What a lovely relaxing garden! We were able to get in with our English NT membership. It is quite easy to find. Threave Garden is a little hilly, but not too much of a challenge and plenty of seats. Some spectacular trees and amazing flower borders too. Clearly a lot of love has gone into the place. I wish we had the energy to visit the nature reserve...maybe next time! The cafe had a lot of choice and was very clean. The staff were very friendly. There was an amazing view from the terrace, over the gardens and beyond.

Visited Threave Garden with my family , including 3 dogs. The car park was full on arrival at around 1130am but on speaking with staff we were advised to park on the grass verges on the approach road. We all ate at the restaurant and took advantage of the outside seating area, although dogs were allowed inside too. There were plenty of tables. There was a fair selection of foods available and vegan options too. Really reasonably priced also. The gardens were beautiful and very well maintained. Plenty of variety and lots of areas to walk around. Also we were able to get free entry with our English National Trust cards.

Great place to visit, easy walking and very peaceful with some lovely seating despite the number of visitors on the day. Good value and a very pleasant few hours in the many different themed areas of the gardens. The tea room and plant nursery areas were also very pleasant, we would certainly return.

Fantastic garden, well maintained by the garden team and trainees. Lots to see, a full day's visit even if the house is shut on your visit (we went on a Friday in mid-July). Scones were superb, one of the best had in Dumfries and Galloway.

Great spot for a wander, or to look at wildlife. Year round interest in gardens, which are approximately 60 acres. Sensible shoes required if you want to walk the woodland trails. The Walled Garden is very impressive, with fresh fruit and veg to buy!

Mature trees and plants great cafe with good menu the most beautiful veg garden i ve ever seen well worth a visit so interesting and unusual layout of garden and plants

Nice gardens (although we visited quite late in the season to see it at its best), with woodland walk and a nice cafe with friendly staff. Dog friendly too (on lead).

Carlingwark Loch is right next to Castle Douglas. As it was so hot and we didn't fancy travelling far, we thought we would spend a couple of hours here. It is really relaxing and feels very much like a family place. There were all kinds of people enjoying the area. Everyone seemed happy.

Nice Loch with grassy banks on one side, and a walk through wild bushes on the other.

A beautiful place right in the centre of town

Lovely park and loch just at the bottom end of the town. Play areas for the kids and peaceful surroundings.

A lovely little park with great views, very popular with dog walkers. You can walk round the loch but it is about three miles and very muddy in places, with some of the walk taking you on to side roads.

Great place for a walk.

A great walk enjoying the Loch and then through countryside via well laid out paths taking you in a clockwise route using some B roads. The Loch isn't too large and is just outside Castle Douglas so you can walk straight into the centre in a matter of minutes

Quite lovely wee park, especially if you are lucky enough to catch the sun. Very quiet. Nice for a relaxing walk or just chill and enjoy the view. Just wish it could be maintained more often.

It was disappointing compared to 20+ years ago. The carpark alongside the Loch has disappeared. We believe it is now the caravan park. The weather was poor so we didn't feel like walking around the Loch. Certainly is a sleepy town on a Sunday.

Well kept park with lovely view over the Loch

lovely clean well presented park. only downside some dog owners dont want to keep their dogs on leads. and telling someone who has a fear of dogs that "its only saying hello" does not cut it.

Great place for all the family lovely views

Amazing place

(Translated by Google) Great place to relax. (Original) Super miejsce na relaks.

Art by Angela Lawrence. Beautiful paintings of coastal views around Kirkudbright and surrounding areas among other views. Also place mats and mugs with prints of her art for sale. This shop has some of the best art works I've seen, I would definitely recommend this as a must visit when in Castle Douglas

Angela is clearly a very talented artist and her pictures convey the sense of light and space felt when visiting coast and hill country in the Dumfries and Galloway region better than any others that I have seen. She's also a very approachable person and happy to talk about her work even if you're not buying. I visited Clience Studio many times before eventually purchasing the small oil painting 'Balcary Bay Jewels' that now adorns my home office wall and helps count down the days before my next visit to this wonderful corner of Scotland. I shall be back soon...

Great little studio filled with fantastic seaside inspired art. Angela was really friendly and was actually working on a piece when we came in.

Beautiful artwork and a lovely lady

Really like this wee gallery in Castle Douglas . The art work is excellent.

Beautiful art work and a very nice lady.

Excellany place to relax.

Our second visit to this lovely café in the centre of town with great seating in the garden area or conservatory. Good coffee, service with a smile and quite simply the best scones ever and the wife states her lemon drizzle cake was pretty good too!

Lovely fast, friendly and efficient service for 10 hungry cyclists. We got a large table in the big garden out back (which you would never know existed from the Main Street). Great value for money and quality food.

First time visit to Castle Douglas and the wonderful Designs Gallery Cafe. Thoroughly enjoyed our lunch here - the Croque Monsieur was superb. Choice of eating inside or out and the sunny rear garden was very relaxing. Good customer service and good coffee. Thank you.

The staff are absolutely lovely, I only had a sandwich so I can't speak of the food really, you can't mess up a sandwich, however it was very nice! The best thing is how lovely the atmosphere is. The little garden makes a nice backdrop to your food and drink and feels like a mini escape. Highly recommend you try it out.

I went with friends on Saturday, (including my dog). The staff were so friendly and welcoming, and the food was great. They had a specials menu, which we tried, and the coffee was delicious! Dogs are welcome in the outside area, and there is a large covered area for shade, or from the elements, and dog bowls are dotted around the area. Definitely visiting again!

This café is amazing. Always clean and bright. A great menu offering delicious food. All the staff are so friendly and caring. We have been visiting every week for our lunch and it has always been delicious. 5 stars plus!

Nice shop with books and craft goods. Went to café but saw main meals not on till 11.30. We both went for eggs Benedict on sourdough toast. Unfortunately the poached eggs were overdone. Also we saw somebody getting soup that was listed in the menu as not before 11.30. Had we known we would have had that. Overall recommended to try it and the shop has some nice, but pricey, things.

What an amazing place. We came down with our dog who is quite old now and doesn’t like being left alone somewhere that she isn’t familiar with. A quick google search and it tells me this place is dog friendly. However being a “Greek” restaurant I wasn’t sure, until that was I saw the menu. It’s more akin to a Mediterranean Tapas place than just Greek stuff. It was great. Massive menu, the staff were very friendly and even gave Izzy, my dog, some water. Very dog friendly with a big sign in the door saying dogs are welcome. We planned on having dessert but after the starter and mains i was stuffed. We will 100% be back. Great place.

Amazing food with very large portions. If you get the sharing platter you will only need 3 dishes per person!!!

Made for a special birthday lunch! £110 for the 5 of us, absolutely worth it. The food! The bread was warm when that incredible sharing starter came out, all home made, the flavours of the humous, aubergine thingy, garlic dip and other thing was amazing and the portion sizes of our mains were plenty! I had the seafood pasta, the scallops, prawns, muscles and squid were cooked perfectly and I'd have it again. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Lovely smiley staff Our 6 month old daughter enjoyed herself too. great quality high chair, nice and clean and we were allowed to store our fold up buggy in the corner. There are changing facilities in the one woman's toilet, not sure if there is in the men's We will be back

Very tasty food, the atmosphere was lovely and the staff were fantastic. We ate a LOT and everything was delicious!

Food was very good and service excellent, just a little more expensive than at home. Glad we tried Nikos. It was popular with customers for takeaways while we were there.

Fantastic mezze served by fantastic staff. Cannot recommend this place enough. The restaurant itself is lovely and even though they were full it never felt overly noisy or too busy and the serving staff were all friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Nikos. Big thanks to all the staff!

Well I can only say amazing, food wonderful & service from everyone was great & thank you Martin for the warm friendly welcome

Today I visited with my mum who’s waiting on a cataract operation. Not owners fault but my mum asked to move from a two seat to an empty four seat table as sun was blinding her eyes, even after I changed seats? Other side seemed darker and since it was her first time there, I wanted her to be comfortable? Baring in mind there where no blinds in the windows and no ther empty tables and we had just ordered a lunch? I had been bragging to my mum about this dog friendly cafe that I had found and the fuss the owner had made of TED our silky Dashchund the other day? Once our coffees where served we where approached by the owner to say that it was really a table for four and why hadn’t we moved to a table of two?? I said unfortunately that there were no other tables to move to at that time, but couldn’t see the issue as we had ordered lunch and the cafe was not that busy, no one waiting? Owner walked away and then came back to repeat same question but to also say” if a family of four came in where would they sit”? The same argument could be said if I came in for lunch myself, would you put a man or another women opposite me in my table if teo( no you wouldn’t) I would object like most people would, who wants a stranger sitting beside them!!! Also the day I was in with my husband we had to wait for a table outside and then where taken to the exact table( check your cctv with not a moan? You can’t decide to change your rules day by day? Also castle Douglas was empty today but the other day we brought Ted our dog it was very busy( why did you put us at this table today doesn’t make sense? That’s because you want dog owners in your cafe?( more money) The same sign was on the table the other day, so make your mind up? Never had this ever happen anywhere, only good cafe owners would welcome 1 person on their own or 4? Crazy As you said today you need the business

We visited today for drinks and cake. Lemon Bakewell was gorgeous. Really enjoyed our visit.

We popped in for lunch on a visit to Castle Douglas to this wonderful dog friendly cafe. What a superb find, the food was amazing! We both had a toasted sandwich from the fab selection and shared. Chicken bacon brie and cranberry on one and chicken chorizo mozzarella and salsa both on brown. They were served with a side salad with balsamic dressing, coleslaw and nachos with a sweet chilli dressing. The bread was thick and chunky and it made a filling and delicious meal. The staff were very attentive, pleasant and super dog friendly. It got quite busy whilst we were there and I can see why.

If you are walking past this coffee shop, you might see a sign outside that says cake⬅️ pointing towards the business/ no cake➡️ pointing towards the street. Choose cake, always choose cake. They have a good selection of cakes available for takeaway as well as for people who want to sit in the coffee house with a drink. We will definitely be back

We were there on one of the wet days in April 25, the place was busy but we got a seat quickly, service prompt with a friendly server, the food was well presented and tasty. It was great value for money, busy and friendly, a nice place for lunch on a dismal day.

A lovely place to stop in for some food or a quick cake!! All the workers were lovely and friendly and service was quick (even though it was very busy when we went)!

Delicious home made cakes, beautifully displayed. Almost too many to choose from! We thoroughly enjoyed ours and the chai lattes were excellent.

Bit disappointed really. The service was very friendly and my main course of chicken kebab was fine but the sides were just plain boiled veg and quite dull. There's a balance to be had between waiting too long for food and being rushed. Our starters were barely finished when the mains came and we felt very rushed. In and out in 45 minutes.

Food is amazing. Service is great. Staff are really friendly. Prices are really reasonable. My wife and I both had steaks. Best steaks we've ever had. Cooked to perfection. It gets busy, so book in advance. Next time we're in Scotland, we will be back.

One of the hidden gems in the borders, from outside unassuming but once inside transported to your happy place. Check out the specials menu, lobster fresh from Solway Firth this morning. Lovely mix of herbs and spices all cooked fresh. Chef even popped out for feedback and ensure everything okay. Definately going back. Apologies food pics already started just too appetising to wait for pictures!!

As a chef myself I really find eating steak in restaurants difficult.... however Carlo's chef cooked my steak perfectly the attention to detail was lovely and refreshing! my prawns were huge, punching full of flavour! And my tiramasu was the best ive ever tasted!! the staff were lovely very friendly and attentive. can't wait to come back!! its a five star from me The Hungry Biker #TheHungryBikerFoodBlog #highlyrecomemded #hiddengems

Came here the first time and had dinner with friends. Such a lively place. Food is nice , especially the starter. Garlic bread is so soft , focaccia is yummy , salmon sauce is the best !

Very friendly and accommodating staff. We were walk ins and they still managed to find us a nice table. I would highly recommend this place if you love italian food, remember that pizza is not italian ;) so no pizzas there. Wine list a little expensive but it is a very nice restaurant. This is a very high end restaurant compared to the little town however my chicken was done with it being a little too chewy/dry in parts and others a little off texture. (Basically too high heat when cooking). There was a bit too much sauce with this meal, could have done with a sprinkling of cheese. My friends has a great meal and stated 5 stars. I would higly recommend this place with a solid 4 stars. Still room for a little improvement.

One of our favourite places to eat in Castle Douglas, if not our outright one. Proper authentic Italian food of really high quality, and they know how to entertain our 4 year old every time he's in. The fact they remember him is even better. Cannot recommend more highly.

Visited after comparing local fish and chip shops online (reviews, websites, pictures etc), decided to visit Moore's chip shop as it appeared to be the best option. I had the breaded haddock supper £10.50; whilst the fish itself was tasty, it was very thin (too crunchy therefore, and much thinner than a normal chip shop haddock) and was comparatively small. Chips were cooked well and there was a reasonable portion of them. The (80p) homemade tartare sauce was tasty. Took 25 minutes from the point of order for cooking and serving, which is perfectly acceptable. Friendly service and well organised operation, particularly given the busy queue. Overall due to the fish, whilst it tasted good, it did not represent good value for money when compared to fellow fish and chip shops.

Fish and chips at its best, freshly prepared, good size portions even for regular size. Very pleasant staff. Reasonable prices, £20.00 for 2, some may find this a little costly but you get what you pay for and the quality was so very good. We will be back before we go home 😁

Enjoyed a large haddock and chips supper with a side of (veggie) gravy. Perfectly cooked with crisp batter. Very popular when we visited with a decent queue, which is a good sign, but we were served quickly. You can also purchase a large range of ice cream too.

This is my favourite chip shop in Scotland. I just wanted to thank Abby and Lynne for all my chippy dinners. Amazing food and they always have it ready before I get through the door. Love this place, you're the best 😋

I'm often suspicious of chippy's that do burgers, pizzas and other stuff but we were passing and decided to get fish and chips for lunch. It was busy which, to us, was a good sign and we weren't disappointed. The fish was cooked fresh, nice and crispy, excellent tasty mushy peas and.tartare sauce. Very friendly staff too. Would 💯 go again!

Never in my life have we had such a disgusting meal from here. Me, my partner and my son had 2 haddock suppers and sausage supper, the chips were disgusting, the batter on the fish was soggy and full of grease. All 3 of us ended up ill. For a good chip shop the standards have gone drastically down hill. Waste of £ 33.00.would never ever recommend this place for what we received.

Had a superb fish supper from Moores recently - i've seen bigger portions but the food was top quality. What was most remarkable, was that even after a 20 minute car journey the chips and fish batter remained crisp and delicious! some sort of witchcraft on the go here i think.

Beautiful spot to visit !! I really enjoyed my trip to Red Deer Range. The area is peaceful and very scenic — even the drive there is lovely. There’s plenty of free parking with lots of space, which makes visiting easy. I bought some carrots and had a great time feeding the deer, which was such a nice experience. Definitely worth a visit if you enjoy nature and wildlife!

Really great up close encounter with the deer. You're invited to feed them carrots and apples (bring your own) and there's the option to camp overnight in your van for £10. There's a small hide which is a welcome break from the beautiful Scottish rain 🌧 😀

Near the car park with a little lookout on some red deer (looks like a bird watch house, just for deer)!. There are little holes in the fence to feed the deer some vegetables: I suggest apples and carrots, though no bread or sweets. You can get close ups of the deer sitting around in their habitats. Beautiful scenery!

Fab. Can get up close to these wonderful red deer. Don't forget to take apples or carrots as treats. Great photo opportunities.

What a great experience! The red deer are very sweet, and the hide has many windows through which visitors can feed them. Be aware, there is no way to purchase food on-site, so you will need to bring your own. The deer like fruit and vegetables, so things like carrots and apples are much appreciated. They can - and will - eat a surprising amount, so if you want to feed several deer, bring plenty of produce with you. The hide is a very, very short distance from the on-site car park, so the experience is great for those who cannot walk far. There are chairs in the hide for visitors to sit and observe the deer.

Excellent chance to get up close to these beautiful animals. Car park is literally a minute walk from the enclosure although very uneven/rubble under foot. Take a carrot or 3 and they'll eat from your hand ❤️

The fence has designated feed holes and if you go in the hut the windows lift down to feed for accessibility ♿️ ...take plenty of carrots 🥕 with you because you will feel like you haven't got enough for all...😳 Don't forget to feed mum and baby these are in the seperate metal gated pen next to the wooden feed fence.

We had a fantastic time Dragon boating and sailing with the Scout group! All the instructions were great and made the sessions fun and informative. We'll definitely be back! Thank you! 🤩

Went here for a kayaking session. The staff were very helpful and the loch is beautifully situated. You can either hire from the centre or bring your own equipment and pay a launching fee. There is a cafe and changing facilities on site. Parking is free for customers.

Our paddle board session with Sam was amazing, we felt safe and well instructed out on the water and had a great time exploring on the paddle boards. Would highly recommend to anyone and will certainly be back soon.

Hired a Mountain bike, I took my electric. Got taken across the lock in a boat and spent 3hrs gravel tracking. Picnic by the loch in solitude. Fantastic views. Staff are absolutely brilliant. Had a fantastic time.

Spent the morning here yesterday myself and 2 daughters aged 10&11. What a great day, all staff were very helpful and friendly. Special mention to Ray who was absolutely fantastic with the girls. My youngest can be a bit scared of things but he totally put her at ease. He was funny, professional, and really went above and beyond to make them enjoy this. He took them out to the water inflatables and i heard the little one cracking jokes so knew she felt safe with him. Was so reasonably priced for the time spent on the activity, the cafe was also very reasonable. The views are breathtaking, and was very dog friendly. Will 100% be back here.

Food in the cafe was lovely. Beautiful place. Dogs welcome.

Booked this a couple of days ago, highlight of our stay. Kids loved the high speed thrill ride. Staff were very friendly & knowledgeable to guests and care for local wildlife. Thanks for our boat ride

Private site but there is access and limited parking at the gate. Grand old building now in a state of decay and not safe to go inside. Well worth a wander around.

Great spot for a little adventure, we spent roughly 1.5hr exploring the castle and grounds. It's very run down and the walls are crumbling away so not really safe to go inside however we did. There's a little passage way with some small rooms off to the side, two sets of stairs but again these aren't very safe, they are full of rubble, soil and sheep droppings, theres still some old features like chinmey stacks, old timber lintels and steel bars in some windows. In the grounds you will and find a overgrown walled garden and some old outbuildings but these might be privately owned so we stayed out of them.

Beautiful majestic ruins of the castle , they keep falling apart what a shame. Doesn't look like someone will invest and restore the castle. We went inside but be careful because I would say it's quite dangerous.

Beautiful ruins, not maintained so I wouldn’t go in A closed gate at the entrance but with steps to the side to walk down There is steps up to the castle but they’re within overgrown grass Inside is completely caved in and old metal reinforcements have fallen down Great for a quick walk round

Fantastic secluded ruin. A little difficult to find as sat nav takes you past it, but look for a large metal gate with a stile at one end and a small wooden gate at the other. Just follow the driveway up and Kenmure will appear through the trees. A very peaceful walk around the ruin and superb to explore if you're feeling brave. The castle is very unstable and wouldn't recommend going in, especially with kids but if you're brave enough you can get some fantastic photos.

Nice walk up to the castle, can see that it would have been gorgeous when it was in its original condition.

If you enjoy historical buildings in ruins then this might be one for you. We had a good look about the outer walls and if you're brave enough you might perhaps walk inside but there are plenty signs advising against this. There is no direct parking and a little bit of a walk up to it but that shouldn't put you off.

A lovely walk but unfortunately the hide are closed and the view out are largely overgrown

Disappointed.... Hides closed and a fallen tree blocked the trail so couldn't even walk that. Only saving grace was nice bird song on the walk. Viewing platform is ok and there is a bench, but you'll need good binoculars to see anything in the distance.

Lovely countryside, but hides are now closed. You still get access to a viewing platform, but you will need a long lens to see the water birds. The path to it has many small birds, warblers, tits etc. in the spring.

Nice walk with lovely scenery, although in parts uneven & muddy. 2 hides to view the wildlife. The 'Beeches hide' has flat level entry, but the 'Old hide' can only be accessed by stairs (in photo). Both contain info on birds you may see. The goose viewing point had good view, but no geese. The notice said usually there from October to April, we went in May ! There is a car park, free, but there is a RSPB donation point. No other facilities anywhere on the site.

Excellent place to view Red Kites. Small free car park at the entrance. A 5/10 minute walk from the car park there is entrance to a field leading to a small platform (with bench) where you can take in an almost 360 view of the area. In the winter, up until April, you can see the Geese that winter there from Greenland. On from the platform there is a lengthy trail that leads eventually to 2 separate hides. The reserve shares space with a farm, so you might need to make way in to the verges for the occasional tractor depending on the time of year. Unfortunately the hides were out of action when we went, and be warned there are no loos on site! You might want to drop in to one of the more local towns for a public loo before visiting.

A nice walk however the hides are shut due to structural issues and the viewpoints are overgrown restricting any good views across the loch.

This is a very quiet area to visit and has a small free car park. The hides were closed when we visited due to structural work needed, which was disappointing. The gravel path is on the flat and easily navigated but the walk to the hide areas might be too long for some. When the hides are open there is disabled parking for a couple of cars but it is more forest track then country road. The area is teeming with wildlife if you are prepared to look and the walks are very pleasant. I've been several times while on holiday so I obviously enjoy the site but it isn't quite the same with the hides closed ☹️

A great place with lovely views. We spent the morning with the kids on a fun filled little adventure to find the 12 fairy locations. A cafe is also on site with toilets which was ideal. There was luxury pods on the site which look amazing if anyone would consider staying there because I certainly would.

Great place to take the kids for a nice walk, grab a coffee or bite to eat from the cafe and look at the horses. For those who like to wander a bit further there is a long route around barstobrick and up to the monument.

Unfortunately Google is incorrect, we came at 10am on a Friday (Google says open from 9am) and the cafe (where you pay to get in) looked like it was closed for the season. No sign of anybody around. Trail looked lovely, but could not access.

Good fot children 5 and under but could do with a few fairies for the children to find

So much fun for adults and children. I highly recommend.

Close even though there website said open till 3 appears to only be open Saturday and Sunday.

(Translated by Google) A nice attraction for kids. (Original) Fajna atrakcja dla dzieciaków.

We stopped at The Old School House during our motorhome trip, and it was such a great find. From the moment we walked in, we were made to feel welcome. Although, my wife and I couldn’t help but laugh when the server mentioned they were really busy, and there were only four other people in the whole place and loads of empty tables! It gave us a good chuckle, but they seated us anyway, which we were happy about. It was a chilly day, so we both went for the soup of the day – tomato. Normally, tomato soup doesn’t excite me much, but wow, this one was incredible! You could tell it was freshly made from scratch, and it was packed with flavour. We also shared a brie, cranberry, and ham panini, and it was just perfect – warm, gooey, and delicious. The lady who served us was so lovely and friendly, which just made the experience even better. We left feeling full, happy, and properly warmed up, ready to continue our adventuring. If you’re ever in the area, definitely pop in. Great food, great people!

Amazing local food at a fair price served by helpful friendly staff. Go soon as it's moving to Castle Douglas in March

Enjoyed a Christmas lunch with my husband and I. Booked our table before hand. Able to order from whole menu till last orders taken at 3.30pm. We arrived at 3. Would recommend the Christmas menu! Staff and service great. Looked very festive. Thank you for a lovely meal.

We were here today as a group of 7 and every meal was cooked and presented to perfection. Everything was fresh and hot. The service was also second to none! A fantastic meal to celebrate a special occasion, we will return!

We had pie and chips before a long journey home and wow they did not disappoint. The food was freshly made, lovely and hot, great service with a smile and courteous, the portions were nice and big worth every single penny. We took our cake desserts away with us and again absolutely delicious. We can't wait to come back again. Thank you so much. Did Scotland proud yummy.

Absolutely brilliant, can’t recommend highly enough. We spent a few days in Castle Douglas for winter break and noticed this place after driving past a few times and decided to stop in on our last day. Despite being a random week day in the middle of Jan, it was surprisingly busy, most the tables had been reserved. Staff were not just that fake kind of polite from forced customer service, but genuinely nice. They were warm and friendly. The food was amazing, I opted for the salad with fish and meat and it was delicious. So fresh, wonderfully presented and so much flavour and much more than I could manage (looking around at other orders, it seemed generous portion sizes were common). Husband had the sausage and bacon pie and he too was very enamoured.

Easy access from main road, good sized car park, lovely old building with high ceiling. Selection of delicious cakes and tray bakes as well as a full lunch menu & desserts.

An amazing experience to see over 100 Red Kites. Considering it was nearly an endangered species. The place is lovely to spend an afternoon. £7.50 to get in at the time of posting. Worth it. As it helps with the upkeep of the place and of course food for the birds. Lovely staff and a nice place to get a cake and coffee.

Absolutely amazing place. Make sure you get there for 2pm feeding time. We got there 30 minutes before and hundreds of kites where waiting in the sky and trees. 100% must see. .

What a fabulous place. The setting is beautiful We arrived at 1.15pm. Paid our reasonable £7.50. Dogs welcome. Sat on the terrace and were royally entertaining by scores of Red Kites.

Wonderful spectacle at feeding time! Plenty of seating both in and outside. Friendly staff. The cafe sells coffee and cakes - as feeding time is 2pm, it would have been good if they could also do light savoury snacks such as sandwiches for visitors.

It's £7.50 per person cash or card, as of July 2025. Just helpful up-to-date info. It's also a fascinating and capturing experience. The Kite's are huge birds, 60-70 of them swooping down at speed (and a single seagull named Simon), to get her food. I suggest getting their about 1pm to find a good spot, and staying once most people have left, as they then come back to get the left overs.

I love this place !! We last came about 9 years ago and it’s amazing to see them doing so well! Lovelly staff and lovely cafe. Dog friendly too which is a huge bonus

A must if your in the area stunning views very helpful and polite staff red kites get fed at 2pm it's a experience not ro be missed

Lovely walk with Kites and Buzzards overhead. Quiet hides and plenty of lovely benches to sit and think. Very helpful volunteer at the main office and I believe that boat trips to the castle are available when volunteers are available. Sadly not when we visited but that didn’t spoil our enjoyment

Nice looking castle from afar unfortunately the boats were off the day wee went, lovely surroundings though had a nice walk round.

Unfortunately, this is the third Historic Scotland site I have visited in Dumfries within 4 days that has been closed, with the same signs and no hint of when it might reopen. It's a nice walk across the nature reserve to see the castle from a distance but ultimately it's currently a walk with a view of a castle. It's a shame you can't even go on the boat and walk around the outside, even if you can't go inside.

Great return visit to Threave Castle. We just come for the nature trail walk which was great. Even discovered some new parts this year. Enjoyed watching the Peregrine Falcons on the castle, didn’t see the Ospreys this time. Well worth a visit if you are in the area - especially if you link in with a trip into Castle Douglas and a visit to Threave Gardens!

Castle on an island. You can't get across but there's a lovely circular walk of about 2k , with lots of benches and bird hides and ospreys were nesting in April. Car park. Allow an hour

A great place for a short walk, 1 to 2 miles. You can't access the castle itself but you get good views of it. The walk has multiple hides for nature watching. We saw ospreys!

This is a fantastic castle that sits on its own island there is a free car park that leads onto the walk to the castle which is 0.5 miles away the footpath is very well maintained and could be accessed via a good mobility wheel chair.There are various hides for bird watching mainly the ospreys that nest nearby. The castle itself is closed due to the ongoing HSE reviews that seem to have closed almost all historic Scotland sites which I don't agree with as no work seems to be going on at any of them that I have seen but the views are worth while as are the ospreys however I didn't see them on the day we visited there is a visitor center at the car park.

Went to a funeral in the building sad day but lovely surroundings

TLC café well worth a visit, good food at a ridiculously low price which benefits the local community.

Great for large meetings and coffee making area.

Very friendly and family oriented

Spacious.

Its rubbish

Friendly church

What an excellent find while on holiday! We couldn't believe the quality and exceptional value for money of this place. The other reviews about being the best hot chocolate ever weren't wrong. Will absolutely be returning on our next trip! We live 7hrs drive away so now hoping they deliver 🤞🙏

Great little local shop, helpful service with quality chocolates. Nice atmosphere and welcoming staff. Will recommend. Thanks

In CD for the day with our dog and looking for a coffee....made to feel very welcome! Lovely HOT coffee served with our choice of two chocolates each. Delicious! Very reasonable too.

Some of the best hand made chocolates I've had. Bought lots of little boxes for friends. Highly recommend

The most delicious hot chocolate ever…. Rich, velvety and even had oat milk! Also great value for money! Amazing💕

Fabulous hand made chocolates. Lovely shop serving hot chocolate of the best quality. Wish they did orders on line.

If you love chocolate this is the place to go. Best chocolate ever. Their hot chocolate is to die for with a good selection of fresh coffee. Staff love the locals are lovely too we are regulars. Hopefully see you there. 😘

Jason and Kirsty went above and beyond clearing out my parent's house! So much work that needed to be done and they did it promptly and professionally. It now looks awesome, ready for sale with Jason staging furniture for photos and viewings. Thanks so much!

Jason & Kirsty went above and beyond in the supply and delivery of our chesterfield sofa. They were very patient with our indecisiveness on which room it should be in. They helped us try both rooms. No mean feat with a 7.5 ft sofa! Highly recommended a wander round their shop.

So so good I bought a painting great price great service Jason delivered it and hung it for us fabulous

A great new addition to Castle Douglas with your new shop. Lots of very interesting items to tempt the discerning buyer. Please don't miss the Gallery upstairs. Currently the artist Gerard Burns has an excellent exhibition of the most wonderful oil paintings. The brush work and the exquisite skin tones have to be seen to be believed, it all took my breath away. Good luck with your future exhibitions.

Recently visited the new shop. Delighted with my new purchase of garden Buddha. Lots of traditional and quirky items. Friendly and helpful. Definitely worth a visit.

Wonderful store with a beautiful range of antiques for sale. There is something for every size of budget, with beautiful and quirky items for your home, but also some items which would make amazing Christmas, or wedding gifts. The jewellery range is my personal favourite followed closely by some stunning art. This is an antique store which makes you feel like you have stepped into a magical world from the past and the owners are warm and welcoming. I bought some wonderful vintage brooches and have my eye of a couple more items for the future! Highly recommended for a visit.

A beautiful shop full of a variety of high quality goods. The service was excellent and Jason was happy to spend time chatting. It was a lovely friendly experience. Loved the gallery upstairs with a fantastic exhibition of stunning paintings.

Not even spent night yet but place and surroundings are stunning. So peaceful. Owners very kind and helpful. Historic too!

We had a great stay at this historic castle. It was situated in the country, very cute and Tobias, the owner took great care of us. He gave us a tour of the castle. Explain some of the history we served our breakfast in the room. It was a very special stay and we will always remember.

Faultless two night stay in the Munches Room. Spotlessly clean, beautifully decorated, welcome sherry, soft mattress, superb shower. Castle grounds and resident peacock charming. Tobias was a perfect host, gracious in his preparation and serving of breakfast in the castle dining room, was too cold to eat in the Great Hall. Owner, and Baron, James, was an equally friendly, delightful, informative and welcoming host. We were fortunate to meet, and spend time with a fellow guest, a Polish priest currently living in Edinburgh. We leave with many memories to treasure. Thank you James and Tobias.

A unique and outstanding place to enjoy a few nights away. The castle is steeped in history and blessed with charming hosts. It's not very often you get to have breakfast in a castle! We highly recommend this as a place to stay - it's also a great place to explore this beautiful area.

So glad we found this gem, we had a brilliant stay. Loved the history and ambience. Tobias couldn't do enough for us, excellent communication throughout. We had booked a restaurant for dinner 5 miles away but couldn't get an available taxi. We ordered a delivery instead and Tobias gave us plates and cutlery etc. The grounds are beautiful, we met the resident peacock and loved watching the house martins and swallow from the hot tub. We will definitely be back. No TV in the room but that was not an issue for one night. Breakfast in the medieval hall was the icing on the cake.

It's a great place to stay. We stayed in the Lady Maxwell room, which was very cosy and comfortable. There was no TV, which made it more interesting. The breakfast was excellent. James was a brilliant host. Highly recommended.

Absolutely wonderful weekend spent here. Beautiful room clean and comfortable. Tranquil and peaceful with lots of gardens and woods to explore and enjoy with benches to rest upon if needed. Tobias is a fabulous host really helpful and knowledgeable. We stayed in the lovely lady maxwell room and had a wonderful home cooked breakfast in the great hall. Absolutely perfect 👌would definitely recommend.

Enjoyed a really excellent lunch here today. Food is outstanding. With an open kitchen, you can see the chefs preparing your dishes. Everyone was really friendly and professional. Outstandingly good. Will definitely come back here again. Thanks for a great lunch.

Wow, what a brilliant place. Had dinner here with friends. The atmosphere is relaxed and informal with none of the pretence you can get with other fine dining establishments. Make no mistake - this is fine dining - every course was a delight. A great experience, loved by locals and the national press alike. I'll be back.

Drove over from Glasgow to eat at Mr Pook's. Was not disappointed! Absolutely fantastic. Painstakingly made, all ingredients were locally sourced and the open kitchen was a treat to watch. Edward has really elevated the dining scene in the region and beyond! Word of advice; book well in advance!

Superb from start to finish. I emailed to book and Chef Pook fitted us in at the time we wanted. Upon arrival we were greeted by the friendly front of house team, who showed us to our table, talked through the specials, provided a bottle of water and took our drinks order. There is an extensive drinks menu, plenty of good cocktails, wines and beers. I opted for a negroni which was excellent. We were then brought a caramelised onion, goats cheese and pickle crostini, very nice. This was quickly followed by home made bread and then a soup in an espresso cup, made from foraged mushrooms, the best mushroom soup I have ever tasted. We ordered our meal, I must admit this was difficult as I could have chosen everything on the menu and specials! The menu offered fantastic Scottish produce, local and in season. All starters looked fantastic and the scallop and mushroom dish I had was absolutely superb and went well with the Grenache blanc The mains arrived, all looked to die for. The braised beef cheek with polenta and foraged mushrooms was my choice and I was not dissapointed, it was a lovely dish washed down with a good pinot. We could not resist the deserts and I could not resist a glass of tokaji to go with it. Our group loved the food, service and environment, thoroughly enjoying the experience. I will definately return when the opportunity arises. Edward Pook is a brilliant chef, with a great team and his restaraunt is amazing, a must visit for anyone looking for amazing food at good value,

A pleasant dining experience. We booked the table through email from the night before and had a response back the next following morning.. the food was excellent had given a complimentary appetiser and soup which was a surprise and a nice start for the meal. Ordered pea and early season garlic risotto for starter it was amazing and slow braised ox cheek to tasty.. can't fault it however the only thing we noticed is one of our server put our cutleries on the wrong position but it's nothing major over all would recommend this place and would definitely coming back again..

Can’t believe I recently found out about this place. Had a wonderful family evening for mum’s birthday. The staff was amazing and the food extremely delicious. Highly recommend it for anyone in Castle Douglas or just visiting and looking for a place to dine in a good atmosphere.

Had dinner here with my partner last night and can honestly say it was one if the nicest meals I've ever had in a restaurant. The starter, main and dessert were all on par with each other and so beautifully presented. We both had the Ox cheek raviolo, the lamb, and then I finished with the chocolate and raspberry dessert. The service was also great. Thank you so much for a beautiful meal, this is the highlight of our holiday so far!

Wow - looking for a place to eat on a Sunday and found the Olive Retreat. We went in hesitantly and the extensive menu catering for gluten free, plant based meals, smaller plates, and dairy free had us concerned they might be stretched too thin to be any good. How wrong we were. From the friendly welcome to the concern about our possible vegetarian needs (neither of us are but we love veggie dishes), the fantastic food, and the chat, we really enjoyed the visit. Well done the Olive Retreat: we will be back! 😊

Absolutely amazing meal out. Husband and I were a walk in, although I would recommend booking as very popular. I can see why, staff were awesome and food was absolutely gorgeous. Very much enjoyed. My husband even tipped and he never does that

Back here again, this time with 2 dogs and not just one. I came down to the area for one night to escape the craziness that is Edinburgh during the festival. With two dogs our eating options are limited, but thankfully this place is dog friendly. VERY dog friendly. Got seated and we asked if the dogs wanted some water, which was fully accepted. They then settled and we ordered some amazing food. Honestly, easily one of the best restaurants in all of Dumfries and Galloway by a mile. Just look at the menu and other reviews, it’s simply awesome. The sharing platter is so good. I had the gyros for main and warm gooey brownie for dessert. Oh, the owner gave each of our dogs some homemade dog ice cream, banana and peanut butter flavored!!! So amazing.

Superb food - had the Sunday roast, divine. Beef was melt in the mouth and all the accompaniments were equally amazing. Service was great, staff are really friendly and helpful. Highly recommend giving this place a try!

Large menu with plenty of choice. Greek sausage gyros was very tasty. Prawn saganaki portion was huge. I thought it was pretty good value overall, considering standard of dishes. Would definitely visit again if in the area.

Very pleasantly surprised at the quality of service and food in this place! We went out camping over the weekend and made a quick stop in CD, this was one of the few places open. The young lads that served us were so professional and accommodating. The menu catered to all our annoying dietry requirments, everyone had something to pick from!! Amazing! The dishes seemed pricey, but the size and quality of food made up for it and by the end we were so full, it didn't feel like we spent much money at all! A shoutout to staff that really seemed to care for our dietry requirements and were super attentive! I would drive back down to Castle Douglas to eat here again.

We are here twice while staying in castle Douglas and it was by far the best food of our holiday. A huge menu which sometimes reduces quality but not here. Mostly Greek but also Italian and other Mediterranean food. The thing I loved was the sides. With every main you can choose two sides from a long list and as much care had gone into the sides as the mains. I had souvlaki, greek salad and homemade chips. Faultless. On the second visit I had stifado, tomato salad and homemade chips. Those chips were too good to miss.

This is mainly a takeaway these days. Same staff from when I was a kid about 30 years ago. Prices seem to have busted inflation and the quality of the food and friendliness is great. Popular with locals, expat locals like me and a great place for excellent and inexpensive food if you are visiting or passing through.

The service was really quick and amazing. The noodles were very good but the meat dish i ordered came with raw tomatoes which made the sauce taste weird. Also, it was more like nuggets than meat. I am not picky with my food but i didn't like it.

Got this on a recent camping trip and it was bussing. The workers were really nice and gave us free prawn crackers and sweets. Trust this food legendary.

Great food is very tasty and has good portions, still at a reasonable price. However it is still takeout only.

Take away only even though google says sit in, still have tables and chairs so very strange, would only take cash luckily we had some, food was quick and hot but not nice tasting, chicken was tough and not good, not the best

A nice place inside but I had a take away. Food quality was pretty good. I would eat from there again.

Found this little restaurant whilst spending the weekend in castle Douglas, so glad that we did!! The food was amazing, the rice was the most delicious rice that we have ever had, Chinese dishes were all delicious, so glad the other Chinese take away up the road told us we would have to wait two hours for a takeout meal as this one was so delicious. Staff were so friendly also. Thank you so much guys.

Nice pub. If you're not local, it is a trek. We walked 1 hour 20 from where we stayed, but it was worth it. The food was great, and the landlady is a lovely lady, and it makes you feel welcome.

Have been here a few times with family who live in the area. A proper old fashioned local pub with a good menu and a nice range of beers. Definitely recommended if you're in the area.

Always great food and brilliant service, highly recommend the lamb... AMAZING. I would highly recommend making a visit if you are looking for a nice meal and friendly service.

Excellent bar meal whilst staying at nearby caravan site. Outstanding service.

We had dinner here yesterday, lovely busy pub with a friendly atmosphere and the food was delicious!

We had a lovely meal here to celebrate an 84th birthday. The food was delicious and the staff were very friendly.

Had a lovely family meal,huge portions.very friendly staff with good service,it was a nice find. I certainly would drop in if we were down that way again.

Mossyard Beach is a peaceful and scenic spot with golden sand, clear water, and beautiful views of the coastline. It's perfect for a relaxing walk, a quiet swim, or just unwinding and enjoying the fresh sea air. There are some rock pools and grassy areas nearby, adding to the charm. Easy parking and clean facilities make it convenient, but it still feels untouched and natural. A fantastic place to escape and enjoy the beauty of the Scottish coast – highly recommended.

I’ve been coming to Mossyard Campsite for several years now, and it honestly feels like a home away from home. Every time I visit, I’m reminded why I keep coming back – the stunning views, the peaceful atmosphere, and that beautiful beach right on the doorstep. The facilities are always spotless and well looked after, and the team is so welcoming and friendly, which makes the whole experience even better. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed everything from long beach walks to relaxing evenings watching the sunset, and it never gets old. Mossyard is such a special place, and I can’t imagine summer without a trip here!

Really lovely beach with easy access parking. It sheltered us from the wind behind us and was lovely warm. A hidden gem for sure

Magical place, great little beaches and safe for swimming. Car park with a toilet and only 300m to the beach.

Beautiful views. Clean sandy beach, well maintained and toilets on site

What a lovely hidden gem we have been before years ago and it is only £4 to park for the day

Dropped by Mossyard Beach for a session in the mobile sauna and a dip in the sea – such a rejuvenating experience. The beach itself is beautiful and peaceful, with clean sands and clear water. The sauna setup adds a unique touch, making it feel like a mini wellness retreat right on the coast. Stepping from the heat into the chilly sea was invigorating and surprisingly addictive. A lovely spot for anyone looking to unwind in nature with a twist.

Very friendly service and great food. Set in a beautiful spot

Stopped here on our journey, was lovely service, lady was really lovely. Real homemade feel to it. Would definitely go again, there's a lovely view to look at while drinking the very tasty hot chocolate and eating a slice of Victoria sponge ☺️🤤

What a great little place to stop for a rest, a cup of tea and a snack! We had tea, a roll and a piece of cake. The lady was very friendly, all food was excellent, the prices were reasonable. We will stop here again on our way past.

I’ve passed this place so many times and wanted to try it and finally today we were able to stop and on the way from the ferry. Quaint, cosy and completely charming with a beautiful view of the water, trees and birds. Teas, coffees, treats and very tempting bacon baps on offer. Best of all, it’s clearly got regulars who stop by for a chat and friendly cup of tea.

It's a lovely place but the food was average £3.00 for cheese slice and pickle on a roll .but the cakes was lovely.

What happened to the little gem on a75 near gatehouse of fleet on the drive to Stranraer? It looks like the owner lost interest had breakfast, would give it 6 out of 10 ,lovely place to stop in the past very disappointing it turned into a greasy spoon truck stop ,needs a update or new caring owner and staff ,doesn't feel welcoming anymore ,chip in mugs , on plus side coffee was ok ,not sure if i would go back when passing, time to find another stop to eat suggestion wellcome

The small roadside Café is sadly almost easy to miss. But if you stop here, it's definitely worth it. The café does look a bit messy with a lot of boxes and food packaging laying around and it could definitely be a bit more clean. That said, the food (Haggis Roll and Sausage Roll) was very good and the tea was ok. For my opinion it wasn't too expensive and definitely worth the money. Service took some time as the owner, an older lady, seems do be doing everything by herself, but for me that wasn't a problem. Food still get's served fast and hot and I'm fully ok with waiting 5 minutes for my rolls, especially as you can use the meantime to look at the view over the nearby bay. Quite some traffic noise from the street, but there is a lot of space for parking. Although on a sunny day out it might get very crowded here. During my visit (Cloudy and slighty rainy Saturday around noon) there were around 10 people there other than me. Overall: Nice Café, nice food, friendly owner, good view, good visit