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Dumfries & Galloway

Some of southern Scotland's finest attractions lie in the gentle hills and lush valleys of Dumfries and Galloway. It's an ideal destination for families, as there's plenty on offer for the kids. Galloway Forest – with its sublime views, mountain-biking and walking trails, red deer, kites and other wildlife – is a highlight, as are the dream-like ruins of Caerlaverock Castle. Adding to the appeal of this enticing region is a string of southern Scotland's most idyllic towns, which are charming when the sun shines. And shine it does. This is the mildest region in Scotland and is warmed by the Gulf Stream, a phenomenon that has allowed the development of some famous gardens.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Dumfries & Galloway.

  • See

    Whithorn Timescape

    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 very informative audiovisual and exhibition. A highlight is the brilliant replica Iron Age longhouse (three charismatic tours daily) based on nearby excavations. There’s also a museum with some fascinating early Christian stone sculptures, including the Latinus Stone (c 450), reputedly Scotland’s oldest Christian artefact. Learn about the influences the carvers of these stones drew on, from around the British Isles and beyond.

  • See

    Famous Blacksmith's Shop

    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 quite entertaining multilingual exhibition on Gretna Green’s history, with tales of intrigues, elopements, scoundrels and angry parents arriving minutes too late. There’s a recreation of a blacksmith’s forge, a collection of handsome carriages and a few marriage rooms: you may well run into a modern-day wedding as you walk through.

  • See

    MacDiarmid Memorial

    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 picture-book world. Further up the hill, an obelisk commemorates the British Empire notable Sir John Malcolm. These are easily visited on a pleasant walk from town.

  • See

    St Ninian's Chapel

    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 the windswept rocky headland. Modern-day pilgrims are invited to add a stone to the Witness Cairn nearby.

  • See

    St Ninian's Cave

    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 to pray. You can walk here along the coast from Isle of Whithorn.

  • See

    Torhouse Stone Circle

    Four miles west of Wigtown, off the B733, this well-preserved ruin dates from the 2nd millennium BC.

  • See

    Bladnoch Distillery

    Browsing books can be thirsty work, so it's fortunate that Bladnoch Distillery is just a couple of miles away from Wigtown, in the village of Bladnoch. Now Australian-owned, it wasn't open for tours at the time of research, though a project to create a new visitor centre was underway.