Make a self-catering rental home or a holiday cottage in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland your home away from home

Dumfries and Galloway is in Scotland and it borders onto South and East Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and Cumbria. It lies to the east of the Irish Sea and north of the Solway Firth. Dumfries is the largest town in the area and the other two main towns are Annan and Stranaer. Woodland and agriculture are the main businesses in Dumfries and Galloway and short breaks holidays and tourism contributes significantly. This area has an extensive coastline with five harbours and is known as home to many writers and artists.

Places to holiday in Dumfries and Galloway

This part of Scotland is ideal for walking holidays. It has miles of sandy beaches, rugged coastline, tranquil lochs, rolling hills, mysterious forests and room to breathe, so why settle for expensive hotels and their restrictive time schedule when you can have cheap holidays in Dumfries cottages and make the best of your time.

Taking the time to explore the region on foot from a Dumfries farm cottage or other self-catering accommodation is guaranteed to get you closer to nature. Scotland's most challenging route, the Southern Upland Way stretches from coast to coast from Portpatrick to Cockburnspath.

The region is known for rare and protected species of amphibian, such as the Natterjack Toad and the Great Crested Newt and the RSPB has nature reserves at the Mull of Galloway , Galloway Forest Park, Mereshead on the Solway Firth and Ken Dee Marshes near Loch Ken.

Things to do in Galloway

Dumfries and Galloway council cater extensively for holiday makers and self-catering holiday cottages are also a good choice if you are visiting Dumfries and Galloway for one of its many festivals, such as the Wildlife Festival, Wild Goose Chase at WWT Caerlaverock, Snowdrop Festival at Gardens throughout Dumfries & Galloway, The Wickerman Festival at East Kirkcarswell Farm at Dundrennan near Kirkcudbright, Kirkcudbright Jazz Festival, Galloway Country Fair, World Ceilidh at Knockengorroch Farm Carsphairn in Castle Douglas, RSAC Scottish Rally, Newton Stewart Walking Festival, Kirkcudbright Summer Festivities and the Arts Festival or Film Festival. A copy of the Galloway Standard or Dumfries Standard will keep you up to date during your holiday.

There are numerous leisure facilities and sports centres and museums and art exhibitions at Stranraer, Dumfries, Kirkcudbright, Castle Douglas, Tolbooth and Robert Burns House. Dumfries and Galloway has many parks and open spaces including beautiful woodland and river areas, pretty gardens, lochs, large parks with ponds and facilities such as children's playgrounds, crazy golf, tennis and boating. The National Cycle Network has more than one hundred and thirty miles of beautiful scenery.

This is a great area for fishing for salmon, trout and brown trout, especially in the rivers Nith and Cairn where the fishery extends over eight miles. The Nith has about twenty named pools the Cairn about fifteen as well as shrimp fishing downstream of Castledykes Gate.

Weather in Dumfries and Galloway

Dumfries and Galloway is blessed with a mild climate uncommon for Scotland, which is why you will find numerous exotic plants in the colourful nurseries and gardens and many towns competing for Britain in Bloom.

Travel to Dumfries and Galloway

Glasgow International, Glasgow Prestwick, Edinburgh and Newcastle airports serve Dumfries and Galloway meaning self catering accommodation in the area is easily acessible from across the UK. There is a good railway network and two ferry ports. This area has a strategy for providing reasonably priced public transport.