With Valentines day just around the corner, many of you old romantics may be starting to think of things to do for February the 14th. You may be thinking of going away for the weekend, booking a meal out somewhere romantic, or maybe just staying in with your feet up in-front of the fire and enjoying an M&S meal deal with a bottle of wine. Well all of those things are very romantic indeed, but remember ‘LOVE’ isn’t just for Valentines and Valentine’s doesn’t have to be all commercial and about money and fancy gifts.
All year round Dumfries and Galloway is a breathtaking and rugged region that can offer as much inspiration and beauty as any city or romantic destination world wide. We have hundreds of miles of coast line plus enough rolling hills, forests, rivers, wildlife, harbour villages, lighthouses, towns, art, sculptures, museums, shops, history, castles, abbeys, activities, footpaths, pubs and restaurants to inspire the inner romantic in everyone. You don’t even need to be in a relationship to make the most of the romance of Dumfries and Galloway, whether you’re with your lover, with family, with friends, here by yourself, or even with your dog Dumfries and Galloway can offer something for everyone and every budget every day of the year, not just February the 14th.
In this wee article we are listing ’10” things to see and do in Dumfries and Galloway that may help you or at the very least help plant a spark inside you to get out there and enjoy our wonderful region and to fall in love someone, someplace or something in D&G.
- Go for a walk or picnic at one of the many beaches that Dumfries and Galloway has. This region has nearly 220 miles of coastline offering everything from rugged cliff top walks like the footpaths at Balcary Bay near Auchencairn, wonderful sandy shores like Sandyhills near Dalbeattie or Mossyard near Gatehouse of Fleet and Monreith in Wigtownshire, to name just a handful of our favourites. Everyone has their own favourite D&G beach to visit and we cannot possibly list them all, but with a trusty Ordinance Survey map in hand you can find hundreds of beaches, coves and cliff tops along the D&G coast to explore and enjoy a quiet moment with amazing views to take your breath away.
If you want to know tide times for high and low tides in D&G before you go exploring, check this handy link http://www.dgwgo.com/dumfries-galloway-tide-times/
Visit Scotland have some great information about D&G beaches on this link http://www.visitscotland.com/about/nature-geography/beaches/dumfries-galloway/
2. For you romantic adrenaline junkies how about a zip wire ride for 2 . Laggan Outdoor Activity centre here in the heart of Dumfries and Galloway is proud as punch to host one of Europe’s longest Zip wires. Spanning 820 metres, the double line zip allows 2 people to ‘zip’ at the same time next to each other, with breathtaking views that can be enjoyed if you manage to keep your eyes open on the way down. ( You can do this activity solo as well)
For Full information and booking details for this thrill of an experience check this link http://www.lagganoutdoor.co.uk/zip-wire/
Picture courtesy of Laggan Outdoor Activity Centre.
3. Flowers are one of the most traditional ways of saying ‘I Love You’ at Valentines or all year round, but don’t just order flowers for that someone special in your life, order the bouquet and a lesson on how to arrange them too. Coming soon in early 2016 at Passion Flowers in Dumfries ; exciting floral workshops, masterclasses & 1:1 tuition with Marita in their beautiful new home studio on the edge of Dumfries. It really would be a special gift and totally original too.
If you want to order totally bespoke flowers for your valentine or find out more about the Passion Flowers workshops click this link http://www.passion-flowers.net/
4. Have a lie down, Rosnes Bench is an idea developed for the vast and diverse landscape of Dumfries and Galloway by Scottish artists Dalziel + Scullion. To experience the Rosnes Benches you have to go into this land, into nature and allow the artworks to challenge how you see and perceive this world – usually from eye level, usually looking forward and down and usually with the ideas and methods that become habitual to us and matter of fact. The benches slow us down, create stillness, change our viewpoint and help us to remain in the moment and be part off the immediate context that surrounds us.
There are several sites located in the stunning Galloway forest park with Rosnes benches situated in them, perfect spots for a romantic walk or a hike with the dog and a picnic, experience existing in the moment, not thinking forward or looking back and be swept away in the peace and beauty of D&G.
Full details of the Rosnes bench sites and experience can be found on this link http://www.rosnesbench.com/about.html
5. Go for a walk on the wild side (in the dark), Nocturnal Wildlife Tours , is based in Castle Douglas , and is one of those amazing experiences that everyone should try once. This is the perfect gift/experience for anyone who loves wildlife and the outdoors. You don’t have to be super fit or super brave in the dark , you are very well looked after by the tour guides and you are transported in the amazingly comfortable Land Rover. Detect animals as small as rabbits at up to 600 metres away or get close enough to see badgers and roe deer going about their nightly routine without them knowing you’re there. Exploring in the dark of Dumfries and Galloway with the state of the art thermal imaging device that you use for the duration of the tour, along with access to other high tech wildlife observation equipment really does let you see things in a new light. Plus there is always the excuse to hold each others hands if your scared in the dark and to snuggle up afterwards to warm back up again.
Everything YOU see whether out on foot or in the vehicle, can be recorded at the touch of a button for the team to edit and copy to one of their memory sticks for you to take home as a memento of your tour.
Find out more and book your seats on a tour on this link http://wildlifetours.co.uk/
6. Poetry is romance in verse, and there is no better place in Scotland to find the perfect book of poetry for you than Scotland’s very own book town, Wigtown. Set in the glorious rolling countryside of Wigtownshire under the shadow of the Galloway hills and a stone’s throw from the Solway Firth, the royal burgh of Wigtown is Scotland’s National Book Town. It has often been described as a sort Hay-on-Wye with a kilt: the ancient market town has more than 15 bookshops were you are bound to find that perfect poem plus there are loads of we cafes and restaurants and bars to explore and many historical sites in the surrounding countryside . It’s also home to the Wigtown Book Festival, the largest annual literary gathering in rural Scotland . It really is a wonderfully romantic place to visit with your other half , and also a fantastic place to get away from it all and enjoy the peace and tranquility in a book shop alone.
The next Wigtown Book Festival will be held from 23rd September to the 2nd of October 2016 , full details can be found on this link http://www.wigtownbookfestival.com/home
7.Go To Jail, Well go for a meal in what was once Moffat Jail. Claudio’s Italian Restaurant in Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway is one of our favourite places to eat. The building itself was once Moffat police station and it still has the original Jail cells in place, that are now used for Kitchen storage not prisoners. The family owned and ran restaurant is owned by the Capriglione family and is open for Lunches and Dinner and offers a wonderful menu of home made dishes and tasty specials to suit all tastes and budgets.
If it’s the antipasto starter for 2 or the chocolate fondue sharing platter with a bottle of finest champagne you can be sure that Claudio’s will set the ambiance for an evening of romance either on a summer’s evening in the airy conservatory or a winter’s night in the snug of the log burner. Dining alone or celebrating with a large party you can be sure of the warmest of welcomes and friendliest of service.
To book a table call 01683 220958 or follow on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Claudios-Moffat-837237156395772/timeline
8. Climb to the top of a Lighthouse, The Mull of Galloway is Scotland’s most southerly point and one of the best kept secrets in the UK. The Rhins of Galloway peninsula remains an unspoiled paradise for visitors on the lookout for peace and tranquility and romance.
At the award winning Mull of Galloway Experience, you can climb the 115 steps to the top of Scotland’s most southerly lighthouse, where a spectacular view from the balcony and lightroom will reward you for your efforts! The area surrounding the lighthouse is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a beautiful circular walk with viewpoints allows you to explore the 30 hectares of heathland on the reserve.The three cottages at the Mull, formerly home to the Lighthouse Keepers’, are now holiday rentals via the Mull of Galloway Trust.
The Lighthouse and Exhibition will open for the 2016 season on Friday 25th March. The Exhibition will open daily from Friday 25th March until Sunday 30th October , But you can still walk around the grounds if you want to visit on Valentines.
You can find out more about the Mull of Galloway Experience by Clicking this link http://www.mull-of-galloway.co.uk/mull-of-galloway-experience/
Threave Castle, Castle Douglas
9. Get the fright of your life and be educated with Mostly Ghostly Investigations and Solway Tours. Both Mostly Ghostly and Solway Tours offer unique ways of exploring and learning all about Dumfries and Galloways history and historical sites. Whether you want to walk the dark streets of Dumfries and find out all about murders, mayhem and mystery with Mostly Ghostly or if you want to be driven around the region in luxury and visit everything from Castles and ruins to megalithic structures and sites of local natural beauty Solway Tours can organise the perfect stress free day out for you.
The Solway Tours team state :- “We aim to provide unforgettable experiences through our extensive knowledge and insight into the history of Scotland which will create memories and smiles that last a lifetime. We seek to provide our customers with positive travel experiences delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, pride and a passion for promoting Dumfries and Galloway as a high quality tourist destination. We are very confident that you will thoroughly enjoy all aspects of our guided tours and be in awe of the majestic countryside and impact which South West Scotland has had on shaping our global community”. full info on this link http://solwaytours.co.uk/
Mostly Ghostly Investigations State :- “Welcome to the home of Mostly Ghostly Investigations – Dumfries and Galloway’s first paranormal investigation team and creators of a range of well-researched ghost and local history tours encompassing everything from Scotland’s most haunted road to an intriguing vampire legend dating back to the 12th century. We are proud winners of the 2012 & 2014 Dumfries & Galloway Life Tourism Champion Awards.
Now in our eighth year as paranormal investigators, Mostly Ghostly, as our name suggests, are mainly focused on ghosts and hauntings, however we welcome reports of big cat sightings, UFOs, ostensible reincarnation and many other fascinating aspects of the paranormal and supernatural. United by our close friendships and determination to explore and evidence the unknown, we have all experienced something, both personally and collectively, that we cannot find a current explanation for”. More info on this link http://www.mostlyghostly.org/
10. Your Sweetheart is ruined, well Sweetheart Abbey that is, and it is so worth visiting. With the romantic story behind it, it is the perfect romantic destination for a visit. Whether you just sit and admire the red sandstone structure, or wander around inside the massive ruin, or explore the gravestones that surround the building , the abbey and village of New Abbey are well worth a visit any day of the year.
Sweetheart Abbey was founded in 1273 by Lady Dervorgilla of Galloway in memory of her husband John Balliol. On her death, she was laid to rest next to her husband’s embalmed heart and the monks named their abbey in memory of her. The abbey church – still standing remarkably complete, and still contriving to inspire and overawe 700 years on. Now looked after by Historic Scotland the ruin is an amazing place to visit, set in the stunning village of New Abbey which offers a wonderful array of interesting places to eat, drink and visit.
Abbey opening times
Summer
1 April – 30 September, Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun, 9.30am to 5.30pm (last entry 5pm)
Winter
1 October – 31 March, Mon Tue Wed Sat Sun, 10am to 4pm (last entry 3.30pm)
Full info can be found on this link http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=pl_283
Well we hope this tiny selection of what Dumfries and Galloway has to offer for all you romantics out there inspires you to enjoy not just Valentines day in this region but any day of the year that you feel like. Plus ‘Love’ doesn’t have to be for couples, you can fall in love with D&G itself, I know this wonderful place that I am proud to call home is in my heart forever. R.B
