Café | Serenity 22 Barend

November availability - 5 nights from 8th, 5 nights from 15th. Check dates

Caerlaverock – the Triangular Castle

25 June 20244 May 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.

Breakfast outside on a picnic bench overlooking a wild landscape

Top 10 places to eat near the lodge

16 November 202329 September 202622 Barend

Recently we came to the lodge with some friends for their first visit to D&G. At the end of our holiday, one of them commented ‘the eating places around here are a step up from the usual aren’t they’ (we were in The Boathouse, Glencaple at the time). We agree, and maintaining this list also gives us a good excuse to eat out in the name of research 😜😋

September 2026 – Updates incoming, we ate at another new place to us on our recent trip and will update this page soon!

This list reflects our tastes and preferences, but we hope you’ll also enjoy going to eat at all of these places!

They’re listed by how close they are to the lodge, with a brief description and, where available, a link to our review so you can learn more.

Lunch at Abbey Cottage Tearoom by Sweetheart Abbey

28 October 202316 March 202522 Barend

12 miles NE ~20 min drive DG2 8BY

These small but pleasant tea rooms are right next to the Abbey ruins but are run independently and open at times when the Abbey is closed. There’s indoor and outdoor seating and also a small gift shop too.

Afternoon Tea at The Olive Tree Tearoom, Dalbeattie

Dalbeattie Garden Centre, Shop, Tea Room

27 October 202323 November 202322 Barend

6 miles NW ~12 min drive DG5 4DS

Dalbeattie Garden Centre is reasonably priced and has a good selection of plants. The shop is surprisingly big and has necessary gardening items as well as toys and gifts.

Mackintosh at the Willow Salon de Luxe Art Panel

Mackintosh at the Willow Glasgow Visit

26 October 202323 November 202322 Barend

96 miles N 2 hours drive G2 3EX

Mackintosh at the Willow Tea Rooms on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow are the last surviving tea rooms designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and originally opened in 1903. (Not to be confused with The Willow Tea Rooms on Buchanan Street, which are Art Nouveau and Mackintosh themed but not designed by Mackintosh himself.)

For those with a love of all things Mackintosh the tea rooms are a real treat.

Hill House Box by CR Mackintosh

24 October 20231 May 202622 Barend

123 miles NNW ~2h 30m min drive G84 9AJ

Hill House is over 2 hours drive from Sandyhills, but if you’re a fan of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and/or art nouveau it’s definitely worth it! The house is a true piece of art, and so it’s a fascinating experience to visit.

The spacious oak timber-framed interior of Loch Arthur Farm Shop and Cafe showing shelves of local artisanal food and produce.

Loch Arthur Farm Shop and Café

20 October 202312 December 202322 Barend

Loch Arthur farm shop, near Beeswing in D&G, offers a great selection of crafts, gifts, and locally produced organic fruit and vegetables, plus pantry staples.

11 miles N ~17 min drive Beeswing, DG2 8JQ

There’s also a pleasant little café that offers a range of delicious items including homemade cakes.

Shop front of Designs Gallery & Café, Castle Douglas

Great Lunch at Designs Café Castle Douglas

23 March 202323 November 202322 Barend

13 miles WNW ~20 min drive DG7 1DZ

Designs Gallery & Cafe in King Street, Castle Douglas – established for over 25 years – serves coffees, cakes and lunches (see a picture of the menu below).

We’d been in shop before but didn’t notice the entrance to the café (it’s to the right of the steps in the middle of the shop)!

Go down the stairs through some doors to the ‘basement’ and then the café counter is on your left. Tables then extend on your right all the way to the back of the building. At the end of the room, through some double doors, there’s also a light and airy (but still warm in colder weather) conservatory that leads out into the garden.

Threave Garden & Estate Castle Douglas Review

31 October 20225 March 202522 Barend

Many years ago, before we had our children, we visited Dumfries & Galloway with another couple and camped at Hoddom Castle near Ecclefechan. During that holiday we visited Threave Castle, but at the time we didn’t know about Threave Gardens.

We discovered it a few years back when looking for a holiday cottage near Castle Douglas and ended up staying at the Gate Lodge. That holiday eventually led to us getting the lodge at Barend!

Threave Garden & Estate is a great day out and one of the highlights for us was seeing red squirrels!