Less than 45 min drive | Serenity 22 Barend

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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.

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.

Arbigland “Nearly Lost” Gardens

19 March 202519 March 202522 Barend

Arbigland is an historic house with unusual and secluded gardens leading on to a quiet beach with stunning views across to Cumbria.

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.

The Earth’s Crust Bakery Castle Douglas

9 March 20259 March 202522 Barend

An artisan bakery in Castle Douglas, that serves delicious organic savoury and sweet snacks.

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.

Front view of Ernespie House Hotel, Restaurant and Bar

Dinner at Ernespie House Hotel, Castle Douglas

1 March 20252 March 202522 Barend

Ernespie House is a traditional hotel that’s open for meals and afternoon teas for non-residents.

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.