Dog Friendly | Serenity 22 Barend

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

Walking & Hiking in Dumfries & Galloway

30 March 202412 September 202622 Barend

Coastal loops, waterfall walks, and hill hikes – all within easy reach of Serenity 22 Barend

A walker on a hillside path overlooking a loch in Scotland

We love the walking and hiking near Serenity 22 and in Dumfries & Galloway.

From gentle strolls to more strenuous hikes, there’s rewarding scenery every time! The Colvend Coast alone has enough variety to fill a week: tide-dependent beach routes, clifftop paths with Solway views, wooded gorge walks, and hill climbs with the Lake District visible on a clear day. Further afield, the Galloway Forest Park opens up longer, quieter routes through one of the least-visited landscapes in Scotland.

Many of the walks below are ones we’ve done ourselves. We’ve added distance, difficulty notes, and links to our reviews and full guides where we have them.

Visit to John Paul Jones Cottage Museum

26 October 202328 October 202322 Barend

8 miles E 17 min drive DG2 8BQ

Recommend using What 3 Words to find the entrance: comet.lump.sprouting

If you’re thinking “John Paul Jones – who’s he?” Then you’re not alone. 3 of the 5 people in our group hadn’t heard of him before visiting this little museum in the village of Kirkbean.

It’s the Historic Birthplace Museum of John Paul Jones, the “Father of the American Navy.”

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.

Day Trip to Stunning Culzean Castle

18 July 202325 October 202322 Barend

Culzean (pronounced “cull-ane”, not “cull-zeen”) is a fair drive from the Lodge, however it’s well worth the effort to visit this amazing castle and country park. We set off around 9:30am and arrived at Culzean Castle at about 11:15am.

The huge grounds have a number of different car parks spread out over the estate.

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!

Lunch at Street Lights Cafe in Castle Douglas

4 October 202215 March 202522 Barend

13 miles NW ~20 min drive DG7 1DZ

Street Lights is a small family run café in the town centre, which serves a wide variety of soups, sandwiches, toasties, paninis, etc. There are good veggie, vegan and gluten free options, as well as delicious home baked cakes. They also do take away.

It was quite busy when we visited, but they found us a table for five.

Dog (Cockapoo) with harness sitting in long grass

Dog Friendly Self-catering Cottage in Sandyhills

29 September 202212 June 202622 Barend

For many a holiday is not a holiday without taking their furry friend to enjoy the break too. If you’re looking for a pet/dog friendly self-catering lodge near Dalbeattie you’ve come to the right place!

A small beach with a narrow sea inlet on the Solway coast

Beautiful Coastal Walk Sandyhills to Rockcliffe

29 September 202210 September 202622 Barend

The Rockcliffe to Sandyhills coastal walk has been described as one of the best in Britain, with stunning views across the Solway to Cumbria and the Isle of Man as well as along the Galloway coast.

Rockcliffe is just a short drive (or long-ish 😉 walk) from Serenity 22 Barend.

The Needle's Eye natural rock arch near Sandyhills Beach on the Solway Coast, accessible at low tide

Sandyhills Beach on the Solway Firth

27 August 20221 September 202622 Barend

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

Quick info for your visit:

Distance from Serenity (22 Barend): 0.6 miles SE (~10 min walk, accessible, level footpath)
Postcode: Dalbeattie DG5 4NZ
Tides: ⚠️ The Solway tide moves fast; always check times before a walk below the tide line
Dogs: Welcome all year, but on a lead during bird ground nesting season (Apr – Jul)
Facilities: Toilets and a small shop selling ice-creams and cold drinks
Local Tips: Leave the car at Serenity 22 | Parking 30 mins free parking | £6 all day | Free access to the beach | Good for rock-pooling, shells, photography, and vast low-tide walks.