Dumfries & Galloway

With 444 self-catering cottages and 53 campsites on our books, Dumfries & Galloway is the kind of place people stay in properly rather than just pass through. The sheer spread of accommodation, from farmhouse cottages tucked inland to caravan parks strung along the coast, reflects a region that is really several landscapes in one: rolling farmland, forested hills, and a long, quiet coastline facing the Solway Firth and the Irish Sea.

The campsites tell a similar story from a different angle. Southerness Holiday Park sits on the coast near the Solway, popular for its beach and golf links, while Cairnryan Heights and Luce Bay Holiday Park look out toward the ferry routes and open water of the west. Inland, Halleaths Caravan and Camping Park and Three Lochs Holiday Park make use of the region's lochs and forestry, and Burrowhead Holiday Village and Whitecairn Caravan Park round out a set of sites that between them cover almost the whole coastline and a good stretch of the interior.

What you actually do here follows from the geography: walking and cycling through Galloway Forest Park, beachcombing and rockpooling along the Solway and Machars coasts, sailing or fishing from harbours near the ferry ports, and exploring smaller towns and villages that rarely feel crowded even in summer. The dark skies over Galloway Forest are a particular draw for anyone staying rurally, with little light pollution to compete with the stars.