Sights in Dumfries & Galloway
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Caerlaverock Castle
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 and stands of trees, the unusual pink-stoned triangular castle looks impregnable. In fact, it fell several times, most famously when it was attacked in 1300 by Edward I: the siege became the subject of an epic poem, ‘The Siege of Caerlaverock’. The current castle dates from the late 13th century but, once defensive purposes were no longer a design necessity, it was refitted as a luxurious Scottish Renaissance mansion house in 1634. Ironically, the rampaging Covenanter militia sacked it a few years later. With nooks and …
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Sweetheart Abbey
The small, picturesque village of New Abbey lies 7 miles south of Dumfries and contains the remains of the 13th-century Cistercian Sweetheart Abbey. The shattered, red-sandstone remnants of the abbey are impressive and stand in stark contrast to the manicured lawns surrounding them. The abbey, the last of the major monasteries to be established in Scotland, was founded by Devorgilla of Galloway in 1273 in honour of her dead husband John Balliol (with whom she had founded Balliol College, Oxford). On his death, she had his heart embalmed and carried it with her until she died 22 years later. She and the heart were buried by the altar – hence the name.
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Threave Castle
Two miles further west of Castle Douglas, Threave Castle is an impressive tower on a small island in the River Dee. Built in the late 14th century, it became a principal stronghold of the Black Douglases. It's now basically a shell, having been badly damaged by the Covenanters in the 1640s, but it's a romantic ruin nonetheless.
It's a 15-minute walk from the car park to the ferry landing, where you ring a bell for the custodian to take you across to the island in a small boat.
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Dumfries House
A Palladian mansion designed in the 1750s by the Adam brothers, Dumfries House is an architectural jewel: such is its preservation that Prince Charles personally intervened to ensure its protection. It contains an extraordinarily well-preserved collection of Chippendale furniture and numerous objets d’art. Visits are by guided tour; you should phone ahead to reserve a space and check tour times. The house is located 13 miles east of Ayr, near Cumnock.
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Samye Ling Tibetan Centre
The Samye Ling Tibetan Centre is the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery built in the West (1968). The colourful prayer flags and the red and gold of the temple itself are a striking contrast to the stark grey and green landscape. You can visit the centre during the day (donation suggested, cafe on site), or stay overnight in simple accommodation which includes full vegetarian board. There are also meditation courses and weekend workshops available.
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Castle Kennedy Gardens
Magnificent Castle Kennedy Gardens, 3 miles east of Stranraer, are among the most famous in Scotland. They cover 30 hectares and are set on an isthmus between two lochs and two castles (Castle Kennedy, burnt in 1716, and Lochinch Castle, built in 1864). The landscaping was undertaken in 1730 by the Earl of Stair, who used unoccupied soldiers to do the work. Buses 430 (hourly) and 500 from Stranraer stop here.
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Ruthwell Church
A couple of miles beyond Caerlaverock, in the hamlet of Ruthwell, the church holds one of Europe’s most important early Christian monuments. The 6m-high 7th-century Ruthwell Cross is carved top to bottom in New Testament scenes and is inscribed with a poem called ‘The Dream of the Rood’; written in a Saxon runic alphabet, it’s considered one of the earliest examples of English-language literature.
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Tolbooth Art Centre
As well as catering for today's local artists, this centre has an exhibition on the history of the town's artistic development. The place is as interesting for the building itself as for the artistic works on display. It's one of the oldest and best-preserved tollbooths in Scotland and interpretative signboards reveal its past. Extended hours in summer.
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Logan Botanic Garden
The mild climate in Scotland is demonstrated at Logan Botanic Garden, a mile north of Port Logan, where an array of subtropical flora includes tree ferns and cabbage palms. The garden is an outpost of the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. Port Logan itself is a sleepy place with a decent pub and excellent sandy beach.
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St John's Castle
Worth a quick visit, St John's Castle was built in 1510 by the Adairs of Kihilt, a powerful local family. The old stone cells carry a distinctly musty smell. There are displays and a couple of videos that trace its history and, from the top of the castle, superb views of Loch Ryan and the ferries chugging out to Ireland.
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Broughton House
The 18th-century Broughton House displays paintings by EA Hornel (he lived and worked here), one of the Glasgow Boys group of painters. Behind the house is a lovely Japanese-style garden (also open in February and March). The library with its wood panelling and stone carvings is probably the most impressive room.
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Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park
A mile from Kirkcudbright on the B727, this is an easy walk from town, and you'll see red pandas, wolves, monkeys, kangaroos, Scottish wildcats and many more creatures in a beautiful setting. An important role of the park is the conservation of rare and threatened species.
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Lighthouse
The 26m-high lighthouse, at the Mull of Galloway, was built by Robert Stevenson, grandfather of the writer, in 1826. You can learn more about the Stevenson clan of lighthouse builders in the small exhibition at the lighthouse’s base.
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Caerlaverock Wetland Centre
Caerlaverock Wetland Centre protects 546 hectares of salt marsh and mud flats, the habitat for numerous birds, including barnacle geese. There’s free, daily wildlife safaris with experienced rangers and a coffee shop that serves organic food.
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Ellisland Farm
If you're not Burnsed out, you could head 6 miles northwest of town and visit the farm he leased. It still preserves some original features from when he and his family lived here, and there's a small exhibition. It's signposted off the A76 to Kilmarnock.
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Burns House
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 items of his possessions in glass cases, as well as manuscripts and, entertainingly, letters: make sure you have a read.
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MacLellan's Castle
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 for the 'lairds' lug', a 16th-century hidey-hole designed for the laird to eavesdrop on his guests.
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Robert Burns Centre
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 audiovisual presentations give more background on Dumfries, and explain the exhibition's contents.
You'll find Robert Burns'mausoleum in the graveyard at St Michael's Kirk; there's a grisly account of his reburial on the information panel. At the top of High St is a statue of the bard; take a close look at the sheepdog at his feet.
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National Museum of Costume
On the edge of New Abbey, a historic house holds the National Museum of Costume, which gives an overview of what Scots have worn from Victorian times up to the postwar years. There are also picturesque gardens here.
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Mill on the Fleet Museum
Back in town, Mill on the Fleet Museum, in a converted 18th-century cotton mill, traces the history of the local industry. The town was originally planned as workers’ accommodation.
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Cardoness Castle
One mile southwest on the A75, the well-preserved Cardoness Castle was the home of the McCulloch clan. It’s a classic 15th-century tower house with great views from the top.
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Old Blacksmith’s Shop
The touristy Old Blacksmith’s Shop has an exhibition on Gretna Green’s history, a sculpture park and a coach museum (there’s even an anvil marriage room!).
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Stranraer Museum
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.
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red-sandstone bridges
The red-sandstone bridges arching over the River Nith are the most attractive features of the town, and Devorgilla Bridge (1431) is one of the oldest bridges in Scotland.
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Burns' mausoleum
Burns' mausoleum is in the graveyard at St Michael's Kirk. At the top of High St is a statue of the bard; take a close look at the sheepdog at his feet.
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