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Castle Douglas has been a market town since the Middle Ages, and it still holds livestock markets every week. Other goods can be had here as well. The King Street shopping district contains not only the usual high street options but a vast assortment of independent bakers, butchers, fishmongers and grocers featuring mostly locally produced products. Sulwath Brewery produces an assortment of real ales and other beverages. Their popular John Paul Jones commemorates the birth of the American naval hero on a farm adjoining their original premises.
Activities and attractions
Dedicated shoppers can spend an entire holiday prowling the shops of Castle Douglas, but there is a great deal more to see and do here. The remnants of ancient fortified crannogs in Carlingwark Loch and the standing stone in the northern part of the town attest to the early occupation of the Castle Douglas area. The remains of a Roman fort and at least three marching camps lie to the north. The Military Road built by James VII and II to facilitate the Plantation of Ulster passed nearby. Castle Douglas did not really take off until Sir William Douglas layed out an entirely new town on the site especially for production of cotton thread by handspinners. Spinning cotton by hand languished in the face of the Industrial Revolution, but conveniently located Castle Douglas never lost its place as a commercial centre.
Castle Douglas's good road connections make it a fine headquarters for touring Dumfries and Galloway by car, but walkers will also find the town attractive. The short stroll around the lochside park can be extended along a footpath around the loch to a bird hide and then on to the town of Kelton Hill at the other end of the loch. More ambitious walkers will find the Southern Upland Way nearby.
Also in Kelton Hill is Threave Gardens. This 64 acre site operated by the National Trust for Scotland contains a rock garden, an informal rose garden and a working walled garden with glass houses. In spring the grounds swathed in daffodils of over 200 species. Threave Gardens is the site of the Practical School of Horticulture. A plant centre makes specimens available to the public. Scottish Baronial Threave House offers grand views as well as architectural interest, but is open only in the summer. The gardens are open all year.
Threave Castle on its island in the Dee was the stronghold of the Earls of Douglas in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It was constructed by Archibald Douglas, called "the Grim," shortly after he was created Lord of Galloway in 1369. After some dynastic squabbling it fell to Margaret Douglas, known as "the Fair Maid of Galloway," in 1440. Her cousin the eighth earl married her and began to strengthen the fortifications. After William's murder at Stirling by the Scottish King James II, James Douglas, William's brother and heir, established a relationship with the English crown. He lost the battle of Arkinholm, but besieged Threave Castle held out until it was taken by treachery. It then became a Royal Castle and was eventually given to the Maxwells. It is now in the care of the National Trust, who operate a ferry for visitors.
Access and Places to Stay
Many of the hotels in Castle Douglas date back to its role as a stop on the coaching road in the eighteenth century. A stay in such a facility can be quite elegant, but other options exist. Camping and caravanning is very popular, as is self-catering. B&Bs and guesthouses are readily available.
The status of Castle Douglas as a food mecca means that there are a plethora of fine restaurants serving up fresh local foods in the tradition of Scottish cooking or in various ethnic cuisines. Picnics and self-catering are also a delight due to the fine food offerings of local shops, and even the tea shops and takeaways are quite nice. Pubs offer another dining option as well as both mainstream and speciality beverages.
Castle Douglas sits on the A75 connecting Dumfries in the east with the ferry port at Stranraer in the west. No rail service exists, but motor coaches and local buses provide decent connections. By far the best way to experience Castle Douglas and its environs is to bring or hire a car.
Accommodation in Castle Douglas
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