Local Activities in Dumfries and Galloway

For a good selection of things to see and do in Dumfries and Galloway, we suggest you try: Visit South West Scotland

Mabie Forest

Just south of Dumfries on the beautiful Solway coast in South West Scotland. There are a range of walks for all abilities with stunning views across the Solway Firth to the Lake District Fells in one direction and the Moffat hills beyond Dumfries in the other. With amazing sunrises (if you're an early riser!) and open spaces all around this truly has a feel of being in an apparent wilderness.
Apart from the famous 7 Stanes montain biking routes, of which Mabie Forest is one of them (and easily the most accessible for those coming from the North of England) there is also a childrens play area, picnic area and loads of fabulous viewpoints to enjoy the ambience.


Mountain Biking

Being in the heart of Mabie Forest one of the world-class 7 Stanes mountain bike venues, we are perhaps the only accommodation venue which is the mountain bike equivalent of "ski to your door"
If you'd like to plan a route, these are the miles from Marthrown of Mabie to the other mountain bike trails in southern Scotland : Glentrool 62 / Kirroughtree 52 / Dalbeattie 17 / Ae 18 / Tweed Valley 60 / Newcastleton 48 / Drumlanrig 18

Its also an ideal stop on a longer tour of the coastal road as well as the longest trail of all - the increasingly popular Lands End to John O' Groats cycle run!

.Mabie 7stanes trails:

Big Views Loop (green grade)
Woodhead Loop (blue grade)
Phoenix Trail (red grade)

Mabie forest is steeped in mountain biking folklore. Since the early 90's Mabie led the way in Scottish waymarked trails. Thanks to Rik Allsop, now working his magic at Drumlanrig, Mabie developed into a popular 'trail centre' - perhaps the first in Scotland.When the 7stanes project came along in 2001, bringing tens of thousands of mountain bikers with it, the trails at Mabie received a necessary upgrade with new all-weather surfaced trails being built. If you know where you are going, you can still enjoy someof the original 'natural' singletrack mountain biking at Mabie.

The new generation of 7stanes trails at Mabie feature tight singletrack sections that arrive in stages. The 7stanes trail twists and turns on itself and there are always opportunities to repeat a section or miss a section out if you can understand your trailmap. Mabie Forest itself has a beautiful mixture of indigenous and plantation trees and there are plenty of quiet spots with good views on the way round.

Mabie really is a beautiful forest to ride a bike in, no matter your ability. The Blue loops make the most of this and take you past the lochs in the forest. There is a hostel and hotel on site so you can eat, sleep, and drink in the forest itself!



7Stanes website


Dalscone Farm Fun

Dalscone Farm Fun is the proud recipient of the Visit Scotland 5 Star Visitor Attraction Award and is Dumfries' premier day out for all the family! Our Farm Park offers you the chance to meet our animals and even give them some tasty treats!

There's loads to do from playing on our bumper boats, riding our pedal go karts, bouncing on our enormous bouncy barn, playing in our huge Sand Castle sand pit, feeding our greedy meerkats, bottle feeding our pet lambs and flying down our super fast alpine slide

Lots of animals you can feed and new for 2023 is the small animal experience with Craig - rabbits, guinea pigs, ducklings and chicks, and loads more

Dalscone Farm Fun Website


Mabie Farm Park

Nestled beneath the magnificent Mabie Forest with views over the Solway Firth, Mabie Farm Park is original farm fun that's delightful for all ages in all types of weather!
Just a mile away from Marthrown, Mabie Farm Park captures the essence and feel of an original working farm, yet has a variety of both indoor and out door entertainment, for children and adults of all ages!
Regardless of the weather, there is fun to be had together

Mabie Farm Park website


Nature and Bird Watching

There is an abundance of wildlife in Mabie forest. Two lochs and many small ponds with the variety of trees around means that an amazing variety of wildlife abounds in Mabie forest. Red squirrels and woodpeckers come right into the courtyard and many rare species of insect and bird life are in the area. Look out for the shy roe deer, badgers and the illusive wild boar!
A trip out from here takes you to WWT Caerlaverock, RSPB Mersehead or RSPB Threave (nesting ospreys) for a variety of bird and wildlife

WWT Caerlaverock
RSPB Mersehead
RSPB Threave


Galloway Activity Centre

Galloway Activity Centre occupies a stunning location on the banks of Loch Ken in Dumfries and Galloway, South West Scotland. With our team of expert adventure instructors and our beautful surroundings we specialise in providing exciting and memorable days out in a safe and friendly family atmosphere.

Catering for families, groups and individuals, you can choose from popular short taster sessions, full day activities, certified courses and instructor training under the professional guidance of our skilled team.

Galloway Activty Website


Dino Park

Step back 150 million years and discover the giants who roamed the earth.

Take a trip through the Dino Mine, hear stories and facts in the Dino Den, dig for fossils, have fun on our bouncy dinosaur and much more!

A great day out for all the family!

We will be open 7 days a week, 10am - 5pm from the 1st of April 2020 until the end of October 2020

Dino Park website


NWT Nocturnal Wildlife Tours

See wildlife on our nocturnal tours in a totally different light throughout the year. A truly unique and unforgettable experience could be yours...

NWT website


Forrest Estate Experiences

Forrest Estate Experiences - Are you looking for a quality experience for a small group, Stag or Hen party ?. They provide clay pigeon shooting, crossbow, rifle shooting & fishing with professional, qualified instructors.

See Forrest Estate Experiences


Dumfries - 27 things to do

Read this fabulous blog by our good friend Graham Grieve about the plentiful activities you can do in Dumfries and the local area!

Here's a short section of his blog - click this link to read more.

We have put together a list of the top things to do in Dumfries to make your visit that much easier.

The charming market town of Dumfries is located in the historic county of Dumfriesshire. It sits by the mouth of the River Nith and flows southward into the Solway Firth.

With deeply historic roots that may stem as far back as the Roman occupation, Dumfries is a flourishing town. It is vibrant and full of energy.

You'll have no problems at all finding fun things to keep you busy here. But we'd love to make it that bit easier for you.