Discover the Best Things to do in Galloway Forest Park
Within the very heart of the UNESCO Biosphere
Sustainable Outdoor Adventures & Exploration
The Ship Inn Hotel and self catering is on the edge of Galloway Forest Park with fantastic walking and cycling trails on our doorstep.
Gatehouse of Fleet and the surrounding Galloway Forest Park has beautiful walks, fantastic cycling for all, sandy beaches, castles & gardens. The UNESCO Biosphere is a special place for Biodiversity, wildlife and natural beauty and we work with many of their partners underpinning the approach of creating sustainable communities.
The UNESCO Biosphere have produced excellent low carbon travel guides for the area:
Maps, Routes & Itineraries Archives – Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere
We are lucky to live and work in the Fleet Valley, designated an area of outstanding natural beauty.
With sandy beaches and rugged coastlines this fantastically diverse landscape supports an array of wildlife from Golden Eagles to the ubiquitous Red Squirrel. While inland the Cairnsmore National Nature Reserve is based around the most southerly mountains in Scotland, a fantastic wilderness haven.
Gardens & Estates
Galloway has a particularly mild climate thanks to the Gulf Stream allowing the proliferation of plant and tree life you wouldn’t normally associate with Scotland.
Cally Gardens
Gardens and a specialist plant centre now being redefined by Kevin Hughes Home (callygardens.co.uk)
Logan Botanic Garden & Castle Kennedy
Not to be missed for their spectacular display of exotic southern-hemisphere plants, palm trees and the wonderful woodland gardens.
Glenwhan gardens
Located on the way to Logan is our personal favourite and an absolute must even for those who have little interest in gardening.
Threave Gardens
Cared for through the National Trust and features formal and woodland gardens, water features, a secret garden, glasshouses and a working walled garden to name just a few. You can easily lose a day in this wonderful garden!
For more information about these and other gardens on and around the Mull of Galloway, see Gardens, Forests & Nature Reserves | South of Scotland – Scotland Starts Here.
Castles and historic sites
Drumlanrig Castle & Estate
Wrought from red sandstone that has softened to a blush pink, the beautiful Drumlanrig Castle, affectionately known as the Pink Palace, holds sway across the Nith Valley. Explore the long heritage of the South by touring the beautiful ancestral home of the Duke of Queensberry.
Caerlaverock Castle
Caerlaverock Castle is one of Scotland’s great medieval fortresses, featuring a moat, twin towered gatehouse and imposing battlements. It is a substantial structure, despited being ruined and much of the castles rich history stems from its proximity to the English border and the conflicts that took place there.
Threave Castle
Built some 700 years ago by Archibald the Grim of the infamous Black Douglases it is substantially intact today
Culzean Castle
Cardoness Castle
Dumfries House
Family Friendly Activities
There are some great attractions for families within easy reach of the Ship Inn.
The Cocoabean Company –
A chocolate factory that runs chocolate making workshops, as well as having a fantastic indoor and outdoor play area, and is less than 5 miles from the Ship Inn.
Ernespie Farm –
Near Castle Douglas & Mabie Farm & Dalscone near Dumfries are great days out for the family. With a great variety of indoor and outdoor activities, you can easily keep the kids entertained for a few hours!
Galloway Activity Centre –
Galloway Activity Centre offers a greater range of water sport activities for older children
Galloway Alpacas –
Galloway Alpacas provides alpaca experiences, trekking, therapy and private hire for corporate events, weddings and other special occasions.
The Dark Sky Planetarium –
The Dark Sky Planetarium offers a truly immersive experience for children and adults alike
Coos & Ewes Tours and Experiences –
Highland Cow Tours and Experiences | Kitchen Coos & Ewes offers Unforgettable farm tour experiences.
Sandy Beaches
The Solway Coast has numerous clean and safe sandy beaches as well as some great rocky coves for rock pooling.
The following are some of our favourites but click on the link for a comprehensive Beach Guide.
Mossyard –
Just 3 miles from our boutique hotel is Mossyard, which boasts three sandy beaches.
There is a small parking charge.
Cardoness Shore –
Also to the west of Gatehouse is Cardoness shore. There are six sandy bays at Cardoness, although some are only accessible at high tide to those living in the caravans or chalets there.
Sandgreen & Carrick Bay –
On the east side of the Big Water of Fleet estuary lies Sandgreen, a wide bay backed by a large caravan site. Reachable by bikes from the Ship Inn.
The bay is divided by buoys into sections for motor boats, sailing boats and wind surfers, and for swimming. Parking and toilets are available at Sandgreen.
Galloway Wildlife & The UK’s largest Forest Park
Galloway Forest Park is the UK’s largest and includes a red deer range, a wild goat park and red squirrel feeding stations. There are numerous walking and cycling trails in the park, as well as forest drives.
Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park is the only one in the UK with a fantastic new observatory close to the Ship. Light pollution is extremely low, which means that over 7000 stars are visible with the naked eye and the Milky Way is clearly visible. We thoroughly recommend an outing with Liz Tindall a freelance ranger who co-ordinates star gazing and outdoor learning activities Freelance Ranger.
Please click to see our local Wildlife-Guide and the Solway-Bird-Guide
Galloway Forest Drives
Raiders’ Road Forest Drive is one of two forest drives in Galloway Forest Park (the other is Carrick Forest Drive). Both are gravel tracks suitable for most vehicles, accessing remote parts of the park which are otherwise a long way from the nearest road.
Raiders’ Road roughly follows the forested glen cut by the Black Water of Dee & the route can be driven in either direction. A key highlight is The Otter Pool: an attractive series of rapids usually interspersed by rocky outcrops, and a perfect picnic spot in good weather.
