www.ayrshire-arran.com 
tourism website for Ayshire

www.dumfriesngalloway.com tourism website for Dumfries and Galloway

www.visitlanarkshire.com informative website about Lanarkshire

Plan your holiday now in the beautiful South West of Scotland! 
Relax in your own home from home in a Thistle.

AYRSHIRE
Ayrshire, to the south of Glasgow, is the land of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet, and here are places which recall not only his poetry, but also his life. In Alloway, just south of Ayr, is his birthplace, a modest cottage, with a museum alongside it. Not far away is Alloway Kirk, in the graveyard of which Burns’ poem ‘Tam O’ Shanter’ is set.  To the south of Ayr is Culzean Castle (NTS) and its walled garden and large wooded estate;the Castle is closed in the winter, but there are extensive grounds to explore.

CLYDE  VALLEY
The Clyde Valley 's main attraction is New Lanark, a World Heritage Site, on the River Clyde. New Lanark is an 18th-century cotton-mill village, where Robert Owen developed a socially responsible village. Still very much a living community, this is a fascinating place, well worth a visit in the winter.

DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY
Dumfries and Galloway is less than two hours' drive from Edinburgh and Glasgow, just over the border from England and a short ferry journey from Northern Ireland. - ideal for short breaks as well as longer holidays.  There are miles and miles of sandy beaches, liwinding roads and many acres of forests to explore;  more than enough for a several short breaks. The main town is Dumfries (Robert Burns and a camera obscura), and there are several towns and villages worth visiting – Kirkcudbright, Castle Douglas, Creetown, Newton Stewart and Wigtown, Scotland’s Book Town. 

There is plenty to tempt you off the beaten track. The road south from Dumfries goes through New Abbey, with the graceful ruin of Historic Scotland's Sweetheart Abbey, plus New Abbey Cornmill, and the Shambellie House Museum of Costume. The road runs along the Solway Firth, with its beaches and bays, to Kirkcudbright, an attractive village, then on to Gatehouse of Fleet, where the whole family can have fun at Cream o’ Galloway – a working farm which makes a range of tasty ice-creams and is ideal for family outings.. 
At Creetown you can visit the unique Gem Rock Museum and just down the road is the Galloway Smoke House where you can buy something tasty to take home.

Also on your to-visit list must be Bladnoch Distillery, near Wigtown. It is a lowland distillery, and small and friendly, so the tour is special. A few miles south is Wigtown, Scotland's Book Town, with a many second-hand bookshops to browse in, including one which serves good coffee and home-bakes (and a Saturday farmers' market!  Then head for Whithorn, the "Cradle of Christianity", where the heritage centre traces the history of the settlement from 450AD.

The keen gardener should visit Threave Gardens (NTS) near Castle Douglas and, not far from Stranraer, are the beautiful Castle Kennedy Gardens, Logan Botanic Garden and Dunskey Gardens. If you think that palm trees don’t grow in Scotland, come here to discover why they do!  Visitors interested in heritage will find plenty to attract them – Threave Castle (where a small boat takes you across to an island) the Whithorn Centre (where Christianity first arrived in Scotland), Glenluce Abbey, and Drundrennan Abbey, where, it is said, Mary, Queen of Scots spent her last night in Scotland, before crossing to England where she was to die eighteen years later. 

Dumfries and Galloway is also great for walkers and everyone who likes to be out in the fresh air; Glentrool Forest Park has almost 19,000 acres of open country. 
 
Historic Scotland's Dumfries and Galloway Explorer Pass:  If you are planning a holiday in Dumfries and Galloway, be sure to get the Historic Scotland great-value Explorer Pass.  Two adults plus up to 6 children pay only £34 for the Pass which gives entry to 9 attractions, including Caerlaverock Castle, Threave Castle, Glenluce Abbey and Sweetheart Abbey.  Available from staffed Historic Scotland attractions or through www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/explorer

National Trust For Scotland:  In Ayrshire be sure to visit Culzean - a magnificent castle, beautiful gardens and acres of woodland.  Not far away is Burns Cottage, birthplace of Scotland's national poet.  Near Dumfries is Threave, where the gardens are a must-see.  For information on Trust properties and to find out about membership and their Discovery Pass, call 0844 493 2100 or go to www.nts.org.uk

View the Thistle Holiday Parks in Ayrshire, Clyde Valley,  Dumfries & Galloway