the carved stone pipe from Madagascar…
Dumfries & Galloway
This 18th-century watermill in the centre of the village is very well preserved. A video sets it in context, and cordial guides will show you the workings…
Dumfries & Galloway
You can see traditional brewing processes at this main-street alemaker's. Tours, which include a pint, only run twice a week, at 1pm on Monday and Friday …
Dumfries & Galloway
Amid stirring scenery a couple of miles from town on the Newcastleton road, this oxidised iron memorial to poet Hugh MacDiarmid looks like a portal to a…
Dumfries & Galloway
In the centre of town, in a converted 18th-century cotton mill, this centre has an exhibition on the history of the local industry and environment. The…
Dumfries & Galloway
Worth a quick visit, the Castle of St John is a tower built in 1510 by the Adairs of Kihilt, a powerful local family. The old stone cells carry a…
Dumfries & Galloway
The roofless 13th-century St Ninian's Chapel, probably built for pilgrims who landed nearby on their way to the shrine at Whithorn, sits evocatively on…
Dumfries & Galloway
Around Burrow Head, to the southwest but accessed off the A747 before you enter the Isle of Whithorn, is St Ninian's Cave, where the saint apparently went…
Dumfries & Galloway
When visiting Robert Burns' mausoleum in the cemetery, it's worth ducking into the squarish 18th-century church, where he used to worship, to admire the…
Mull of Galloway Visitor Centre
Dumfries & Galloway
This visitor centre has plenty of information on local species and camera feeds from nesting birds on the cliff-face. There are guided walks on Tuesdays…
Dumfries & Galloway
There's a certain charm to this higgledy-piggledy old-fashioned local history museum. There's everything from coronation teacups to lumps of local granite…
Dumfries & Galloway
You can learn more about the Stevenson clan of lighthouse builders in the small exhibition at the lighthouse's base.
Dumfries & Galloway
Four miles west of Wigtown, off the B733, this well-preserved ruin dates from the 2nd millennium BC.
