Location description from owner

The Scotland region

This undiscovered corner of south west Scotland in western Galloway is known by its old county name of Wigtownshire. Famous for beef and dairy farming, very little has changed in the past two centuries. It remains one of the least populated areas of the country, you will not be tripping over other visitors - this is not Cornwall or the Lakes, the landscape remains very much unspoilt - few large towns, no motorways, miles of largely deserted beaches and the best local ingredients such as venison, beef, lamb, salmon, oysters and scallops.

However, despite the peace and privacy there is a host of things to occupy your time while staying in one of our luxury holiday cottages in Dumfries and Galloway: visiting the local chocolate factory - children often make careers choices there; experiencing a range of local golf courses - from the quite remarkably beautiful and nearby Portpatrick Dunskey course to the championship courses of Turnberry and Troon in neighbouring Ayrshire; visiting stunning gardens bathed in the Gulf Stream; indulging at the famous ice cream factory; mountain biking on the 7Stanes - a renowned off road cycle track through the forests, and exploring the delightful fishing villages including Portpatrick and Kirkcudbright.

Kirkcolm

Dumfries & Galloway is bursting with sights to see and activities to get your teeth into during your stay in Corsewall Estate's self catering accommodation. Here are a few suggestions to whet your appetite:

Activities with the Children
The Cocoa Bean Company Chocolate Factory at Twynholm, which runs excellent hands on workshops and has a huge indoor slide, outdoor adventure playground and cafe.

Cream o' Galloway Visitor Centre (locally made award winning ice cream) – with loads of activities from karts, slides, rides, and a woodland adventure playground to farm tours and ice cream experience events near Gatehouse of Fleet.

The Gem Rock Museum at Creetown is a huge favourite with our children. It houses one of the finest collections of gemstones, crystals, minerals, rocks and fossils in the UK.

Logan Fish Pond, located at Port Logan was once the Victorian larder stocked with fish of the nearby Logan House. It is now a fascinating marine life visitor centre.

Galloway Activity Centre situated on the banks of Loch Ken – kayaking, canoeing, archery, outdoor laser quest, climbing/abseiling, windsurfing and even wobble boarding.

Locally, there is pony trekking at Lochnaw Home Farm, near Leswalt. In addition, there is an indoor riding arena at Terally, 30 minutes drive to the south.

Mountain Biking
Get to grips with the great outdoors during your stay at one of our self catering cottages. The 7Stanes is a series of seven amazing and varied mountain biking centres located across Wigtownshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfriesshire and the Borders in the east. The nearest two to Corsewall are found at Kirroughtree and Glentrool in the Galloway Forest Park near Newton Stewart, a 45 minute drive away.

Golf
Garden Cottage is an ideal base to explore the numerous golf courses in Wigtownshire and Ayrshire including the Portpatrick Dunskey course, the Stranraer Golf Club and the Wigtownshire County Golf Club.
For grown ups, the Championship courses of Turnberry and Royal Troon are also within easy drive up the Ayrshire coast, one hour and one and half hours respectively.

Beaches
Visitors to Wigtownshire often describe it as 'Cornwall but without all the people'. The Rhins of Galloway are endowed with numerous and spectacular beaches from Killantringan and Larbrax to Lady Bay and Sandeel Bay.

Walking
Dumfries and Galloway is blessed with a huge range of walks to enjoy during your stay from the spectacular garden and woodland walks at the gardens of Dunskey and Castle Kennedy to those along the coast and upland ones in the Galloway hills.

The Galloway Forest Park offers three visitor centres close to Newton Stewart from where walkers can explore - Kirroughtree, Clatteringshaws and Glentrool. For the ambitious, head for the hills and tackle the Merrick - the south of Scotland's highest peak. Alternatively, there are any number of clearly marked tracks of varying lengths that take you through spectacular Galloway scenery through woodlands, across moorland and by scenic lochs.

Gardens
There are many beautiful gardens to explore in the local area. Visit Castle Kennedy, Dunskey, Glenwhan, Ardwell Gardens and Logan House – all with their very varied landscapes and plant species. Bursting with exotic colours, they are full of inspiration for keen gardeners or simply beautiful and peaceful places in which to enjoy a relaxing stroll. Port Logan Botanical Gardens is the Royal Edinburgh Botanics' most southerly outpost - and aptly described as 'a plantman's paradise' - is one of the country's most exotic gardens where many varieties of plants from the southern hemisphere flourish warmed by the Gulf Stream.

Festivals/Events
There are a number of festivals and events held in Dumfries & Galloway throughout the year including:

Spring Fling in May which is Dumfries and Galloway's annual art and craft open studios festival, with over 76 artists taking part in this year's 10th anniversary festival.

The award winning Wickerman Festival in July. Now in its 11th year, it promises to be a diverse line up of music, arts and entertainment for all ages.

And the Wigtown Book Festival (28 September – 7 October 2012) which has grown over the years to become one of the most charming events in the British literary calendar.

Places of Interest
And finally, there are many pretty towns, villages and places of interest to visit during your stay from Portpatrick and the Mull of Galloway to Castle Douglas and Kirkcudbright. You could even consider a day trip to Ireland.