Set in the Queensberry Estate, complete with a country park and Victorian gardens, this 17th century castle is one of the most important Renaissance buildings in the country. The Dumfriesshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, Drumlanrig Castle with its magnificent rooms and spectacular collections of silver, porcelain, French furniture and art - including Rembrandt's Old Woman Reading - is perhaps one of the most rewarding and romantic of Scotland's great houses.
Spend a day exploring the estate on foot and you can choose from short trails to more strenuous way marked paths. The numerous trails, which range from 1.5km to 7km, follow an extensive network of paths and tracks. Or why not explore the scenic cycle tracks and off-road mountain bike trails? There is a trail to suit every ability and interest from technical single-track routes, to swooping family trails through the beautiful Drumlanrig woodlands, to scenic country back roads. Bikes and trailer hire is available.
Alternatively discover the estate's wild landscapes, diverse natural history and flora and fauna. Keep a look out for otters, red squirrels and birds of prey as well as some of the estate’s most impressive trees including the Drumlanrig Sycamore – one of the oldest in the country – and the very first Douglas Fir to be planted in the UK.
Situated against the spectacular backdrop of the castle, adults can sit back and relax on benches while watching their children explore the aerial runways, slides, rope bridges and climbing frames of the estate’s fantastic adventure playground.
After all that hard work, sit back and relax in the Larchwood Cabin Cafe, Tearoom or browse the Gift Shop and Stableyard Studios where you'll find local shop-makers and crafts people.
