Castle Douglas Accommodation

Gentle Dumfries & Galloway Hills, from Southerness upto Castle Douglas

Southerness Point Views across to the Lake District, Colvend Coast

Sandyhills, Colvend Coast

Views from Auchencairn, Dumfries & Galloway

Dundrennan Abbey, South of Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway

Threave Castle, Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland UK

Quieter than Dumfries, Castle Douglas makes a peaceful base close to the Colvend Coast, Dumfries centre and the Galloway Forest Park. The little centre has a distinctive Georgian grid design, courtesy of William Douglas who had ideas to turn the town into a cotton industrial hub and named it after himself.

Castle Douglas however remained firmly agricultural, and today it's marketing itself as a choice foodtown. The main high street bustles with some fine deli shops, plus Castle Douglas' own fine micro brewery. Close by are the two popular attractions of Threave Garden and Threave Castle. The latter is unique for its setting on a small island on the River Dee and for the rectangular shape of its tower, which in the 14th century was ahead of its time.

Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway Guide

Small compared to Dumfries, but nonetheless an excellent base from which to explore the Galloway Forest Park, the Dumfries area and the Colvend Coast, Castle Douglas also has two renowned attractions within reach - Threave Gardens and Threave Castle.

Castle Douglas main town dates from the latter part of the 18th century. Strolling around you might become aware of a certain ordered gridlike pattern to the town's design. Local Castle Douglas son, William Douglas had big plans for the town as a cotton town, and designed its distinctive Georgian gridlike pattern. Douglas made a fortune in the West Indies, but his plans for Castle Douglas (which he named after himself) never took off. Castle Douglas had an agricultural boom instead, and with the industrial revolution found new markets for its milk production up in Glasgow. Cattle bred in the area were also exported to England.

Castle Douglas has retained its focus on fresh produce, and has recently promoted itself as a top food town. And rightly so, as there's a choice of superb delicatessens, specialist sweets shops, and some fine restaurants along the main high street - King Street. (see the Castle Douglas Food Town weblink right for restaurant listings. Most serve fine local produce, often organically produced). Most of the activity within the town of Castle Douglas bustles around the straight main high street - King Street, with its distinctive red sandstone clocktower and choice of quality food shops including fishmongers, butchers and grocers. Castle Douglas has a pleasant market town feel, offering a quieter more rural base than Dumfries.

Castle Douglas Tourist Information Centre, Markethill Car Park, Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway, DG7 1AE. Scotland. Tel. 01556 502611.

Sulwath Micro-Brewery, Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway Fine Beers

Sulwath is actually an ancient term meaning 'Solway Estuary', and is aptly chosen for the name of Castle Douglas' own brewery - Sulwath, situated on the main King Street road in the town.

This Dumfries and Galloway Micro-Brewery is actually quite new, dating from 1996. Real Ales produced here are excellent, and brewed with local produce. Local soft water gives a round and mellow flavour to Sulwath's ales and traditional bewing methods using quality Maris Otter malts are used here.

Pop into the visitor centre, and try some of these fine ales produced by this small and dedicated family team. Sulwath Ales are also served in the local Douglas Arms Hotel.

Sulwath Brewers Ltd, The Brewery, 209 King Street, Castle Douglas, DG7 1DT.Tel. 01556 504525. (weblink right for more details).

Threave Gardens, Castle Douglas

A big pull in the Castle Douglas area is Threave Gardens, one of the best in Dumfries & Galloway. Sixty four acres of gardens are waiting to be explored, crammed with water features, a walled garden and glasshouse plus woodland and heather gardens. In Spring the masses of Rhododendrons at Threave are not to be missed!

A Scottish Baronial House, marked trails, bird hides and a wild fowl sanctuary are all on-site, plus a visitor centre, gift shop, plant centre and exhibition room. The house within the Threave Garden estate dates from 1872 and was built by the Gordon family.

Threave Gardens, Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway DG7 1RX. Tel. 0844 4932245. (weblink right for directions & opening times).

Threave Castle, Castle Douglas

Threave Castle (5 miles west of Castle Douglas off the A75) sits just a mile north of Threave Gardens (an easy walk) and is unusually set on a small island on the River Dee. You can reach this Scottish castle via a boat. You'll need to go down some steep steps to the riverbank which are unsuitable for wheelchair users.

The distinctive Threave Castle tower dates from the 14th Century and was built by Archibald the Grim (nice name) - one of the Black Douglases and Lord of Galloway. The structure of revolutionary in its time, with its unique rectangular tower.

Once across the river the castle reveals a storage area, a prison in the basement area and a flat roof, designed that way to deal with stone throwing weapons. The jutting out balcony also aided throwing hot oil and the like onto attackers below. A fascinating structure, and well worth a visit, Threave Castle later fell into English hands and effectively disabled. The rectangular tower however survives almost intact.

Threave Castle, Castle Douglas. Tel. 07711 223101 (weblink right for details).

Loch Ken Watersports, Water Ski, Windsurfing, Sailing & Canoeing

Just to the north of Castle Douglas the long narrow Loch Ken (9 miles in length) is a hub for watersports including water skiing, canoeing, sailing and windsurfing (see the Loch Ken Watersports/Galloway Sailing centre weblink right for what watersports are on offer).

Steady South Westerly winds down here mean the Loch is Gulf Stream warm and a superb spot for learning to sail, water ski or windsurf. Other sports available from the Galloway Sailing Centre on Loch Ken include power boating, quad biking, mountain biking and climbing, with group bookings welcome.

Galloway Sailing Centre, Loch Ken, Castle Douglas DG7 3NQ. Tel. 01644 420626. (website right for prices and map link).

See also the link for Loch Ken Water Ski School at Loch Ken Marina, Castle Douglas. Tel. 0705 009 2792.

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