Liked: The campsite is atleast 5 miles out of the way and is set in a beautiful setting up on the hills of Dumfries. You can choose where to pitch as well which is a huge plus. There is plenty of wildlife of which you can hear from your tent at night! The hostesses have provided a good summary of the things you can do on site which involved a walk through the woods, mirror pond, bird hides and possibility to rent out bikes, logs, and a kayak/paddle board so you can leave all that at home. It’s close to a lot of little villages that are very quaint with lovely drives too and from the site. There are also some shops within a 10 miles radius including a few petrol stations so you don’t need to worry about that here!
Disliked: Mens showers were constantly cold and holes all over the toilets. Midges constantly attack a night so you can’t stay outside during that time unless you want to get bitten to death. Below the women’s toilets stink of sewage. Instructions on the showers would be brilliant for how they work. A check in/out point would be a good idea and a place to go buy logs and rent the bikes would be good also instead of relying on people constantly being on camp. Big stones on the campground which catch cars when going over the little hills.
Hui Z.271 days ago
Liked: This is like wild camping but with toilets and showers on site. You can find anywhere you like to set your tent and the space is quite a distance from other tents. There are lakes, forests, and farm animals around. The owner is very friendly and helpful. Logs are available to be delivered to your pitch and you can set your fire and have BBQ for the evening. Many activities are available. We walked several trails and we really love the beautiful lagoon hidden at the end of one trail. The toilets and showers are very clean with stable hot water. No stars at night due to cloudy skies but I think this is a good place to see stars if the weather is good. There is a good and busy fish and chips ( they sell nice pies and kababs as wells) take away in Castle Douglas 10 miles away. So if you want a peaceful, wild but safe place to stay, this is it.
Disliked: Nothing disliked
Richard L.271 days ago
Liked: Arrived on a quieter day so we had a great pick of where to pitch. As we were along with others this was handy as site got quite busy towards weekend. As we were early we were able to take advantage of a free firepit( logs avail for £10 a small bag on site), and use of a picnic bench as well. These are limited in number as would be difficult to provide these free to all with the size of the site. Facilities at 2 locations on the site for toilets, showers and washing-up sinks. Met the Wife and Husband couple who own and run the estate and both very nice, friendly people.
Disliked: Picked this site over others as it has a nice river running through it. Loch Ken is just east of the estate but if we wanted to use the activity centre there we would have camped around the loch. As we paid to camp on the estate I was surprised we had to pay a "launch fee" to put our own gear into the river. This was done at the boathouse, (maybe in an attempt to justify the charge), accessible either by taking your gear down a really steep set of stairs or another equally steep dirt access path), but actually seemed more difficult than just putting in from the side. This was £5 a day PER vessel but when you have a few paddleboards this can mount up fairly quickly over a few days. Be aware...
Anonymous271 days ago
Liked: We loved just finding a spot, in the undulating field, and pitching our tent. Nobody was too close together and a fire pit was provided. Although there was a charge for firewood, it was not expensive and lasted us for three nights.
We were given a very warm welcome and told about the boat shed from which we could use for our own paddle boards. The calm water was perfect for a bit of fun and midges were not too bad.
The toilet/shower and dishwashing facilities were clean and we had the benefit of being closer to the new block.
Make sure that you pay a visit to the Mirror Pool and look up - the dark sky site allows for incredible view of the stars.
Having no electricity was brilliant - not using our phones meant lots of quality family time.
Disliked: The solar lighting, in the toilets, was not working properly but a head torch meant that that wasn't a problem.
The Boat Shed was much further than anticipated (approx. 25 minute walk) but, again, this was not an issue since we were given permission to drive past the 'no unauthorised vehicles' sign.
Anonymous302 days ago
Liked: Peace and quiet, just turn up, find a pitch that suits and set up. I stayed at the end of August so not peak season but that meant there was lots of space, if you like a remote pitch this is definitely the place for you. I loved it!
The toilet and shower facilities were absolutely spotless. The staff I interacted with were very courteous and helpful.
Had I stayed longer I would've taken advantage of the on site mountain bike hire, there seemed a good selection of decent quality bikes.
Disliked: Nothing at all to dislike.
Malcolm G.302 days ago
Liked: The natural look of the site. Was busy as red hot weekend in school holidays but I would imagine through the week it would be so quiet and peaceful. The staff were so nice and helpful and kept the facilities very clean. We were able to hire a canoe on the loch for a couple of hours. Loved it! A relaxed not structured site in a lovely area. Would recommend.
Disliked: The generator is on for couple of hours morning and night for the few ehu pitches. Spoilt the peace a bit in those hours but hey, what else can they do x
Samantha G.302 days ago
Liked: Perfect for paddleboarding as there were a couple of launches to try on the estate itself.
Lovely peaceful site with friendly and helpful staff. We were able to email enquiries and get very quick responses.
We didn't use them but the BBQs and Fire pits available to use were a really nice touch.
Clean toilets and showers.
Disliked: Electricity was only available for a couple of hours in the morning and evening. Not a major problem for us really but, although it is mentioned on the website, nobody we spoke to on the site knew about it. Might just need to be highlighted better.
Matilda B.302 days ago
Liked: Very clean toilet blocks and lovely warm showers. The dish cleaning area had warm water too which was very thoughtful, seems like a small thing but after 7 campsites over 10 days it was the only one that had this. The area was beautiful and had lots of activities to do. We went kayaking and although it rained the lakes and rivers where lovely to explore. They have 2 people you can call if you need information or help on site and they where both really lovely.
I’n the evening they come by and sell logs for fires and bbqs. We didn’t have a bbq just a fire pit but the gentleman brought us over a bbq to use anyway which was very sweet.
Al great place to stay! I imagine it would be wonderful for families with young children. Lots of space to play and explore and very peaceful
Disliked: Mens showers were constantly cold and holes all over the toilets. Midges constantly attack a night so you can’t stay outside during that time unless you want to get bitten to death. Below the women’s toilets stink of sewage. Instructions on the showers would be brilliant for how they work. A check in/out point would be a good idea and a place to go buy logs and rent the bikes would be good also instead of relying on people constantly being on camp. Big stones on the campground which catch cars when going over the little hills.
Disliked: Nothing disliked
Disliked: Picked this site over others as it has a nice river running through it. Loch Ken is just east of the estate but if we wanted to use the activity centre there we would have camped around the loch. As we paid to camp on the estate I was surprised we had to pay a "launch fee" to put our own gear into the river. This was done at the boathouse, (maybe in an attempt to justify the charge), accessible either by taking your gear down a really steep set of stairs or another equally steep dirt access path), but actually seemed more difficult than just putting in from the side. This was £5 a day PER vessel but when you have a few paddleboards this can mount up fairly quickly over a few days. Be aware...
We were given a very warm welcome and told about the boat shed from which we could use for our own paddle boards. The calm water was perfect for a bit of fun and midges were not too bad.
The toilet/shower and dishwashing facilities were clean and we had the benefit of being closer to the new block.
Make sure that you pay a visit to the Mirror Pool and look up - the dark sky site allows for incredible view of the stars.
Having no electricity was brilliant - not using our phones meant lots of quality family time.
Disliked: The solar lighting, in the toilets, was not working properly but a head torch meant that that wasn't a problem.
The Boat Shed was much further than anticipated (approx. 25 minute walk) but, again, this was not an issue since we were given permission to drive past the 'no unauthorised vehicles' sign.
The toilet and shower facilities were absolutely spotless. The staff I interacted with were very courteous and helpful.
Had I stayed longer I would've taken advantage of the on site mountain bike hire, there seemed a good selection of decent quality bikes.
Disliked: Nothing at all to dislike.
Disliked: The generator is on for couple of hours morning and night for the few ehu pitches. Spoilt the peace a bit in those hours but hey, what else can they do x
Lovely peaceful site with friendly and helpful staff. We were able to email enquiries and get very quick responses.
We didn't use them but the BBQs and Fire pits available to use were a really nice touch.
Clean toilets and showers.
Disliked: Electricity was only available for a couple of hours in the morning and evening. Not a major problem for us really but, although it is mentioned on the website, nobody we spoke to on the site knew about it. Might just need to be highlighted better.
I’n the evening they come by and sell logs for fires and bbqs. We didn’t have a bbq just a fire pit but the gentleman brought us over a bbq to use anyway which was very sweet.
Al great place to stay! I imagine it would be wonderful for families with young children. Lots of space to play and explore and very peaceful
Disliked: Nothing