Castles, gardens, Mary Queen of Scots connections, Covenanters, artists, tame fish and the founder of the American Navy - plenty of themes to follow Dumfries and Galloway.
Superb Castles From battered and time-worn fortresses like Threave on its river-island and moated Caerlaverock, to grand and stately homes such as Drumlanrig, Dumfries and Galloway offers a superb choice.
Great Gardens Gardens of every size, from the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden’s outstation at Logan, famed for its cabbage-palms, to the vast scale Castle Kennedy and its 18th century landscaping.
Historic Towns Not just colourful and neat, typically with their wide main street and market place, the Dumfries & Galloway towns also have a real sense of history.
Abbeys The poignant ruins of the Dumfries and Galloway's abbeys carry a certain romance - from Dundrennan and Mary, Queen of Scots’ last night in Scotland, to Sweetheart, built as a testament to love itself.
Gretna Green Scotland’s marriage laws were once more lenient than those of England. Gretna Green, just across the Border, was for 200 years, the place for eloping couples from the south to get married. It remains a popular wedding venue today.
Speciality Shops Small towns in Dumfries & Galloway are the place to find businesses supported by the community - lots of bookshops in Wigtown, while food is the theme for Castle Douglas
Festivals & Events You’ll find some of the goings-on here a little bit different – there are ‘Alternative Highland Games’ a Food Town Week and Gold Panning Championships for a start.