What to do and see in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland: The Best Nature & Parks

A Nature Reserve set over a bog featuring hiking trails and picnic tables

Walk coast to coast across Southern Scotland along this 212 mile walking path, passing through a varied landscape of valleys, forests and rugged uplands, all steeped in Scottish history and tradition.

Welcome to Castle Kennedy Gardens, one of Scotland’s finest gardens, set in 75 acres and offering something for everyone to enjoy. From stunning fauna, to beautiful scenery, sculptured landforms, magnificent walks and popular bird hides, the Gardens are a hidden treasure in South West Scotland and a perfect haven for relaxing and exploring. The gardens and neighbouring Lochinch Castle also host civil and religious weddings and between them offer a diverse range of beautiful wedding venues for ceremonies and celebrations. We have a number of luxurious self-catering holiday cottages too for couples and families which are open for bookings throughout the year. Family home to the 14th Earl and Countess of Stair, the Gardens were the inspiration of the 2nd Earl of Stair in the 1730’s and are famous for colourful displays of Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Embothriums, many rare and exotic plants, 21 Champion Trees and a number of spectacular avenues and the romantic ruins of 16th Century Castle Kennedy. An elaborate series of terraces and land sculptures can be found throughout the Gardens forming stunning patterns of curves and banks. Despite their contemporary look and feel these were constructed in the 1730’s using men with carts and horse drawn equipment to move and mould the landscape. The stunning Avenues in the Gardens were originally planted with specimen seeds given by famous botanical explorer Joseph Hooker. Each Avenue was planted with a single type of tree, many of which can still be seen today. These include the 150 year old Monkey Puzzle Avenue, the Thuja Avenue and the Dettingen Avenue which is lined with evergreen oaks. The beautiful two acre Circular Pond filled with rare Victorian water lilies is also a highlight. Our charming Tea Room is the perfect place to enjoy a light meal of sandwiches, soup, baked potatoes, hot drinks, delicious home-baking and tasty children’s menu. Access to the Tea Room only is available without paying admission to the Gardens, making it an ideal journey break or unique location for a business or social lunch. This year we continue to enhance your visit to our Gardens with a wide range of events and activities for the whole family. These include weekly Ranger Activities which follow a monthly theme and our regular guided garden walks. And the romantic ruins of 16th Century Castle Kennedy provide a stunning backdrop to open air theatre productions. We hope you find a special event of interest to you and your family and enjoy your time in the Gardens.

Port Logan Fish Pond is a 200 year old sea fish larder near Port Logan on the beautiful Galloway coast in South West Scotland. This unique place is home to wide variety of local marine life and has a fascinating history. We are open every day from March to October 10 - 5.

A Great Day Family Fun Day Out - Rain or Shine. Dalscone is a family adventure farm located in Dumfries, Scotland. Here you can also visit Scotland's largest independent toyshop! Have fun in our huge indoor soft play area that is filled with ball cannons, slides and other exciting features. Explore our outdoor attractions for children and adults alike including trampolines, pedal karts, bumper boats and crazy golf! Take a ride around our Farmari where you can encounter llamas, donkeys, goats, pigs and more!

Galloway Forest Park is the UK's largest at over 97,000 hectares. it is only part of the wider Galloway forest area managed by Forest Enterprise Scotland at 116,000 hectares. it is a working living environment producing 650,000 tons of timber every year to make houses, pallets, paper and chip boards. The forest park is also host the UK's first Dark Sky Park. An area where the night time environment is protected for all living things and where you can see the universe open up in front of your very eyes - weather permitting! There is a superb red deer attraction that allows you to get up close to UK's largest mammal. Tours are available in peak season. The famous 7stanse mountain bike trails are also available along with many wonderful walking trails. its an outdoor extravaganza where you will often see nothing but nature and met nothing other than wildlife and fresh air. Three visitor centres are there to service your food, drink and information needs with friendly staff and likeminded visitors.