The location of West Holmhead holiday cottage is shown on the map to the right. We're on the edge of the hills of the Southern Uplands, over which rambles the Southern Upland Way. If you click the map it will open a more detailed map of the area. The cottage sits on the sunny side of the Glenken, though Loch Ken itself isn't visible unless you climb one of the nearby drums.

Four miles away is our nearest village, Balmaclellan, with an excellent little shop/post office run by John and Leslie. You can probably get everything you need here. A bit further away is Castle Douglas, a bustling market town with good craft shops, cafes and real high street shopping - some really quirky quality shops. There's also a boating loch, cinema/music venue, and Tourist Information. Nearer by are a selection of friendly pubs with good food, and the picturesque village of New Galloway with its tea shops and arts centre.

 

There are loads of interesting places to visit - the artist's town and harbour of Kirkcudbright, Gatehouse and its old mill, Portpatrick, Dumfries and the Robert Burns trail, and pretty coastal villages with crafts, antiques, and pubs. Follow the Galloway Kite Trail, and catch a glimpse of the newly reintroduced Red Kites. If you want to be more sporting, within ten minutes there is sailing, windsurfing and watersports on unspoilt Loch Ken, hilly golf at New Galloway, and plentiful fishing. There's also loads of space for walking, cycling, or just watching the views. And the wildlife is superb.

The Solway Coast is just half an hour's drive away, with fabulous geese and wildfowl in the winter, and flowers in the summer. There are some great cliff walks and marvellous beaches, as well as clear rock pools with crabs and shrimps. Inland are the Galloway hills, wild, heathery and surprisingly quiet, as few munro-baggers come here to disturb the eagles. There is the huge Galloway Forest Park, with cycle tracks, red squirrels, sculptures and walks. And there are many many rivers, lochs and woods, all beautiful, and teeming with wildlife. You'll see plenty from the back door of the cottage. This is like the Lake District, but with fewer people.