Dumfries and Galloway

[Cookieboy68]

Have any of u funsters been around Dumfries and Galloway, were heading that way at the end of the month.
We are going around the coastal road to Oban then heading inland across to the A1 and back home .We only have a week so any advice on decent sites and places to visit would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Terry242]

A pop-up aire on the old WW11 airfield opposite the ferry port.

Cutting across country from Ayr to Moffat following the SW300 route.

 

[Orinoco]

Have any of u funsters been around Dumfries and Galloway, were heading that way at the end of the month.
We are going around the coastal road to Oban then heading inland across to the A1 and back home .We only have a week so any advice on decent sites and places to visit would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Try Castle Point , Rockliffe , nr Dalbeattie and Garlieston where there is a nice friendly pub with good food

 

[Rosemary1]

Not particularly aimed at you Robert, more for non area readers, I'd advise caution if crossing or exploring the Rhinns of Galloway (for example, the back road from Portpatrick to Sandhead) It's not that you couldn't manage the run in a larger vehicle....it's just that our farming chums have some monstrously big vehicles these days and the sight lines can be very short due to the switchback nature of most of the Rhinns roads. Although some of them may be marked as "B" roads, "C" would be nearer the mark. My advice to the OP would be stick to "A" roads wherever practical even though it means adding some extra miles.....much preferable to meeting John Deere or Massey Ferguson face to face ....nice chaps that they might be .

For the OP, Aird Donald campsite in Stranraer is a decent place to use as a base to explore the area. It's cash only sales and bookable on line, it's also a listed site with the C&CC. Stranraer has the usual big brands (Morrisons, Tesco, Aldi etc) but the smaller guys are there too such as bakers, butchers ,cafes and a few decent restaurants. Whatever your plans...and you've had some top tips above, enjoy your trip and beware, D&G has a strange habit of drawing people in (and keeping them there).

There is a Lidl which is easy to get to and plenty of space to park there If you need a shop. Large free car parks on the front too usually with a lot of space (not this weekend - Stranraer oyster festival!) and quick walk across the road to town with as you say plenty of eating places and little shops. Lots of places to park up with beach views overnight heading up-to Ayrshire or down towards Mull of Galloway. Enjoy - gorgeous area

 

[Rosemary1]

My advice is to avoid the Aire in Ayr, it's in a very busy car park which is famous for Spotty McSpotface flying round the car park at 3.30 in the morning in his Uno round the toono with the techno up high. Girvan Aire is really nice though.

And Dave’s shack there does lovely haggis baps and rocky road cakes

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[Rosemary1]

View attachment 658320
A pop-up aire on the old WW11 airfield opposite the ferry port.
View attachment 658321
Cutting across country from Ayr to Moffat following the SW300 route.

Did you pan for gold and visit the mines there?

 

[Cookieboy68]

And Dave’s shack there does lovely haggis baps and rocky road cakes

Mm not sure about Haggis baps.well as the old saying goes "When in Rome"

 

[Wildbill]

I am considering going back up that way again pondering taking my kilt.I do like whareing it
just never worn it as casual whare
Bill

 

[Terry242]

Did you pan for gold and visit the mines there?

No, missed out on that!

 

[Alex Brownlie]

Have any of u funsters been around Dumfries and Galloway, were heading that way at the end of the month.
We are going around the coastal road to Oban then heading inland across to the A1 and back home .We only have a week so any advice on decent sites and places to visit would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Don’t miss Kirkcudbright.

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[namwaldog]

Stayed last night at the "Aire" at Ballantrae, Sth Ayrshire. Very quiet, well lit, paid by phone £10.

Moved down to Mull of Galloway. Coffee at Portpatrick Lighthouse car park.

 

[Chasnam]

View attachment 657982

Another vote for here great location the farmer is brilliant to talk to , watch for the seals in the bay.
Rough road down to it but doable
Chasnam

 

[pampam]

When you are going over to moffat if you cant get on a site
Howslack farm annan water is a cmc cl and is lovely

 

[mitzimad]

dont miss the devils porridge museum near gretna nothing to do with porridge

 

[CarlandMandy]

We have just returned from a week in D&G, no motorhome yet for various reasons, but we drove past so many small, lovely sites and places where people were wild camping, we said if we get a MH, we'll be straight to D&G. Roads are lovely, traffic non existent. We walked in the forest from the Kirroughtree Visitor Centre a few times and there were a few vans that had been parked up overnight just getting up when we arrived. So many small coastal places as already mentioned. Mull of Galloway area was gorgeous - you just have to visit Port Logan - pull up in the one small free car park a few steps above the beach and walk down a few steps to heaven. The day we were there 2 MHs were pulled up for the day doing just that. So many small wonderful finds. Whole area down to Isle of Whithorn as well. You can tell we love it just a bit!

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[CarlandMandy]

ps at Port Logan I think there was a sign to say small campsite on a farm just up from the beach for a longer stay

 

[jockaneezer]

I think they filmed the "Two thousand Acres of sky" show at Port Logan?

 

[angusboy]

Great place

 

[CarlandMandy]

I think they filmed the "Two thousand Acres of sky" show at Port Logan?

Yes, think so - hubby was reading about various things being filmed there, so we only stopped off for a quick look ...... and fell in love with the place

 

[ORPP2]

All of your posts make me want to visit D&G, especially as children we spent several holidays at Loch Ken. However, our mh is 8.5m long and we tow a trailer with our motorbike so I am anxious that we are too big for the roads. What do Funsters think? Should we choose somewhere just over the border as a base and then explore on the bike?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

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[Pausim]

We are visiting next week with 7m + car behind and I am not losing any sleep about the roads. Stranraer is a ferry terminal and the A roads look very good on Google street scene. If in doubt I check the roads on street scene, as far as I can see the roads north and south of the border are not very different.

 

[Terry242]

All of your posts make me want to visit D&G, especially as children we spent several holidays at Loch Ken. However, our mh is 8.5m long and we tow a trailer with our motorbike so I am anxious that we are too big for the roads. What do Funsters think? Should we choose somewhere just over the border as a base and then explore on the bike?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Most of our 400 plus miles were on 2 lane roads and would not present a problem. As long as you do a little research before, you’ll be fine.

 

[Otter Spotter]

There is a very nice CL type site just outside Castle Douglas.
It's called Mollance & they have 5 motorhome pitches, all with EHU, sustainably heated toilet which is always immaculate. Dogs on leads are welcome.
The couple who run it are called Sheena & Derek, the place is very peaceful & only 2- or 3-minutes' drive from Castle Douglas.

We only live 36 miles from the site & even though it's only a short hop away, we love going there.

They also have a CMC CL for 5 vans, & they are usually open all year.

I can second that

 

[poppycamper]

dont miss the devils porridge museum near gretna nothing to do with porridge

Passed that museum a 100 times heading South/North and always said must visit.. so yes we did visit yesterday.
Have to say underwhelmed... yes lots of info about 1st and 2nd world wars but I was expectecting more on the subject it is there for... IE the explosive factory that once took up so much of the land in that area.
Have to say I learnt so much more from the Internet before visiting.
Disappointed

 

[poppycamper]

I think they filmed the "Two thousand Acres of sky" show at Port Logan?

Yes they did indeed.!!!@

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[lorger]

I think they filmed the "Two thousand Acres of sky" show at Port Logan?

Yes, think so - hubby was reading about various things being filmed there, so we only stopped off for a quick look ...... and fell in love with the place

They also filmed the Gerrard Butler film there a couple of years ago, think it was called keeper about a lighthouse keeper's ghost

 

[Guffy60]

And Legend of of King Arthur was filmed near Dumfries in 1979, with some of my old friends from Dumfries taking part in the riding scenes.

 

[mitzimad]

Passed that museum a 100 times heading South/North and always said must visit.. so yes we did visit yesterday.
Have to say underwhelmed... yes lots of info about 1st and 2nd world wars but I was expectecting more on the subject it is there for... IE the explosive factory that once took up so much of the land in that area.
Have to say I learnt so much more from the Internet before visiting.
Disappointed

strange as we found it an excellent museum with lots of info

 

[poppycamper]

strange as we found it an excellent museum with lots of info

Yes that's what I said.. very informative and lots of Info on 1st and 2nd World Wars.. but as I said I was expecting more on the reason the museum is there for... ie HM Factory Gretna... the greatest munitions factory at the time, which i personally found a bit lacking.

 

[lorger]

And Legend of of King Arthur was filmed near Dumfries in 1979, with some of my old friends from Dumfries taking part in the riding scenes.

Wicker man was also filmed in the region and until Covid a wicker man festival was held yearly

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[Pausim]

All of your posts make me want to visit D&G, especially as children we spent several holidays at Loch Ken. However, our mh is 8.5m long and we tow a trailer with our motorbike so I am anxious that we are too big for the roads. What do Funsters think? Should we choose somewhere just over the border as a base and then explore on the bike?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

We have been here in D&G for more than a week now and driving is a pleasure. Very little traffic and generally good roads. Parked up on the A702 for half an hour and we were passed by 3 cars and a bicycle.To be honest I am not looking forward to rejoining the crowded roads back in England.