Scotland….Dumfries and Galloway

[Moonlightfrog]

Looking for places to visit. We are travelling up from the far south and it’s our first trip to Scotland. Me and 2 older dc, one with some mobility issues. We did plan on Edinburgh zoo but reading the reviews it seem it’s pretty hilly? Can anyone recommend end and nature reserves or places we can view deer or highland cows near Dumfries? Also places to eat? We will be spending one day in the Lake District on the way up and then 4 days in Dumfries.

We went to Galloway Red Deer Range and found it brilliant.
My dc enjoyed the Mostly Ghostly Tour, biking at 7stanes Mabie and 7stanes Ae and Westjet Park. We self catered most of the time but did eat in The Globe Inn in Dumfries.

Thank you

I recently spent a week working in Dumfries and really liked it. Ate one night at the Swan pub on the river which was lovely. We stayed at the holiday inn at the Chrichton which is an amazing place. Ex psychiatric hospital but now home to several universities and businesses. The grounds are beautifully kept and very interesting and I think would be pretty accessible for someone with mobility issues.

There's a red kite feeding centre which is great - Laurieston I think.
The porridge museum is small and marvellous . And not about the cereal.
Kitchen Coos for the highland cattle - it's a bit of a trek from Dumfries though and gets booked up quickly.
Solway Firth is beautiful.

Steam boat inn is lovely for food - carsethorne.
If you fancy a bit of a drive north the kelpies (for me ) is a must see, along with the Falkirk Wheel.

There's a red deer range at newton Stewart - I've never been though

Arbigland Gardens is well worth a visit. I was also going to recommend the Cream O Galloway farm for amazing ice cream but it looks like it’s closed just now.

I wouldn’t go all the way to Edinburgh for the zoo - is pretty hilly, but also a whole day of your trip and there’s plenty things that would be higher up my agenda if I only had a day to devote to Edinburgh.

Bainloch Deer Park is about half an hour away from Dumfries, they do tours around the deer park, and they’ve got a cafe with a viewing area into the deer park. Plus an escape room, but we didn’t try that!

Thank you, I think we will stay away for Edinburgh zoo, I just need to persuade dd that it’s not worth the trek. I would rather see other things too.

The Cream o’Galloway visitor centre’s closed, but the Drummuir Farm ice-cream parlour is still going, and that’s a lot closer to Dumfries.

The Galloway Forest dark skies park is close to Dumfries and the number of stars you can see is amazing if you get out there on a clear night

Would echo Bainloch and the red deer range also Bellymack farm near Lauriston for red kites. Dalscone farm park on Dumfries outskirts has highland cows and a recent calf as well as Fiona the rescued sheep and many more animals. Beltie cows can be seen in many fields. So much wildlife here and lovely gardens, coast and countryside. Kirkcudbright is a lovely small town to visit among many.