Dumfriesshire Attractions and Heritage Sites (Places to Visit)
We have compiled a list of Attractions in Dumfriesshire to visit during your stay. We hope the information about the attractions in Dumfriesshire helps you with your holiday planning.
1. Dalscone Farm Fun - Edinburgh Road, Dumfries, DG1 1SE - Tel No: 01387 254445
Bring the entire family to Dalscone Farm Fun where fun is the name of the game. You can enjoy tons of outdoor activities like bumper boats, crazy golf, pedal karts, and trampolines. Don't forget to take a ride around Farmari where goats, llamas, donkeys, and pigs can be seen. When the weather is not so nice, don't fret! There is an indoor soft play area that is chock-full of activities like slides and ball cannons for kids of all ages. Afterward you can stop in to the toy shop to pick up a memento from your day at Dalscone Farm Fun.
2. National Museum of Costume - New Abbey, Dumfries, DG2 8HQ - Tel No: 01312 474030
Located at the elegant Shambellie House, take a stroll through time to observe some of the most beautiful and ornate costume pieces from the last 1800's to the mid twentieth century. Each room in the house features a different theme that is representative of a specific area. Take a stroll through each room: the fancy dress room, drawing room, library, late Victorian room, bedroom, nursery, dining room, and accessories room. The house itself tells a wonderful story about the Stewart family who occupied its walls from 1856.
3. Caerlaverock Wetland Centre - Eastpark Farm, Caerlaverock, Dumfriesshire, DG1 4RS - Tel No: 01387 770200
Established by the late Sir Peter Scott, WWT Caerlaverock was opened to the public in 1970. This beautiful preserve features ponds, grasslands, and saltmarshes over 1400 acres of land. Enjoy nature trails, hides, and observation towers; binoculars are available for rental at the visitor building. After your trek around the preserve stop in to the visitor center to pick up some gifts like a natural history book, fair-trade coffee, or telescopes. The building also holds a conference room, sheltered picnic area, and camping site.
Former home of the Duke & Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry, KBE, the Drumlanrig Castle and Country Estate is a must-see for any vacation in Dumfriesshire. Set on over 40 acres, this gorgeous castle was commissioned in 1691 by William Douglas and has been maintained beautifully over the following centuries to become the showcase of Victorian splendor that it once was. Garden enthusiasts will enjoy strolling through the manicured gardens while history buffs will appreciate the stableyard studios, visitor centre, Scottish Cycle Museum, and castle shop.
One of the most unique and famous structures in Scotland, Caerlaverock Castle is triangular in shape and protected by a deep moat surrounding all three corners. Once home to the Maxwell family, the castle is now under the care of Historic Scotland and is part of National Nature Reserve. It is open for tourists and has also become a popular wedding venue during the warmer seasons. Take a stroll through time as you observe just how families lived several centuries ago.
6. Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura - The Observatory, Dumfries, DG2 7SW - Tel No: 01387 253374
Nature, history, and science buffs can all appreciate the Dumfries Museum, situated around an 18th-century windmill in Southwest Scotland. Open all year long visitors can enjoy wildlife in the Solway marshes, stone carvings of Scotland's first Christians, footprints of prehistoric reptiles, and much more. The top level of the museum houses a Camera Obscura, an olden astronomical tool that allows you to see for miles over the town of Dumfries.
7. Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum - Former Control Tower, Heathhall Industrial Estate, Dumfries, DG2 3PH - Tel No: 01387 259546
Learn about the history of aviation at the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum. The restored Control Tower of this former WWII airfield now houses a collection of aircraft, artefacts, and memorabilia honouring the men who have flown in wars past, both civil and military. Flying enthusiasts both young and old can enjoy the carefully-preserved museum, which often hosts school groups and other large parties. There is a small refreshment shop as well on premises.
8. Savings Banks Museum - Ruthwell, Dumfriesshire, DG1 4NN - Tel No: 01387 870640
The history of finance has never been so interesting as it is presented at the Savings Banks Museum. Dr. Henry Duncan had the hindsight in 1810 to open the world's first savings bank in Ruthwell Parish. The original building has been carefully restored and is open to the public on a daily basis. Take a stroll around to see the original home savings boxes, as well as banks notes and coins from around the world. The Reverend Duncan was also known for his studies on fossil footprints, as well as being a newspaper founder and editor.
9. Robert Burns Centre - Mill Road, Dumfries, DG2 7BE - Tel No: 01387 264808
Explore one of the favorite haunts of the famed poet at the Robert Burns Centre in Dumfries. This carefully maintained exhibit shows original relics and documents that once belonged to the poet during his stay in this quaint village. A scale-model of Dumfries in the 1790s shows visitors how the town would have appeared back then, as well as an audio-visual presentation to accompany it. You can pick up a book of Burns' famous poems in the bookstore and grab a bite to eat in the small cafe.
10. Forest of Ae - Ae, Dumfriesshire, DG1 1RH - Tel No: 01387 860247
Beautiful and at time breathtaking, the Forest of Ae is a national treasure of Scotland. You could easily spend hours walking along its varied trails, the shortest of which is 2.5 km. Keep an eye out for the British Forest Heritage Plough Collection, as well as local wildlife that includes dippers and herons. There is a free car park located centrally to the forest and cycling trails are scattered throughout the forest as well.
