THE CASTLES AND GARDENS OF SCOTLAND’S SOUTH - WEST

• Threave Garden & Estate

• Culzean Castle & Country Park

 • Castle Kennedy Gardens

 • Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

 • Harbour Town of Kirkcudbright

• Picture-postcard Harbour Village of Portpatrick

YOUR HOTEL              

The North West Castle Hotel is a family owned and run hotel for more than fifty years, ‘The Castle’ itself, was formerly the home of Sir John Ross, who was once a famous Arctic explorer.  North West Castle is an excellent base for exploring the beautiful local area and hosts 72 ensuite bedrooms and leisure facilities including swimming pool, sauna, spa bath, gym and its very own indoor curling rink.

• DAY ONE - Depart from your home area travelling to Dumfries and Galloway, arriving late afternoon at the North West Castle Hotel. 4 nights stay – dinner, bed & breakfast.

• DAY TWO - Our morning takes us to Portpatrick, a pretty town of pastel-coloured houses with its own harbour and breathtaking views towards Ireland.

 Later, we visit the magnificent Castle Kennedy Gardens which are among the most famous in Scotland. The gardens host 75 acres of spectacularly designed loch-side landscape, a romantic garden paradise with quite literally something for everyone to enjoy. After returning to Stranraer, you could wander the town before dinner later this evening.

• DAY THREE - Our day takes us along the eastern shore of Loch Ryan and the coast of Scotland to the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. The museum is a celebration of the early life and the enduring legacy of Scotland’s national poet and is home to 5,000 Burns artefacts including his handwritten manuscripts.

This afternoon we visit Culzean Castle & Country Park, with 40 buildings and secret follies in this rambling estate. There is a magnificent cliff-top castle to explore as well as the Swan Pond, flamboyant formal gardens and fruit-filled glasshouses.

• DAY FOUR - This morning we head east through Glenluce and Newton Stewart then along the coast to Gatehouse of Fleet. We have a break here where you can visit The Mill on the Fleet Visitor and Exhibition Centre. Discover the history of Gatehouse, enjoy the regional arts and crafts or lose yourself in the amazing bookshop. You’ll find refreshments in the café where you can enjoy views of the river. Then it is on to the Threave Garden & House - a landscaped beauty of a garden in all seasons and a haven for wildlife. Take a stroll through the secret garden, rockery and walled garden with the 19th-century Threave House as its backdrop.   Later on, we head for the harbour town of Kirkcudbright for an afternoon break. The town was a magnet for Scottish artists in the late 19th century and is now known as The Artists' Town.

• DAY FIVE -  After breakfast we leave and head for home.