9 minute read
road
Jonathan Manning diverts from the classic Scottish tourist trail on a journey around the sensational south-west
Tucked away in the south-west corner of Scotland, under night skies of the blackest ink, it is all too easy to overlook Dumfries and Galloway. Doe-eyed romantics get no farther than its border for weddings at Gretna Green; freight lorries make a beeline for Stranraer’s port as they trundle to Northern Ireland; and holidaymakers barrel along the A74(M) north towards Glasgow, the Trossachs and the Highlands. But branch off these well-worn routes and a new world opens, full of whisper-quiet beaches, exotic gardens and magnificent forests.
Established only a few years ago, the South West Coastal 300 (SWC300) driving route showcases these land- and seascapes, hugging the shoreline of Dumfries & Galloway then Ayrshire, before circling back inland. It clearly rides on the coat-tails of Scotland’s phenomenally popular North Coast 500, but to treat the young pretender as a tick-list tour would do a massive disservice to the region.
Mains of Machermore Farm
Certificated Location
This farm-based CL not only boasts fully-serviced pitches, toilet and shower, but cattle and sheep for neighbours.
Sites Directory & Handbook p513
Site view
“We’re on the edge of the Galloway Dark Sky Park, so the stargazing is amazing, and we occasionally see the Northern Lights. It’s only a 1½-mile walk to Newton Stewart, which is a lovely little town.”
Isabel
Food & drink
Brew Ha Ha, 48 Victoria Street, Newton Stewart DG8 6BT
Contact: 01671 404203
Culture
Bladnoch Distillery, Bladnoch, Newton Stewart DG8 9AB
Contact: uk.bladnoch.com, 01988 402605
Outdoor fun
Kirroughtree Visitor Centre, Forest Drive, Palnure DG8 7BE
Contact: forestryandland.gov. scot/visit/forest-parks/ galloway-forest-park/ kirroughtree-visitor-centre
For the family
Galloway Canyoning, Kilteliltie Cottage, Castle Douglas DG7 1TX
Contact: gallowaycanyoning. com, 01556 509490
The SWC300 has no equivalent of Glen Torridon or Bealach na Bà to provide instant silver-screen entertainment through car windows. Instead, it reveals its treasures slowly to those visitors who are patient enough to invest time in the area. It’s an approach exemplified by Scotland’s greatest export, whisky, which spends decades maturing in barrels to develop its rich colours and complex flavours. Some things just can’t be rushed.
Mains Attraction
My tour starts a mile and a half from the small market town of Newton Stewart, at the impressively equipped Mains of Machermore Farm Certificated Location (CL). Site owner Isabel shows me the brilliantly named ‘wee hoose’ shower and toilet block, before summoning a pedigree herd of Belted Galloway, grazing in a neighbouring field, that have better recall training than my dogs. The distinctive, white-banded cattle amble over, accompanied by Texel and Beltex sheep, their lambs tottering on shaky legs.
“A lot of our visitors love cycling and walking,” says Isabel, pointing out the densely wooded hillside of Blackcraig that “looks like it’s illuminated when the sun shines on it in autumn”.
Birdwatchers are spoiled for choice, with RSPB reserves at Wood of Cree and and Crook of Baldon, a hotspot for migrant geese and waders. Higher-adrenaline activities are
Below: Scotland is a mecca for mountain bikers
Bottom: cattle at Mains of Machermore Farm CL
Garlieston Club Campsite
Pitches look straight onto the bay at this quiet site with coastal walks from the door, and free-toexplore exotic gardens next door. Pitches: 60
Max outfit length: 8.5m
Member view
“I was doing some work in the area last summer and wanted to come back and show it to my wife because it’s so lovely.”
Andrew and Margaret
Site view
“We love Portpatrick, which is a small fishing town with loads of amusements.” Edgar
Food & drink
The Harbour Inn, 18 South Crescent, Garlieston, Newton Stewart DG8 8BQ
Contact: the-harbour-inn.co.uk, 01988 600685
Culture
Whithorn Priory and Museum, 6 Bruce Street, Whithorn, Newton Stewart DG8 8PY
Contact: historicenvironment. scot, 01988 500700
Outdoor fun
Galloway House Gardens, Garlieston, Newton Stewart DG8 8HF
Contact: gallowayhouse gardens.co.uk, 01988 600789
For the family
Creetown Gem Rock Museum, Chain Road, Creetown, Newton Stewart DG8 7HJ
2 FOR 1 available at the nearby Kirroughtree 7stanes mountain bike trail centre. Newton Stewart offers all the essentials for a camping tour, including a couple of supermarkets, the wittily named Brew Ha Ha café with its drool-inducing cake cabinet, and a community-run cinema for evening entertainment. Meanwhile,
Contact: gemrock.net, 01671 820357
Member saving available: see camc.com/greatsavingsguide for details, terms and conditions
Scan here to book a pitch at Garlieston Club Campsite
New England Bay Club Campsite
Blessed with a spellbinding location by a vast, sandy beach, this lovely site of large, grass pitches gazes straight out to sea.
Pitches: 145
Max outfit length: 12m Tent camping available.
“We come two or three times a year and love the beach and the local bays at Ardwell and Sandhead. There’s so much to explore in each area.”
Les and Jude
Site view
“People come here to relax and chill. We get amazing sunrises and a full moon over the sea is stunning.”
Julie and Martin
Food & drink
The Ship Inn, 5 Shore Street, Drummore, Stranraer DG9 9PU
Contact: 01776 840471
Culture
Castle Kennedy Gardens, Stranraer DG9 8SL
Contact: castlekennedy gardens.com, 01776 702024
Outdoor fun
Mull of Galloway
Lighthouse, Drummore, Stranraer DG9 9HP
Contact: mull-ofgalloway.co.uk
For the family
Port Logan Fishpond, Port Logan, Stranraer DG9 9NF
Contact: 01776 860606
Scan here to book a pitch at New England Bay
Booking Info
For the latest details and opening information for all our sites, please see camc.com the site’s big draw is its location on the edge of Galloway Forest’s International Dark Sky Park, the first in the UK. On clear nights, this is a sensational place for stargazing.
Convinced that the only thing better than staring at the Milky Way would be staring at the Milky Way with a tipple in my hand, I face a choice. Within 15 minutes’ drive of the site are Crafty Distillery, home of the award-winning Hills & Harbour gin, and Bladnoch Distillery, source of Scotland’s most southerly whisky.
I decide to head to Bladnoch, where a funand fact-filled tour ends with a tasting. The guide’s sing-song Scottish accent proves too much for a Dutch couple, and I spend the tour whispering clarifications as we pass the barley mills, mash tuns and copper stills. The photogenic highlight of the tour is the vast warehouse of maturing whisky, where the feature barrel is signed by ‘Charles and Camilla’. In the visitor centre, a pair of surfboards fashioned from old Bladnoch whisky barrels look like the perfect accessories for my VW California.
Auchenwynd
Certificated Location
Flat, hardstanding pitches with electric hook-ups, as well as a toilet and shower and small playground, make this rural CL, just outside Maybole, a great place to stay.
Sites Directory & Handbook p509
Site view
“There are lots of picturesque villages and beaches nearby, and loads of great walks and cycle routes. You can even do a day-trip to Belfast from Cairnryan.” Sally
Food & drink
Broun’s Bistro, 11 Welltrees Street, Maybole KA19 7AW
Contact: thewelltrees.co.uk, 01655 718172
Culture
Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Murdoch’s Lone, Alloway, Ayr KA7 4PQ
Contact: nts.org.uk, 01292 443700
Outdoor fun
Boat trip to Ailsa Craig, 7 Harbour Street, Girvan
KA26 9AJ
Contact: ailsacraig.org.uk, 01465 713219
Next Chapter
Pointing the bonnet east, I enjoy a gentle drive to Wigtown, Scotland’s self-proclaimed National Book Town, and spend a happy half hour browsing the Penguin Classics in The Book Shop, where over a mile of shelving bears the weight of about 100,000 literary works. The 10-day Wigtown Book Festival in late September draws visitors from far and wide for readings and storytelling.
Heading south, it’s early evening as I roll into Garlieston Club Campsite, where pitches overlook tidal Wigtown Bay. Just outside the gates, a fish and chip van has taken up its weekly residency, and the smell is irresistible.
For the family
Citadel Leisure Centre, South Harbour Street, Ayr KA7 1JB
Contact: 01292 269793
Site Manager Edgar grew up just down the road and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the area, from the last vestiges of the Second World War Mulberry Harbours that are just visible at low tide, to the best walks and cycle rides nearby. Immediately next to the site is Galloway House, an enormous 18th-century pile whose free-to-enter 50 acres of parkland and gardens are filled with trophy plants from the Victorian era. Rhododendra and azaleas are in bloom as I visit, bluebells carpet the woodland floor and the smell of wild garlic clears my head quicker than a whiff of nasal decongestant. The highlight is a mature
The Ranch Affiliated Site
Just outside Maybole, this immaculate site with fullyserviced pitches has country views, plus a heated indoor pool, playpark and football pitch.
Site view
“Campers can walk to Maybole, where the Greenside restaurant is outstanding, or catch a bus from the site to Culzean Castle and Maiden Beach.”
Thomas and Vi
Food & drink
The Greenside, 5 Greenside, Maybole KA19 7DG
Contact: thegreenside restaurant.co.uk, 01655 889685
Culture
Crossraguel Abbey, Maybole
KA19 8HQ
Contact: historicenvironment. scot, 01655 883113
Outdoor fun
Little Peru (alpaca trekking and crafting workshops), Blair, Nr Crosshill KA19 7QQ Contact: littleperu.co.uk
For the family
Culzean Castle, Maybole
KA19 8LE
Contact: nts.org.uk, 01655 884455 handkerchief tree, its beautiful white flowers fluttering like tissues.
This region of Scotland is blessed with several spectacular gardens, including Glenwhan, Castle Kennedy, Threave Garden & Nature Reserve and Logan Botanic Garden. Exotic plant species flourish in this part of the world thanks to the temperate climate ushered in year-round by the Gulf Stream.
Throughout the area, road signs proclaim this to be a UNESCO Biosphere, a status that engages local communities in conserving natural resources. Keen to play my part, I decide to cycle down to the Isle of Whithorn, a small fishing village, and catch four seasons of weather in just one hour. The roofless ruin of St Ninian’s Chapel occupies a scenic location at the end of the peninsula, gazing out to sea, while the Steam Packet Inn, complete with its own microbrewery, is open all day from morning coffee to nightcap. Many Garlieston campers catch a bus down to the isle (it’s not actually an island) and walk back along the coastline, says Edgar.
Continuing the tour, I drive to New England Bay Club Campsite, which enjoys a wondrous setting in the dunes of a seemingly endless beach, dazzling gorse adding a flash of yellow to the pitches. This feels like a private coastline, shared only with deer, seals and the site’s resident stoat. Site Manager Martin is keen to show me the gleaming chrome of the shower block, but I can’t take my eyes off the view, which he says is even more spectacular at sunrise, if I can raise my head from my pillow at 5am. I’ll take his word for it!
Caravanner Jude has been coming here since she was four, and has been bringing husband Les for the past 20 years, relishing the relaxed, unregimented feel of the site. They and their two giant Leonberger dogs love the vast expanse of beach.
For any camper wondering what swims in these waters, Port Logan Fish Pond – a tidal, open-air aquarium – holds the answers. It was built as a fish larder, but today provides a more secure home for starfish, crabs, lobster, skate, dogfish and even a conger eel.
Clockwise from top: Glasgow; lemon meringue pie at Mull of Galloway lighthouse; Dunure Castle
Ayr Craigie Gardens Club Campsite
This leafy site is within walking distance of Ayr’s epic sandy beach plus all the facilities of a large town.
Pitches: 90 Max outfit length: 9.2m
Member view
“Very quiet, beautifully kept, facilities spotless and staff friendly and welcoming. Some lovely dog walks along the river and an easy stroll into Ayr.” John
Site view
“You can follow the River Ayr into the town, or head upstream for a lovely walk.”
Ffiona
Food & drink
The Fox & Willow, 46 Carrick Road, Ayr KA7 2RE
Contact: thefoxandwillow.com, 01292 262846
Culture
Dumfries House, Cumnock, Ayrshire KA18 2NJ
Contact: dumfries-house.org. uk, 01290 425959
Outdoor fun
Ayr Beach
Contact: visitscotland.com
For the family
Heads of Ayr Farm Park, Dunure Road, Ayr, KA7 4LD
Contact: headsofayrtickets.co.uk, 01292 441210
Scan here to book a pitch at Ayr Craigie Gardens
But it’s not a fish supper that whets my appetite as much as Martin’s description of the lemon meringue pie served in the café at the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse, Scotland’s most southerly point. For a pie to eclipse the stunning, clifftop view is a testament to the baker, rather than any indictment of the seascape, and the café terrace proves to be a gorgeous place to sit and gaze out to sea in the hope of spotting dolphins.
Definitely Maybole
Eventually, however, I break the mull’s spell and point the California north, revelling in a coastal drive that serves up spectacular views of the tiny volcanic island, Ailsa Craig, and the Isle of Arran, before arriving at Auchenwynd CL, just outside Maybole. It’s another superb spot, with hardstanding pitches, electric hook-ups, a shower and toilet – and there is a holiday cottage for anyone touring with non-campers. This is an outdoorsy spot, with walks, cycle rides and fishing opportunities on the doorstep, and easy access to the attractive coastline.
Golfers with deep pockets may be drawn to nearby Trump Turnberry, where they can take on the iconic Ailsa course – the venue for no fewer than four Open Championships. A little farther north up the coastline stands Culzean Castle, an outstanding stately home designed by Robert Adam and perched proudly on a clifftop. Inside, the oval staircase is straight from a Hollywood movie, missing only a butler to announce guests as they sweep down the steps. Downstairs is memorable for a gleaming kitchen of polished copper pans, while, outside, a tangle of paths offers pretty walks through the estate and its woodland.
Barely 10 minutes inland, The Ranch Affiliated Site offers peaceful, fully serviced pitches and far-reaching country views, with the added bonus of a heated indoor pool if the weather is poor. A bus from the site heads to Culzean Castle and Maidens Turnberry Beach, while Maybole is walking distance in the other direction, so motorhomers can park up for their stay.
The penultimate stop on this tour is Ayr Craigie Gardens Club Campsite, where I
