Vacation in Scotland at Castle Douglas

Posted on | October 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Castle Douglas is located in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. During the 18th century the town of Castle Douglas had something like a makeover by William Douglas, a local boy, who planned to make his home town into a noteworthy commercial and industrial center. Sadly the enterprise failed, however the town benefited slightly with some lovely buildings built from a mix of gray granite and red sandstone and a straight main street called King Street. As Castle Douglas is only 18 miles from Dumfries it has a great many tourist attractions and places of interest and we describe 3; Threave Gardens, Castle Douglas Art Gallery and Threave Castle:

Threave Castle

located on an island in the middle of the River Dee, is the stunning Threave Castle. The journey to the castle itself is rather exciting. First one has a ten minute stroll over farm land and through woods, where one comes upon a jetty, at the river’s edge. Here you will discover a brass bell that is the signal for the boat man to come and transport you across to the castle. Threave castle was erected in the 1370’s by Archibald Douglas (Archibald the Grim), soon after he became Lord of Galloway. Threave remained his strong hold until his death in 1400. The origin of the name Threave comes from the ancient Welsh word for Homestead, ‘Tref’.

Threave Gardens

Liverpool businessman, William Gordon, bought Threave House and estate, as a summer dwelling for his large family, in 1867. The 24 acre Threave Gardens were developed alongside the house, and are now a popular visitor attraction. The National Trust for Scotland continue to develop and maintain the house and gardens, as well as running the visitor center. There are a variety of gardens around the estate, including the
Woodland Garden, Secret Garden and Peat Garden. In springtime, the parade of daffodils are magnificent, and captivate visitors from far and wide. A favorite of children who visit Threave Gardens is the Discovery Garden. It was devised to inspire children, with its mown grass paths twisting through wild flower meadows.

Castle Douglas Art Gallery

The Castle Douglas Art Gallery is an excellent venue, which plays host to an array of crafts and arts throughout the year. Many touring exhibitions are exhibited regularly, as well as temporary exhibitions, all running from Easter to Christmas. The art gallery was founded in 1938, and was given to by the artist, Mrs Ethel Bristowe. In 1996 the gallery was refurbished with finances from the National Lottery. Many of the displays in the gallery, including photographs, are for sale. Close to the gallery, are two other attractions, Threave Garden and Threave Castle. These are to be found no more than a few miles away.

You might want to use this listing of hotels andÂ accommodations in Castle Douglas to bookÂ your Scottish vacation.