Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
Buses X75 and 500 between Dumfries (one hour) and Stranraer (1¼ hours) stop here eight
times daily (three on Sunday). They stop in Castle Douglas and Newton Stewart. Further
buses run to Dumfries via Kirkcudbright.
Around Gatehouse
Ideal for families, Cream o' Galloway ( 01557-815222; www.creamogalloway.co.uk ;
visitor centre adult/child £2/4; incl all rides £10; 10am-5pm mid-Mar-Oct, to 6pm Jul
& Aug) is the home of that delicious ice cream you'll see all around the region, and offers
a plethora of activities and events. There are 4 miles of nature trails, an adventure play-
ground for all ages, a 3-D maze, wildlife-watching, a farm to explore and plenty of ice
cream to taste. There are also regular events and special happenings. It's about 4 miles
from Gatehouse off the A75 - signposted all the way. You can hire bikes from here, as
well.
Galloway Forest Park
South and northwest of the small town of New Galloway is 300-sq-mile Galloway Forest
Park, with numerous lochs and great whale-backed, heather- and pine-covered mountains.
The highest point is Merrick (843m). The park is criss-crossed by off-road bike routes
and some superb signposted walking trails, from gentle strolls to long-distance paths, in-
cluding the Southern Upland Way . The park is very family focused; look out for the
booklet of annual events in tourist offices.
The park is also a great place for stargazing ; it's been named a Dark Sky Park by the
International Dark-Sky Association ( www.darksky.org ).
The scenic 19-mile A712 (Queen's Way) between New Galloway and Newton Stewart
slices through the southern section of the park.
On the shore of Clatteringshaws Loch , 6 miles west of New Galloway, is Clattering-
shaws Visitor Centre ( 01671-402420; www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland ;
10.30am-4.30pm Apr-Oct, to 5.30pm Jul & Aug) , featuring an exhibition on the area's
flora and fauna. Pick up a copy of the Galloway Red Kite Trail leaflet here, which details
a circular route through impressive scenery that offers a good chance to spot one of these
majestic reintroduced birds. From the visitor centre you can walk to a replica of a
Search WWH ::




Custom Search