About the Local Area
Whithorn
In 397 AD St Ninian founded the first Christian church north of Hadrian’s Wall and subsequently Whithorn became an important destination for religious scholars and pilgrims.
The Whithorn Museum and Visitors’ Centre contain many artefacts relating to St Ninian. These and the ruins of the Priory and associated archaeological dig are all within a short walk of the property.
Whithorn is well appointed with amenities, among them grocers, a post office, bank and a popular antique shop.
Nearby Towns
Isle of Whithorn
Five miles to the south lies the Isle of Whithorn. A major port in the middle ages, ferrying pilgrims on their way to St Ninian’s shrine, it is now a picturesque harbour village with opportunities for sailing and fishing. The Steam Packet hotel is well known for the quality of its food and real ales. The cult film, The Wicker Man, was filmed in the area and Burrowhead, just along the coast, was the site of the famous burning statue.
Wigtown
Just a 15 minute drive away, Wigtown, Scotland's National Book Town. With over a quarter of a million books to choose from, including rare and antique collections, this is an ideal outing for booklovers. The annual Wigtown Book Festival attracts major authors and thousands of visitors every year.
Bladnoch
This small hamlet, on the outskirts of Wigtown, is home to Scotland’s most Southern distillery and the visitor centre provides an opportunity to sample the distinctive product.
Creetown
In addition to the Gem Museum, Creetown is famous for its annual Creetown Country and Western Music Festival, held in September.
Other Attractions
For those who are interested in outdoors activities there are a number of opportunities available locally. Cyclists are well catered for with several identified routes plus the 7 Stanes Mountain Biking trails in the Galloway Forest park at nearby Kirroughtree.
There are also many walking routes in the surrounding area, whether along the coast, in the forests or in the foothills of the Southern Uplands. Fishing and shooting and golfing are some of the other activities that are also available.
Dumfries and Galloway is renowned for its natural attractions and wildlife. Bird lovers are particularly well catered for, with opportunities to visit the Red Kite Trail near Loch Ken, view nesting ospreys a from Wigtown County Buildings or watch the multitude of wildfowl which can be found in the Wigtown bay area every winter.
There are also a number of gardens to visit during your stay. The most well known is the Logan Botanic Gardens, where the warmth of the Gulf Stream allows an unexpectedly exotic planting scheme to thrive. Although some distance away, Threave Gardens in Castle Douglas is also well worth a visit, as are many others such as Glenwhan, and Castle Kennedy Gardens