Castle Douglas is in the Stewarty area of Dumfries and Galloway Castle sitting at the bottom of Loch Ken and the Dee valley. It has an interesting history which is worth taking time to explore. Real development of the town began around 1790. The current population is around 3500 and visitors enjoy experiencing the old-fashioned and traditional ways of life.
Castle Douglas has a busy high street and as a result offers a wide variety of individual and privately-owned shops. The active cattle market holds regular livestock sales and show sales throughout the year.
Food Town
Castle Douglas is the designated “Food Town” of Dumfries & Galloway indicating the wide range of artisan producers of quality ingredients. Locals and visitors can shop in the four independent butchers and choose to buy from excellent quality, locally-reared meats and produce.
Heritage
Orchardton Tower is only ten minutes drive from Douglas House B&B. It is the only round house in Scotland and dates back to the mid-15th Century. Free entry and you can climb to the top, with wonderful views all round.
Five minutes by car takes you to Threave Castle. You need to ring the bell for the boatman to take you across to visit this 14th Century ruined tower. The area is surrounded by wetlands and is a well known wildfowl refuge. Ideal for birdwatching.
You don’t necessarily have to tackle the internationally renowned mountain biking routes. Dumfries and Galloway offers cycling for softies on the tracks, trails and quiet country lanes around Castle Douglas.