Family Days out in Dumfries and Galloway

Time off!

Mixing family time and running a holiday business can sometimes be a little hectic, but when we get the opportunity we love to get out and explore!  We’re still new to the area (we moved up last July) so days out still feel like being on holiday to us.  This week we’ve had friends over from Germany, which gave us a great excuse to take a day off and head up to Drumlanrig Castle.  I’m a history and culture lover so Drumlanrig has been on my radar for a while.  It’s just under an hour away, with lots of things to entertain the kids, wear out the dogs and interest us adults.

Barend Beagle walkies.

The Barend Beagles were very happy exploring the vast grounds and gardens.   They gave it a paws up for the great sniffs! You can follow their adventures on Twitter @BarendBeagles.  Family walks with the dogs are a great way for us all to catch up and have some quality time together.  Next time we come we’ll try to fit a longer walk and some mountain biking in.  (The excellent Rik’s Mountain biking shed is located at Drumlanrig and he has designed mountain bike trails here similar to the 7 Stanes).

Castle Tour.

After lunch at the onsite cafe we did the Tour around the Castle.  The tour was entertaining and informative, keeping the mini-Gells happy too.  I enjoyed the little snippets of information and have stored some of them for the Friday night pub quiz at the Barend Bar and Restaurant.

No family trip out would be complete without antics on the adventure play park!  The mini-Gells challenged Mr G for a race round the park, whilst the Barend Beagles and I explored the gardens.

Scenic Route Home.

Driving home we took a scenic route through Moniaive and Corsock.  Seeing the sun set over the rolling hills made us so grateful that we took the plunge and moved up here.  Our days off are few and far between but the quality of life for all of us has been greatly improved.  We are very lucky to live in such a beautiful corner of Scotland.  After a busy day out, we’re now fully refreshed and ready to get back to work!