20 Attractions to Explore Near Kenmure Castle

The Galloway Activity Centre is situated on the glorious banks of Loch Ken and offers a vast range of outdoor activities and accommodation ideal for entertaining active and fun loving families for a few hours to a few days! You can choose from wet or dry activities, serene to adrenalin inducing, playful to serious, skill building to simply jumping into it.

Loch Ken, located in the picturesque Glenkens, is a 9 mile long freshwater loch, that is fed from the north by the Water of Ken. It is popular spot for water skiing, fishing, and sailing and these activities and more are served by the Galloway Activity Centre located on the banks of the loch. It is part of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere

This large freshwater reservoir is part of the wider Galloway Forest Park in Dumfries and Galloway.It was created by damming the Galloway River Dee as part of the Galloway Hydro Electric Scheme.The Forestry Commission maintain a visitors' centre by the loch to welcome visitors to Galloway Forest Park. Here you can pick up some nice walking trails taking you along the water to the memorial stone and Bruce's Stone.

Cairnsmore of Fleet National Nature Reserve is one of the wildest places in south-west Scotland – but is still surprisingly accessible. It’s a paradise for walkers, with panoramic views over a patchwork landscape of muted colours. It is home to the most extensive area of open moorland in Galloway, and has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The summit and eastern flanks of the mountain are designated as a national nature reserve, which is managed by NatureScot

Corserine is a hill in the Rhinns of Kells, a sub-range of the Galloway Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. The highest point of the range and the second highest point in Galloway, the usual route of ascent is from the car park at Forrest Lodge to the east of the hill via Loch Harrow and North Gairy Top. Forest Lodge is a short drive from the village of St. John's Town of Dalry.

A majestic and beautiful historical castle situated on an island in the middle of the River Dee, this formidable castle is only reachable by boat. This massive tower house was built in the late 14th century by Archibald the Grim, Lord of Galloway. It became the stronghold of the Black Douglases and still today, round its base you can see the artillery fortification, an innovative defence years ahead of its time

Threave Garden is a series of gardens owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland, which is rich in diversity, with areas such as an informal rose garden, a wildflower meadowland and a one acre walled garden with a temperate glasshouse collection. It is also well known for its great displays of daffodils. The garden also feature many champion trees from around the world.

Galloway Forest Park is often referred to as ‘the Highlands of the Lowlands’ and attracts around 800,000 thousand visitors each year. Home to dramatic ancient woodland, magnificent scenery and an astonishing range of local wildlife, the park is perfect for the whole family. Whether walking, cycling, fishing, driving through the woods or just relaxing in the tearooms, the Galloway Forest Park has something for everyone.

Threave House was built by William Gordon, a Liverpool businessman who had bought the Threave Estate as a summer home for his extensive family in 1867. He preferred this location for the house to the lower parts of the estate extending to the River Dee and including Threave Island and Threave Castle. There is also a visitor centre and plant centre. The wider estate is managed as a nature reserve and is home to bats and ospreys, and includes part of the Loch Ken and River Dee Marshes Special Prot

The Mill on the Fleet is a restored 18th century cotton mill. It is now an exhibition centre with core displays on the history and heritage of Gatehouse and the Fleet Valley. The water wheel on the gable end was used to drive the machinery to spin the cotton. Following various changes in ownership and fortune both mills finally ceased trading in the 1930s. In the 1980s the mill was restored by Dumfries and Galloway Council and opened to the public in 1991

Loch Enoch is a multi-basin freshwater loch in Galloway, to the east of Merrick and south of Mullwharchar. The loch is situated in a granite basin and has several small islands and some beaches on its shore. The vegetation in the loch’s basin is mainly purple moor grass and heather.The loch's outflow supplies Loch Doon and the River Doon, both in Ayrshire.

Mullwharchar is a hill in the Dungeon Hills, a sub-range of the Galloway Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. There are 3 cliffs on the mountain named The Slock, The Tauchers and The Organ Pipes and some routes on these are occasionally climbed. Mullwharchar's summit is fairly flat and dotted with erratics. Quiet risky trekking location and also it offers nice views from the top.

Cardoness Castle was built in the later 1400s as the fortified residence of the McCullochs and is a fine example of a Scottish tower house castle. It was originally owned by the MacCullochs of Myreton. They abandoned the castle in the late 17th century, following the execution of Sir Godfrey McCulloch for the murder of a Clan Gordon neighbour. It is now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland, and is a scheduled monumen

Kirroughtree Forest is located near Newton Stewart in Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland and overlooks the Irish Sea. It is managed by Forestry and Land Scotland and is part of the Galloway Forest Park. It has been developed as a centre for mountain biking trails. Palnure Burn is a small river which runs through the forest and on into the River Cree. The forest is home to red squirrels, red deer and ospreys.

Bruce’s Stone is a large granite boulder commemorating King Robert’s victory over the English. It sits at the top of the hill on the north side of Loch Trool. It also serves as a starting spot for the challenging walk up Merrick (2764 feet), the highest mountain in southern Scotland

Loch Trool is a narrow, freshwater loch that is surrounded by stunning scenery due to its elevated position in Glentrool, in the Galloway Forest Park. The loch is the source of the Water of Trool which flows to the Water of Minnoch and the River Cree. There is a walking trail and footpath around the loch's perimeter.

The Merrick is the highest hill in Southern Scotland. A popular ascent from Glen Trool, it presides high over a wild landscape, thankfully well away from the extensive forestry plantations. An interesting feature on the mountain is the presence of several large partly buried granite boulders at about 800 m on the broad west ridge.

Buittle Castle, also known historically as Botle or Botel Castle, is a ruined castle in Galloway, south-west Scotland. It is located in the valley of the River Urr, 1 kilometre west of Dalbeattie. The castle is within the parish of Buittle, in the traditional county of Kirkcudbrightshire and is a scheduled ancient monument. The ruins remained in the possession of the Maxwells of Munches until 1984 when they were gifted to Balliol College, Oxford by Peter Maxwell QC of Munches himself a Balliol

The Gem Rock Museum is home to many fine and rare examples of crystals found in Britain, as well as a brilliant set of exquisitely cut replicas of the world’s largest diamonds. The museum is more than just a static display - it is a fully interactive experience which the whole family will enjoy: see the AV 'Fire in the Stones' audio-visual display, explore the amazing Crystal Cave, relax in the Professor's Study or test your knowledge with a geology quiz.

Loch Doon Castle was probably built in the late 1200s by an earl of Carrick – either Robert the Bruce or his father, also called Robert. This was constructed from fine ashlar and was polygonal with eleven uneven sides, its shape being dictated by the terrain of the island. Entrance into the castle was via an arched gateway protected by two heavy timber doors and a portcullis. There was also a small postern gate. The castle was dismantled and rebuilt on the side of the loch after the loch water l