Activities

Dee (Kirkcudbright) District Salmon Fisheries Board

The Rivers Dee, Ken and Deugh are the main rivers that make up Kirkcudbright’s Dee River System. There are over fifty miles of river and the catchment covers four hundred square miles, which make it the largest of South West Scotland’s rivers. The role of the Dee (Kirkcudbright) District Salmon Fisheries Board is to oversee the maintenance of the lochs, rivers and streams that make up the Dee River System, and to see to the well being of the fish that are in them.  Click here to visit their website.

7Stanes Mountain Biking

The 7stanes are eight mountain biking centres (Glentress and Innerleithen share one) spanning southern Scotland. The 7stanes mountain bike trails offer everyone no matter how experienced, some of the world’s best mountain biking stretching from the heart of Dumfries and Galloway to the Scottish Borders.

Kirkcudbright is centrally located for FIVE of these centres – Ae, Mabie, Dalbeattie, Glentrool and  Kirroughtree, all of which offer big country riding, rolling hills, views to die for and mile upon mile of technical singletrack.

7Stanes is run by the Forestry Commission. Click here to visit their website.

Cycle Sales, Hire & Repair

William Law, 17 St Cuthbert Street, Kirkcudbright, DG6 4DJ.
This shop, which has been in the same local family for over 100 years, carries a range of quality bikes and clothing for all ages and will hire you a bike for a day or half-day, for a few days or a week. The bikes are well maintained and generally nearly-new and they offer discounts for family hire or extended periods. They have experience in all aspects of cycle maintenance and repair and carry out all work on the premises. They have a good stock of spares and a well tested ordering system to obtain more unusual parts quickly. Many small repairs can be completed in a short visit to the shop. Visit their website for more information.

Walks around Gatehouse of Fleet.

Gatehouse of Fleet offers a wide variety of walks at all times of the year. In February the Cally Oakwoods are carpeted by snowdrops, followed by daffodils and blue bells, when Castramont Wood is a mass of colour. Later on in the year the hills behind Gatehouse open up with lots more walking opportunities.

The Gatehouse Walks Booklet
A booklet has been produced with details of a series of walks in and about Gatehouse of Fleet. The booklet, which contains maps, photographs and accompanying text on 7 different walks, is available in Gatehouse on you can download the PDF copy here.

Rascarrel Bay, Auchencairn

A few miles east of Kirkcudbright, along the A711 coast road towards Dalbeattie, you will come across the village of Auchencairn. At the bridge, take the minor road ahead and travel right to the end (just after Balcary Bay Hotel. From the car park follow the signs to take to on a spectacular cliff-top walk with views over the Solway coast and beyond. The circular route of around 13km takes you to Rascarrel Bay and follows on to Loch Mackie. More info on the Walking Scotland website

Red Haven, Auchencairn.

A few miles east of Kirkcudbright, along the A711 coast road towards Dalbeattie, you will come across the village of Auchencairn. Starting from the car park at the bridge in the village this walk will take you to Red Haven, a wonderful, small and secluded bay with fabulous views out to the larger Auchencairn Bay, Hestan Island and the Solway shore. A fairly level walk of about 7.5kms. More info on the Walking Scotland website

Walks around Castle Douglas

Castle Douglas and the surrounding countryside are ideal for the walker. Its close proximity to the coast, forests and hills make it a great area to explore.  From the tall douglas firs in Doach Wood to the butterflies at Threave Gardens in the summer, these walks will take you through a wide variety of habitats including woodland, marshes, farmland, wetland and moorland, all of which are within easy reach of Castle Douglas. In spring and summer, there is an abundance of wildflowers and butterflies to enjoy. In winter you are treated to the spectacle of huge flocks of geese in and around Threave Estate. Loch Ken/River Dee, also notable for its wildfowl, is set in one of the most scenic and unspoilt parts of Galloway and is designated a Regional Scenic Area.  Click here to download the Walks in CD PDF brochure

A Walk Round the Buckland

This walk is extremely popular with residents of Kirkcudbright and is about 4.5 miles long. All on the public roads, the busier stretches of which have pavements, much of it is easy, level walking with one steep hill to negotiate. From the town centre take the A711 south of the town past Manxman’s Lake until you reach Mutehill. Follow the main road a few hundred yards past the garden centre then take the minor road to the left and follow the course of the Buckland Burn. When you reach the bridge, turn left again and climb the hill from which you will have spectacular views over the hills to the west, before walking downhill again and back into town. A lovely walk with mixed coastal, woodland and pastoral sections.

Barrhill Wood, Kirkcudbright.

Walking from the town centre go south on St Mary St past the museum, then turn left into St Mary’s Place and walk uphill towards the Caravan Site. Opposite the site entrance enter Woodlands Avenue and you will see a short footpath and stile leading into the wood. Alternative access can be made at the small car park just past the graveyard on the B727 Gelston Road. The car park is just off the minor road at the hairpin bend. The paths meandering though the wood are generally firm and easy going. There are a variety of circular routes which can be tackled. The trees are mainly deciduous with a mix of conifers allowing the vegetation to flourish in the springtime when the wild hyacinths are spectacular. There are several viewpoints looking north and west over the town and south to the estuary. There are seats and a picnic area.