Views | Serenity 22 Barend

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

A waterfall with 3 distinct water streams

Mares Braids / Back Burn Waterfall Sandyhills

25 March 202322 September 202622 Barend

Distance from the lodge:
2 miles E ~5 min drive DG5 4PA

Mares Braids Waterfall, also known as Back Burn (sometimes Backburn) Waterfall, is just a short drive from Serenity 22 Barend, by the A710 heading E from Sandyhills. It’s near the Southwick Coastal Reserve and RSPB Mersehead on the Solway Coast.

⚠️ This walk is only accessible when the tide is out so you must check the tide times before going. The tides near Sandyhills move very quickly, and people have been trapped by them. ⚠️

Mares Braids is 5 min from Serenity 22 – one of the easiest days out from the lodge.

The causeway back to the mainland from Rough Island

Walk from Kippford to Rough Island

5 December 202228 September 202622 Barend

Distance from the lodge:
5 miles WSW ~11 min drive DG5 4LB

View of Rough Island from Kippford Beach

As soon as we heard about the walk to Rough Island, we looked forward to exploring the island. (We’ve previously done a similar walk to Davaar Island off Campbeltown, Kintyre.)

This area of the Solway Coast has such shallow seas that there are vast mudflats when the tide is out.

Rough island is about 3 miles / 5km from from Serenity 22 Barend “as the crow flies”.

⚠️ Check when to avoid crossing as the causeway is underwater for 5 (five) hours during high tide.

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.

Stargazing in Galloway’s Dark Skies

23 April 20222 September 202622 Barend

Galloway Forest Park – not far from Serenity 22 Barend – was designated the first Dark Sky Park in the UK by the International Dark-Sky Association. In 2009 it was only the fourth in the world; there are now over 100 worldwide. It’s a Gold Tier park for its dark skies which make for breathtaking and rare stargazing conditions.

A Dark Sky Park is a place with exceptionally dark night skies, where there’s a commitment to control light pollution.

Very few people live within the boundaries of Galloway Forest Park, so there’s very little light pollution and the nights are extra clear.

The region covers 300 square miles that are protected from light pollution. You’ll see thousands more stars compared to a typical town or city.

You can see over 7,000 stars and planets with the naked eye, including the Milky Way stretching across the sky. There’s a new show every night as we travel round the sun and get a constantly changing view of the stars.

A telescope set up for stargazing in Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park, Scotland

Kippford – the Solway Riviera

19 April 202215 March 202522 Barend

Kippford is a picturesque little village that has also been called the “Solway Riviera”. It benefits from the Gulf Stream and is popular for sailing, with many small yachts moored in the tidal estuary of the River Urr.