North of England
Scotland
Ticking a variety of boxes for an unforgettable escape, this fantastic holiday cottage on the Galloway coastline is a superb place for relatives, couples and friends to holiday together. Accessible via the holiday park, Auchenlarie Beach (300 metres) is an undisturbed, secluded bay that’s perfect for afternoons on the sand, sheltered by beautiful cliffs and complete with a small launch area for boats.
The holiday park (100 metres) offers plenty to elevate your stay, including children’s arcades, a swimming pool, fitness centre, and restaurants and bars with live entertainment. Find further eateries in the nearby town of Gatehouse of Fleet (5 miles), a fantastic holiday destination on the banks of the River Fleet, complete with plenty of eclectic local attractions.
Unlock plenty of opportunities for walking on the outskirts of town, including a hike up Bengray (7 miles), a trip to the top of Darngarroch Hill (9 miles) and a nature trail through Carstramon Wood (8 miles). Modern decor in cool tones of grey adds to the contemporary feel of this two-storey retreat.
Sociable mornings and slow, restful nights can unfold in the open-plan lounge/kitchen/diner, an all-encompassing space with patio doors to fling open when the weather’s fine. A fully equipped kitchen is on hand for turning locally sourced goodies into delicious meals, and the dining table is set for six right beside it.
Soft sofas create a peaceful spot to curl up as day turns to night, and there’s a Smart TV ready to stream all your favourite shows. The first of two bathrooms, a bright, gleaming shower room, completes the ground floor.
Take the stairs up to the first floor to find the second bathroom, also fully tiled with a spacious shower unit. Three bedrooms offer uninterrupted nights’ sleep and plenty of storage space, arranged as two double rooms and a single.
The best-known attractions within an easy drive of 3-Bedroom Cottage with Hot Tub in Auchenlarie, with real driving times.
Sat nav: DG7 2EJ
A well-preserved 15th-century tower house with a bloody family feud behind its thick walls.
Cardoness Castle is a well-preserved six-storey tower house just south west of Gatehouse of Fleet, built in the later 1400s for the McCulloch family, a prominent Galloway clan. It is now cared for by Historic Environment Scotland.
Sat nav: DG7 2AB
A 14th-century Black Douglas stronghold standing on an island in the River Dee.
Threave Castle stands on an island in the River Dee, about 2.5 kilometres west of Castle Douglas. Archibald the Grim built it in the 1370s, and it was a stronghold of the Black Douglases, Earls of Douglas and Lords of Galloway, until their fall in 1455.
Sat nav: DG6 4LB
A late 16th-century tower house in the middle of Kirkcudbright, with a peephole in the great hall.
MacLellan's Castle stands in the centre of Kirkcudbright, on the south side of the River Dee. Building began around 1577 for Thomas MacLellan, on the site of a ruined Greyfriars monastery. The castle was never finished, and the roof had collapsed by the time the family sold it in 1752. It is now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.
Tip: Look for the peephole behind the great hall fireplace and the carved coats of arms above the entrance.
Sat nav: DG8 9AB
Tour the most southerly distillery in Scotland and taste Lowland single malts where they are made.
Bladnoch is a Lowland single malt distillery on the banks of the River Bladnoch, near Wigtown. Founded in 1817, it is the most southerly whisky distillery in Scotland, and it has a long and eventful history of closing and reopening.
Tip: Tours are appointment-only, so book by midnight the day before. The visitor centre and café are open Tuesday to Saturday only. Tours are not suitable for wheelchair users or walking aids, and high heels are not allowed.
Sat nav: DG2 8BU
A red sandstone Cistercian abbey in New Abbey, founded in 1273 in memory of a devoted wife's husband.
Sweetheart Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1273 in the village of New Abbey, about 8 miles south of Dumfries. Dervorguilla of Galloway founded it in memory of her husband, John de Balliol. She kept his embalmed heart in an ivory and silver casket for the rest of her life, and it was buried alongside her. She named the abbey Dulce Cor, Latin for Sweet Heart.
Drive times are typical times by car with no traffic. Check opening times and book tickets on each attraction's own website before you go.
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