While you’re staying at Serenity 22 Barend, we would very much appreciate you separating your waste into the 3 bins and 1 box outside the lodge so that it can be recycled.
How to Recycle in Dumfries & Galloway
Review of Lunch at The Old School House
April 2026 – The Old School House closed around a year ago, and the team moved to Rosava’s in Castle Douglas. However Rosava’s also closed earlier this year 😞
Check out other places to eat near the lodge.
Distance from the lodge: 21 miles W ~30 min drive
On a previous visit to the area, we travelled to The Old School House Café/Restaurant (on the A75 a few miles SW of Castle Douglas), only to find that they were closed for holidays. This time we checked they were open and eagerly awaited our lunch.
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Shezan Indian Takeaway in Dalbeattie
This one split opinion in the family! Two of us like spicy food and the rest can’t take the heat!
We sometimes order a few dishes and share them out rather than just having one each. This time we ordered:
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Mr Pook’s Kitchen Restaurant Review
Sadly, Mr Pook’s closed in September 2024 😞
However, another restaurant called Sambuca has opened at the same address: 38 King Street, Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway, DG7 1AD 😋
Check out other places to eat near the lodge.
Distance from the lodge: 13 miles WNW ~20 min drive
Mr Pook’s Kitchen website says they ‘showcase some of the best produce from Dumfries & Galloway using ancient, classic & modern cooking techniques’.
We went for a meal there one evening and we’re happy to thoroughly recommend it based on our experience. We noticed a children’s menu was on display outside, but we were child free this time!
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Help Us to Look After Barend Loch
Serenity has a great view of Barend Loch, so we really appreciate all efforts made to keep the Loch healthy and looking good!
You can walk all around the loch and might be fortunate to spot Heron, Swans, Dragonflies and other wildlife 🙂 There are fish in the loch and guests at Serenity don’t need a permit to fish there.
The lodges at Barend use a treatment plant over the road for waste water. The plant uses Barend Loch as a final stage of water purification before discharging via a stream into the sea. There’s no smell and the outflow from the loch is regularly tested showing a very high standard of purity.
Here are three ways you can help us to look after Barend Loch:
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JJ’s Fish & Chip Shop – Southerness
Last checked April 2026 – we visited and updated this post 🙂 Our previous visit was September 2022.
This chip shop is open 8 months of the year from March to November. It’s a little further away than the one in Dalbeattie.
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Mabie Farm Park – Fun Day Out
A fun filled day out with animals to feed and lots of variety of play equipment for all ages.
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Cream o’ Galloway Ice Cream Parlour
Cream o’ Galloway was in the news around Mar 2025. The Visitor Centre/Ice Cream Parlour that we visited when reviewing below is now closed. This is because the company was bought in January 2024, by a company called Brymor. Excerpts of a statement in Jan ’25 from Brymor are below.
“In January 2024, Brymor purchased the Cream O’ Galloway Ice Cream Brand.
Brymor manufactures and distributes premium ice cream, made on the farm on their site outside Masham, North Yorkshire and has been trading for 40 years.
It was evident from the outset that the manufacturing equipment [at the Cream o’ Galloway farm near Rainton, Gatehouse of Fleet,] and the whole site was tired and required significant new investment. Therefore, we are consolidating the manufacturing to the Brymor site.
Brymor has over 40 years’ experience in ice cream manufacturing … the brand will benefit from newer, more efficient equipment, as well as benefiting from the sustainable and environmentally friendly resources that Brymor has implemented over the last 4 years.
We will continue to distribute the Cream O’Galloway range from [The Cocoabean Company, Ashland, Twynholm, Kirkcudbright, DG6 4NP] … This means all local customers and holiday visitors can continue to use the full range of ice cream at The Cocoabean whilst enjoying the fabulous facilities, events and of course chocolate at the Cocoabean.”
Distance from the lodge: 29 miles WSW ~41 min drive
Cream o’ Galloway is a great place if you love ice cream!
They have a wide variety of flavours and a range of price options.
We spent a sunny afternoon there.
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The Beagle Country Pub
The Beagle closed in January 2025, then reopened in March 2025 as The Crab Pot!
Sadly that didn’t last but plans are now taking shape to turn the venue into a ‘Wellbeing Centre‘, and the courtyard is now being used as an area the cafe / bar and pop-ups.
Check out other places to eat near the lodge.
The Beagle Country Pub on site Bar & Restaurant is was run by Barend Holiday Lodges. A large canopy and heaters in the courtyard make outdoor dining even more enjoyable.
Bainloch Deer Park Visitor Centre & Bistro
Bainloch Deer Park Visitor Centre & Bistro is right next door to Barend, and so it’s very convenient for a late breakfast, lunch or afternoon treat.
Parking spaces are plentiful and the large cafe has indoor and outdoor seating. We went in the afternoon and enjoyed drinks and cakes sitting out on a picnic bench on the terrace. The prices seem reasonable, and there’s a good selection of cakes and snacks. The kids particularly enjoyed their ice cream milkshakes. There’s table service and the staff are all very friendly and efficient. On our first visit we spent an hour or so there, but we’ve been back a few times since…
