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Inside a rambling second-hand bookshop in Wigtown with wooden library steps and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Wigtown: A Rainy Day Trip to Scotland’s Book Town

16 April 202616 April 202622 Barend

Wigtown is Scotland’s official National Book Town. It’s a small, quiet, charming little town with traditional houses interspersed with book shops.

Clock tower at the end of a Scottish High Street

Places to Visit in Gatehouse of Fleet

5 April 20256 April 202522 Barend

Gatehouse of Fleet is a lovely little village with only a handful of shops, but some definite points of interest and well worth a visit.

The picturesque main street has retained its old fashioned charm, with an assortment of small, mostly independent shops and cafés.

Visiting the Gem Rock Museum, Creetown (sad news, it’s closing)

31 March 202516 April 202622 Barend

Update: We were so sorry to hear the news that the Gem Rock Museum is closing its doors for the last time in October 2026. This museum has been a local gem (literally!) for 45 years.

39 miles W ~54 min drive DG8 7HJ

The Gem Rock Museum in Creetown is a unique and fascinating collection of gems, crystals, minerals and fossils. It’s a relatively small family run museum, but has an amazing amount of rare gems and rocks, many more than we expected!

Kirkcudbright Galleries in the Town Hall

25 March 202527 March 202522 Barend

Kirdkcudbright (pronounced “kir-coo-bree”) – on the banks of the Dee Estuary – is a lovely little town to wander around, and a visit to the Kirkcudbright Galleries in the beautiful Town Hall building is highly recommended.

Kilnford Farm Shop & Farmhouse Kitchen Cafe

17 March 202519 March 202522 Barend

Kilnford is a family farm with a shop, cafe, deli, butchery, and crafts. It’s a really nice complex, which has restored old farm buildings in keeping with the area, and they’ve also got a good range of things for sale.

Discover Dalbeattie – the Granite Town

4 March 202518 March 202522 Barend

Dalbeattie is known as the “Granite Town” of Dumfries & Galloway / South West Scotland primarily because of its rich granite quarrying history. The name is believed to be from Irish Gaelic; Dail Bheithe.

Complimentary Focaccia and dips at The Olive Retreat, Castle Douglas

Dining at The Olive Retreat Restaurant, Castle Douglas

25 February 202511 April 202622 Barend

Sadly, The Olive Retreat closed due to a fire on Tuesday 8th July 2025 😞

The same team has open another restaurant called Sambuca at 38 King Street, Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway, DG7 1AD (where Mr Pook’s used to be). We’re looking forward to going and trying it out in the next few weeks!

13 miles WNW ~22 min drive DG7 1DX

The Olive Retreat is was a relaxed, family friendly mediterranean restaurant & café in the centre of Castle Douglas. We visited on a midweek evening. As it was fairly quiet we were given a choice of tables for two by the friendly waitress.

Threave House, Castle Douglas

24 July 202415 March 202522 Barend

We love Threave Estate and Gardens and enjoy visiting them. However, until now, we hadn’t managed to visit when the house was open.

Caerlaverock – the Triangular Castle

25 June 202412 April 202622 Barend

26 miles NE from Serenity (~45 min drive) DG1 4RU

We visited Caerlaverock Castle many years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. We’ve visited many castles in the UK, but this one stuck in our memory, with it’s distinctive shape, moat and contrasting building style inside the castle walls.

The Birch Tree Hotel, Dalbeattie

5 April 202412 July 202422 Barend

7 miles NW ~13 min drive DG5 4AH

Our Experience

We visited The Birchtree Hotel on a midweek evening in March. Initially we sat in the Bar area, unaware that there’s a separate restaurant area upstairs.