Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
mannequin-enhanced historic scenes. From there you don a hard hat and go on a
guided tour of the underground
Lochnell Mine
, resurfacing for a tour of a
miner's
cottage
from the 1740s and then one from a hundred years or so later. Also well worth
a look is the remarkable eighteenth-century
Miners'
Library
; whose 3000-plus volumes
were purchased from the voluntary subscriptions of its members. At the end of the visit
you can try your hand at gold panning - a sure-fire hit if you have children in tow.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
WANLOCKHEAD
By car
30 miles north of Dumfries, off the A76.
By bus
Buses run from Sanquhar (5 daily: Mon-Sat;
15min), which is well served by buses from Dumfries.
Drumlanrig Castle
Thornhill, 18 miles north of Dumfries signposted from the A76 •
House
Mid-March to Aug daily 11am-5pm; guided tours only • £10 •
Country park and gardens only
Mid-March-Sept daily 10am-5pm • £6 •
T
01848 331555,
W
www.drumlanrig.com • Bus stop 1.5
miles' walk; services from Dumfries (every 1 to 2 hrs; 45min) and from Ayr (Mon-Sat 5 buses, Sun 2 buses; 1hr 20min)
Drumlanrig Castle
is not a true castle but the grandiose stately home of the supremely
wealthy Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry. Approached by an impressive driveway
that sweeps along an avenue of lime trees, the seventeenth-century sandstone “Pink
Palace” bristles with cupolas, turrets and towers. he highlights of the richly furnished
interior are the
paintings
by the great masters, most notably Rembrandt, van Dyck,
Holbein and Gainsborough.
Drumlanrig offers a host of other attractions, including formal
gardens
and a forested
country park
. Before you go for a stroll round the gardens, pick up the tree trail leaflet,
which points out significant trees, such as the red oak planted by Neil Armstrong; seek
out the Victorian
Heather Hut
. he old stableyard beside the castle contains a visitor
centre, a few shops, the inevitable tearoom and a useful
bike rental
outlet (hire: £7 for
1 hour), as the park is crisscrossed by footpaths and cycle routes. A
cycle museum
boasts a replica of the first-ever pedal bike, invented in 1839 by local boy Kirkpatrick
MacMillan.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
3
NITHSDALE
Thornhill Inn
104 Drumlanrig St, Thornhill
T
01848
330326,
W
thornhillinn.co.uk.
One of the more
comfortable places to stay locally, with all rooms en suite
and with wi-fi. A delightful bar area has a log fire and a
restaurant serving traditional roasts and fried fish from
£13. The cheaper bar menu features the likes of home-
made vegetable fajita for £9.90.
Food
served daily
5-9pm, lunch by arrangement only.
£80
The Colvend coast
he
Colvend coast
, twenty miles or so southwest of Dumfries,
is probably one of the
finest stretches of coastline along the so-called “Scottish Riviera”. he best approach is
via the A710, which heads south through New Abbey, before cutting across a
handsome landscape of rolling farmland to the aptly named
Sandyhills.
A scenic
five-mile coastal path runs from there past the cliffs of Castlehill Point and through the
pleasant estuary villages of
Rockcliffe
and
Kippford
.
Sandyhills
Little more than a scattering of houses dotted around a wide, sandy bay,
SANDYHILLS
,
18 miles southwest of Dumfries, looks across the tidal mud flats of the Solway Firth to
the Lake District beyond. here are some dramatic coves a short walk west of the bay,
while inland the hills undulate gently with farmland interspersed with clutches of forest
and small lochs.
