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Dominated by the Southern Uplands, a chain of bulging round-topped hills, southern Scotland divides neatly into three regions: the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, and Ayrshire. Although none of them has the highest of tourist profiles, those visitors who whizz past on their way north to Edinburgh, Glasgow or the Highlands are missing out on a huge swathe of Scotland that is in many ways the very heart of the country. Over the centuries, its inhabitants, particularly in the Borders, bore the brunt of long, brutal wars with the English; its farms have fed Scotland’s cities since industrialization; and two of the country’s greatest literary icons, Sir Walter Scott and Robbie Burns, lived and died here.
North of the inhospitable Cheviot Hills, which separate Scotland from England, the Borders region is dominated by the meanderings of the River Tweed. The towns here have provided inspiration for countless folkloric ballads telling of bloody battles with the English and clashes with the notorious Border Reivers, who conducted raids on border settlements. The delightful small town of Melrose is the most obvious base, and has the most impressive of the four Border abbeys founded by the medieval Canmore kings, all of which are now reduced to romantic ruins.
Dumfries and Galloway, in the southwestern corner of Scotland, gets even more overlooked than the Borders. If you do make the effort to get off the main north–south highway to Glasgow, you’ll find more ruined abbeys, medieval castles, forested hills and dramatic tidal flats and sea cliffs ideal for birdwatching. The key resort is the modest, charming town of Kirkcudbright; it sits halfway along the Solway coast, which is indented by sandy coves.
Ayrshire is rich farming country, with fewer sights than its neighbours; almost everything of interest is confined to the coast. The golf courses along its gentle coastline are among the finest links courses in the country, while fans of Robert Burns could happily spend several days exploring the author’s old haunts, especially at Ayr, the county town, and the nearby village of Alloway, the poet’s birthplace.
Getting around southern Scotland
By train The Borders has two lines running south from Edinburgh: one along the east coast en route to London and another that runs inland stopping a couple of miles shy of Melrose. A reasonable network connects Ayrshire with Dumfries and Galloway and Glasgow.
By bus Buses will get you practically everywhere mentioned in this chapter, although there is no link between the Borders and the rest of the region.
The Borders region is sandwiched between the Cheviot Hills on the English border and the Pentland and Moorfoot ranges to the south of Edinburgh. The finest section of the lush Tweed Valley lies between Melrose and Peebles, where you’ll find a string of attractions, from Sir Walter Scott’s eccentric mansion at Abbotsford to the ancient seat of Traquair House, along with the region’s famous abbeys, founded in the reign of King David I (1124–53).
Helena Smith/Rough Guides
Melrose Abbey Border abbey with superbly preserved sculptural detail.
Traquair House The oldest continuously inhabited house in Scotland, virtually unchanged since the fifteenth century.
Caerlaverock One of Scotland’s most photogenic moated castles, set beside a superb site for waterfowl and waders.
Kirkcudbright One-time artists’ colony, and the best-looking town on the “Scottish Riviera”.
Galloway Forest Park Go mountain biking along remote forest tracks, or hiking on the Southern Upland Way.
Alloway The village where poet Robert Burns was born, and the best of many Burns pilgrimage spots in the region.
Culzean Castle Stately home with a fabulous cliff-edge setting, surrounded by acres of gardens and woods reaching down to the shore.
Dumfries House An eighteenth-century architectural masterpiece, designed by the Adam brothers and decked out by Thomas Chippendale.
Ailsa Craig Take a boat out to this volcanic lump and watch baby gannets learn the art of flying and diving for fish.
HIGHLIGHTS ARE MARKED ON THE MAP
Minuscule MELROSE, tucked in between the Tweed and the gorse-backed Eildon Hills, is the most beguiling of towns, its narrow streets trimmed by a harmonious ensemble of styles, from pretty little cottages and tweedy shops to high-standing Georgian and Victorian facades. Its chief draw is its ruined abbey, but it’s also well positioned for exploring the Tweed Valley, with the Scott-related attractions of Abbotsford and Dryburgh nearby.
Abbey St, TD6 9LG • Daily: April–Sept 9.30am–5.30pm; Oct–March 10am–4pm • £6; HES • 01896 822562, historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/melrose-abbey
The pink- and red-tinted stone ruins of Melrose Abbey soar above their riverside surroundings. Founded in 1136, Melrose was the first Cistercian settlement in Scotland and grew rich selling wool and hides to Flanders. The English repeatedly razed the abbey, most viciously in 1385 and 1545, and most of the remains date from the intervening period. The site is dominated by the Abbey Church, which has lost its west front, and whose nave is reduced to the elegant window arches and chapels of the south aisle. Amazingly, however, the stone pulpitum (screen), separating the choir monks from their lay brothers, is preserved. Beyond, the presbytery has its magnificent perpendicular window, lierne vaulting and ceiling bosses intact, with the capitals of the surrounding columns sporting the most intricate of curly kale carving. Look out, too, for the Coronation of the Virgin on the east end gable, and the numerous mischievous gargoyles, such as the pig playing the bagpipes on the roof on the south side of the nave.
Two miles west of Melrose, TD6 9BQ • Visitor centre Daily: April–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov–March 10am–4pm • Free • House and gardens Daily: April–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov & March 10am–4pm • House and gardens £9.60; gardens only £5 • 01896 752043, scottsabbotsford.co.uk • The fast, frequent Melrose–Galashiels bus provides easy access to Abbotsford: ask for the Tweedbank island on the A6091, from where the house is a 10min walk
Abbotsford was designed to satisfy the Romantic inclinations of Sir Walter Scott, who lived here from 1812 until his death. The building took twelve years to evolve, with the fanciful turrets and castellations of the Scots Baronial exterior incorporating copies of medieval originals. Despite all the exterior pomp, the interior is surprisingly small and poky, with just six rooms open for viewing on the upper floor. Visitors start in the wood-panelled study, with its small writing desk made of salvage from the Spanish Armada, at which Scott banged out the Waverley novels at a furious rate. The wood-panelled library boasts his extraordinary assortment of memorabilia, including Napoleon’s pen case and blotting book, Rob Roy’s purse and skene dhu (knife), and the inlaid pearl crucifix that accompanied Mary, Queen of Scots, to the scaffold. Henry Raeburn’s famous portrait of Scott hangs in the drawing room.
Five miles southeast of Melrose, TD6 6RQ • Daily: April–Sept 9.30am–5.30pm; Oct–March 10am–4pm • £6; HES • 01835 822381, historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/dryburgh-abbey • There is no public transport to the abbey, though it’s just a mile’s walk north of St Boswells on the A68, and a pleasant 5 miles from Melrose
Hidden away in a U-bend in the Tweed, the remains of Dryburgh Abbey occupy an idyllic position against a hilly backdrop. Founded in the twelfth century by the Premonstratensians, virtually nothing survives of the nave of the Abbey Church, though the transepts have fared better, their chapels now serving as private burial grounds for, among others, Sir Walter Scott and Field Marshal Haig, the infamous World War I commander. The night stairs, down which the monks stumbled in the early hours of the morning, survive in the south transept, and lead even today to the monks’ dormitory. Leaving the church via the east processional door in the south aisle, with its dog-tooth decoration, you enter the cloisters, the highlight of which is the barrel-vaulted Chapter House, complete with low stone benches and blind interlaced arcading.
Arrival and INFORMATION melrose and around
By bus Buses stop on Buccleuch St; just south of the abbey ruins.
Destinations Edinburgh (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 2hr 20min); Galashiels (Mon–Sat every 15–30min, Sun hourly; 20min); Jedburgh (Mon–Sat 8 daily, Sun 1; 30min); Kelso (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 5; 30min); Selkirk (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 20–30min).
Braidwood Buccleuch St, Melrose, TD6 9LB 01896 822488, braidwoodmelrose.co.uk. A comfortable, early Victorian cottage guesthouse ideally located between the town centre and its abbey. Cheaper rooms have private facilities in the hall; £5 extra gets you an en-suite upgrade. £65
Dunfermline House 3 Buccleuch St, Melrose, TD6 9LB 01896 822411, dunfermlinehouse.co.uk. Solid townhouse B&B with en-suite rooms that look on to the garden or across to the abbey. The decor might be a bit 1980s, but everything’s clean and in good order. £65
Old Bank House 27 Buccleuch St, Melrose, TD6 9LB 01896 823712, oldbankhousemelrose.co.uk. Tastefully furnished Victorian B&B with charming hosts and three pristinely maintained and comfy en-suite rooms. The fine Scottish or vegetarian cooked breakfasts are served on Spode crockery in the former bank manager’s office. £70
The Townhouse Market Square, Melrose, TD6 9PQ 01896 822645, thetownhousemelrose.co.uk. Small, smart hotel on the main square, with eleven stylish en-suite doubles with contemporary furnishings. To ensure a peaceful night’s sleep, avoid the street-facing suites. Good bar/brasserie and restaurant, too (see below). £138
Abbey Fine Wines & The Cellar Coffee Shop 17 Market Square, Melrose, TD6 9PL 01896 823224, abbeyfinewines.co.uk. This long-established wine merchant turns its hand to coffee and cakes in a good little café at the back of their generously stocked shop. Light lunches are also served (from £6 for soup and bread) and sample wine bottles are always open – nice with their £9 cheese board. Mon–Sat 9.30am–4.30pm; shop closes 5pm.
Hoebridge Inn Hoebridge Rd East, Gattonside, 500yd past Melrose Abbey and across the old suspension bridge, TD6 9LZ 01896 823082, thehoebridge.com. Once a bobbin mill, this family restaurant retains a timeless charm thanks to its deep rubble walls and simple furnishings. The focus on the seasonal menu is on French- and Italian-influenced fine dining using local produce. Mains include the likes of beef shin, pork ragù and home-made pappardelle (£17). April–Sept Wed–Sat 5.30–9.30pm.
Marmion’s Brasserie Buccleuch St, Melrose, TD6 9LB 01896 822245, marmionsbrasserie.co.uk. While this popular all-day bistro might have overdone it a bit with pine cladding, it still manages to conjure up a peppy atmosphere in the evening. The menu is strong on bistro classics – moules frites for £10.25; beer-battered haddock and chips £12.50 – but also has a vegetarian roast cauliflower curry for £13. Mon–Sat 9am–9pm.
Ship Inn East Port, Melrose, TD6 9RA 01896 822190, shipinnmelrose.co.uk. The liveliest pub in town, especially on Sat afternoons when the Melrose rugby team have played at home. While it could certainly do with some redecoration, its saving grace is the beer garden out back. Mon–Thurs 11am–11pm, Fri & Sat 11am–1am, Sun noon–11pm.
The Townhouse Market Square, Melrose, TD6 9PQ 01896 822645, thetownhousemelrose.co.uk. This smart hotel (see above) has an excellent bar/brasserie and a restaurant; they share the same menu. French-style dishes made with Scottish produce include seared venison with confit of carrot and juniper jus for £17, and there’s an early bird (pre-7pm) two-course menu for £17. Both daily noon–2pm & 6–9.30pm.
The Wynd Buccleuch St, Melrose, TD6 9LD 01896 820028, sites.google.com/site/thewyndtheatre. Melrose’s very own pint-sized theatre, tucked away down an alleyway north of the main square, hosts films, gigs and dramatic performances, plus special shows for young kids.
KELSO, ten miles or so downstream from Melrose, grew up in the shadow of its now-ruined Benedictine abbey, once the richest and most powerful of the Border abbeys. Sadly, very little survives today, although at first sight it looks pretty impressive, with the heavy Norman west end of the abbey church almost entirely intact at the end of Abbey Row. Little remains otherwise, though it is possible to make out the two transepts and towers that gave the abbey the shape of a double cross, unique in Scotland.
Kelso town is centred on The Square, a large cobbled expanse presided over by the honey-hued Ionic columns, pediment and oversized clock bell tower of the elegant Town Hall. Leaving the Square along Roxburgh Street, take the alley down to the Cobby Riverside Walk, where a brief stroll leads to Floors Castle. En route, but hidden from view by the islet in the middle of the river, is the spot where the Teviot meets the Tweed. Known as The Junction, this section has long been famous for its salmon fishing, with permits booked sometimes years in advance.
A mile northwest of Kelso, TD7 5SF • Castle Easter–Sept daily 10.30am–5pm, Oct Sat & Sun 10.30am–5pm; gardens & grounds daily 10.30am–4pm • Castle, gardens & grounds £11.50; garden & grounds only £6.50 • 01573 223333, floorscastle.com • From the town centre, follow Roxburgh St to its northern end and bear left at the fork
Stand on Kelso’s handsome bridge over the Tweed and you can easily make out the pepper-pot turrets and castellations of Floors Castle, a vast, pompous mansion to the northwest. The bulk of the building was designed by William Adam in the 1720s and, despite its Victorian modifications, the interior still demonstrates his uncluttered style. However, you won’t see all that much of it – Floors is still home to the Duke of Roxburghe, with just ten rooms and a basement open to the public. The duke’s imperious features can be seen in portraits around the house, where highlights include paintings by Matisse, Augustus John and Odilon Redon, and some fine Brussels and Gobelin tapestries. The surrounding grounds include a verdant walled garden, forest paths and a modern interpretation of a formal garden.
Six miles northwest of Kelso off the A6089, TD3 6LG • May–Sept Mon & Fri–Sun house 12.30–5pm, gardens 11am–5pm • £8.50; gardens only £5 • 01573 410225, mellerstain.com
Mellerstain House represents the very best of the Adam family’s work – William designed the wings in 1725, and his son Robert the castellated centre fifty years later. Robert’s love of columns, roundels and friezes culminates in a stunning sequence of plaster-moulded, pastel-shaded ceilings: the library is the high point for admirers of his work, with four unusual, long panels in plaster relief of classical scenes that relegate the books to second place. The art collection, which includes works by Constable, Gainsborough, Ramsay and Veronese, is also noteworthy. After a visit you can wander the formal Edwardian gardens, which slope down to the lake.
Arrival and INFORMATION kelso
By bus Buses arrive and depart from Woodmarket, a brief walk from The Square.
Destinations Edinburgh (Mon–Sat every 2hr, Sun 2; 2hr); Melrose (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 5; 30min).
Tourist office Town House, The Square (July & Aug Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; Sept & Oct Mon–Sat 10am–3.30pm; 01573 221119).
Cobbles Inn 7 Bowmont St, TD5 7JH 01573 223548, thecobbleskelso.co.uk. One of Scotland’s eight best real ale pubs, according to CAMRA. This place has a formidable reputation locally, not just for beer, supplied by the proprietor’s own brewery, Tempest – try the Jalepeño IPA! – but also for its top-notch food. With an emphasis on red meat and game, the menu uses regional country produce in dishes like chargrilled lamb belly, shank and piperade. Mains from £10; four-course gourmet menu £45. Mon–Thurs 11.30am–11pm, Fri & Sat 11am–late, Sun noon–11pm; kitchen daily noon–2.30pm & 7.45–9pm.
The Old Priory Woodmarket, TD5 7JF 01573 223030, theoldpriorykelso.com. A tasteful Georgian townhouse, just off The Square, with a very pretty garden. Rooms are spacious and light, with lovely wooden furniture, and there’s a shared sitting room where guests are free to relax. £85
The royal burgh of SELKIRK lies just five miles southwest of Melrose. The old town sits high up above the river of Ettrick Water; down by the riverside, the imposing grey-stone woollen mills are mostly boarded up now, an eerie reminder of a once prosperous era. Situated on the edge of some lovely countryside, the town serves as the gateway to the picturesque, sparsely populated valleys to the west.
At the centre of Selkirk you’ll find the tiny Market Square, overlooked by a statue of Sir Walter Scott; the former Town House, now dubbed Sir Walter Scott’s Courtroom (March–Sept Mon–Fri 10am–4pm, Sat 11am–3pm; Oct Mon–Sat noon–3pm; free), is where he served as sheriff for 33 years. Just off Market Square to the south is Halliwell’s House Museum (April–Oct Mon–Sat 11am–4pm, Sun noon–3pm; free), an old-style hardware shop with an informative exhibit on the industrialization of the Tweed Valley.
Three miles west of Selkirk off the A708, TD7 5ET • House Guided tours (1hr 15min) every 30min 12.30–3pm: July daily, also on selected weekends and bank hols (see website) • £10, including country estate • Country estate April–June Tues–Fri 10am–4pm, Sat & Sun 10am–5pm; July & Aug daily 10am–5pm; Sept Mon & Fri 10am–4pm, Sat & Sun 10am–5pm • £4.50, £10 including house • 01750 22204, bowhillhouse.co.uk • Walk (1hr) from Selkirk along the north bank of Ettrick Water and cross over General’s Bridge and into the estate, or take a taxi from Selkirk (£10)
A pleasant three-mile walk from Selkirk, Bowhill House is the property of the seriously wealthy Duke of Buccleuch. Beyond the grandiose mid-nineteenth-century mansion’s facade of dark whinstone is an outstanding collection of French antiques and European paintings: in the dining room, for example, are portraits by Reynolds and Gainsborough, and a Canaletto cityscape, while the drawing room features Boulle furniture, Meissen tableware, paintings by Ruysdael, Leandro Bassano and Claude Lorraine, and two more family portraits by Reynolds. Look out also for the Scott Room, which features a splendid portrait of Sir Walter by Henry Raeburn, and the Duke of Monmouth’s execution shirt.
The wooded hills of Bowhill’s country estate are crisscrossed by scenic footpaths and cycle trails. The woods also shelter the 72-seat Bowhill Theatre, in the house’s former game larder, which hosts the occasional production.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION selkirk
By bus Buses arrive in the Market Square from Edinburgh (hourly; 1hr 45min) and Melrose (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 5; 20min).
Tourist office Halliwell’s House, off Market Square (April–Oct Mon–Sat 11am–4pm, Sun noon–3pm; 01750 20054).
Heatherlie House Hotel Heatherlie Park, TD7 5AL 01750 721200. A large Victorian mansion set within wooded grounds on the west side of Selkirk. Inside, the hotel is tastefully presented with six spacious en-suite rooms; the best have bay windows overlooking the garden. £69
Fast, wide, tree-lined and fringed with grassy banks, the Tweed looks at its best at PEEBLES, a handsome royal burgh that sits on the north bank, fifteen miles northwest of Selkirk. The town itself has a genteel, relaxed air, its wide, handsome High Street bordered by houses in a medley of architectural styles, mostly dating from Victorian times, that accommodate a profusion of independent retailers, tearooms and restaurants.
High St, EH45 8AJ • Mon–Fri 10.30am–12.30pm & 1–4pm, Sat 9.30am–12.30pm • Free • 01721 724820
Halfway down the High Street is the Tweedale Museum & Gallery, stuffed with casts of the world’s most famous sculptures. It also features two handsome friezes: one a copy of the Elgin marbles taken from the Parthenon; the other of the Triumph of Alexander, originally cast in 1812 to honour Napoleon.
Seven miles southeast of Peebles on the B7062, EH44 6PW • April–Sept daily 11am–5pm; Oct daily 11am–4pm; Nov Sat & Sun 11am–3pm • £8.80, grounds only £4.50 • 01896 830323, traquair.co.uk • The regular Peebles to Melrose bus stops in Innerleithen, from where it’s a 10min signposted walk south to Traquair
The Maxwell Stuarts have lived in Traquair House since 1491, making it the oldest continuously inhabited house in Scotland. The whitewashed facade is strikingly handsome, with narrow windows and trim turrets surrounding the tiniest of front doors – in other words it’s a welcome change from other grandiose stately homes. Inside, you can see original vaulted cellars, where locals once hid their cattle from raiders; the twisting main staircase and the earlier medieval version, later a secret escape route for persecuted Catholics; a carefully camouflaged priest’s hole; and even a priest’s room where a string of resident chaplains lived in hiding. In the museum room there is a wealth of treasures, including a fine example of a Jacobite Amen glass, a rosary and crucifix owned by Mary, Queen of Scots, and the cloak worn by the Earl of Nithsdale during his dramatic escape from the Tower of London.
Spare time for the surrounding grounds, where you’ll find a hedge maze, several craft workshops and the Traquair House Brewery, which claims to be the only British brewery that still ferments totally in oak. There’s a café serving snacks in an estate cottage on the redundant avenue that leads to the locked Bear Gates; Bonnie Prince Charlie left the house through these gates, and the then-owner promised to keep them locked till a Stuart should ascend the throne.
Arrival and INFORMATION peebles and around
By bus Buses, which arrive in the car park just north of the eastern end of the main shopping street, include services from Edinburgh (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 1hr) and Melrose (Mon–Sat every 30min; 1hr 15min).
Tourist office 23 High St (July & Aug Mon–Sat 9am–5.30pm, Sun 11am–4pm; Sept–June Mon–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 11am–4pm; 01721 728095).
Bridge Inn 72 Port Brae, Peebles, EH45 8AW 01721 720589. With its attractive mock-Tudor, dormer frontage, this traditional pub cuts a fine figure in the Peebles skyline. Inside, its classic decor and cosy seating arrangements complement the wide range of real ales and whiskies on offer. There’s a sunny terrace out back, looking on to the river. Mon–Wed 11am–midnight, Thurs–Sat 11am–1am, Sun noon–midnight.
Glentress Forest Lodges The Peel Gateway, entrance to Glentress, 2 miles east of Peebles on the A72, EH45 8NA 01721 721007, glentressforestlodges.co.uk. Simple but attractive wooden huts (sleeping five) arranged in clusters, with basic accommodation; benches to sit/sleep on, a door and a window. There’s also a communal kitchen and a generous firewood supply. £48
Leaven Deli 6 Newby Court, Peebles, EH45 8AL 01721 721088, leavendelipeebles.wix.com/leavendeli. Hidden in a tiny courtyard near the tourist office, this not-for-profit social enterprise offers fresh loaves, artisan cheeses and a few deli treats as well as light lunches and coffees that can be enjoyed in the suntrap outside. Tues–Sat 9am–4pm.
Traquair 7 miles southeast of Peebles on the B7062, EH44 6PW 01896 830323, traquair.co.uk. Most visitors come to Traquair as a day-trip from Peebles, but if you’re really taken by the place, you can stay in one of its three double guest rooms, exquisitely decked out with antiques and four-posters. £190
JEDBURGH nestles in the lush valley of the Jed Water, ten miles southeast of Melrose. During the interminable Anglo-Scottish Wars, this was the quintessential frontier town, a heavily garrisoned royal burgh incorporating a mighty castle and abbey. Though the castle was destroyed by the Scots in 1409 to keep it out of the hands of the English, the abbey survived, albeit in ruins. Today, Jedburgh is the first place of any size that you come to on the A68, having crossed over Carter Bar from England, and as such gets quite a bit of passing tourist trade.
Abbey Bridge End, TD8 6JQ • Daily: April–Sept 9.30am–5.30pm; Oct–March 10am–4pm • £6; HES • 01835 863925, historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/jedburgh-abbey
Founded in the twelfth century as an Augustinian priory, Jedburgh Abbey is the best preserved of all the Border abbeys, its vast church towering over a sloping site right in the centre of town beside the Jed Water. Entry is through the visitor centre at the bottom of the hill, where you can view Jedburgh’s most treasured archeological find, the Jedburgh Comb, carved around 1100 from walrus ivory and decorated with a griffin and a dragon. Enter the Abbey Church itself via the west door to fully appreciate the three-storey nave’s perfectly proportioned parade of columns and arches.
Castlegate, TD8 6AS • Easter–Oct Mon–Sat 10am–4.30pm, Sun 1–4pm • Free • 01835 864750
At the top of Castlegate stands Jedburgh Castle Jail, an impressive castellated nineteenth-century pile built on the site of the old royal castle. As well as detailed information about Jedburgh’s history, there’s a fascinating insight into conditions in jail, deportation, crime and punishment. The cells themselves are, for the period, remarkably comfortable, reflecting the influence of reformer John Howard.
Queen St, TD8 6EN • March–Nov Mon–Sat 10am–4.30pm, Sun noon–4.30pm • Free • 01835 863331
Located in a sixteenth century tower house, the Mary, Queen of Scots’ Visitor Centre offers a rather cursory insight into Mary’s complex life through its assortment of paintings, textiles and associated objects including Mary’s own death mask.
Arrival and INFORMATION jedburgh
By bus Buses pick up and drop off at Canongate just east of the Market Place.
Destinations Edinburgh (Mon–Sat every 2hr, Sun 4; 1hr 50min); Melrose (Mon–Sat every 2hr, Sun 1; 30min).
Tourist office Murray’s Green (April–June, Sept & Oct Mon–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm; July & Aug Mon–Sat 9am–5.30pm, Sun 10am–5pm; Nov–March Mon–Sat 10am–4pm; 01835 863170).
Border Meringues Unit 1, Old Station Yard, Edinburgh Rd, TD8 6EE 01835 863383, bordermeringues.com. An unlikely setting for a café/cake shop in an anonymous industrial estate building on the northern outskirts of town, but locals go out of their way for this place. There are all manner of cakes and tray bakes here, starting at £2. Mon–Fri 9am–4pm, Sat 10am–4pm.
The Capon Tree Town House 61 High St, TD8 6DQ 01835 869596, thecapontree.com. Part fine dining restaurant, part wine bar, this place conjures up the best plates in town – the Dijon-crusted lamb with mint pea purée and haggis bonbons (£26.50) is typical. Mon–Fri 2–11pm, Sat noon–late; kitchen Mon–Sat 7–9.30pm.
Meadhon House 48 Castlegate, TD8 6BB 01835 862504, meadhon.co.uk. Pronounced “mawn”, this is the finest of several B&Bs among Castlegate’s row of seventeenth-century houses, with tasteful en-suite rooms overlooking the town. £72
The southwest corner of Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway has stately homes, deserted hills and ruined abbeys to compete with the best of the Borders. It also has the Solway coast, a long, indented coastline of sheltered sandy coves that’s been dubbed the “Scottish Riviera” – it’s certainly Scotland’s warmest, southernmost stretch of coastline.
Dumfries is the largest town in the region, and only really a must for those on the Robert Burns trail. Some 27 miles southwest lies enticing Kirkcudbright, once a bustling port thronged with sailing ships, later an artists’ retreat, and now a tranquil, well-preserved little town. Contrasting with the essentially gentle landscape of the Solway coast is the brooding presence of the Galloway Hills to the north, their beautiful moors, mountains, lakes and rivers centred on the Galloway Forest Park, a hillwalking and mountain-biking paradise.
On the wide banks of the River Nith a short way inland from the Solway Firth, DUMFRIES is the largest town in southwest Scotland. Long known as the “Queen of the South” (as is its football club), the town flourished as a medieval seaport and trading centre. Enough remains of the original, warm red sandstone buildings to distinguish Dumfries from other towns in the southwest, though its main appeal is its associations with Robert Burns.
Rotchell Rd, DG2 7SW• April–Sept Tues–Sat 10am–1pm & 2–5pm • Free; camera obscura £3 • 01387 253374
On the hill above the Robert Burns Centre the Dumfries Museum affords great views over the town. The museum is housed partly in an eighteenth-century windmill, which was converted into the town’s observatory in the 1830s, and features the world’s oldest working camera obscura on its top floor. On the floors below the focus is on local history and prehistory with a good collection of tools and weaponry from the region’s earliest peoples as well as some nice carved masonry from the early Christians.
Mill Rd, DG2 7BE • April–Sept Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 2–5pm • Free • 01387 256904
Devorgilla Bridge, built in 1431, is one of the oldest bridges in Scotland. Attached to its southwestern end is Dumfries’s oldest house, built in 1660 and now home to the tiny, quirky Old Bridge House Museum. Now stuffed full of Victorian bric-a-brac, including a teeth-chattering range of dental gear, the house was once an inn, which Burns would undoubtedly have visited.
Arrival and information dumfries
By train The station is a 5min walk northeast of the town centre.
Destinations Carlisle (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 5; 40min); Glasgow Central (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 2; 1hr 45min).
By bus Buses stop at Whitesands beside the River Nith.
Destinations Castle Douglas (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 6; 45min); Edinburgh (Mon–Sat 6 daily, Sun 2; 2hr 50min); Kirkcudbright (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 2; 1hr 40min); New Abbey (Mon–Sat 12 daily, Sun 3; 15min); Newton Stewart (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 4; 1hr 30min).
Tourist office 64 Whitesands (April–Oct Mon–Sat 9.30am–5pm, Sun 11am–4pm; Nov–March Mon–Sat 9.30am–4.30pm; 01387 253862).
Glenaldor House 5 Victoria Terrace, DG1 1NL 01387 264248, glenaldorhouse.co.uk; map. A light and bright Victorian house near the station, with four comfortably spacious en-suite bedrooms. Wake up to a full Scottish breakfast, made with local produce; there’s also a wide choice from pastries to porridge. £75
Nona Lous Brooke St, DG1 2JL 07989 031491; map. Located in a converted primary school among a cluster of arts and beauty-related businesses, this contemporary tearoom bakes exceedingly attractive cakes (around £2 a slice) – try the colourful seven-layer rainbow cake. Old crockery and knitted teapot- and cup-cosies give the place a personal touch. Light breakfasts and lunches, too. Mon–Wed & Sat 10am–4pm, Thurs 10am–5pm, Fri 10am–4pm.
Globe Inn 56 High St, DG1 2JA 01387 252335, globeinndumfries.co.uk; map. If you’re on Burns’s trail (see above), make sure you duck down the alleyway to the seventeenth-century Globe Inn, just beyond the ornate red and gold Victorian fountain. Burns had a fling with Annie Park, a barmaid in this pub, and the resultant child was taken into the Burns household by his long-suffering wife, Jean Armour. Beyond the main bar you can enter the beautifully panelled snug and sit in the very chair used by the poet. Although if you do, by tradition, you’ll be expected to recite a Burns poem or else buy everyone in the bar a drink. Mon–Wed 10am–11pm, Thurs–Sat 10am–midnight, Sun noon–midnight.
Notable sights around Dumfries include grand Drumlanrig Castle with its fine paintings, moated Caerlaverock and the picturesque ruins of thirteenth-century Sweetheart Abbey; the Caerlaverock Wetland Centre is a good destination for twitchers.
Eighteen miles north of Dumfries, DG3 4AQ • House Guided tours only (1hr), every 20min: July & Aug daily 11am–4pm; occasional weekends throughout the year (check website) • £10 • Country park April–Sept daily 10am–5pm • £6 • 01848 331555, drumlanrigcastle.co.uk • Bus #102 from Dumfries (Mon–Sat 2 daily, Sun 1; 20min) runs to Drumlanrig along the A76
Drumlanrig Castle is not a castle at all, but the grandiose stately home of the 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. The highlights of the richly furnished interior are the paintings by the great masters, most notably Rembrandt, van Dyck, Holbein and Gainsborough. As well as the house, Drumlanrig has a host of other attractions, including formal gardens and a forested country park.
Caerlaverock, 8 miles southeast of Dumfries, DG1 4RU • Daily: April–Sept 9.30am–5.30pm; Oct–March 10am–4pm • £6; HES • 01387 770244, historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/caerlaverock-castle • Bus #6A from Dumfries (Mon–Sat 3 daily, Sun 2; 30min) runs to Caerlaverock along the B725
Caerlaverock Castle is a picture-perfect, thirteenth century ruined castle, moated, built from rich local red sandstone, triangular in layout and with a mighty double-towered gatehouse. The most surprising addition, however, lies inside, where you’re confronted by the ornate Renaissance facade of the Nithsdale Lodging, erected in the 1630s by the first earl of Nithsdale. The decorated tympana above the windows feature lively mythological and heraldic scenes. Sadly, six years later Nithsdale and his garrison were forced to surrender after a thirteen-week siege and bombardment by the Covenanters, who wrecked the place. It was never inhabited again.
Eastpark Farm, Caerlaverock, 8 miles southeast of Dumfries, DG1 4RS • Daily 10am–5pm • £8.45 • 01387 770200, wwt.org.uk • Bus #6A from Dumfries to Caerlaverock (Mon–Sat 3 daily, Sun 2; 30min) runs past the start of the 2-mile lane leading off the B725 to the wetlands
One mile east, as the crow flies, of Caerlaverock Castle, the Caerlaverock Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre spreads across 1400 acres of protected salt marsh and mud flat edging the Solway Firth,. Famous for the 25,000 or so Svalbard barnacle geese that winter here between September and April, it also has wild whooper swans and regular osprey sightings.
Main St, New Abbey, DG2 8BU • April–Sept daily 9.30am–5.30pm; Oct daily 10am–4pm; Nov–March Mon–Wed, Sat & Sun 10am–4pm • £5; HES • 01387 850397, historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/sweetheart-abbey • From Dumfries, bus #372 runs to New Abbey (Mon–Sat 12 daily, Sun 3; 15min), stopping outside the post office
Sweetheart Abbey, lying romantically ruined to the east of the village of NEW ABBEY, takes its name from its founder, Devorgilla de Balliol, who carried the embalmed heart of her husband, John Balliol (of Oxford college fame) for the last 22 years of her life – she is buried with the casket, in the presbytery. The last of the Cistercian abbeys to be founded in Scotland – in 1273 – Sweetheart is dominated by the red sandstone abbey church, which remains intact, albeit minus its roof. Its grassy nave is flanked by giant compound piers supporting early Gothic arches, and above them a triforium. The other great survivor is the precinct wall, a massive structure made from rough granite boulders.
ACCOMMODATION and eating around dumfries
Abbey Cottage Tearoom 26 Main St, New Abbey, DG2 8BY 01387 850377, abbeycottagetearoom.com. Enjoying an unrivalled view over Sweetheart Abbey, this tearoom is renowned for its coffee, teas and home-made cakes. The meals are excellent too, exemplified by the formidable ploughman’s lunch at £7.65. Mid-Feb to Oct 10am–5pm; Nov to mid-Dec Wed–Sun 11am–4pm.
Caerlaverock Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) Centre Eastpark Farm, Caerlaverock, DG1 4RS 01387 770200, wwt.org.uk. Large parties can rent the centre’s homely five bedroom farmhouse, which has a fantastic observation tower and appropriately proportioned living space. £180
The Colvend coast, twenty miles or so southwest of Dumfries, is one of the finest stretches of coastline along the so-called “Scottish Riviera”. The best approach is via the A710, which heads south through New Abbey before cutting across a handsome landscape of rolling farmland to ROCKCLIFFE, a beguiling little place of comfortable villas around a rocky sand-and-shell bay, sheltered beneath wooded hills.
For vehicles, Rockcliffe is a dead end, but it’s the start of a pleasant thirty-minute walk along the Jubilee Path to neighbouring KIPPFORD a tiny, lively yachting centre strung out along the east bank of the Urr estuary. At low tide you can walk over the Rough Firth causeway from the shore below across the mud flats to Rough Island, a humpy twenty-acre bird sanctuary owned by the National Trust for Scotland – it’s out of bounds in May and June during the nesting season.
arrival and Getting around Colvend Coast
By bus One of the more useful bus services in the area is the frequent #372, which links Dumfries with Sandyhills (Mon–Sat 8 daily, Sun 3; 55min) and New Abbey (Mon–Sat 11 daily, Sun 3; 14min). The #372A is also handy, continuing on from Sandyhills to Kippford and Rockcliffe (Mon–Sat 5 daily, Sun 3; 20–30min).
Anchor Hotel Kippford, DG5 4LN 01556 620205, anchorkippford.co.uk. Right on Kippford’s waterfront, the popular Anchor is a good reward for the gentle stroll required to get here from Rockcliffe. The place serves local fish (mains around £11) and good ale; there’s also a real fire in winter. Daily 11am–midnight; kitchen Mon–Thurs noon–2pm & 6–8pm, Fri noon–2pm & 5.30–8.30pm, Sat & Sun noon–8.30pm.
Castle Point Caravan Site Just south of Rockcliffe, DG5 4QL 01556 630248, castlepointcc.com. Secluded campsite, with free wi-fi, just south of Rockcliffe village and a stone’s throw from the seashore (there are three sandy beaches within walking distance). Closed mid-Oct to late March. £25
Millbrae House Rockcliffe, DG5 4QG 01556 630217, millbraehouse.co.uk. Excellent B&B in a whitewashed cottage near the bay. Rooms are bright and elegantly furnished and breakfast is served in the conservatory. A couple of self-catering options are also available. £78
Most folk come to CASTLE DOUGLAS, eighteen miles southwest of Dumfries, in order to visit the nearby attractions of Threave Garden and Threave Castle. A small, low-rise town of painted cottages lining grid-like streets, with a relatively vibrant high street and its own pint sized loch (Carlingwark), Castle Douglas is pleasant for an evening stroll.
1.5 miles southwest of Castle Douglas, DG7 1RX • Daily: Jan & Feb 11am–3pm; March–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov & Dec 10am–4pm • £7.50; NTS • 01556 502575, nts.org.uk/Visit/Threave
Threave Garden is a pleasant mile or so’s walk southwest of Castle Douglas along the shores of Loch Carlingwark. The garden features a magnificent spread of flowers and woodland, sixty acres divided into more than a dozen areas from the bright, old-fashioned blooms of the Rose Garden to the brilliant banks of rhododendrons in the Woodland Garden. In springtime, thousands of visitors turn up for the flowering of more than two hundred types of daffodil.
Around 2 miles west of Castle Douglas, DG7 1TJ • Daily: April–Sept 10am–4.30pm; Oct 10.30am–3.30pm • £5, including boat fare; HES • 07711 223101, historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/threave-castle • From Castle Douglas the gardens are a very pleasant 30min walk around Carlingwark Loch from the southern edge of town
A visit to Threave Castle begins with a ten-minute walk from the car park to the River Dee, where you ring a brass bell for the boat to take you over to the flat and grassy island on which the stern-looking castle stands.
Built in around 1370 for one of the Black Douglases, Archibald the Grim, first Lord of Galloway and third Earl of Douglas, the fortress was among the first of its kind, a sturdy, rectangular structure completed shortly after the War of Independence. The rickety curtain wall to the south and east is all that remains of the artillery fortifications, hurriedly constructed in the 1450s by the ninth earl in a desperate – and unsuccessful – attempt to defend the castle against James II’s new-fangled cannon. The castle was partially dismantled in the 1640s, but enough remains of the interior to make out its general plan.
Arrival and information castle douglas
By bus Buses stop on the main shopping street, King St.
Destinations Dumfries (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 6; 45min); Kirkcudbright (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 6; 20min).
Tourist office King St (April–June Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 11am–3pm; July & Aug Mon–Sat 9.30am–6pm, Sun 10am–4pm; Sept & Oct Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; 01556 502611).
Designs Gallery and Café 179 King St, DG7 1DZ 01556 504552. Capacious gallery, craft shop and café with tables spilling out onto a delightful walled garden out back. Light lunches, including salads and chicken wraps and a wide range of home baking, cost around £7. Mon–Sat 9.30am–5pm.
Lochside Caravan Site Loch Carlingwark, DG7 1EZ 07824 528467. Immaculate waterside campsite on the southern fringe of Castle Douglas that welcomes caravans (pitches £24) and tents. Facilities include electrical hookup, play areas, a putting green, boat rental and free fishing in the loch. £11.50
KIRKCUDBRIGHT – pronounced “kir-coo-bree” – hugging the muddy banks of the River Dee ten miles southwest of Castle Douglas, is the only major town along the Solway coast to have retained a working harbour. In addition, it has a ruined castle and an attractive town centre, a charming medley of simple two-storey cottages and medieval pends, Georgian villas and Victorian townhouses, all brightly painted.
Castle St, DG6 4JD • Daily: April–Sept 9.30am–5.30pm; Oct 10am–4pm • £4; HES • 01557 331856, historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/maclellan-s-castle
The most surprising sight in Kirkcudbright is MacLellan’s Castle, a pink-flecked sixteenth-century tower house sitting at one end of the high street by the harbourside. Part fortified keep and part spacious mansion, the castle was built in the 1570s for the then Provost of Kirkcudbright, Sir Thomas MacLellan of Bombie. Its interior is well preserved, from the kitchen (complete with bread oven) to the spyhole known as the “laird’s lug”, behind the fireplace of the Great Hall.
12 High St, DG6 4JX • Daily: Feb & March (garden only) 11am–4pm; April–Oct noon–5pm • Feb & March entry by donation; April–Oct £6.50; NTS • 01557 330437, nts.org.uk/Visit/Broughton-House
Broughton House, a smart Georgian townhouse and former home of the artist Edward Hornel (1863–1933), stands on the L-shaped High Street, near the castle. Hornel, an important member of the late nineteenth-century Scottish art scene, spent his childhood a few doors down the street, and returned in 1900 to establish an artists’ colony with some of the “Glasgow Boys”. At the back of the house Hornel added a studio and a vast gallery, now filled with the mannered, vibrant paintings of girls at play that he churned out in the latter part of his career. Hornel’s trip to Japan in 1893 imbued him with a lifelong affection for the country, and his densely packed, rambling gardens have a strong Japanese influence.
High St, DG6 4JL • Mid-April to Sept Mon–Sat 11am–4pm • Free • 01557 331556
For background information on Kirkcudbright, visit the imposing, church-like Tolbooth, with its stone-built clock tower and spire. Built in the 1620s, the building now houses the Tolbooth Art Centre, which has a small display of paintings including S.J. Peploe’s Colourist view of the Tolbooth as well as a contemporary art and craft gallery on the top floor and a small café.
Arrival and information kirkcudbright
By bus Buses to and from Dumfries (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 2; 1hr 40min) pull up in the harbour car park, next to the tourist office.
Tourist office Harbour Square (Feb, March & Nov Mon–Sat 11am–4pm; April–June & Sept–Oct Mon–Sat 10am–5pm Sun 11am–3pm; July & Aug Mon–Sat 9.30am–6pm, Sun 10am–5pm; 01557 330494, kirkcudbright.co.uk).
Baytree House 110 High St, DG6 4JQ 01557 330824, baytreekirkcudbright.co.uk. An old-fashioned Georgian B&B with four spacious rooms and a guests’ drawing room. There’s also a self-catering garden studio for two with its own conservatory and garden (minimum stay usually three days). Double £88, studio £82
Castle Restaurant 5 Castle St 01557 330569, DG6 4JA thecastlerestaurant.net. An intimate contribution to Kirkcudbright’s small fine dining scene, offering Scots-French cuisine in tasteful surroundings overlooking the castle. The menu might include smoked duck two ways, pairing breast meat with smoked apple duck pâté and honey; three-course menus £20. Mon–Sat 6–9pm.
Mulberries Coffee Shop and Chocolatiers 11 St Cuthbert St, DG6 4DJ 01557 330961. The town’s finest coffee, cakes and chocolates are served in this cosy little café near the harbour car park. The cream tea for £5 offers excellent quality and value, and coffee comes with free refills. Mon–Thurs 10am–6pm, Fri & Sat 10am–7pm, Sun 11am–6pm.
WIGTOWN, seven miles south of Newton Stewart, is a tiny place with a remarkable main square, a vast, triangular affair laid out as it was in medieval times. Overlooking and dominating the square and its central bowling green are the gargantuan County Buildings, built in French Gothic style. Wigtown styles itself as “Scotland’s national book town”, with a highly rated literary festival (wigtownbookfestival.com) in late September and more than a dozen bookshops occupying some of the modest houses that line the square, and more dotted around town.
Arrival and departure wigtown
By bus Buses from Newton Stewart (Mon–Sat 16 daily, Sun 4; 15min) and Stranraer (Mon–Sat 2 daily; 1hr 50min) stop on the main square.
Hillcrest House Maidland Place, DG8 9EU 01988 402018, hillcrest-wigtown.co.uk. This extended stone Victorian villa on the south side of town provides plenty of space. Champions of slow food, the owners turn out a substantial three-course menu (£23) each night that might include roast venison or a caramelized onion and cheese tart. The restaurant is open to non-guests, but booking is essential. Dinner daily 7pm. £75
The hilly, hammer-shaped peninsula at the western end of the Solway coast is known as the Rhinns of Galloway. The Gulf Stream dominates the climate here and subtropical plants grow in abundance throughout the area’s gardens, linked by an official, signposted route (scotlandsgarderoute.co.uk). Each has its own personality, with colourful seasonal displays, palm trees and many coastal views. If you only have time to visit one, aim for Castle Kennedy Gardens.
Castle Kennedy, 3 miles east of Stranraer, DG9 8SL • 10am–5pm: Feb & March Sat & Sun; April–Oct daily • £5 • 01776 702024, castlekennedygardens.co.uk • From Stranraer, bus #430 stops at the gatehouse to the gardens (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 4; 10min)
The approach to Castle Kennedy Gardens passes along a tree-lined avenue that frames the ruined medieval fortress of Castle Kennedy beyond, and then across a palm-fringed canal. The castle forms the centrepiece of the gardens, on a hill squeezed between two lochs, though its ruins can no longer be visited. The 75-acre landscaped gardens stretch west as far as nearby Lochinch Castle, seat of the earl of Stair (and also inaccessible), via a giant lily pond and a stupendous avenue of monkey puzzle trees.
The old seafaring port of PORTPATRICK, on the Rhinns of Galloway, is the nicest place to stay on the peninsula, with an attractive pastel-painted seafront that wraps itself round a small rocky bay sheltered by equally rocky cliffs.
Arrival and departure portpatrick
By bus Buses leave from South Crescent, next to the sandy bay, for Stranraer (Mon–Sat 11 daily, Sun 3; 22min).
The Crown 9 North Crescent 01776 810261, crownportpatrick.com. Right on the seafront, this cosy inn is a good bet for fresh seafood, hand-pulled ales and live music in front of an open fire. Highlight of the menu is the seafood pancake gratin for £13. There are also a few en-suite rooms, some of which have sea views. Mon–Thurs & Sun noon–11pm, Fri & Sat noon–midnight; kitchen daily noon–9.15pm. £75
The Mull of Galloway, twenty miles south of Portpatrick, is a precipitous headland. Crowned by a classic whitewashed Stevenson lighthouse, it really feels like the end of the road. It’s the southernmost point in Scotland, and a favourite nesting spot for guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes. You can climb the lighthouse for views of the Isle of Man (10am–4pm: April–June, Sept & Oct Sat & Sun; July & Aug Mon–Wed, Sat & Sun; £2.50).
arrival and departure mull of galloway
By bus The nearest bus stop is 4 miles north at Drummore, with services to Port Logan (Mon–Sat 4 daily; 10min).
Gallie Craig Café Drummore 01776 840558, galliecraig.co.uk. Perched on the cliff edge, roofed with turf and with a panoramic glass wall and terrace looking out to the sea, Scotland’s southernmost building provides armchair birdwatching while you enjoy tea, home baking and well-priced hot food (soup and crusty bread £3.75). Feb & March Mon–Wed, Sat & Sun 11am–4pm; April–Oct daily 10am–5.30pm; Nov Sat & Sun 11am–4pm.
Ayrshire’s main appeal lies along its coastline, with visitors attracted by the wide, flat sandy beaches and numerous golf courses. Inland, cattle and sheep grazing form the backbone of the economy while the relentlessly charmless settlements give little incentive to visit. That said, to the east of Ayr, the county town, is the delightful Palladian country pile, Dumfries House, recently bought by a consortium headed by Prince Charles. South of Ayr, the more obvious points of interest are Culzean Castle, with its Robert Adam interior and extensive wooded grounds, and the offshore islands of Ailsa Craig, while to the north is Irvine, home to the Scottish Maritime Museum.
AYR is by far the largest town on the Firth of Clyde coast. It was an important seaport and trading centre for many centuries, and rivalled Glasgow in size and significance right up until the late seventeenth century. Nowadays, it pulls in the crowds for the Scottish Grand National and the Scottish Derby (ayr-racecourse.co.uk), and for the fact that Robbie Burns was born in the neighbouring village of Alloway (see below).
Arrival and information ayr
By plane Ayr is the nearest large town to Glasgow Prestwick Airport (08712 230700, glasgowprestwick.com), which lies 3 miles north of town and is connected by frequent trains to Ayr and Glasgow.
By train The station is a 5min walk southeast of the town centre on Station Rd.
Destinations Glasgow Central (up to every 15min; 50min); Irvine (up to every 15min; 15–20min); Prestwick Airport (up to every 15min; 7min); Stranraer (Mon–Sat 6 daily, Sun 3; 1hr 20min).
By bus The station is at the foot of Sandgate, near the tourist office.
Destinations Glasgow (every 15min; 1hr 15min); Stranraer (9 daily; 1hr 40min–2hr).
Tourist office 22 Sandgate (April–Sept daily 9am–5pm; Oct–March Mon–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 10am–5pm; 01292 290300).
Savoy Park Hotel 16 Racecourse Rd, KA7 2UT 01292 266112, savoypark.com. Impressive Scots Baronial building with a delightful secluded guests’ garden at the back. Inside are plenty of traditional characteristics – check out the open fire and wood panelling in the lounge – but, save for the lofty ceilings, the bedrooms look more like standard modern hotel rooms. £95
Stage Door Café 12 Carrick St, KA7 1NU 01292 280444, stagedoorcafe.co.uk. Aptly named (it’s part of the Gaiety Theatre), this place draws in the crowds with fresh, reasonably priced dishes such as crispy chicken tempura with a honey mustard dressed salad. Three courses £24 after 7pm; slightly less before. Daily 10am–11pm; kitchen 10am–9pm.
ALLOWAY, formerly a small village but now on the southern outskirts of Ayr, is the birthplace of Robert Burns (1759–96), Scotland’s national poet. The several places associated with the writer have been linked together under the auspices of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum.
Murdoch’s Lone, KA7 4PQ, plus other locations • Daily 10am–5pm • Museum and cottage £9; NTS • 01292 443700, burnsmuseum.org.uk
The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum on Murdoch’s Lone displays original manuscripts and some of Burns’ personal belongings, adding a good dash of technology and interactive elements. The writer was born in what is now known as Burns Cottage: a low, whitewashed, single-room thatched cottage half a mile north of the museum on Alloway (the B7024), where animals and people lived under the same roof.
You can still see the plain, roofless ruins of Alloway Kirk, two minutes walk west of the Burns Museum, where Robert’s father William is buried, and where Burns set much of Tam o’ Shanter. Down the road, the Brig o’ Doon, the picturesque thirteenth-century humpback bridge over which Tam is forced to flee for his life, still stands, curving gracefully over the river. High above the river and bridge towers stands the Burns Monument (daily: April–Sept 9am–5pm; Oct–March 10am–4pm; free), a striking Neoclassical temple in a small, carefully manicured garden.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE alloway
By bus To reach Alloway from Ayr town centre, take bus #8 or #361 from Sandgate (Mon–Sat hourly). Both services stop on The Loaning, a short walk east of the museum.
Maybole, 10 miles south of Ayr, KA19 8LE • Castle Easter–Oct daily 10.30am–5pm (last admission 4pm) • £15.50, includes country park; NTS • Country park Daily 9.30am to dusk • £10.50; NTS • 01655 884455, nts.org.uk/Visit/Culzean-Castle-and-Country-Park
Sitting on the edge of a sheer cliff, looking out over the Firth of Clyde to Arran, Culzean Castle (pronounced “Cullane”) couldn’t want for a more impressive situation. The current castle is actually a grand, late eighteenth-century stately home, designed by Scottish Neoclassical architect Robert Adam. Adam’s most brilliantly conceived work is the Oval Staircase, where tiers of classical columns lead up to a huge glazed cupola. Other highlights include a portrait of Napoleon by Lefèvre, a superb Chippendale four-poster bed and a boat-shaped cradle. Many folk come here purely to stroll and picnic in the castle’s 500-acre country park, mess about by the beach, or have tea and cakes.
Just north of Cumnock, 13 miles east of Ayr, KA18 2NJ • Prebooked guided tours only (1hr–1hr 30min): April–Oct Mon–Fri & Sun 10.45am & 3.30pm, Sat 10.45am & noon; Nov–March Sat & Sun 12.15pm & 1.45pm • £9 • 01290 421742, dumfries-house.org.uk • From Ayr take the #42 bus to Barony Rd, Auchinleck, just before Cumnock (every 30min; 30min); the house is signposted and 1.5 miles to the south
Rescued from exponential dilapidation by a consortium led by Prince Charles, the handsome Palladian villa of Dumfries House is an essential stop for anyone with an interest in domestic architecture. Lively tours illuminate the beauty of the furnishings: the house was built and decked out swiftly – between 1756 and 1760 – meaning its Rococo decorative scheme is in perfect harmony with the graceful sandstone exterior. Chief among the treasures is a huge collection of Chippendale furniture.
IRVINE, twelve miles north of Ayr, was once the principal port for trade between Glasgow and Ireland, and later for coal from Kilmarnock. Its halcyon days are recalled in an enjoyable living-history museum, spread across several locations around the town’s restored old harbour.
The Linthouse, Gottries Rd, Irvine KA12 8QE • Daily 10am–5pm • £7.50 • 01294 278283, scottishmaritimemuseum.org
The Scottish Martime Museum is sread across several locations down at Irvine’s carefully restored harbour. The main exhibition is in the late nineteenth-century Linthouse Engine Shop, on Gottries Road, housing everything from old sailing dinghies and lifeboats to giant ship’s turbines. Free guided tours (1hr 15min) set off regularly for the nearby Shipyard Worker’s Tenement Flat; it has been restored to its appearance in 1910, when a family of six to eight plus a lodger would have occupied its two rooms and scullery. Moored at the pontoons on Harbour Street is an assortment of craft that you can board, including the oldest seagoing steam yacht in the country.
arrival and departure irvine
By train and bus Trains (from Glasgow roughly every 15min; 30–40min) and buses (from Ayr Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 55min) arrive at New St; from here it is a 5min walk southwest to the harbour.