Caerlaverock Wetland Centre

Dumfries & Galloway


This protects 546 hectares of salt marsh and mudflats, the habitat for numerous birds, including barnacle geese. There are various activities, including badger-watching, dawn goose flights and child-focused events. It also has a good bookshop for nature watchers, and a coffee shop that serves organic food. Accommodation in private rooms with a shared kitchen (double £60 to £84) is available, too.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Dumfries & Galloway attractions

1. Caerlaverock Castle

1.59 MILES

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…

2. Ruthwell Cross

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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…

3. Sweetheart Abbey

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The shattered red-sandstone remnants of this 13th-century Cistercian abbey stand in stark contrast to the manicured lawns surrounding them. The abbey, the…

4. New Abbey Corn Mill

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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…

5. Mabie Farm Park

7.01 MILES

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…

6. Robert Burns Mausoleum

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7. St Michael's Kirk

7.85 MILES

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…

8. Burns House

7.95 MILES

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…