It may not always live up to its reputation as one of the sunniest spots in Scotland, but a week in Dumfries and Galloway will still have you looking on the brighter side.
POP into The Anchor pub in Kippford at lunchtime on a Sunday and, judging by the accents, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in the Lake District rather than south-west Scotland. For many visitors from the north of England, turning left at C
arlisle instead of carrying on north to Glasgow or Edinburgh has become a hard holiday habit to break.
Many Scots, too, have realised you don't have to drive as far south as Devon or Dorset to find lush, rolling landscapes, cliff walks and unspoilt sandy beaches. At only a couple of hours' drive from the Central Belt, Dumfries and Galloway is easy to reach – and hard to leave. And the area is allegedly one of the driest and sunniest in Scotland.
Keen to put this theory to the test, we booked ourselves into the Hass, a spacious 19th-century house at the end of a valley just outside the village of Auchencairn, looking forward to a wonderful summer holiday in the great outdoors. Auchencairn is an ideal base from which to explore the centre of Dumfries and Galloway. Kirkcudbright and Gatehouse of Fleet are within easy reach to the west, Castle Douglas and Loch Ken to the north, and the beaches of the Colvend coast to the east. The area has enough golf courses, castles, gardens, fishing and walks to keep you busy for months.
Needless to say, this being Scotland, it wasn't long before the first raindrops began to fall. Fortunately the Hass is well equipped for wet-weather pastimes, with a TV, video, DVD and CD players, lots of board games and a barn with a ping-pong table and a small snooker table. A previous owner of the house ran a garden centre, and as a result its garden defies the agricultural surroundings with interesting, exotic shrubs and an ornamental pond. There are easy short walks into the surrounding hills, lending greater perspective to the beautiful views from the house itself.
Stocking up with basic provisions was no problem – in fact, it was a pleasure. Castle Douglas is renowned for the quality of its local produce and we picked up some fantastic sandwiches and an antipasti feast at Deli 173 on King Street. Also on the town's main road, In House Chocolates has won awards for its exotic handmade treats, made locally.
Just outside Castle Douglas, Threave House and its 24 hectares of land are perfect for dreamy, meandering walks through the 'secret garden', rock garden, rose garden, woodland garden and – specially designed for children – the 'discovery garden'.
And don't miss a visit to Threave Castle, managed by Historic Scotland. The imposing 14th-century tower, set on an island in the River Dee, is approached along a path through meadows, then by crossing the river in an outboard-powered dinghy. The castle ruins remain remarkably unadorned with hi-tech paraphernalia, so it's easy to imagine what it must have been like when it was occupied by the Douglas dynasty during the turbulent 15th century, increasingly fortified and sometimes besieged.
Galloway spoils you for choice of castle outings with the amazing triangular fortifications of Caerlaverock Castle also on the agenda. If you prefer art and natural history to the military variety, Kirkcudbright is the place to go. Kirkcudbright Zoo, otherwise known as Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park, nestles on a tree-covered hillside above the town and is home to nearly 200 animals from all over the world.
Should the heavens open, the best of the town's indoor pleasures is the recently restored Broughton House. Owned by the National Trust for Scotland, this fine 18th-century townhouse was the home and studio of artist E A Hornel, one of the Glasgow Boys. It contains a fascinating collection of art, ceramics, furniture and literature and has a charming Oriental garden with estuary views.
When the sun came out again, we headed for Doune beach, a few miles west of Kirkcudbright. Overlooking the town and sheltered by a headland, the Doune's shallow crescent of sand and rockpools are rarely crowded and it is a great spot for a relaxing swim or, if the tide is out, a splashy walk towards the horizon, past the whale-like skeleton of a long-sunk wooden boat.
To the east of Auchencairn is the huge expanse of Sandyhills beach, but we opted to stay closer to base, going to Balcary Bay, which is a great destination for a cliff walk, followed by lunch at Balcary Bay Country-House Hotel. Hestan Isle, the hideout of 17th-century smugglers, dominates the view across the bay with the majestic peaks of the Lake District rising in the distance.
We walked around the cliffs on the bay's headland to Rascarrel Beach and back via the tiny Loch Mackie. At two and a half hours, with steep, sometimes vertiginous paths, this isn't a walk for small children. But it's exhilarating stuff – a wide variety of seabirds wheel and wail overhead and it's not uncommon to see porpoises surfacing in the glittering expanse of the Solway Firth.
Back at Balcary Bay, we tucked in to a mouthwatering bar lunch. The hotel prides itself on its use of local delicacies, such as prime Galloway beef, lamb, lobster, prawns and Balcary Bay salmon, and it's clear that many non-residents and locals turn up for four-course evening meals that would grace fashionable city-centre restaurants at twice the price. But if that's still a bit more than you'd like to spend, try the Smugglers Inn in Auchencairn itself, where the bar counter is built from a rowing boat that used to ply the waters of the bay.
Other satisfying jaunts include the Jubilee walk along the coast from Kippford to Rockcliffe and back, or the more taxing two-hour trip up Screel Hill for a magnificent 360-degree panorama of the area.
Despite the rain, our stay in Galloway is remembered firmly as a glass half-full. We'll be back for the other half this summer.
Fact file Dumfries and GallowayThe Hass, Auchencairn, can be booked through Cottages4you (0870 192 1029,
www.cottages4you.co.uk). Prices in July range from £850-£950. For information on the area, see
www.visitdumfries.comThe full article contains 1072 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
