An ice cream sundae called "Sweet Tooth" at Cream o' Galloway Ice Cream Parlour in Rainton

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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Entrance to The Beagle Country Pub

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.

Entrance to The Beagle Country Pub
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Breakfast outside on a picnic bench overlooking a wild landscape

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…

Sculpture of a Stag at Bainloch Deer Park Visitor Centre & Bistro
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The Needle's Eye natural rock arch near Sandyhills Beach on the Solway Coast, accessible at low tide

Sandyhills Beach on the Solway Firth

The nearest beach, Sandyhills, is only a short 10 to 15 mins walk from the lodge along a quiet road.

It’s a large sandy beach, warmed by the Gulf Stream, so popular for paddling and exploring rock pools. It’s great for walking at low tide.

⚠️ The tide can move very quickly so we recommend you check the tide times.

To get there, turn left from Barend Holiday Lodges and stay on that road to the ‘T’ junction. Cross the road into the car park, then access the beach to the left of Sandyhills Bay Holiday Park.

Sandyhills Beach, looking across the bay
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Workers in HM Factory Gretna

The Devil’s Porridge

37 miles ~52 min drive | Mon – Sat 10am – 5pm, Sun 10am – 4pm | Adults £7, Concessions £6, Family Ticket £16

An intriguing name, we’ve driven past this museum a few times and had to look up what it was!

This state of the art, award-winning, 5 star-rated museum tells the story of HM Factory Gretna, the United Kingdom’s largest munitions factory in World War I, where there were 30,000 workers: 12,000 of them women.

Booking in advance is recommended during the summer and school holidays.

Location & Parking

Stanfield, Annan Road,
EASTRIGGS,
Dumfries and Galloway
DG12 6TF

A telescope and stars

Stargazing in Galloway’s Dark Skies

Galloway Forest Park – not far from Serenity 22 Barend – was designated the first Dark Sky Park in the UK by the International Dark-Sky Association. In 2009 it was only the fourth in the world; there are now over 100 worldwide. It’s a Gold Tier park for its dark skies which make for breathtaking and rare stargazing conditions.

A Dark Sky Park is a place with exceptionally dark night skies, where there’s a commitment to control light pollution.

Very few people live within the boundaries of Galloway Forest Park, so there’s very little light pollution and the nights are extra clear.

The region covers 300 square miles that are protected from light pollution. Thousands more stars are visible compared to a typical town or city.

You can see over 7,000 stars and planets with the naked eye, including the Milky Way stretching across the sky. There’s a new show every night as we travel round the sun and get a constantly changing view of the stars.

A telescope and stars
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