Things to see and do in the area

 Armandii Cottage  lies in the beautiful Cairn Valley, 4 miles from Dunscore village and 7 miles north west of Dumfries in the South West of Scotland within the grounds of Newtonairds Lodge. Fields to the rear of the cottage, mostly grazed by cows in the Summer, lead to views of Newtonairds Wood beyond. 

 During the 19th century,  Newtonairds was described as being "one of the  finest estates in the country",  on property details prepared for its sale in 1897.

It was described by Messrs. Craig & Geddes as follows...............

"It comprises a very tastefully laid-out pleasure grounds and gardens extending to almost 32 acres; agricultural lands extending to 776 acres; very ornamental and valuable woods of 361 acres; shootings affording good sport; and Salmon and Trout fishing in the River Cairn"

Dumfries, the largest town in Dumfries & Galloway, is situated on the river Nith and provides a wide variety of activities and attractions including many popular high street shops as well as small ones.                                                                     

There is so much to explore in the surrounding countryside, from Birdwatching, (the Red Kite feeding station near Loch Ken) to cycling at one of  the Seven Stanes cycling centres (below),  or walking along the solway coastline. Whether it is clifftop or sandy beach, there is over 200 miles of coastline to enjoy!

http://www.visitdumfriesandgalloway.co.uk/seeanddo/

Drumlanrig Castle and Country Estate
Thornhill

 http://www.drumlanrig.com/

Glenkiln Sculptures

Glenkiln, Shawhead

There are 6 sculptures by Henry Moore, Sir Jacob Epstein and Auguste Rodin imaginatively sited in this beautiful glen. The works were bought and placed by the landowner Sir William Keswick, starting in 1951. 

 http://www.visitsouthwestscotland.com/attractioninfo.asp?attractID=78

 Mountainbiking       

 The 7stanes    "pushes the concept of mountain biking into new and higher realms - bringing out the best of the hills and forests of southern Scotland through the use of the area's plentiful natural resources of timber and stone.

These ground breaking, award winning, downright incredible mountain biking trails have been taking shape since 2002. Some regular favourites such as Mabie and Glentress have been further improved, and new trails at Innerleithen and Kirroughtree have added qualities never before seen in Scotland or even the rest of the UK"

 http://www.7stanes.com/the-7stanes-c20.html

Gardens of Dumfries & Galloway

Thanks to the breezes of the Gulf stream washing over the regions coastline, the Gardens of Dumfries & Galloway are some of Scotlands very best. Located 70 miles west of Dumfries, Logan Botanic Garden near Stranraer is at the south western tip of Scotland and it is unrivalled as the country's most exotic garden being well worth the drive.

http://www.visitdumfriesandgalloway.co.uk/gardens/