Craigrannoch Cottage

Built from local Dalbeattie granite, Craigrannoch Cottage is a Victorian property on a quiet single-track road bordered by mixed woodland and National Trust meadow that slopes towards the sea. The cottage is your own, set next to the owner's home with an enclosed garden, courtyard and sitting area. Ground-floor living means no stairs: a living room with woodburner and Freeview TV, a kitchen/dining room with electric cooking and a washer dryer, one bedroom with a kingsize bed, and a shower room. Wifi, heating, electricity, bed linen and towels are covered; initial logs for the fire are provided.

Location matters here. Rockcliffe beach—a mix of sand, shells and rock pools—is a two-minute walk through the cottage's gate. The cliff path from there traces the rugged coastline to Sandyhills, passing nesting seabirds and smugglers' coves, with the option of catching a bus back or walking through Dalbeattie forest. Turn the other way and the Jubilee path leads through deciduous woodland to Kippford village, where a marina, cafés and pubs sit on the water's edge. Low tide opens up further walks across Rockcliffe bay. One dog is welcome.