Hestan Island - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Orchardton Tower is an unusual free-standing round tower, the only one of its type in Scotland. It operated as a fortified residence for a nobleman named John Cairns, who may have acquired the land after James II’s overthrow of the Douglases in 1455. is remarkable as the only cylindrical tower house in Scotland. Orchardton Tower is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Sandyhills is a large sandy beach near Dalbeattie on the Dumfries and Galloway coastline. The beach lives up to its name and at low tide has a vast expanse of sand, backed by gentle sand dunes. The beach is the perfect spot for a walk, a paddle or a picnic. The beach can be very busy in the summer but nearby walks and attractions provide other opportunities to enjoy the local countryside.

A complete Cistercian monastery in Scotland and features some of the best Gothic architecture in the country. The abbey was founded in 1142 by Fergus. Dundrennan is noted for the purity and restraint of its architecture, reflecting the austere Cistercian ideal. It is also built from very hard-weathering grey sandstone, so the original architectural forms and mouldings are well preserved.

Mersehead is an extensive wetland and saltmarsh area, a haven for breeding waders, wintering waterfowl and year-round bird and wildlife-watching. Spring is particularly magical, when the wet meadows fill with lapwings and skylarks. One of the iconic location where you can spend some nice time in the middle of nature.

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

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