North of England
Scotland
Create lasting family memories on the remarkable Dumfries and Galloway coastline, staying in this serene location less than half a mile from a secluded, sandy beach. Auchenlarie Beach (300 metres) is located on the opposite side of the owner’s holiday park (100 metres), a destination for live entertainment, children’s arcades, swimming and dining out right on your doorstep.
The beach is a sheltered, secluded cove with a small launch area for boats, as well as handsome dunes and scenery to explore on a coastal nature walk. Walk from here along to Mossyard Beach (1.5 miles), set within the Castle Douglas coastline.
Its namesake town, Castle Douglas, is a fabulous holiday destination around 18 miles away. It’s known as a fantastic place to visit for enthusiastic foodies, home to local butchers, bakers and delis offering regional fare alongside a quality selection of restaurants.
Discover the Threave Estate (17.5 miles) on its outskirts, home to a National Trust-maintained garden and nature reserve. Ready to welcome you for a long or short break, this family-friendly holiday home offers space, style and comfort across two floors.
Make your way inside to find the sociable open-plan living space, complete with a feature wall and contemporary styling. The fitted kitchen boasts every appliance needed to turn locally sourced ingredients into something tasty - ideal after a trip to Castle Douglas.
The lounge area features plump sofas positioned around a Smart TV, offering endless entertainment to take you late into the night. As darkness falls, make use of four restful bedrooms for uninterrupted nights’ sleep.
One double and one twin bedroom host guests on the ground floor, accompanied by a shower room with modern marble-style tiling. A flight of stairs leads up to the first floor, where two single bedrooms offer privacy, each with its own en-suite shower room.
The best-known attractions within an easy drive of 4-Bedroom Hot Tub Cottage 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.
East of England
Heart of England
South of England
South West of England
Wales
