Superior Self Catering and B&B
Accommodation in ‘The Artists’ Town’ of Kirkcudbright.
Dumfries and Galloway is described by Visit Scotland as ‘The Natural Place to Live’. It is the third largest region in Scotland, covering 2,380 square miles, with a population of 147,765 at the last census. This gives an average of 60 people for every square mile, which is significantly lower than the Scottish average of 168 people. This reflects the peace and tranquility to be found in the sparsely populated rural areas of the region, offering a quality of life that is difficult to find anywhere else in Scotland.
Dumfries and Galloway acknowledges that as a tourist you are travelling to a place away from your local environment and in so doing expect to undertake and become involved in new experiences or further indulge an interest or hobby. We in Dumfries and Galloway can provide you with all of these against a backdrop of hills, moor, forests, lochs, rivers, beaches and rich farmland.
Natural History
These features provide a tremendous diversity of habitat for wildlife which include the Red Squirrel. Scotland has 75% of the British Red Squirrel population and 15% of these can be seen in Galloway. There are also Otter, Seal, Roe & Red Deer, Wild Goat, Pine Marten, Badger and Natterjack Toads. There are loch and river birds such as Heron and Grebe and the entire breeding population of Barnacle Geese from Svalbard in the high Arctic spend the winter on the shores of the Solway Firth. On the moors and in the woodland there are Golden Eagles, Hen Harriers, Buzzards and Owls but however, there are two birds in particular, the Osprey at Wigtown and the Red Kite at Loch Ken, which have been interesting projects developed in the last two years. For full information log on to The Red Kite Trail, Ospreys in Dumfries and Galloway and Keith Kirk's Natural History Website.
Arts & Crafts
The book, ‘Kirkcudbright’, (2000), edited by Patrick Bourne, describes the town and the surrounding countryside as “a gently seductive place” and tells how the artists from the Glasgow School of Painting used to come to Kirkcudbright in the summer months. The special transparency of the light and the ever changing scene encouraged several of the artists to stay on for the rest of their lives. The town supports a selection of galleries and craft shops, many showing the works of local artists and crafts persons. The ‘Spring Fling’ from 27th – 29th May, 2006, is an art and craft open studio weekend and is described as the most successful event of its kind in Scotland. Spring Fling Website.
During July and August the town promotes a prestigious art exhibition and in 2005 Kirkcudbright was proud to exhibit a collection from the Kelvingrove Gallery in Glasgow which included paintings by Monet and other well known Impressionists.
Sport and Outdoor Pursuits
Kirkcudbright has its own 18 hole golf course and there are over 30 other golf courses in Dumfries and Galloway catering for all handicaps and levels of expertise. There are also tennis courts in the town, a bowling green, a squash court and an indoor swimming pool.
Sea bathing, dinghy sailing and sea fishing can be enjoyed along the coast and in the sandy and sometimes rocky coves. Also, there is trout and salmon fishing in the lochs and rivers.
Cycling and Walking
There are many booklets available from the Tourist Information Centres which give examples of the many varied walks enabling the tourist to explore the surrounding countryside. The National Cycle Route 7 passes through Kirkcudbright and there are off road cycling routes through the Galloway Forests which cater for all stages of cycling skill.
Other Points of Interest
The ‘Food’ Town of Castle Douglas is barely 10 miles away and offers a good selection of shops purveying local produce. Wigtown, on the other hand, is known as Scotland’s National Book Town and has held this position for 6 years now. Wigtown is proud to have been host to the International Festival of Book Towns and has an annual Literary Festival where many famous names contribute to the event. Gatehouse of Fleet is an interesting, quiet hamlet which was home to several of the famous and very gifted Faed family of artists. When you are in this area you are recommended to pay a visit to Cream o’ Galloway and sample the luxury ice cream and much more. Finally, Dumfries and Galloway is extremely rich in historical heritage with many castles, archaeological sites and even the first monastery in Britain at the Isle of Whithorn where, in 397AD, St Ninian began his mission to preach the gospel to the tribes of Galloway and so laid the foundation for the Christian Church in Scotland.