South West Scotland Short Breaks

Places to Visit in South West Scotland

Stranraer

Stranraer is the largest coastal town in Scotland to the south of Ayr. The town has recently become focused on marine leisure and music. Stranraer has a beautiful town centre dominated by the Castle of St John. There is a vibrant cafe culture as visitors and tourists sit and watch the world go by –what more could you ask for on a Scottish Short Break?

Stranraer also has one of Scotland's Top 100 Golf Courses and is home to the first hotel in the world to have its own indoor curling rink!

If it’s raining visit the Ryan Centre and swim in the Leisure Pool, or hire a hall for badminton or ball games. You may be able to spend an evening at the Ryan Theatre to watch a film or see a live show.

Distance from Ryan Bay Holiday & Residential Park: 2.3 miles - takes approximately 5 minutes by car.

Ballantrae

Ballantrae is a delightful village on the South Ayrshire Coast in the area known as Carrick which is renowned for its annual food festival. The village is on the South West Coastal 300 Routeand makes an ideal place to explore.

For those interested in angling, Ballantrae is at the mouth of the River Stinchar which is one of our area's top salmon fishing rivers.

Looking out to sea from Ballantrae, the view is somewhat dominated by Ailsa Craig with its distinctive shape. Ailsa Craig is home to a staggering 36,000 pairs of gannets. Guillemots, razorbills, and puffins can also be seen. The island is also the source of granite for the world`s best curling stones. Boat trips are available to Ailsa Craig from Girvan, about 20 minutes further up the coast.

Castle Douglas

Enjoy retail therapy in the hustle and bustle of this market town’s great independent shops, purchase locally-produced food and relax at Threave Gardens where the National Trust’s gardeners are trained.

Castle Douglas is a small town situated between Dumfries and Kirkcudbright. With Loch Ken to the north it makes an ideal centre for exploring Dumfries and Galloway. Threave Castle, the stronghold of the Black Douglases lies very close to Threave Gardens which is well worth visiting. Castle Douglas has been launched as a Food Town and visitors can enjoy a variety of foods in Castle Douglas, whether eating out or merely buying quality food products.

Beside Castle Douglas is Carlingwark Loch, dotted with islands and great for bird watching, boating, learning to sail and picnicking.

Glenluce

The Village of Glenluce is situated where the Rhins of Galloway meet the Machars of Galloway. Glenluce means Valley of Light. The village is set in a beautiful valley through which flows the Water of Luce on its way to Luce Bay.

For golfers, one of the best golf courses in the region is nearby – Wigtownshire County Golf Club. This well kept course on the shores of Luce Bay is on level ground.

There is an excellent, easy and little known walk from Glenluce Village to St Helena Island on Luce Bay. This short walk follows a good path along the western bank of the Water of Luce and goes under the A75, through woodland and skirting the edge of Wigtownshire Country Golf Course to reach Luce Bay.

The River Luce has excellent fly fishing for salmon –enquiries to Stair Estates.

Portpatrick

Portpatrick is one of the most popular holiday villages on the coast of South West Scotland. Portpatrick has a picturesque harbour, a wealth of things to do and most likely, more places to eat than any other village in South West Scotland.

From Portpatrick Harbour, you can go on either sea fishing cruises or a sightseeing and nature spotting boat trip. The harbourside at Portpatrick has a row of attractively painted houses and several pubs where you can relax –just sit and watch the boats coming and going. There are several quirky gift shops on the streets around Portpatrick harbour.There are many places to eat in Portpatrick and at weekends, there is usually live music in one or more of the pubs.

Walkers are well catered for in Portpatrick. There are spectacular cliff paths in both directions. Killantringan Bay has a vast expanse of firm and level sand -excellent for rock-pooling or walking your dog. Portpatrick has a small sandy beach within the harbour area which is popular with familiesand is fairly sheltered. There are other excellent beaches at Sandeel Bay, Killantringan and Larbrax beyond Killantringan.

For the golfer, Portpatrick Golf Club has both a 9 and 18 hole course and welcomes visitors. Portpatrick Golf Club also has excellent catering facilities. There is an extremely popular putting green near the harbour. Portpatrick also has a bowling green and a tennis court. Lagganmore is another 18 hole golf course just outside the village.

Popular events in Portpatrick include the RNLI Lifeboat week in early August and the ever popular Portpatrick Folk Festival in early September. Farmers Markets and Craft Fayres are also held regularly.