Kirkwood Holiday cottages, things to do

PLACES TO VISIT IN DUMFRIES AND GALL0WAY

Just outside Dalton, on the Carrutherstown road, there is an excellent Pottery and within Dalton Village there is a Dolls Museum.
Ecclefechan, has the birthplace of writer Thomas Carlyle which is open to the public (N.T.).
There is a Sheepdog Centre at the fishery in Moffat giving daily demonstrations of sheep-dog handling.

In Dumfries, the Museum exhibits local history of the land and people;
Camera Obscura is a table top screen showing panoramic views of the surrounding area;
Robert Burns Centre tells the story of the poet's final years in the 1790's;
Burn’s House was where he lived. He lies in a mausoleum only yards away.

Near Dumfries Caerlaverock Castle is a triangular shaped ruin dating from the 13th Century,
Comlongon Castle, Clarencefield,is a 15th Century tower.
Shambellie House at New Abbey, has a museum of costume.
Drumlanrig Castle, Thornhill has works by Rembrandt; Leonardo de Vinci; Gainsborough; Reynolds; Kneller and Van Neer.

Threave gardens, at Castle Douglas are outstanding.(N.T.)
Broughton House, Kirkcudbright was home, and has works, of the artist E A Hornel.
There is a World famous archaeological dig at Whithorn uncovering a 1500 year old settlement.

There are plenty of Galleries and Studios in the area. Cinemas are in Dumfries (2), Lockerbie & Annan. Dumfries has a Theatre, and an ice rink open all year, while Lockerbie has an ice rink that is closed in the summer.

Shopping
Lockerbie is the local town and is most suitable for day-to-day shopping. There are supermarkets, newsagents, gift shops, an antiques shop, off licences, butchers, grocers, chemists, and doctors. Annan is a similar size to Lockerbie and has a swimming pool and tennis courts.

Dumfries is a larger town with a better selection of shops available, including: Littlewoods, Marks & Spencers, Boots, Menzies, W H Smith, Woolworths. There are fishing tackle shops (Patties), antiques shops and a public swimming pool. Carlisle is a bigger shopping centre with large supermarkets and arcades.

COUNTRYSIDE

Wildlife & Ornithology
Kirkwood has an abundance of wildlife. Visitors might see: Deer; Badgers; Foxes; Otters; Red Squirrels; Stoats; Buzzards; Sparrow Hawks; Merlins; Kestrels; Herons; Kingfishers; Gooseanders; Mergansers; Grebes; Sand Pipers; Oyster Catchers; Swans; Duck; Geese; Woodpeckers and many other birds and animals. Additionally there are many local wildlife attractions such as the Wildlife and Wetlands Centre, Caerlaverock (tel. 01387 770200) where 12,000 Barnacle geese winter each year along with duck, waders, swans.

Cycling
Our rural countryside is ideal for cycling, with quiet roads (& not too many hills!) and we have bikes available for hire. Booking is recommended though.

Country Sports & Horse riding
Dumfriesshire Countryside is popular with Country Sportsmen and ladies. We can direct visitors to good places for shooting, stalking, wildfowling or hunting at the appropriate times of the year and there are plenty of horse riding opportunities.

Country Walks
Cottage visitors can walk in peace and quiet at Kirkwood. There are walks through beautiful mature oak woods and along the river. The farm and wildlife must not be disturbed nor should ANY litter be left.

There are other attractive walks at Burnswark, Ecclefechan (with 2 Roman siege camps on the slopes); Hoddom, Ecclefechan (through lovely woodlands); Grey Mares Tail (N.T.), north east of Moffat on the A.708 (with a 200 ft waterfall and Peregrine Falcons from April to June - on camera).

Water Sports
There is sailing at Castle Loch, Lochmaben - 4 miles from Kirkwood. The Galloway Sailing Centre, Loch Ken, Castle Douglas (tel. 01644 200626) has sailing (tuition available), water skiing, and rowing boats.

Seasides
Near Annan is Powfoot Beach - suitable for picnics and paddling but not good sand. By driving nearly an hour, visitors can reach good sand beaches at Sandyhills, Southerness, Rockcliffe and Kippford which are all to the west of Dumfries.

ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
As an alternative to our self-catering cottages, we can book guests into a choice of Bed & Breakfasts, Pubs/Hotels, or when Kirkwood Cottages arefull, we can usually find alternative cottages, for a small booking fee.

For B&B, the Country House Restaurant & Pub, Dalton, is close to Kirkwood, and convenient, There is a double room with ensuite bathroom and 2 twin bedrooms with shared bathroom. The restaurant means that meals are on the spot. In Lockerbie Mrs. Mair, has a detached house, with two double rooms and one twin. For Hotels the Lockerbie Manor Country Hotel, is a lovely Georgian house set in beautiful surroundings about half a mile out of Lockerbic. The grades of bedroom vary from premier to standard; all have en suite bathrooms.

DO YOU EAT LAMB?
Visitors to Kirkwood are invited to buy top quality lamb - a whole lamb or half a lamb - to take home after their visit. Straight from the fields of Kirkwood, they are born and brought up, in the purest of ways - minimal use of drugs, fertilizers or chemicals and fed only on their mothers' milk, grass and (later in the year) some turnips, They are never brought in doors and hardly ever "handled" by humans. They have had a good life and they taste delicious.

Our lambs are killed at a Lockerbie Abattoir and cut by a Lockerbie butcher. Visitors have a choice of cuts and can benefit from real value for money.

EATING OUT

THE COURTYARD, Eaglesfield
Just South of Ecclefechan, 1 mile off M 74. Fresh food emphasis, in an original style. Well presented in a friendly atmosphere.12.00- 2.00 Bar lunches; 7.00 - 9.00 Restaurant dinners
Bookings advisable Tel: 01461 500215

THAI ORCHID / MURRAY ARMS
Dalton Village. The local Pub. Aon, the Publican's wife is Thai and so Thai food is totally authentic and now has a well deserved reputation. Also Bar meals and A La Carte.
Bookings advisable Tel: 01387 840635

BACK to Kirkwood cottages page

Kirkwood Fishings page