Things to do
- There
are many things for people of all ages to enjoy that are within easy
reach of Cairnryan. Below are alphabetical listings beginning with
things to do, followed by a list of gardens in the area and details on
birdwatching
To begin you need not worry about
parking as unlike many other parts of
Scotland where you
need to pay to park and return to your vehicle when your money is about
to run out to avoid a hefty fine, you don’t need to worry in Dumfries &
Galloway. There’s free parking everywhere and in Stranraer and Dumfries
too where there is a disc parking scheme in force in some streets. All
you need do is obtain a disc, free from the tourist board or from many
local shops and display this in your windscreen, setting the time when
you have left your car and noting the maximum stay on the blue parking
sign that will be displayed nearby.
If
you've time to spend an extra day and you should,
top trip has to be a day in
Northern Ireland made possible by some super days out at excellent
prices through ferry operator Stenaline.
Day
trips to Belfast from £23; a city sightseeing trip on an open topped bus
depending on weather conditions £25; the Giants Causeway & Carrick-a-Rede
rope bridge £31, Wednesdays May, June & September, Sundays July &
August; the Antrim coast, Portstewart & Giants
Causeway £29, Tuesdays & Thursdays July & August and the Mountains of
Mourne & Newcastle £32, Wednesdays July & August. These are just a
selection of the trips on offer
contact us, we've actually done the Belfast day trip, Giants
Causeway/Portstewart and the Mountains of Mourne trips ourselves and
they are very good with knowledgeable and friendly drivers.
Alternatively visit the
Stenaline
website for more information.
Other things to do in the area in alphabetical
order include
Burns National Heritage Park
– This area includes the famous Burns
Cottage and Museum, monument and more.
Carsluith, Kirkdale Sawmill
– a sawmill driven by a waterwheel with a
nature trail to the mill pond and opportunity to purchase wooden
carvings.
http://www.kirkdale-sawmill.org.uk
Carsluith, Marrbury Smokehouse
– in the grounds of Carsluith Castle,
visit here to taste traditional Scottish smoked salmon and other foods.
www.visitmarrbury.co.uk
Creetown Gem Museum
– a collection of gems and rocks from
around the world with multimedia presentations and more.
www.gemrock.net
Gatehouse of Fleet, Cardoness Castle–
a fifteenth century tower house built on a rocky platform above the
water. www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
Gatehouse of Fleet, Cream O’ Galloway
Visitor Centre – This is where we get our
ice cream from. Great for the kids there are also farm and creamery
tours, nature trails, picnic and dog walking areas, an adventure
playground and Maze.
www.creamogalloway.co.uk
Glenluce, Glenluce Abbey
– dating from 1192 the Abbeyaffords great
views of Loch Ryan. During its time it has seen visits from Robert the
Bruce, James IV and Mary Queen of Scots.
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
Glentrool Forest Park
– making up part of the largest forest
park in Britain, Glentrool should not be missed. Just 12 miles north of
Newton Stewart, there’s a Visit, walks to Loch Trool, Bruces Stone,
walking trails and cycle routes.
Kirkoswald, South Ayrshire, Souter
Johnnie’s Cottage – A thatched cottage
remembering the life of the village cobbler immortalised in Tam O’
Shanter as Souter Johnnie.
Maybole, South Ayrshire, Culzean Castle –
an 18th century cliff top castle in
nearly 600 acres, now in the care of the National Trust. Offering views
over the Firth of Clyde, it is surrounded by ornamental gardens,
parkland, a walled garden and pond.
www.culzeancastle.net
Monreith, Animal World – Here at
Low Knock Farm some 5 miles west of Whithorn you’ll find tame Otters,
Alpacas, Owls and our local belted Galloway cattle all in 12 acres of
countryside.
Mull of Galloway –
Scotland’s most southerly point with spectacular views east to Cumbria,
south to the Isle of Man and West to Ireland. The area is also home to
thousands of seabirds including Puffins, Fulmars, Shags, Kittiwakes and
Guillemots. That nest on the many crevices and ledges. There’s a Visitor
Centre with a turf roof so allowing it to blend in with surroundings
houses a number of audio and visual displays, and the nearby heathland
is home to many rare plants, butterflies and moths. Bring binoculars for
a close up view of some of the birds and of seals frequently seen
offshore.
www.mull-of-galloway.co.uk
Mull of Galloway Lighthouse –
On top of the cliffs, the lighthouse
designed by Robert Stevenson and built in 1830, it was manned until
1988. You can climb up 115 steps to the top to where the sealed electric
beam lamps flash every twenty seconds.
New Galloway, Loch Ken – this 9
mile long loch created by the Galloway Hydro Electric scheme is an
important bird watching area with facilities for watersports and
fishing. In the vicinity of the loch you’ll find mountain bike trails,
off-road quad biking, archery, rafting, a water ski school and more.
www.lochken.co.uk
New Galloway, Bruce’s Stone
– marking the site close to the Southern
Upland Way where Bruce defeated the English in 1307. Now in the care of
the National Trust it is said that Bruce rested against the Stone after
his victorious battle.
New Galloway, Red Deer Range –
situated between Newton Stewart and New Galloway, this is an ideal place
to see Galloway Red Deer in their natural environment.
New Galloway, Polmaddy Settlement
– good example of a Galloway village from the past, before improvements
and clearances of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Newton Stewart, Wood of Cree Nature Reserve
– This RSPB reserve is home to many
birds. There’s a picnic area and nature trails through wood and water
filled areas.
Palnure, Newton Stewart, Cree Valley
Community Woodlands Trust – A restored
woodland accessed by many paths.
www.cvcwt.org.uk
Port Logan, Logan Botanical Garden
– bizarre plants that thrive in the warm
gulf stream climate that so often protects the area.
Port Logan, Logan Fish Pond – here
you’ll find a fully restored Victorian fish larder. It’s a tidal pool
that was created by a blow hole during the last ice age and is in a
beautiful setting very close to Port Logan village scene of the filming
of the BBC drama “Two Thousand Acres of Sky”
Port Logan, Galloway Wild Boar Park
– over 400 acres of woodland where you
can see wild Boar in their natural environment.
Portpatrick, Dunskey Castle –
sixteenth century ruins atop a cliff in this pretty fishing village.
Sights in the village include a beautiful harbour.
Portpatrick, Colfin Smokehouse
– old fashioned smokehouse using oak
chippings from old whisky casks.
www.colfinsmokehouse.co.uk
Souter Johnnie’s Cottage
– A thatched cottage remembering the life
of the village cobbler immortalised in Tam O’ Shanter as Souter Johnnie.
St. Ninian’s Cave
– named after St. Ninian, this is a place
of pilgrimage for followers of Christianity.
Stranraer
– founded in 1596 Stranraer is one of the main market towns of Dumfries
& Galloway, but given its location to Ireland, the Stranraer has
functioned for many years as a Port with boats sailing through the
sheltered waters of Loch Ryan and on out into the Irish Sea en route to
Belfast. There are plenty of well known High Street shops in the town
including Argos, New Look, Mackays, Superdrug, WH Smiths, Currys,
Woolworths, Boots and Supermarkets, Morrisons and Tescos. In the winter
months you can watch or take part in Curling on the ice rink.
Leisure
facilities include a cinema, Badminton courts and a swimming Pool in the
Ryan Centre leisure complex. Alternatively you can watch Scottish First
Division football and our local team Stranraer FC, play on six local
golf courses, enjoy tennis on local courts, a game of bowls on our two
bowling greens, sailing on the other side of the loch at Wig Bay and for
the kids, a bike and skateboard ramp. Pebbly beaches surround Loch Ryan
with a glorious sandy beach found at nearby Sandhead.
Stranraer, Agnew Park –
here you’ll find fun for all the family, boating lake, putting green,
crazy golf, miniature railway, mini car racing circuit, a café and
gardens.
Stranraer, Castle of St. John
- a medieval tower used latterly as a prison in Victorian times.
Stranraer, Museum
– dating from 1776 and formerly the Town
Hall, the museum houses a number of Wigtownshire collections including
farming, local history and local John Ross pioneer of an earlier polar
expedition.
Whithorn, The Whithorn Story –
telling the story of the village where Ninian, Scotland’s first Saint
introduced Christianity to Scotland;
www.whithorn.com
Wigtown
– Scotland’s book town has a literary festival each September. This
small town has more than 20 different book shops. - Don’t miss the
Martyrs’ Monument to those seventeenth century covenanters who died or
were drowned for their beliefs. Their gravestones are in the churchyard
and the site where two women were drowned at the stake is marked on the
shoreline. www.wigtown-booktown.co.uk
Wigtown, Bladnoch Distillery
- dating from 1817, a guided tour shows
you the various stages of Whisky production, with at the end a
complimentary wee dram.
www.bladnoch.co.uk
Wigtown, Ospreys
- You can view nesting Ospreys that have
successfully returned to the area to breed on live video pictures in the
Wigtown County Buildings every weekday from May to September between
10am and 5pm. Ospreys then leave our shores in September flying to
Africa before returning the following May. For other times and further
information telephone 01988 402401 or email
Elizabeth.tindal@dumgal.gov.uk
Wigtown Bay Nature Reserve - a
fantastic area to watch birds, this is Britain’s largest local nature
reserve and home to thousands of wintering birds. It is an important
area for wildlife where the waters of the Rivers Bladnoch and Cree mix
with sea water, creating large areas of salt marshes and mud flats. This
is now the largest local nature reserve in Britain.
Gardens
- for specific opening times, please follow the link or contact each
garden direct.
Ardwell Gardens, Ardwell – featuring flowering shrubs, rock plants rhododendrons. The gardens
some 10 miles south of Stranraer are set in a woodland setting offer sea
views and pond walks. The walled garden is used to also grow local fruit
and vegetables including Raspberries and Potatoes.
Barrhill, Barwinnock Herbs – a collection of rare culinary, aromatic and
medicinal herbs. www.barwinnock.com
Gatehouse of Fleet, Cally Gardens
- set in the grounds of the Cally
Palace Hotel, this 2.7 acre woodland surrounded garden has an 18th
century walled garden and a specialist nursery labelled plant
collection. www.callygardens.co.uk
Castle Kennedy Gardens
– 75 acres protected by the gulf stream these beautiful landscaped
gardens set between two lochs are famous for their rhododendron
collection. Within the grounds are the ruins of the Castle Kennedy and
the still standing and well preserved Lochinch Castle.
www.castlekennedygardens.co.uk
Dunragit, Glenwhan Gardens
– opened in 1979, you’ll find 12 acres of
gardens with views over Luce Bay. Another garden protected by the gulf
stream, Glenwahn offers many exotic plants with lakes and woodland and
moorland walks. The gardens are frequented by Peacocks, Ducks and Red
Squirrels making Glenwhan ideal for children.
www.glenwahngardens.co.uk
Garlieston, Galloway House Gardens
– woodland gardens offering many
different walks with paths leading right down to the ocean.
www.gallowayhousegardens.org.uk
Port
Logan, Logan Botanic Gardens – infamous gardens
protected by the gulf stream that house beautiful plants including the
giant Gunnera. We recommend you take one of the self guided audio tours
www.rbge.org.uk
Port
Logan, Logan House Gardens
– the House and surrounding gardens
dating from as early as 1869 offer many displays of rare flora that can
only be grown in this area.
www.loganhouse.co.uk
Portpatrick, Dunskey Gardens
– beautiful gardens with glasshouses and an
eighteenth century walled garden surrounded by woodland.
www.dunskey.com
Cairnryan House Bed &
Breakfast 
where you
need to pay to park and return to your vehicle when your money is about
to run out to avoid a hefty fine, you don’t need to worry in Dumfries &
Galloway. There’s free parking everywhere and in Stranraer and Dumfries
too where there is a disc parking scheme in force in some streets. All
you need do is obtain a disc, free from the tourist board or from many
local shops and display this in your windscreen, setting the time when
you have left your car and noting the maximum stay on the blue parking
sign that will be displayed nearby.
