Liam and Laura Fletcher-Newbold head north for a lodge stay in the scenic Southern Uplands, with beaches a short drive away and walks from their door
View From Blast Memorial
Queenshill Lodges is located about eight miles south-west of Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway. There is a single-track road that passes Fellend Farm, before dropping down towards the holiday accommodation. There are several different properties to choose from. We were given Chestnut Lodge for our stay. On the lengthy drive up, we stopped over at Beck Hall, Malham. This dog friendly hotel is nestled by Malham Cove and has a restaurant on site. We opted for an afternoon tea, which was entirely vegan (as is the rest of the restaurant menu). Portion sizes were fantastic and we left feeling absolutely stuffed.
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Lodge Lounge
The lodge was clean and tidy upon arrival and was left open for us since we arrived after reception had shut. Our lodge had lovely views of the farmland from the outdoor hot tub and each lodge felt secluded from the other lodges on the park. The enclosed deck was great because it meant the dogs could be outside with us while we enjoyed the view from the hot tub. Inside, it was modestly furnished with everything you needed for a getaway. We requested a travel cot at an additional fee, which was left in the lodge for our arrival. Our first day we spent familiarising ourselves with the lodge (and the hot tub). We visited the local supermarkets and petrol station to stock up. All were within a 20-minute drive of the lodge.
Decking and Hot Tub
On Monday, we took the short drive to Rockcliffe beach. The car parking is a five-minute walk from the beach itself and is free. The beach was aptly named since it was littered with shells. Unfortunately, the tide was in and the weather wasn’t on our side, but the dogs enjoyed jumping into the sea regardless. We let them tire themselves out before making the short walk back to the car. On our drive back, we stopped in at Moore’s fish and chip shop in Castle Douglas for a well-earned treat to take away. Tuesday was a busier day. We drove to Threave Gardens, which is part of the National Trust for Scotland. Since we are National Trust members, entry was free. It is the only garden in Scotland that is dedicated to the training of horticulturalists, and it has been doing so since 1960. There are a wide variety of smaller gardens with different themes: woodland, oriental and walled. The gardens are well-maintained and accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs. We also did the three-mile walk to Threave Nature Reserve and back up to Threave Gardens. This walk is not accessible as it travels through nearby fields and woodland. If you don’t fancy the walk down, there is parking at the nature reserve as well. There is another walk, which we incorporated into our walk from Threave Gardens that travels around the nature reserve, offering amazing views of Threave Castle. This, unfortunately, was closed for visits due to falling masonry, but you can admire it from afar. Back at Threave Gardens, the cafe and shops are both dog friendly, so we stopped for a drink before heading back to the lodge – the hot chocolate was to die for.
View of Threave Castle
On Wednesday, we ventured further from the lodge to Drumlanrig Castle, about an hour away. The castle is only open on certain days for tours, which must be booked in advance. The adventure playground and grounds are also only open on certain days but do not require an advance booking to visit. We spent the morning walking around the dog friendly gardens and exploring the adventure playground. The gardens span over 40-acres and Larchwood Cabin offers a variety of drinks and snacks. There are several signposted walks available in and around the acres of parkland; they range from 3km to 7km. We opted for a day at the lodge on Thursday and tackled the Hot Blast Trail which runs through the holiday parkland. A map was left in our lodge and contained a puzzle to solve as you mark off all the signposts along the walk. This was a longer walk (certainly longer than the claimed 5.5km) and was challenging in places, but the views from the Neilson’s monument were unbelievable and well worth the effort on the way up. Shattered, we spent some deserved time relaxing and enjoying the hot tub and its surroundings. For our final day, we drove to Southerness beach (about 45 minutes away). The beach was amazing and it’s dog friendly all year round. We walked down to the sea and let our two dogs swim to their heart’s content. Because of the time of year, we had the entire beach to ourselves. We headed back to the car after a lovely morning on the beach and drove on to The Boathouse Cafe at Glencaple. This small cafe is a hidden gem, and the food was fantastic. The cafe itself is dog friendly inside and has lovely riverside views from the dining area. We both had a Scottish breakfast with hot drinks. Once we could eat no more, we headed back to the lodge for the final evening.
Nielson Blast Memorial
On Saturday, we checked out and left the keys with the main reception before driving back. We thoroughly enjoyed the secluded nature of this holiday park and having the hot tub was a must! A few hours into our journey south, we stopped in at the Wensleydale Creamery. Based in the market town of Hawes in Wensleydale, surrounded by beautiful landscape of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Wensleydale Creamery boasts an 875-year history of cheesemaking. Upon arrival, we headed inside through the large gift shop, which has a variety of lovely items for sale, including cushions, candles, kitchen accessories, homeware, and their exclusive range of Wallace & Grommit items. As huge Wallace and Gromit fans, we had to choose a few souvenirs to take home with us. Further inside you’ll find the Wensleydale Cheese Shop, which features over 20 varieties of award-winning artisan cheese alongside a selection of accompaniments, including locally sourced fruit cakes, chutneys, artisan oils and crackers. You are able to sample many delicious types of the cheese as you browse the shop and choose blocks you would like to buy. Dogs are not allowed inside the cheese shop, but they are allowed at the 1897 Coffee Shop with its dog friendly garden, where we ordered cheese on toast and Yorkshire Wensleydale & Red Leicester cheesy crumpets. There is also a ‘Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese Experience’, which we took it in turns to attend. It started with a cheese making demonstration and continued as a self-guided tour where you learn about the thousand-year history of artisan cheese making in the Dales.
Threave Gardens
FACT FILE
Queenshill Lodges
ADDRESS – Queenshill, Ringford, Castle Douglas, DG7 2AT
CONTACT 01557 820227
PRICE One weeks stay in October, £579, which included two dogs and hire of a travel cot. Minus these extras the price was £509
WEBSITE hoseasons.co.uk
PLACES TO VISIT
Beck Hall,Malham
Rockcliffe Beach
Threave Gardens
Drumlanrig Castle
Southeriness Beach
The Boathouse Cafe at Glenscaple
Wensleydale Creamery
