Restaurant | Serenity 22 Barend

August is almost full - 3 nights available 8-11 Aug and 4 nights 17-21 Aug. Check availability.

The granite Heart Stane monument along the 7stanes trails in Dalbeattie Town Wood for hiking or mountain biking.

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 202523 April 202522 Barend

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

The same team opened 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!

Check out other places to eat near the lodge.

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.

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 202323 April 202622 Barend

It’s actually a top 7 list at the moment! The Crab Pot opened, then closed again! Also one or two of our other favourite places have closed in the last few months, so we’ll be using it as an excuse to eat out at a few more nearby 😋

April 2026 – Updates incoming, we ate at a few places on our recent trip (inc. Caddie’s Cove) 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.

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.

Rose Garden / Ship Inn Restaurant and Chinese Takeaway

30 August 202212 March 202522 Barend

Distance from the lodge: 5 miles NW ~11 min drive DG5 4DJ

We chose between the two Chinese takeaways in Dalbeattie. This time we decided to order from Rose Garden Chinese Restaurant and Takeaway, because we could order online and pay by Card.

Aerial photo of Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland

Castle Douglas ‘the Food Town’

15 April 202215 March 202522 Barend

We stayed in Castle Douglas and liked it so much we kept coming back!

From the town it’s only a short walk to Carlingwark Loch, and then just past the loch is Threave House & Gardens.

Kirkcudbright ‘the Artist Town’

9 April 202222 March 202522 Barend

Pronounced “kir-coo-bree“

Kirkcudbright has colourful houses, independent shops, a marina, a harbour and castle ruins overlooking the town. It’s a renowned artist town with art galleries to peruse. It’s also a classic harbour town famous for its scallop and lobster fishing.