Dumfries and Galloway
This page: updated 12 October 2009
Discover Castle Douglas
in Dumfries and Galloway Scotland
About the Town of Castle Douglas
A Traditional market town, Castle Douglas is a great place for shopping, particularly for local food produce.
Castle Douglas is a planned town, founded in the late 18th Century by Sir William Douglas, a merchant who had made a fortune in Virginia and the West Indies and wished to establish a centre of commerce in his native Galloway.
Castle Douglas was laid out with three parallel streets, wide and commodious. Although Sir William’s original idea of establishing the cotton industry here was not in the long term successful, the town soon became an important market, with cattle and horse fairs. It has remained a thriving centre for the prosperous local farming area, the home of the annual Stewartry Agricultural Show and of the Dumfries and Galloway Horse Show, and one of the most modern auction marts in Scotland.
Beside the town is the beautiful Carlingwark Loch, dotted with islands,
where visitors can enjoy boating and picnicking, or learn to sail.
At the far end of the loch are Threave Gardens, the teaching garden of the National Trust for Scotland, which is open to visitors all year.
On the other side of the A75 road is 14th Century Threave Castle on an island in the River Dee, the great fortress of the Douglases, which can be reached by ferry.
Nearby, also, is Threave Wildfowl Refuge, for this area is an important place for wintering wildfowl, where visitors may watch the birds from hides during the winter months.
The Galloway Tourist Route
The A713 runs north from Castle Douglas and is a noted Galloway Tourist Route - active people will find a great deal of enjoyment in this district. The Southern Upland Way passes through here and there are many other hill walks in rugged country which will appeal to serious walkers and those seeking easier strolls and picnics.
Loch Ken has a wide range of outdoor sports available at the Galloway Sailing Centre including rowing boats, sailing dinghies and water skiing as well as fishing.
Where is Castle Douglas?
Hotel accommodation in Dumfries and Galloway:
Hotels in Dumfries Town and Area | Hotels in Annan | Hotels in Lockerbie | Hotels in Gretna and Gretna Green | Hotels in Langholm | Hotels in Moffat | Hotels in Newton Stewart | Hotels in Portpatrick and The Mull of Galloway | Hotels in Stranraer and Area | Hotels in Wigtown, Whithorn and The Machars| Hotels in Castle Douglas | Hotels in Dalbeattie | Hotels in Kirkcudbright | Hotels in Gatehouse of Fleet
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