Castle Douglas

Castle Douglas is a pleasant 18th century market town 18 miles south of Dumfries.

The town is a thriving centre for the prosperous local farming area, holding regular livestock auctions, and is home of the annual Stewartry Agricultural Show.

Beside the town is the beautiful Carlingwark Loch, dotted with islands, where visitors can enjoy boating and picnicking, or learn to sail. At the far end of the loch are Threave Gardens, the teaching garden of the National Trust for Scotland, which is open to visitors all year. On the other side of the A75 road, on an island in the River Dee, is 14th century Threave Castle, the great fortress of the Douglases. This can be reached by ferry. Nearby is Threave Wildfowl Refuge, an important place for wintering wildfowl, where visitors can watch the birds from hides.