Area activities

Visitor Attractions

The list of visitor attractions, gardens and places to see is too big to show in these web pages, here is a selection of some of the most popular.

Mabie Farm Park – outdoor and indoor activities for all of the family. Attractions include quad bike track, a grass sledging slope, pedal go karts, a boating pond, lots of animals and an indoor playbarn.

Threave Castle and gardens near Castle Douglas

Clatteringshaws Visitor Centre, nr New Galloway – see wild goats and red deer, forest walks and cycle tracks.

Cream o’ Galloway – ice cream and organic farm

Robert Burns Centre, Dumfries - original documents and relics of the poet and a fascinating scale model of Dumfries in the 1790s.

The sailing town of Kippford is less than 15 minutes drive.

Castle Douglas is 4 miles away for shops, supermarket, swimming pool, and market.

Also within easy reach is Loch Ken for water sports, fishing and the official Red Kite trail.

Kirkcudbright – the “scenic fishing town with an artistic heritage”, a delightful coastal town where you can watch the fishing boats land their catch, sit in a café or restaurant or look round the castle.

Walking

The Haugh of Urr provides a perfect base for walking. There are local walks along the river Urr straight from Glenfinart Cottage, and within short distances there are numerous hill, forest and coastal walks. Here is a hand picked selection to show the variety available:

Coastal – Rockcliffe to Sandyhills

About 15 minutes drive to the south from the Haugh of Urr are the villages of Kippford, and Rockcliffe. Beyond Rockcliffe is a path along the coastline and cliff tops round to Sandyhills bay. This is a good walk for viewing seabirds and if you are lucky – Peregrine Falcons.

Coastal Hill - Criffel

Criffel is the prominent hill you can see on the approach to Dumfries from the East. From the cottage, cut across to the A711 towards Dumfries, then at Beeswing take the minor road to New Abbey. A few miles to the south is the starting point for the ascent – strenuous but relatively short. On a clear day there are superb views out towards the Solway Firth and the Lake District.

Woodland - Threave Estate

In the grounds of Threave Estate close to Castle Douglas there are low level walks through farmland and woodland. This can easily be combined with a visit to Threave Castle or the Countryside Centre.

Galloway Forest and beyond

In the forests to the north and west of Loch Ken and New Galloway there are numerous forest walks, the Southern Upland Way and the rugged hills of Merrick and the Rhinns of Kells.

More details of all these walks and other ideas are in the visitors information kept at the cottage.

Bird watching

There is good bird watching without having to leave the garden! From the usual array of garden birds, overhead you may see Buzzards, Sparrow Hawks and at dusk - Owls. Look out for Merlin and Hen Harrier – both have been seen from the A75 near by.

There are also bird reserves within easy reach of the cottage. On the banks of Loch Ken there is the Ken-Dee Marshes RSPB nature reserve and Red Kite driving trail. Not far from Creetown is the Wood of Cree RSPB nature reserve.

Mersehead RSPB nature reserve and Caerlaverock, the Wildfowl and Wetlands trust reserve are coastal based and especially good to see winter visitors such as swans and geese.

Details can be found on the RSPB and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust web sites.

Golf

With over 30 golf courses to choose from the area has plenty to offer. Here is a selection of 9 and 18 hole courses of differing standard and character – all within easy reach of Glenfinart Cottage.

Local 9 hole:

Dalbeattie Golf Club 9-hole - 4200 yards – Par 68. Parkland “Local parkland course providing an excellent challenge for golfers of all abilities. There are some magnificent views along the Urr valley, and the course is a haven for wildlife - birds of prey fly overhead, deer are often seen and woodland songbirds abound in the Rounall Wood, which is adjacent to the course.”

Castle Douglas, parkland 9-holes-5400 yards- Par 68 “Well laid out 9-hole course on the outskirts of town. A good test for all types of golfer”

Craigieknowes Golf Club - Near Kippford., parkland 9 holes - 2782 yards - Par 54. “This is a great course for beginners to enjoy whilst at the same time presenting a fair test for the more experienced golfer”

Solway Links Golf Club - Kirkbean, near Southerness Links 9 holes - 4701yards - Par 66 “Good fun and great value for all the family (ideal for seniors) overlooking the Solway Firth to Lake District Hills with sea views from every fairway. Pay and play.”

Local 18 hole:

Colvend Golf Club - Sandyhills, by Dalbeattie. Parkland 18 holes - 5020 yards - Par 69 “Colvend is a superb course situated on the Solway Coast with wonderful views over the Galloway Hills and the Solway Firth.”

Southerness - Links 18 holes - 6566 yards - Par 69 “Superb championship links course on Solway Coast with magnificent views of Cumbrian and Kirkcudbrightshire hills, and on a clear day to the Isle of Man. Good test for all standards of golfer.”

Full contact details for these and other courses can be found at the Dumfries and Galloway golf finder.

Cycling

Glenfinart Cottage is located on National Cycle route number 7, which in one direction takes you towards Dumfries and in the other direction to Castle Douglas and beyond. There are an abundance of country lanes around the Haugh of Urr to explore, good for taking in sites such as the Mote of Urr bronze age earth works and Crannogs in Loch Milton.

Here are some cycle route ideas covering an area from Kirkudbright to New Galloway

The forestry commission 7stanes initiative provides off-road forest trail and mountain biking trails for the public. Off-road forest trails at Dalbeattie and Mabie provide excellent mountain biking for all skills levels.

Less strenuous forest trails and country roads can be cycled at Glentrool and Clatteringshaws in the heart of Galloway Forest Park.