Dumfries and Galloway – Top 5 Things to do

Hosted by local walkers and members of Galloway Mountain Rescue Team. This small but popular walking festival provides opportunities to see Dumfries & Galloway with those who know it best.  Ranging from easy strolls of a few miles to their annual ‘challenge walk’. There is something for everyone. It’s all in a great cause with funds going to support the mountain rescue team.

Newton Stewart Walk Festival

Mull of Galloway

Walking above Loch Trool in Galloway Forest Park.

Who doesn’t love an ice cream?!  Not just for kids, Cream o’Galloway are one of the UK’s leading artisan ice cream and cheese producers. All their products are made organically and sustainably. They generate their own energy and pride themselves on having happy cows!  Why not take a look at their visitor centre, book onto the Food Tour, sample their wares and visit the herd.  Then head to the adventure playground, the 3D maze, or the nature trails for some outdoor fun!

Cream of Galloway

Foraging with Mark. Photo: @Gallowaywildfoods.com

A lifelong foodie and devotee of all things wild, Mark Williams has been building Galloway Wild Foods for some years.  His knowle

dge of the food that nature can provide us for free is encyclopaedic. In recent years he has worked with award-

winning chefs keen to include wild ingredients in their dishes.  He is Scotland’s only full-time foraging tutor and a member of Galloway Mountain Rescue Team.  Take a walk on Mark’s local patch in Dumfries and Galloway, and let him show you the riches it can bear.  And you never know, you might just get him to cook up a storm, too!

Galloway Wild Foods

Five out of seven of the ‘7 Stanes’ mountain bike trail centres lie within the boundaries of Dumfries & Galloway. Each has their own personality, giving all manner of fun and challenge to riders young or old, seasoned or new to the sport.  They offer world class trails in stunning scenery, well waymarked. From a few miles to multi-day trips.

If you’re into your road biking, Dumfries and Galloway offers some incredible riding through winding countryside on quiet roads. It’s the final destination in our 5 Countries Road Cycling trip.

Not a biker?  The Stanes themselves are works of art, sited in beautiful locations.

Forestry Commission Scotland

The Mull of Galloway is Scotland’s most southerly point. This headland juts out into the Irish Sea, around which fast tides and big waves can create rolling seas.  Atop the headland sits the lighthouse. Built by Robert Stevenson (pioneering builder of over 90 of Scotland’s most iconic lighthouses). It was first lit in 1830 and automated in 1988.

The light is now operated remotely from the Northern Lighthouse Board headquarters in Edinburgh. Visitors can both climb the tower and stay in the keepers cottages!  There are breathtaking views of the headland itself, and the geology and birdlife of the cliffs below. It’s a rare privilege to be able to enjoy the views once reserved for the men of the lights.

The headland itself, and the area around the lighthouse is now a bird reserve, run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).  It also houses a fantastic café with a panoramic view of the headland. Why not round off the day with some birdwatching, a cuppa and a slab of tasty cake!

As well as gliding on the stunning roads of Dumfries and Galloway you will have the opportunity to explore Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England on our unforgettable Five Countries cycling holiday.