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Wanderlog staff Updated • updatedApr 10, 2023
How long is the drive from Brampton to Hamilton?
The direct drive from Brampton to Hamilton is 90.1 mi (145 km), and should have a drive time of 1 hr 25 mins in normal traffic.
If you’re going on a road trip from Brampton to Hamilton, we did the research for you and compiled some great stops along the way — with Keswick, Falkirk, Carlisle, Dumfries, and Linlithgow, as well as top places to visit like Castlerigg Stone Circle and Carlisle Cathedral, or the ever-popular Aira Force Waterfall.
The top cities between Brampton and Hamilton are Keswick, Falkirk, Carlisle, Dumfries, and Linlithgow. Keswick is the most popular city on the route. It's less than an hour from Brampton and 2 hours from Hamilton.
Carlisle, a city in Cumbria, England, is the county town and administrative hub of the City of Carlisle district. Situated 8 miles south of the Scottish border, it is often referred to as a "border city". The meeting point of rivers Eden, Caldew and Petteril adds to its geographical significance.
39% as popular as Keswick
6 minutes off the main route, 17% of way to Hamilton
Keswick, a charming market town nestled in the Lake District National Park of northwest England, offers a blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. Visitors can explore the Cumberland Pencil Museum and Keswick Museum & Art Gallery to delve into local heritage. The ancient Castlerigg Stone Circle and the picturesque Derwent Water lake provide opportunities for outdoor adventures and scenic boat tours. Additionally, golf enthusiasts can enjoy the Keswick Golf Club's course with stunning views of the surrounding landscape.
Most popular city on this route
39 minutes off the main route, 31% of way to Hamilton
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Dumfries, a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, is situated near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth. As the county town of Dumfriesshire, it boasts a rich history and is renowned for its connections with Robert Burns. The town features attractions such as the Theatre Royal, Dumfries Museum, and various parks.
26% as popular as Keswick
20 minutes off the main route, 42% of way to Hamilton
Linlithgow, a charming town in West Lothian, Scotland, holds great historical significance as the former county town of Linlithgowshire. Situated on a historic route between Edinburgh and Falkirk beside the picturesque Linlithgow Loch, it offers a glimpse into ancient Scottish heritage.
16% as popular as Keswick
34 minutes off the main route, 75% of way to Hamilton
The Falkirk Wheel is a remarkable and distinctive boat lift that was constructed in 2002 to link the Forth & Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. This modern engineering feat features a rotating mechanism that raises vessels by 115ft from one canal to the other. Visitors can embark on boat trips departing from the lower basin, which pass through Roughcastle Tunnel before completing their return journey via the wheel.
What an amazing experience. The sun was shining. The trip was excellent. The Captain and Crew were knowledgeable and really funny. The engineering aspects were incredible and the views spectacular. Ended the trip with lunch at the Boardwalk. Highly recommend both.
pam birtle — Google review
For the mechanical-minded and water-loving sorts, this is a must visit. There are many family-oriented activities in and around the Falkirk Wheel. Great for a day out, as there is a cafeteria and store on site. There seems to be ample low cost parking. There is no other cost to visit, unless you take a boat ride on the Wheel and canal, or participate in one of the other on-site activities.
Jeremy H. — Google review
An astonishingly beautiful piece of engineering that's more like a work of art. The views from the top are fantastic. Don't forget to check out the light show in the Falkirk Tunnel a short distance along the Union Canal heading towards Edinburgh - magical.
Brian Kennedy — Google review
amazing boat trip, boat was packed so would recommend booking before hand. all staff were really polite and helpful, coffee cakes etc all available there too! gift shop had loads of options.
lauren perkins — Google review
The world first and only rotating boat lift. It’s a fantastic innovation and unique piece of boat lift to connect the surrounding Canals. Well worth the visit to explore the area and admire this amazing engineering work 🏴
PH PC — Google review
I have lived here all my life and never been here. I wasn't disappointed. The boat ride was really interesting and was good to learn all about it. The crew were amazing and very knowledgeable. The views are spectacular. It is definitely something to experience. There is a cafe with outdoor seating so you can enjoy a coffee and cake whilst watching the wheel in action. And of course a gift shop with plenty of items. A great day out for all the family.
Sharon Noble — Google review
Really amazing! Very cool bit of engineering, and the park for the kids within the facility is fantastic. Caters really well to families and the amenities are well kept. Really looking forward to taking a canal boat down the Falkirk wheel in the future. Definitely recommend.
Alex Sewell — Google review
An original place to spend time with the family. It has a very large playground and the walk around the place is very good. You can see how the boats rise on the wheel to continue their journey through the canal. it is worth the visit. Don't miss the colored tunnel located in the upper part of the canal.
Javisa Australia — Google review
Stunning piece of engineering designed to raise and lower boats between (I hope I have this right) the Falkirk Canal and the Forth and Clyde canal. Getting to and walking all round the Wheel is free but you can pay to do a boat ride that takes you up and down in the wheel or you can just watch this happening. There's a large a friendly cafe there. Not very easy to access on public transport. I took a train from Edinburgh and cycled. I've included a video of the wheel in action.
Angus Hamilton — Google review
A wonderful piece of architecture. I was full of admiration for how it worked and it still works very well. My journey here took me 5 hours, I was so happy that I finally managed to see it and the weather was good. I recommend spending time there with your family, There is a playground, a shooting range, and water balls and I plan to finish building water rockets for children to shoot at. Inside there is a shop, 1 large restaurant and a stand for buying sandwiches and coffee, toilets and beautiful works of local artists. The area has 2 access roads, 3 large parking lots, and pedestrian and bicycle paths. The entire area is green, but wear a warm jacket or sweatshirt because sometimes it is windy and you will be cold. I recommend it, I will come here again.
The price of parking is favorable, see the photo in the gallery how much it costs to park.
Kinia K — Google review
Went to visit the Falkirk Wheel in January 2024. Unfortunately the wheel was under maintenance work but most of the wheel was lit up and we were still able to visit and see the wheel. Lots of fun too. Also huge respect’s to the owners of the site as there was maintenance happening the car park was permitted as free. Huge thanks to the respects there!
kindness ARK — Google review
Lovely site,something I've wanted to see for sometime. We were able to park beside the shop being a blue badge holder! As the cafe was packed we bought the most amazing hot chocolate from the mobile coffee van, delicious!
Susan Bradford — Google review
As a tourist destination this has everything you expect. Expensive coffee, expensive food a gift shop and something to look at.
To be fair, parking is free and there is lots for the kids to do, just happens that we're adults so I have to be fair in review.
The kids playground was nice and if you wanted to avoid paying parking at The Kelpies they are just a 90 minute walk along the canal.
It was interesting to see the Wheel spin but unfortunately due to high winds boat tours were not running.
If it's your first time in Scotland, got kids with you or you're particularly interested in Canals this place is an obligatory stop.
Robin Steer — Google review
Great engineering matter. Must see near to Edinburgh, Stirling or Glasgow. Wait for moving, a ship flows in, the carousel moves and the ship is high above you and goes on direction glasgow. Great experience. I also recommend taking more time for a longer walking around the wheel. The nature scenes with views are beautiful, good for your healthy and they are amazing places for your photography. After walking don't hesitate to refresh yourself by a coffee in restaurant next to wheel.
Robert Fillner — Google review
We recently visited her in May half term, we managed to get parked fairly easily, there is a charge for the car park. The wheel itself is very interesting to see, we booked for a ride on the boat up the wheel and along part of the canal and back. It was reasonably priced and you receive information about the wheel and history of canals on board. We really enjoyed it as a family.
We also played on the water balls on the surrounding water which the children loved and the little boats. The staff were friendly and we didn't have to wait long. There was also a play park there.
There was other activities you could book there such as bike hire and archery however we didn't book these.
There was toilets, food and coffee vans as well as a shop for souvenirs.
We had a fab few hours here and would definitely recommend a visit.
Victoria Topping — Google review
If you are into amazing engineering then this is a must see if you're anywhere nearby. Essentially it is a boat lift which lifts canal boats from the lower canal up 35m to a higher canal via a huge wheel, thus avoiding the need for multiple locks. Plenty of information and a visitor centre, plus well laid out canal side walks linking various places of interest and local towns and villages. Very interesting.
Steve Mann — Google review
An engineering marvel and must see , enjoy a trip on barge (do book it) or just walk around the park. Walk to the top and see the barges load up , you can also walk though the tunnel and over the top back. At the bottom there’s a kids water play area (see pics) and you can also hire SUPS.
Spencer Hudson — Google review
Good signposts to get to the car park. ANPR is used for the car parking. Drop off is free, take the ticket at the barrier, drive down, drop off, drive back to the barrier, scan the ticket and drive out. 20 minutes is the limit.
Payment for parking is via ticket validation at the yellow machines, card only.
This is an amazing piece of engineering and physics. We managed to get tickets for the last trip of the day, which was just a full rotation of the wheel as there was not enough time to have the full trip before the attraction closed. The guides on they trip boat were fantastic, they were informative, funny and ensured everyone was safe and enjoyed the trip.
There are quite a few activities around the area including the Antonine Wall, the canal tunnel, walking trails, water balls, shooting range, a playground or you can just watch the boats.
Inside the visitor centre there are information boards on how and where the wheel was made and built. There’s also a restaurant, a gift shop, toilets and a parking payment machine.
It’s well worth a visit, we can’t wait to go back to do the full trip, but this time book a trip time in advance.
Dave Holland — Google review
We visited on a wet day but this meant it was quiet, great gift shop and cafe and you can book a boat trip to experience the wheel in motion. Really is worth watching it in action. Lots of side attractions to spend more time. Free to see the wheel and only needed to pay for parking, £3 for as long as you needed, definitely worth a visit.
Sarah Welek — Google review
It wasn’t very clear how the place works. We looked around for ticket prices or times for things but wasn’t easy so sort of gave up. Tried to play mini golf but couldn’t get the kit. Other people were playing and we went to the hire place and it said golf was opening soon go there, but golf had a sign to go to hire. Gave it 10 mins and gave up as patience of a nearly 3 year old is thin 😂
Everything looked closed so maybe just bad timing. Looks like in the summer could be really good. Visited April Easter holidays.
Melanie Comerford — Google review
An amazing feat of engineering. We were given a lot of information by one of the staff a really well worth trip. Unfortunately, when we were there, the basin was drained whilst they undertook engineering work. Buy still worth the trip.
David Trenbath — Google review
Excellent solo visit midweek during half term. Admired watching the wheel operate from the hill (near segway) before descending to the visitor center. Grabbed a delicious macaroni cheese for lunch, the cafe was buzzing, lovely friendly staff. Booked the last 90 min wheel boat ride. There was clearly lots of activities to keep you busy, but I just admired this marvel of engineering and its many photographic opportunities. The tour was great and well worth doing. Something quite surreal about ascending and descending silently afloat. Plenty of parking, clean, ample toilet facilities, cafe and coffee bar with indoor seating, and gift shop.
Rebecca Grimbly — Google review
One of a kind engineering wonder that will make you wonder what's next?
A great place for kids and friends to explore.
Try the gift shop and don't forget to buy some tablets.
No not the iPad or android kind. It's a snack. Ask the store keeper.
Mahmoud Nowaz — Google review
Although we have been a few times, the weather was good enough for us to pretend we were tourists and it didn't disappoint!
We went with our now 6 year old son. There were plenty of activities for him. He chose to do the wee paddling boats, and then we played with the archimedes water pumps, which im so glad are back in action! Super cute! Then we went into the playing area until it was our time for the boat trip.
The ticket was a bit pricey, but we thoroughly enjoyed it! The guy doing the commentary was funny and engaging. Got some stunning photos!
100% recommended to both tourists and non-tourists! #falkirk #falkirkwheel
Abbas Aliakbar — Google review
Unfortunately we visited the Wheel during its maintenance time, but a friendly Scottish gentlemen with a black Labrador informed us that it would be back in operation in March. I wasn’t bothered it wasn’t running, just looking at it and reading about the facts of the Wheel was enough for me. There was a gift shop and coffee shop in the visitor centre so it was nice to enjoy a coffee and scone and looking at the Wheel. We shall definitely come back to see it again. It’s worth noting that if you are a Blue Badge holder like my fiancé is, parking is free when the Wheel is operating. In the winter months the barriers are up so any vehicle is free which I think is really nice.
I’ve put I recommend booking tickets in advance purely because when the Wheel is operational again I expect it’ll be busy, so save yourself some time and get the tickets online.
Can’t wait to come back!
Kathryn Hall — Google review
56% as popular as Keswick
27 minutes off the main route, 78% of way to Hamilton
Best stops along Brampton to Hamilton drive
The top stops along the way from Brampton to Hamilton (with short detours) are The Falkirk Wheel, Derwentwater, and The Kelpies. Other popular stops include Five Sisters Zoo, Carlisle Cathedral, and New Lanark.
This stunning waterfall can be found in a Victorian park surrounded by a landscaped woodland. It is drop 70 feet and has easy trails to follow.
Just WoW, the walk up to to water falls are lovely twisting and winding up through the woods alongside the river. Then you come to the water fall, absolutely stunning. You can then walk on further to another crossing over the bridge and down the other side of the river.
There are a few car parks for this walk. We parked & stayed overnight in the main car park at the bottom, there is also toilets and a cafe for refreshments. Highly recommended.
Ian Beckly — Google review
Great place for a day out, the walking paths were you can better see the waterfalls are close but still the waterfalls is a sight to see. The trail can be muddy and slippery so appropriate footwear is a must although the trail itself is easy to walk with. I would suggest going there as early as possible since it gets really busy during the midday if you want a private photo opportunity with nature then go early😀. Overall its great place to have a walk with the park being free of charge except for the parking though😀y
Adam Namingsan — Google review
Beautiful walk and waterfalls, however very busy and popular. We visited on a Thursday during the school holidays. The carpark was £5 for 2 hours or discounted if a national trust member. It probably took us 2 hours to do the walk with lots of breaks with 4 small children.
R A — Google review
**Aira Force Waterfall Review:**
Aira Force Waterfall, located in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England, is a breathtaking natural wonder that captivates visitors with its majestic beauty. As you approach the waterfall, the sound of rushing water grows louder, heightening anticipation for the awe-inspiring sight ahead.
Upon arrival, you're greeted by a powerful cascade of water tumbling down a series of rocky tiers, surrounded by lush greenery and ancient woodland. The sheer force of the water creates a mesmerizing display, leaving visitors in awe of nature's raw power.
The well-maintained trails leading to the waterfall offer picturesque views of the surrounding landscape, making the journey as enjoyable as the destination. Whether you're a seasoned hiker or simply seeking a leisurely stroll, Aira Force provides an accessible and rewarding outdoor experience for all.
For photographers and nature enthusiasts, Aira Force offers endless opportunities to capture stunning shots of the waterfall from various angles and perspectives. The play of light and shadow on the cascading water creates a magical atmosphere that is truly unforgettable.
Overall, Aira Force Waterfall is a must-visit destination for anyone exploring the Lake District. Its beauty and tranquility leave a lasting impression, making it a cherished memory for visitors of all ages. Whether you're seeking adventure, relaxation, or simply a connection with nature, Aira Force delivers an unforgettable experience that will leave you inspired and rejuvenated.
Marius Murariu — Google review
Been here a few times. Its an easy walk up to the falls, with steady incline. We'll cut out steps. Parking I think is expensive at £5.00 for 2hrs but it's plenty of time to get up and down to the falls. Ullswater is nearby and is worth a visit.
Nando Langton — Google review
Highly recommended. Great walk up to and around the falls.
Great views of the water with some fantastic photo opportunities.
Plenty of points to dip your feet in and just sit and watch the water pass by. You could easily get around the quick route in 45-60 mins. Or you can take your time and do it in around 2 hours.
Liam Dooley — Google review
This place is free to visit other than the car park if you have drove up, which we did. There is a cafe and toilet if you follow the sign posts. This is one of the best places to go that I have seen in the Lake District for water falls. There are also a few different walking routes if you wanted to see them from both sides of the water or from a higher point. The paths are not too bad to walk on either.
Adam Barnard — Google review
This is the most spectacular English place I have ever visited. In fact nothing in Scotland or Wales has come close so far. It is not at all wheel chair friendly, nor is it for the feint of heart or knee.
Richard Taylor — Google review
Excellent waterfall. 5 min walk from the car park. Car park charges are around 5£ per 2 hours. You can walk all the way down to the waterfall and enjoy the beauty from quite close. There are different trails which you can take from there. You can walk by the stream enjoying the scenery..
Balasubramanya Bhat — Google review
Lovely walk! Sadly, due to lack of signage- parked in the wrong car park (parked at high cascades) so had to walk down, before walking back up. All trails are clean and clear- dog friendly, with a lovely cafe at the bottom!
Dominic Dudley — Google review
We were visiting family in Cumbria when we decided to take a day trip to the Aira Force waterfall in Penrith. It was a perfect and beautiful day for a hike! The air was warm with a mild breeze and it was perfect hiking weather. It was early May so the weather was in our favor that day! I added a landscape that I thought was stunning while we were driving to the falls that day so I had to add it. We had such a great time!
D Blanch — Google review
Really lovely walk up alongside a waterfall. Sort of a one way system and was a pretty easy walk. We went on a really rainy day so the waterfalls were really strong and a lot of the path was covered in shallow water! Really good opportunities for dogs to have a paddle!
Daniella LK — Google review
Aira Force Waterfall is a must visit. It's a great experience to see the water fall from different vantage points. Pleasant and ecstatic nature view point. Prepare to climb down and climb up some stairs. You may sometimes can encounter some speeding Jets. Good luck
pavan kumar — Google review
Fantastic place. It's nice to walk to the upper part of it called Aira High Force. Not difficult but rewarding. Walking from the parking lot is very easy and pleasant.
A A — Google review
Beautiful walk which takes around 50 minutes. The paths are well defined and easy to follow. The track is of moderate difficulty with inclines and lots of steps in one place but would be perfect for families or dog walkers
Barbie Burke — Google review
Such a lovely walk. We saw the Airs Force waterfall and some others. We also started a hike to get a nice view of Ullswater but came back down because it was raining quite hard. We got the train to Penrith and the Bus down to Aira Force. We also used the tea room and sampled the veg soup, sausage rolls and hot drinks. The area is lovely for a walk and a hike. Lots of routes around the forest.
Helen Grailey — Google review
Nice place to explore, especially with the rain we’ve had making the waterfall powerful.
Not difficult terrain to hike. Some steps with railings. Car park is close by and although it’s paid it supports National Trust. Coffee shop and toilets on site.
Toluco Photo — Google review
Beautiful.
A beautiful waterfall set in beautiful scenery with a beautiful lake nearby. The beck was in spate when we visited, and the deep roar of the waterfall was audible some distance away. We visited on a sunny morning where the spray formed 2 beautiful rainbows by the base.
Aira Force is stunning from any angle, including from the upper bridge looking directly down the 20-m drop. No wonder this waterfall is praised more than any other in the Lake District, and poems praise it so much.
We visited on our bikes so had no problem with parking
Gleb Berloff — Google review
It is one of the nicest places I have visited in the area so beautiful and well hidden away from the road. It's also national trust parking for free if you're a member. It's also relatively easy to get to if you're not the healthiest. Only con is there can be a lot of tourist traffic there as I found out the hard way, but all in all, a great morning visit. Great birthday trip aswell
Matt Styles — Google review
Super wall of around 2 hours up the waterfalls and back down via different routes. Great for dogs and kids, quite a few steps on some routes.
The Castlerigg Stone Circle, a stone circle believed to be 5000 years old, is located in the north west of England. Situated on a grassy plateau surrounded by the iconic mountains of Lakeland, this ancient monument offers breathtaking panoramic views. Found near the market town of Keswick, this mysterious circle dates back to 3000 BC and emanates historical significance.
Very nice place, can see all the mountain peaks on a 360 degree angle haha, stones are laid out in a circle too looks pretty cool, who knows how long they been there, it is a very nice calming place to visit and spiritual for some people even.
Waheedul Haque — Google review
Got here first thing in the morning around 7am, hardly anyone around and on my own once the photographers had gone. Was freezing with the snow but worth the stunning views and the drive up the steep narrow lane wasn't too bad although very icy at the time! The stones themselves were interesting but it was more about the surrounding views for me.
chris h — Google review
The location was great, only a few minutes of walking distance to the town center. Free and ample car parking was available. The room and the bathroom were both very clean and nice. The room had all the basic amenities such as a kettle and a Nespresso machine. The bathroom had enough shower gels and shampoo for use, and the towels provided were clean.
Chamila Lasantha — Google review
A truly picturesque location especially if you manage to get there for sunset. The circle is surrounded by beautiful silhouettes of mountains. We were there when the sky created a stunning pink hue over everything. Really magical.
A very interesting place if you're into archaeology, history etc.
Amber Hunt — Google review
A fantastic stone circle that allows you to get up close and walk amongst the stones.
It gets busy though, so try for early morning or late evening - the views will still be spectacular. Parking is along the side of the main road and also gets busy at peak times.
Alan Woolley — Google review
Well worth a detour to see. On a nice day (such as the one in my photos) the panoramic views from this location are amazing. I won't ruin the information about this place, as it's available on boards at the gates to the Stone Circle. It's nice to read about it while you're there.
Wheelchair users can probably make it to the Circle with some help. Don't try it though if it's been raining. It's boggy. Photographers will love this place but dawn or sunset is obviously best. Drone photography is dramatic when the long shadows cast by the stones from the rising or setting sun ripple across the undulating field the Stone Circle is in. A note about drones: English Heritage, who "own" the site have banned them on all "their" properties. To get around this wholly stupid rule launch your drone from the road & fly it from there. Do not to fly it directly over the Stone circle.
It's quite a magical place but it gets very busy in summer. Difficult to get good photos when there's 50 people milling around.
There's no public conveniences or anything like that.
Craig Sparks — Google review
This was my second visit to this wonderful place and it didn't disappoint. The location is magical, the views spectacular and the atmosphere truly mystical.
Last time we walked up from Keswick where you get the opportunity of some great views across the lakes, but this time we drove and it was very easy to find.
Judith Hope — Google review
What an atmospheric place. We went in the middle of the day and there was a steady stream of visitors. So we revisited at 06.30.... no one else around and got to see the full beauty of the place. Think the sheep were enjoying the peace too.
Nursey Williamson — Google review
Still here after 4500 years and potentially one of the oldest ring stones in the country.
If you're in the area don't miss this visit. It is beautiful, peaceful and extraordinary to be in the ring of stones. They say if you count the stones you always count a different number. I think there use to be 42 stones and now there are 38.
If you're lucky enough to take a picture of the stones without anyone there, then consider it a fortunate day.
Luis B — Google review
A great example of a stone circle with a stunning backdrop. If you’re a photographer then I suggest early morning or late in the evening for a photo as during the day it’s teaming with people. Free parking on the road beside it. Worth a visit if you’re in the area. Not as impressive as stone henge but you get to walk amongst the stones here.
Chris Gledhill — Google review
I love this place! No matter what time of year I go it is always beautiful and the walks around it are too. This is one of my favorite places on earth to relax and escape. I’ve heard a lot of people say that it is just a knockoff Stone Henge but I think that Castlerigg is better. If you’re in the lakes this is my number one recommended hike.
Joe Appleby — Google review
Really nice nature sight to visit. We made a quick stop here and walked around the circle. The nature and landscape is beautiful. Ample parking near the sight and not a far walk.
Dominique Saayman — Google review
This is a wonderful site. Beautiful vistas and easy to find. Part of me wishes it wasn't. Because there were so many people allowing their children to climb the stones.
1. It's disrespectful
2. The chances of injury and death increased.
3. These stones were erected by a culture long lost. They are a source of wonder and intrigue. It's not a playground for your precious offspring.
BTW, not all of these people whose spawn were climbing like monkeys are from England. A few were German speaking and French. There should be a sign and a fine.
Jerry Hernandez — Google review
Beautiful views of the Lake District country hills … there is a free entrance… you need to drive to this place .. not sure if there is public transport. But all the Lake District is well connected. This place is magic.. if you like history this is the place. Bring some trainers or wellington boots.
Ljubica Banic — Google review
Great place, especially at sunset. Easy to get to and get around. There are three interesting and informative boards which tell you a bit about the history of the this fascinating place. Well worth a quick stop if you’re in the area.
Tom Riley — Google review
You park just off the road beside the entrance. The views all around are simply stunning especially with the snow on the hills. The stones are in the centre but there is one off to the right and it has it's own story. There are 3 board that try to tell you why there here. You won't spend long here but it's worth the trip.
John Rundell — Google review
You have to go to the stones! An absolutely beautiful backdrop to a fascinating mystery. First time I walked from Keswick, second time took the 555 bus. Peaceful!
Kristen M — Google review
Nice place to visit on a clear day... essentially stones in a field! But prehistoric, not a lot known about them from the information on the signs. But it is a lovely setting and views and quite impressive really... you know, for a circle of stones in a field!
Peter Dutton — Google review
Beautiful, but very crowded place. We’ve been told that it’s better to come here early in the morning but we were traveling from Scotland and it was not possible to be there any sooner. The atmosphere is great and the surroundings are fantastic. Definitely worth a visit. A parking situation is also difficult there.
Olga Morozova — Google review
Lovely spot to visit; a beautiful stone circle with some information on signs nearby, absolutely amazing views of the hills, and fields with sheep grazing nearby. A very idyllic picture.
Free parking nearby and only a short detour on the way to Keswick.
It was a nice day while we were there, so it was a bit busy, and there were some fighter jet exercises, as well, with the jets flying over very low. Was very interesting to see them (and hear them) flying two at a time and bending and disappearing ‘round the hills.
Twinkle Madison — Google review
I’m not a religious person , but stood at this place I could feel a presence of a greater power . The surroundings are just beautiful! Completely surrounded by green clad hills and mounts it is no wonder our ancestors felt like I did . This place was made by a far greater being of superior knowledge and power whoever or whatever that may be
The cathedral of Carlisle is a small Gothic building that features finely decorated choir stalls from the 15th century. The building was badly damaged in the English Civil War and only part of the nave remains.
Beautiful. Traditional Stunning architecture and decor. Steeped in history. Loved our visit here. Cafe in the grounds. Toilet facilities. Wheelchair access etc Well worth a visit and right round the corner from town centre which is full of little places to eat, gift store and bars.
Caz Bitz — Google review
We were greeted by a friendly guide who gave us a five minute pocket guide to the Cathedral which was well worthwhile.
This is an interesting building in that there is a definite break between the two architectural styles of Norman and Gothic.
The Treasury in the new crypt is also impressive.
Allow about 30 minutes for a visit.
We happily gave the £3 suggested donation.
Jocelyn Twose — Google review
Wonderful cathedral, a must visit if in Carlisle. Quite dark inside but it was off-peak times and during the day so understandable. Very helpful members of staff around the building to answer any questions.
Sekhmet — Google review
Fantastic day. Did not realise that a new cafe had been built here about 5 years ago. Sympathetically designed and greatly enhances the visitor experience. Will now be a regular haunt for us. There was a concert rehearsal so great to listen to this.
Julia King — Google review
A very impressive and well designed Cathedral. Every single thing in the church is beautifully detailed and well kept. Every person there was lovely and very helpful. One of the better UK cathedrals I've been to.
Ellie Clayton — Google review
Carlisle cathedral is Beautiful. Lovely atmosphere feeling as you go in. The people were singing. Free to go in. You can leave a donation when your visit is finished. Light a candle 🕯 for your love ones. ❤️ lots to look at and enjoy your visit.
Robert Clelland (Rab) — Google review
Beautiful church. Its beautiful Inside the church, with a stunning architecture. You get a pocket guide which explains everything about the church. It is not open for visit on Sundays but you can enter for free on all other days. There are many stained glass windows with murals. The altar and the woodworks within the altar is stunning. The ceiling seems to be newly painted with stars in blue background which was really cool to look at. Organ pipes were stacked in the walls outside a hidden chamber and the guide explained that they will be played only during service.
Over all stunning and peaceful place.
Jithin S Mankad — Google review
Breathtakingly beautiful inside. Stained glass is wonderful, and the wood carvings in the choir are just incredible. There are some interesting panels depicting the lives of various saints scattered around the cathedral, so be sure to take in all the details before leaving. If you're visiting the city this is a must-see!
okay, this is epic — Google review
Great little cathedral. It was beautiful, and enough to see but not overwhelming like some some other, larger cathedrals. The staff were very friendly and they have a nice laminated guide to point out key things to see in the church with a quick description. Worth checking out
Madelyn Mattern — Google review
Absolutely stunning cathedral set back slightly from the main shopping area (I expected it to be further away like the castle), boasting the largest full flowing stained glass window in the uk and the cloisters ceiling. From the minute you enter the ground it takes your breath, and the more you look the more you see, like the fist sized gargoyle carvings all around the window rims and intricate details of everything.
Upon entering (this happened the first time but not the second as the lady looked busy with guests) I was given a laminated paper with info and ‘what’s where’ drawings on however it’s very easy to navigate without.
The cathedral is free however you are able if desire to give a donation of any amount. The recommended is £4.
Downstairs is a small “museum” of sorts.
The place is definitely worth a visit and pass an hour unless you take time to sit and reflect or simply marvel. The grounds have other interesting places and a coffee shop which is a tad on the expensive side but it’s what id expect given location.
If you do visit, make sure you use the mirror below the ceiling for a better look at it, it really is something special.
Also if you take the time to read the history it is an even more interesting place. Overall a very well preserved, peaceful, beautiful, astounding place.
Leanne Harrison — Google review
Absolutely well worth a visit. Just don't miss it if you can. Free entry but donation welcome. Also a very nice little coffee shop for a break. Will be going again when in Carlisle
John Andrew Hodgkinson — Google review
This was a huge red sandstone building that had evolved over the last 900 years and looks like a lot of the ornamental stonework was replaced recently. Outside there were the remains of the original Augustinian cloisters and a nice cafe area and inside I was almost the only visitor. There were a few original Norman features and some amazing medieval paintings too.
The ceiling had been repainted in the 1860’s and really added to the serenity of the building. There was a lot of magnificent stained glass and also regimental colours, now faded and darkened. Moving with the times the cathedral had contactless donation terminals which was a great idea as I had no cash.
Marcus Hurley — Google review
Beautiful cathedral. We came to sign the Queen's Book of Condolence. We had a look around at some of the beautiful architecture and artefacts. Well worth a look around.
karen hopkins — Google review
Free to visit. Very welcoming. Beautiful stained glass windows. Wonderful ceiling full of stars. Lovely Cafe. Go and visit if you can.
Nic Dorset — Google review
An attractive cathedral with a stunning interior, situated in well kept grounds. Highlights include the beautiful starlight ceiling, magnificent stained glass east window and medieval painted panels.
The helpful staff are happy to answer questions, or provide information sheets to guide you around the cathedral. The treasury exhibition is highly informative and houses an impressive collection of artefacts.
Accessibility is very good and there's no charge to visit, but donations are welcomed to help maintain the cathedral. The grounds are well worth a look, with ruins of the Augustinian priory. There's also a well staffed café on site serving lunch and refreshments.
The cathedral is open between 07:30 and 18:30 Monday to Friday, and until 17:00 on weekends.
Andrew Thomas — Google review
Beautiful. I was lucky enough to be there when there was an organist playing. It was breathtaking.
The star ceiling is unbelievable, so pretty. There are deckchairs to sit in and marvel at the stars.
The staff are lovely and helpful.
Not a massive building, but it's absolutely beautiful
Lynn Thompson — Google review
Must see when in Carlisle. Loads of history. There’s also a nightly choir and organ recital. I missed this but would be so great to see an hear in this amazing cathedral.
Brandt Tracey — Google review
We stopped to grab a bite on our way to Edinburgh. Then we decided we would visit the cathedral. Nice bit of local history and architecturally sound. We spent a few hours here. They have a quest for the kids as well. The volunteers engaged well with adults and kids alike.
Tarun Bharadwaj Natam — Google review
No tickets required to enter the church. It was a beautiful visit and there are guides in the church whom you can ask questions. Once your visit is over there is a cafe inside to take a break. When you exit the church you can give a donation voluntarily.
Jen — Google review
The cathedral is really pretty, not big but interesting and worth seeing.
Read about the story of the stars on the ceiling.:) Free entrance, easy to reach, right in the city centre, it takes a few minutes to visit.
Aurelia Ghenuche — Google review
Excellent!! Don't know how the folks of old managed to climb the steps, so narrow, with all their kit on. Brilliant place to visit
Nigel Gardner — Google review
Worth visiting when exploring Carlisle. Free entry, of course, a donation is always appreciated. The visitor shop has some great items available to purchase
Carl Whittle — Google review
A must see when you're in the area. As you enter, immediately on your left there's a rune engraving in the wall, very peculiar to find something like that in a cathedral. The blue ceiling and the organs are quite something. Do go down to the treasury, there are very beautiful items.
The Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery is a museum in Carlisle, England. The museum features exhibits related to art, archaeology, decorative arts, coins and medals, natural sciences, music and textiles.
A lovely little museum, with different areas of display, showing the history of Carlisle. From the Romans and Reivers to the fashion of Georgian Carlisle and beyond. A very interesting place with friendly and informative staff. The entrance fee lets you return for the year.
Angela Baker — Google review
Absolutely worth to visit! Not only got to know about Carlisle and the history of the border region. You may found many more things of interest. Go and have a look!
Frank aus Hamburg — Google review
Tullie House is absolutely amazing. The collections always change and there is lots to see and do. At the moment it has three Roman galleries/exhibitions. There are more besides including Reiver, Pre-historic, industrial and so on. There is a fabulous cafe there plus interesting gift shop. It really deserves a visit!
Catherine Jarvis — Google review
Oh my goodness this is the most amazing museum in Carlisle. As a lover of Hadrian’s Wall and Roman history it had a great diverse range of knowledge about that and the Roman influence in Carlisle. Also has art galleries, other periods of history of Carlisle and the Scottish Borders. It really taught me about Britain’s bloody history. It also has natural history, and art galleries too. There is a café here but I’m sorry to say I found the staff there really miserable looking. A young girl served me two coffees, which I asked for, I thanked her but I didn’t a “you’re welcome” in reply. Good manners cost nothing. However, don’t let that put you off coming here, it’s absolutely brilliant.
Kathryn Hall — Google review
I am giving Tullie 3/5 because although the things inside are amazing, it is £30 for 2 people, which is out of budget for most low income people. I think they should offer a discount for students, people on benefits or low income, because the educational things inside the museam are actually of more value to the working class than to rich people who already will have seen those things many times. That's just my own opinion about the price. You can keep that ticket for 1 year so if you live there it isnt a bad deal. The museam part is very interactive, you can try stuff on, do activities, touch things etc. The gallery part had amazing art, but it was borrowed from another gallery that has free entry, so again, wasn't happy about the cost.
Angelica W — Google review
A fantastic and informative museum and perfectly placed across from Carlisle's historic castle.
Matski Eden — Google review
Fantastic museum and Art gallery giving a rounded history of the border and the city. Collection includes Roman all the way to the modern era, by way of the Reivers. Some of the art works are really good and the Roman display strives to interpret the objects rather than just display.
RobbieC — Google review
Brilliant but closed from 23/12/2023 until 'summer' 2024 for major renovations
Maggy Simms — Google review
This is an excellent museum, especially the Roman gallery which covers all aspects of their occupation and their culture. Interactive exhibits would certainly keep children engaged. Other galleries include Costume, Vikings in the region, the Border history and flora and fauna.
There is also a reasonably priced cafe and shop. Allow at least 2 hours for a visit.
Admission is £10 with no reduction for Senior Citizens.
Jocelyn Twose — Google review
Whilst in Carlisle for the day, we decided to visit here as it was one the top 10 places to see on Tripadvisor.
We were shocked to see how big this place is, it was never ending! We spent a good few hours in here, & definitely could of spent more. There is something for every age, with history from many different years.
Simon Bailey — Google review
We went for the Lunar New Year celebrations and had a great time
The Chinese dragon dance and Chinese drums workshop were fantastic.
The kids had to do a hunt throughout the museum matching numbers go each animal of the Chinese zodiac, and were gifted a Chinese coin in a red envelope for getting them all right.
For the price it's a great visit. Kids go free with a paying adult, and an adult paying fee gets a years entry
No additional cost for the Lunar New Year event either
Gail Smallman — Google review
Great gardens. We when they years ago on a school trip and it was very interesting. I deffenly really would recommend. If even just the lovely gardens.
Maxine Blaylock — Google review
Absolutely amazing! It is an excellent place to get yourself aware from the history of Carlisle which is hundreds of years old. They have Fossil of a the head of dinosaurs as well (can't recall the exact name). If you live here, like me, then taking membership of £15 doesn't hurt. You can visit the whole of year anytime.
The imposing castle at Carlisle is home to a regimental museum and displays of Roman relics. The castle has played an important role in the history of Cumbria, serving as a military depot and prison, and was regularly in danger of attack.
Was with Army Cadets on an expedition weekend staying at the castle and we were allowed to look around the castle for free. Everyone enjoyed looking around and found it extremely interesting. Thanks from all the cadets to the staff who let us in for free. Excellent experience.
Anna Robinson — Google review
Good place, very clean, will definitely use again if in the area.
A bit disappointed on the breakfast, which was included and not different than any other Holiday In Express breakfasts. The only issue was that you can’t really have tables for 50 people but the food area designed that can’t even sustain the 20+ that we’re in at one time. Couldn’t find cutlery, the juice dispenser and the food containers were empty and the staff couldn’t keep up with refilling them. Same issue with the bread, only one coffee machine and the empty tables full of dirty dishes from the customers that just left.
Stefan — Google review
A great historic castle which is currently undergoing restoration of the main roof on the keep. It still has a good amount of access though and was fascinating. In fact the whole castle is amazing and fascinating.
Mark Broadbent — Google review
We've been to a few castles before, some in disrepair and others still functioning. This is a functional castle, acting currently as the base for a TA regiment, among other functions. Entry fees depend on the day of the week and time of year, but it is roughly £14 per person with a slight discount if booking in advance online. Parking is just around the wall, and is only a few quid for all day parking.
Once inside the castle wall we were a little unsure where to go and what there was to see. There is very little tourist signage up, but we headed for the main keep inside an inner wall. The keep is empty and there are a few illustrations of how it may have looked several hundred years earlier. It is in very good repair though for a 900 year old building!
In one of the inner buildings there is a display on the various sieges that the castle has endured, which is quite interesting. You can also walk around the top of the walls, passing by two large cannon.
Back out in the outer area there is a military museum which was chock-full of military memorabilia from the forces based there over the years. This was surprisingly interesting and informative, with much more content than we expected. The entry fee for this is included in the main castle fee.
Overall, if you're in Carlisle, I recommend you take a look, but it doesn't rank among the top castles in the UK for us.
David Gerrard — Google review
It is a very nice castle to visit but it is just a visit. Not much has been done to highlight or even experience it's rich and important history. That's what you see more often at English Heritage sites. The staff knows a lot, but they try to tell everything at the ticket counter. And you want to know when you're in the castle.
The cafe is very limited and carefully hidden, even to the extend that the waitress was depressed but this too
Roelof Potters — Google review
Been here a few times over the years. The castle always impresses me. I've been round the castle and the military museum before and they are very interesting. I find English Heritage properties generally better value than a lot of historic properties. Book online in advance and save 10%.
Jamie Titchener — Google review
A short nighttime visit during a downpour as part of The Light District: Crown and Coronation City of Lights festival.
It is very enjoyable despite the weather, a very colourful and beautiful meander through the Kings and Queens of England and the Crown Jewels used during a coronation.
I would recommend getting tickets for these events, which start at Carlisle Cathedral. Many other locations in the city are lit up in glorious technicolour, too.
Willow Tkw — Google review
The Castle is beside a very busy dual carriageway and unlike many other castles on the English Heritage network, isn’t a peaceful idyll. However the welcome by staff was warm and informative and I was appraised of the conservation work being undertaken on the tower of the castle, the reason for its encasement by scaffolding. Inside the castle walls it was quiet and peaceful even though it is shared by active military barracks and a military museum (entrance covered by English Heritage admission charge). There are no cafe facilities here but plenty of choice across the dual carriageway in the city centre. The castle has an interesting history and an interpretive room showing the number of sieges endured, more than you can shake a stick at. A small enticing shop completed a worthwhile visit.
Michael Slade — Google review
Different castle with really deep history stretching back to Roman times. Pivotal in English Scottish history. Many many uses over the centuries. Great staff on site. Worth the visit.
Kevin Harris — Google review
A castle of contrasts, it is still an active military site with a cadet headquarters and TA base as well as retaining its identity as a historic seat of power.
It also has a small but excellent military museum and a café to enjoy a cuppa and a slice of cake.
Well worth a visit.
Michael Lees — Google review
We visited on a very cold and wet day so didn't experience as much as we usually would (e.g. we didn't walk right around the wall). But what we did look at was very good - incredibly well preserved for its age, and easy to imagine what it would have been like historically.
Easy to get around, with good hand rails on the uneven spiral staircases.
Don't follow the GPS in the car as it sends you into the castle entrance - set it to the car park.
Donna Spencer — Google review
Great tourist attraction, helped by the weather. Good display in the Military museum, cafe, toilets & gift shop. Friendly staff
Debs M — Google review
Great place to visit. Good information and signage and the guide book is excellent value. There was a volunteer giving talks and information who was excellent
DJ Dumbles — Google review
Visited with our English Heritage membership. Lots to explore & friendly staff. Didn't see it all this time but on a warmer day, you can spend a few hours. Great views from the walkway
Leigh E — Google review
Not the picturesque juggernaut that some English castles can be, but a very nice visit. A good balance between some of the un-restored castles and the over commercialized castles found elsewhere. Warden's quarters and the tower in the keep allow you to get a glimpse of living quarters. Guides/volunteers are very nice and knowledgeable.
Randy — Google review
We've visited a lot of castles as a family, so it was interesting to see Carlisle castle for the first time. While there is no doubt it's a castle, the impact of modern military use has completely changed the feel I imagine the place used to have. Still very interesting. There is also a military museum on site which was excellent.
Matt Staples — Google review
This is a great place to spend time full of history and interest. We had a guide in Tony that made our visit very special. His knowledge was brilliant and full of facts. He was an English Heritage volunteer. Also, the military museum is very worth a visit.
William Willmot — Google review
A bit disappointed. Mostly only the shell of the keep and towers and a few cannons remain. The interior is all stripped away. Nice exhibition from the army in the newer section but that was not the reason we went there
Benny Fredriksen — Google review
An impressive castle with imposing keep, and large grounds housing a military museum and small café. Lots to see inside so a good attraction for a wet day.
Tickets can be bought at the gatehouse or in advance online, but it wasn't too busy even in summer. The grounds are dog friendly.
There's lots of history on display, from the Tudor period up to World War II. Great views over the city from the walls. Keep a look out for the wall carvings in the keep, believed to date back to the 15th century.
There's a large parking lot a couple of minutes walk from the castle, and the railway station is close by.
Andrew Thomas — Google review
Beautiful castle, really shows the history of the North West of the country. Loved seeing it and the historical culture of the engineering works. You get a real feel of Tudor England in here
Lynden Flack — Google review
Cool to see from the outside. Wasn’t able to see the inside because it’s open on weekends only during the winter. The best thing is that the citadels south of the castle were the original gates to the castle.
Brandt Tracey — Google review
Amazing still working castle. The museum is fanyltaatic and brought back back memories. Highly recommended for all ages
Fred bigox — Google review
Another fantastically looked after English Heritage site. Rich in history with loads to explore and learn about. The staff as ever are a wash with knowledge of the site, they make the experience that much enjoyable.
Derwentwater is a long, narrow lake located in the Lake District of North West England. With its tranquil landscapes and many opportunities for recreation, it is popular with visitors all year round. The lake has a network of footpaths and boating opportunities, as well as being home to Keswick Launches which take in stunning views of the surrounding fells. For those looking to explore more of the area, Borrowdale Valley is just across the lake.
A really beautiful place to walk. It's about 10 miles and takes about 4 to 6 hours to walk around, depending upon how many stops you make for refreshments. I high recommend St Mary's Mount for refreshments and tye Derwentwater Hotel.
History Academy — Google review
Beautiful ribbon lake nestled within the classic Lake District mountainous terrain. If you can get on the water, it's a great feeling, and even if not, you'll be able to feel the serenity at any point around the lake. Genuinely a stunning place especially when it's not too rainy or cloudy (good luck!) and one of my highlights when visiting the lakes.
Oliver Ling — Google review
Derwentwater is a truly magical an amazing place!! An can be certainly breath-taking over the summer month.
Takes roughly 4 - 5hrs get all way round an is about 10miles long too walk.
Ben Taylor (Benji) — Google review
Derwentwater is a beautiful lake located in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. It is one of the most popular and picturesque lakes in the region, surrounded by stunning landscapes and fells. Derwentwater is approximately 3 miles long and 1 mile wide, offering scenic views, walking trails, and opportunities for boating and watersports. The lake is also dotted with several islands, including the well-known Derwent Island, which is owned by the National Trust and can be visited by boat. It's a popular destination for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts.
Mohammad Abufara — Google review
Has a circular walk around the lake, with beautiful views. Part of it is flooded at the moment, though, just before the "Chinese Bridge".
Shaun Brown — Google review
Great spot for wild swimming. Plenty of parking. Views are incredible
Moose lowe — Google review
It's a beautiful place for swimming, outing, spending leisure time/special time with you family,friends, girlfriend-boyfriend or buggy ,specially for tourists, boating, enjoy the beauty of nature.
These picture was taken last summer
Md Imtiaz Ahmed Shakib — Google review
Wandering down from Keswick for the first time, and the view emerging from the trees, is one of the few times, I was astonished in my life. It is absolutely wonderfully gorgeous, and if you have never seen it for yourself, watch the Star Wars scene where the X-Wings flew over the water. Even major film makers know a beautiful place when they see one!
Access is easy. Keswick is ten minutes walk away, there is a large carpark a few minutes away to the north, which also has toilets. The path that runs down the eastern shore soon brings you to peace and quiet, woodland mottled in sunlight from a high sun, providing shade on the hot days. And the views from all angles, are just beautiful in all the best ways, at all times of all the days.
Everything is so close here, and yet so beautiful, you can spend an hour here, or a day, and every minute is worth it
DavidStaGr — Google review
We walked round Derwentwater anticlockwise from Keswick. Its a ten mile walk on mainly flat road so isnt too strenuous and the scenery is absolutely stunning. It took around 5 hours to walk at a fairly steady pace, we did it in trainers quite easily so walking boots aren't necessary. Well worth the effort.
Alison James — Google review
The day that we visited Lake Derwentwater was really sunny. The lake was really beautiful. There is a large grass area perfect for picnics. This is a place that you must take photos of.
Priyangen Mangalaruban — Google review
We walked all round this beautiful lake the first full day we had in Keswick. Well worth the aching legs...
M. R. Parkins — Google review
Definitely worth a walk, it's even possible to catch a boat and walk different areas of the lake. The views are spectacular and change all year round. There is a good path from Keswick to Friars Crag that is suitable for wheel chair access.
Cat Bells is a small, gentle mountain peak that can be easily accessed via a short path with panoramic lakeland views. It's perfect for those who want an easy hike that does not compromise on the view, and is also popular amongst hillwalkers.
Absolutely stunning hike! Perfect for kids though there was a small bit of scrambling (last photo) but that was our favorite part! It took us a couple of hours with plenty of stops for playing and enjoying the views
Renee Miller — Google review
Nice circular route with great views. Good walk for most dogs, easy route to follow. We went down to the lakeside, makes the walk a wee bit longer but gives you 2 different types of scenery vistas.
Greg Campbell-smith — Google review
Nice steep walk, we managed to get halfway up with great views of Derwent Water.
Up and down near the top in less than 2 hours which was great.
Tabby Tabster — Google review
Absolutely beautiful walk.
Stunning views.
We did the hike with our dogs, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
It is fairly steep on both the ascent and descent, one thing to take into consideration, on the descent some rock scrambling and climbing is required.
Lucy Smith — Google review
Walked up one morning with my dog and the views didn’t disappoint. We walked straight up from the bottom and once you got so far up it was quite a scramble, especially when you’re on your own trying to hold a dog! We came down the other path (I’m not sure if there’s more than just those two), which winds down the outside facing Derwentwater, and that was definitely an easier route! I would definitely go back again but go the ‘easier’ route up.
Anna Cialis-Hodgson — Google review
We had an amazing hike in Catbells and it was one of the best hikes we did in the Lake district. This hike was a full of spectacular views overlooking the Derwentwater and the range of magical mountains in Lake District. The hike was quite an easy one and we did as a preparation for the Helvellyn hike we are planning to do in next couple of days. We parked the car in Hawes end car park. Make sure not to park your Car along the double yellow lines, no matter how tempting you are, you will definitely get a parking ticket. I saw many Cars got parking tickets just because they wanted to save £5 of the Car park. Make sure to keep only footsteps and take only photos /memories. Thanks Lake District 😊
Anjana Silva — Google review
Good family climb. Some scrambles, we did it with a five and seven year old in good weather. Recommended getting a buss or getting off the ferry at Hawes end.
Stephen Nicholson — Google review
Great "Little" walk. I had thought we could do this on one of our rest days. It was a little bit steeper than I'd thought. But I have to say, one of my favourite walks. The views are great. Parking is a nightmare. I'd Googled beforehand and getting the launch from Keswick was recommended. This was a great idea. It added another element to the adventure. And made parking easy. The lakeside carpark is massive.
martin cockerell — Google review
This was a very steep walk for me! I'd like to think I'm fairly fit but I found this very demanding. The views are amazingly beautiful but please be warned that this is NOT a flat easy walk. I regret not taking some food and drink to enjoy the spectacular views at the top.
Ken Lau — Google review
Amazing view! Definitely recommend. It’s about a 25-35 min hike up to the first viewpoint and it’s amazing. It’s quite steep so wear proper shoes as not to fall or slip, especially on the way down. The view from the top is really breathtaking.
Dominique Saayman — Google review
Fantastic views all the way. Amazing. A must do thing to put on your list. There were people of all ages doing this, but there are two parts when you have to scramble up the rocks. Not easy for all to do! Start at Hawks End to get the best experience of it all. You go up to the first peak and as you get there you then see another. As you get to the top, then there's another, get to next peak then there's yet another again. Lovely to sit down and have a drink and a sarni looking out over the views. The winding path on the side going down left me in sooo much pain in my knees though!! I didnt think I would be able to drive home! Worth it cos the views are amazing! Parking..... what a nightmare! Seemed like cars were in every little gap at sides of road there was and its a bit tight in places for two cars to pass. There are a lot of double yellow lines so be careful where you choose. I basically just got lucky with a parking spot. If you see one grab it
Trickyj “TRICKYJ” Trickyj — Google review
Perfect hike for first time climbers, it has absolutely everything to get their love for climbing going!! The views are beautiful the walk isn't too strenuous.
Views for miles and a lovely lake at the bottom of the fell, perfect spot for wild swimming and having a picnic, a firm family favourite!!!
Spontaneous Adventures — Google review
Fairly easy walk for beginners and it’ll take about an hour up and less than that coming down, if you’re fairly fit
There’s parking right at the starting point, (the side facing the lake) so if you can get that then it’s literally a few steps to the starting point (which slights right, up the hill)
The views are spectacular and there’s nothing like a short hike to end your day!
You can do a circular route and come down the shorter but less scenic view and really complete this miniature mountain
If you’re with the family and they’re not up for running across striding edge with you then this scenic route will get everyone out and wanting to climb
The Seeker — Google review
Great walk with excellent views around Keswick. Not to busy and a moderate rating, great starter point for beginners.
Craig Johnston — Google review
This is probably my favourite hike in England.
I've parked in the area previously, within a half mile of the start. Yet parking is difficult and I was lucky to find a legal spot to park.
Yesterday when I ventured up with the wife we parked at the Lake Side car park (£8.50 for 6 hours).
We then caught the ferry form the lakeside to Hawes End. The journey is lovely and takes about 30 mins.
It was £5.50 each one way. The guys that run the ferry are great. Very friendly and happy to advise on directions and where best to get off etc.
There is a wooden jetty at Hawes end which leads straight into a woodland. It's sigh posted to the start of the Catbells walk and brings you out at the North End of the walk. This is the most challenging end of the climb as it's 80% climbing, some of which is pretty steep and there is some technicality at around 4 points along the route to the summit. It's a bit of scrambling and for some bits you're going to need both hands to help you climb. It's doable for most people who are at least moderately active.
The only way I can gauge it for you is I am above average fitness for my age. (I am 50 my VO2 max currently at 47). I carried a pack with 12kg weight. I used walking poles and my heart rate reached around 150bpm on the toughest section which is the scramble right before the summit. I like to go for it and push myself so I shot up there but you can take your time and have regular rests. So don't let this put you off.
The great thing about this hike is that it's incredibly rewarding. It's a short distance but steep enough to get you a good workout. Yet, as you climb there are rewards at every turn. Even after hiking just five mins into the trail you will start to be rewarded with Great views. And this gift keeps on giving the higher you climb.
You'll have views over to the Langdale Pikes to the SE, Keswick town, Blencathra and Skiddaw to the North and NE.
Then over to your SW, views Straight into the Kentmere Horse Shoe.
Ok a clear day you can see right across to the East towards the very peak of Hellvellyn.
Just 360° fantastic views.
We missed the last boat back from Hawes End landing which is at 1740hrs.
We also missed the last bus back (no.77) which was at 1801hrs from Portinscale. So we had to walk back to Keswick which took about 90 mins from the foot of Catbells at the Hawes End area.
The total walk from Hawes end landing jetty along the ridge to Catbells summit, then down a path way that leads East from the ridge between Catbells and Maiden more (towards the lake). Then following the path way along the lower fells of Catbells South to North back to Hawes End. Continuing along the main road towards Portinscale, then through and over the River Derwent and along a dirt track straight into the centre of Keswick Town was 7.4 miles approximately.
I'd advise planning to get the boat back from Hawes End. In which case Hawes end to Hawes end over Catbells is around 4 miles.
You can pay for your ticket by contactless card on the boat itself if you haven't bought a return ticket.
That's it. Hopefully this contains all the main info for you to enjoy a great mini adventure in Catbells. Sounds obvious, (but I can tell you that people still underestimate the fells), but make sure you take food, drinks and proper walking gear and jacket etc for inclement weather. It can and does change very quickly up there and you're very exposed up there. It's almost always windy up there and so when you're sat admiring the view from the summit and all sweaty, you'll cool off super quick. I've included some photos if you're interested. Enjoy.
Outdoorsonaut — Google review
Beautiful walk. No need to use the car park if you staying in Keswick as you can take the ferry or walk around the north part of the lake to get there.
Views are fantastic, on the negative side it's a little too busy but most people are respectful and helpful. For those who are older or with young children, there are two scrambling sections which are unavoidable and the second would be particularly challenging with very young kids or if you are infirm.
If you want to go further and have the time/energy you can walk over the hilltops along to Maidens Moor and High Spy which is a route just after you come down the far side of Catbells. These are much less frequented and not particularly challenging after the initial climb of Catbells and takes you up to around 650m. If you are feeling particularly daring you can go even further and there is a beautiful and secluded swimming lake on past High Spy peak.
Well worth doing.
Dave Newts — Google review
This my second hike of the year .. amazing views and beautiful trails definitely recommend worth it
Miquel Lambert — Google review
Surprisingly amazing for the low altitude of this fell. Really enjoyed the hike on the way to High Spy. This fell in the Lake District National Park is very busy due to its proximity to the town of Keswick. A lot of people hike up and back down to their hotels and camping sites. Nevertheless a truly wonderful short walk and definitely a must do Wainwright. Parking for this fell is as always a problem in the peek season and you'll most likely have to pay, then walk to the beginning of Cat Bells.
Stephen Hayes — Google review
Really enjoyed the hike up Catsbells. Such amazing views! Some parts are literally clambering up rocks (make sure you go in the right direction for the loop as wouldn't want to be going down the rocks) but doable if reasonably fit and mobile. Did the 5k circular route. Parking is an issue, ensure you follow parking rules.
Natasha fallows — Google review
A nice little walk with great views of derwent. Not a bad walk and easy going. It dies get very busy as loads of people were on the way up as we desended.
Rob Morgans — Google review
Lovely day out if the weather is playing ball. Be prepared for a bit of a scramble at the top, but nothing too intense. Anyone with a fair amount of fitness should find it a doddle.
Charlene G — Google review
Catbells is a relatively easy climb for the generalist hiker. One that you can do with the kids if they’re competent. Personally if you don’t want any whinging, try when your kids are older than 8 years as it’s a progressive climb with 3 or 4 scrambling sections to its peak of just 450 metres. Don’t let the modest height of this mountain put you off. The views from the peak over Derwentwater are exquisite. A bonus is that on clear days you will find the RAF Eurofighters training overhead through the valleys of Blencathra to the northeast and over Bassenthwaite. We timed the passing jets perfectly as we meandered through the Cumbria Way near Nichol End Marina. Seeing a Typhoon 500ft above your head is quite something and the noise verging on deafening. Quite a shock for my 10 year old son! Our route from Portinscale south past Lingholm Kitchen and Gardens, up through the foothills is well sign posted. You can’t go wrong! There’s even a little snack truck where you can have a coffee and a crépe before you begin your ascent (or finish if you’re doing a loop to Portinscale). This Route 1 is around 8 miles back to Portinscale and can easily be finished in around 4 hours including a picturesque lunch on the tops. One of the best walks the Lakes has to offer.
Paul G (Paulies Travels) — Google review
Lovely walk if you follow the road around and come up the side of the lake it is more gentle as the other side you need to climb on roads
Hermitage Castle, located in the Scottish Borders, is a 14th-century ruin that served as a residence for Scottish nobility and was an infamous site for violence. With its immense squared stone walls, the castle looks more like a fortress than a noble home. It's known to be one of Scotland's bleakest ruins and has been visited by Mary Queen of Scots for romantic trysts. However, it's currently closed for visits during off-seasons.
I went to chase my ancestry as an Elliott and was not disappointed! Lovely place rich with history
Bethany Elliott — Google review
Dramatic and remote and needs to be a bit of a planned visit bought the little site guide book but you are left wanting to know more.
The inside has a different feel to the outside. Maybe it all feels a bit grander however if you listen carefully you can hear the faint cries of " but all I want to do is sing" Monty Python's Holy Grail.
Good interpretation to giving you some ideas of what may all have been like.
Pity about the health and safety issues when I was there hopefully they'll be resolved soon
Nick Hazlewood — Google review
Would have clearly been awesome to visit, but it was apparently closed for the season. Didn't see any signs on the road or online so we drove quite aways just for a view from the road. Thankfully our drone got a little closer.
James Harris — Google review
Half the castle is currently closed off due to falling masonry(no mention before buying ticket). Wouldn’t recommend a visit as at £7 it is a bit of a rip off, not sure if there is more to see inside but the visit is cut drastically short due to this, May have given a higher rating if the rest of the castle was open but doubt it. Definitely not worth the money. A highlight of the visit is the old chapel located about 400m from the castle. Extremely well kept and picturesque, save yourself the time and drive 30 minutes down the road to Kielder Forest and enjoy some of the walks.
Bobby Brannan — Google review
What a place! Visited on a sunny beautiful Tuesday morning. Driving there on the single track roads winding through the hills you could not see the castle till you were very close to it.
Such a mind blowing and Huge castle in the middle of nowhere. Absolutely brilliant place to visit and the surrounding area is so beautiful also. The staff member at the site was so so nice and she was so helpful especially with all the questions we bombarded her with.
Stew Walker — Google review
Sadly it was close when I visit. Seems it's going to be that way for a while. However, it's a really wonderful location. Cool little castle to walk around. I just climbed over the fence to see the place. Well worth a visit.
Tim Bull — Google review
Fantastic hidden gem of a place. Small parking area on the side of the road. Small shop but you can get a guide book and there are toilets. There are notice boards around to help guide you. Inside there are a few steps to climb and the courtyard is a bit uneven but the castle is largely complete. Some parts are fenced off and not accessible but you can get in most of it. Only a few quid to get in and there is a discount if you are an English Heritage member
Ashley Lightfoot — Google review
A well hidden gem, the single roads to get to the site were testing especially with other drivers going at speed. It was worth it for this great monument. Very impressive building and great stories attached to it.
Faye Beedle — Google review
The best example of a castle from the Border Reiver period. While definitely a ruin, it was built to last so is still impressive and formidable. A corner of the castle is currently closed to visitors while the masonry in that area is rechecked; don't let that discourage you from visiting -- all the significant areas of the castle are still open (including the prisoner cells, main living tower, and entrance defenses). Toilets on-site as well as a small gift shop. Access is over a narrow, one-car wide road but don't let that discourage you either.
Ed Beach — Google review
An amazing find in the Scottish Borders. Located between the A7 and Newcastleton it's one of the finest castle ruins anywhere in Scotland. Set out in the wilds of Southern Scotland, it is a stunning example of a Border Reiver stronghold. Costs £3.50 for access to the insides of the castle. Amazing atmosphere and location. The real Scotland!
Max Eaves — Google review
I'm only marking it down a star as the full thing isn't open and entry was still full price. However, it's a really impressive castle and you can get inside it for a good look round. It's an impressively proportioned place with an interesting history and absolutely worth stopping off or riding out from Jedburgh as we did.
No food / drink on site but there is a toilet. Great place for a picnic.
Dean Freeman — Google review
Took my son here for his first trip to Scotland, beautiful location, free parking! And tbh wasn't much to look round he was free. Definitely coming back.
Kenya — Google review
Always love coming to HC, well worth the day out. Will definitely visit again! Lady at the desk was very pleasant and helpful too! £3.30 adult, bargain.
This distillery is located in Bassenthwaite Lake, a wetland that's home to many alpacas. The distillery offers tours that include a taste of their signature spirits, as well as a restaurant with lunch and cake options. The tour is informative and the staff are friendly, making it well worth a visit if you're fan of gin or vodka.
Tour and tasting lasted around an hour. Our tour guide was great. Agree a designated driver (they can take their tasters with them). £5 off for 70cl bottles in the shop for each ticket, which we made use of. The gin, vodka and whisky were very easy to drink, really smooth and great taste. Lovely restored old barn.
Michael Greengrass — Google review
This was a wonderful find in the Lakes District. We had been enjoying the area for the first time and saw this distillery pop up in our searches. We are very glad it did!
We sampled a number of their whisky’s and really enjoyed their Mosaic and No 5 single malts. We took a few bottles with us to share with friends.
After tasting, we decided to have some lunch and we’re pleasantly surprised by a great roast and chicken Caesar salad. Their courtyard was a great place to relax and enjoy.
David Markley — Google review
Fantastic place. The staff were all friendly, professional and knowledgeable. The tour is great and you get a whisky, vodka and gin taster at the end. The shop is very nice and has a great selection of whisky, gin and vodka. It's all immaculate. The bistro is also on site although I found it expensive, for what I got. A beef sandwich at £13.50 which was one slice of sourdough with a bit of beef. Nice but not value for money. Anyway the whisky tour was my thing and it was great. Plenty of on site parking and in a beautiful setting. Credit to the staff and owners who set this up, well done.
Ned Liddemore — Google review
We visited for the Classic Tour. Beautiful setting and distillery. Bistro, lovely for lunch or cuppa and cake.
Classic tour and guide fab. Bistro service very good.
Tasting of their Single Malt Reserve 4, classic gin and vodka included in the tour. "Drivers' Drams" are available to take away for the designated drivers.
Well worth a visit, even just for the Bistro and lovely setting.
Debbie Carey — Google review
Excellent tour of the distillery, and a wonderful presentation on the history of the site, as well as a film showing the source of the water used, and then on to a lovely tasting session. The whole experience was wrapped up with care and attention, as seen in all the details throughout the tour and the buildings themselves. A great place to visit and enjoy lunch too!
Andrew Hall — Google review
Really enjoyed our visit to The Lakes Distillery, the tour was great value and provided an interesting insight to the growth of the distillery. The tasting at the end was brief but delicious. Only thing I'd note is that tour is almost entirely whisky based with the gin barely getting a mention. I know that reflects the aspirations of the business, but for a tour group dominated by gin fans a bit more balance would have been good. Great bistro on site.
Cymru Jon — Google review
A brief visit this time to this beautifully located distillery. Enjoyed seeing the alpacas, eating delicious cake in the bistro, and buying whisky for my son
Lee Pitt — Google review
We did the 2 hour Single Malt Experience tour and it was hugely enjoyable. The history of the distillery is fascinating in itself and the tour was very informative. The tasting session at the end gave a real insight into the different flavours of their whiskies and we received a lovely glass to take away too! The ticket also gives up to 20% off in the shop as well so that came in handy! We didn’t have time to try the Bistro but it looked very nice and there’s an outdoor seating area as well. Recommended!
Mark Howard — Google review
Amazing place for the whisky lovers. Great service, the staff is very nice and welcoming and the whisky is great! Really enjoyed the distillery tour and tasting. The host definitely knows his stuff and will make the experience really pleasant. 100% recommended!
Stefano Gianoglio — Google review
Great location and a beautifully restored farm property. The tour was good, but personally i think it could be improved with a little more interaction. The tasting at the end of the tour was a good way to finish, with a tasting of whiskey, gin and vodka. The drivers were only offered one miniature to take away, which was a surprise it wasnt all 3 The shop is nicely presented, but quite expensive.
Lee Caraher — Google review
We booked a tour of the distillery which was excellent. Our guide was very informative and knowledgeable. The tour lasted around one hour and ended with a tasting session of their whisky, gin and vodkas. We'll worth a visit, if only for a look around their gift shop (samples available here, too).
Paul Etherington — Google review
Fantastic day! Food at the bistro is amazing!
We had a great and informative tour of the distillery followed by a tasting session. The staff were so friendly and helpful.
We had lunch at the bistro after the tour. I couldn't believe how lovely and tasty the food was, it was one of the best meals I've had in a long long time. The staff were so friendly. I can't recommend the Bistro enough, even if you aren't interested in whisky it's a great place for a meal.
aarti rayrella — Google review
Thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Our friends stayed for new year so took them with us. Our guide was very knowledgeable,enjoyed tasting the products at end of the tour. Would recommend
Marie Stewart — Google review
Any time when I comming to The Lake Distillery was amazing. Great bistro with nice and friendly staff. Very good food and nice tasty any drinks . Nice spent afternoon in distillery.
Gretna Green is a town in the Scottish Highlands and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Scotland. The town is known for its attraction of wedding venues with a symbolic anvil and coach museum, restaurant and bar. The Blacksmiths Restaurant Bar has a self-service option as well as Smiths at Gretna Green hotel which sells souvenirs and has a gift shop.
It was beautiful and amazing! You can feel the history as you walk through the stairs and look out the windows. Be sure to check out the walls and military museum. The gift shop is really nice too and worth checking out!
Avagayil Wallen — Google review
An amazing must-go attraction when visiting Scotland. There are toilets, cafés and a big souvenir shop that sells a variety of things. Although it is famous for runaway marriage in the old days, there are still many people coming here to get married (as we saw groups of properly dressed people coming to attend the wedding ceremony). It's a place that could make people feel loved and happy.
Cheri Choi — Google review
Stopped here on the way back from Scotland. Beautiful sunny day. Plenty of people getting married. Two in, two out. Lovely horses and carriage. Food on site a little expensive but ok. Outside table were a little dirty and not cleared up very quickly. Staff were friendly and offered our dog water.
john bentham — Google review
The Famous Gretna Green I think everyone should pay a visit to this charming place in stunning Scotland at list once in their lifetime.
Very touristy place but definitely worth a visit.
Lovely little shops where you can buy some fine Scotish whisky.
Also its a famous place to get married 😀
muddy_laces — Google review
For me it’s a handy place to stop off heading in either direction from the motorway as an electric car driver I usually find that the charger here is unoccupied more often than not. Large grassy area to the rear to exercise the dogs and the grounds are well maintained. I enjoyed watching all the bird life there today as well.
Brian Muir — Google review
Always wanted to go and just never had the time. Now in my retirement I just had to go on the way back from Scotland. I had herd so much of the stories my father would tell me him being a Scot now I have been I was not disappointed it is of course very modern now and of course very commercial as u expected but what a nice place very romantic and very special please if you haven’t been you must go
Stuart Mitchell — Google review
Always somewhere to visit when I come to Scotland and stay overnight at Gretna, before going up to the Highlsnds. Staff always friendly. Gift stocks a bit depleted this time and prices on some things a bit high. Buy worth a visit.
Ian Jarrett — Google review
We only stopped off for a cuppa and toilet break. Beautiful place with interesting artwork /sculptures in the yard. Glad we dropped in. Lovely brief interlude
Christine Slater — Google review
Very touristy and a bit pricey. Lots of expensive Scotish items for sale. Some nice jewellery. Nice buildings. Cafe was clean and reasonably priced for a tourist hot spot. Friendly staff and clean toilets. Free entry.
Widey xyz — Google review
We had a lovely time 'tying the knot' at Gretna. The lady that did our ceremony was lovely, friendly, helpful & took time to answer our questions, it was a really memorable experience. We had afternoon tea & explored the shops. Yes it isn't cheap, it's quite commercial & busy but nevertheless we still enjoyed ourselves & it's basically what you make it. What do you expect with somewhere that's so steeped in tradition it attracts lots of interest worldwide. The staff were all helpful & friendly, the afternoon tea was pretty good too. Not sure it's worth multiple visits but as a one off or anniversary it's a must for Love.
Dan Dan — Google review
We can't recommend Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop enough! We got married here last week, and the staff were all fantastic, and we had the most magical day!
We visited the Gretna Green experience the day before our wedding, and we loved finding out about the history of the building that we were going to get married in!
We also enjoyed the food in the restaurant and received excellent service from Ewan.
Leanne Rossin — Google review
Went there with a coach party.
We all had afternoon tea which included tea and scones.
The on-site shops were well stocked.
The Piper was in attendance playing a variety of tunes, he was cheerful and approachable. He was wearing the Black Stuart tartan.
There were a number of statues in the grounds reading for photo shoots .
The on-site shops were well stocked, there was a bit of a sale at the time
A very pleasant place to visit, it is no longer a spot on the map
Nigel Robinson — Google review
On a quiet weekday the place was very quiet. Lots of parking and room to wander round. Some parts were shut and we didn't get into the actual marriage room. The cafe only served machine coffee and this was lukewarm. Not impressed at £13+ for 2 coffees, 1 tea . 2 pieces of flapjack and a bag of crisps.
Liz Armstrong — Google review
Beautiful place. Wasn't sure what to expect but blown away with how it's all set out. You have to go in every shop as they all have something different. Go see the Blacksmiths museum, its a must. We also saw a wedding which was the icing on the cake.
Angie Moon — Google review
Nice place to stop and enjoy an ice cream and watch the weddings being held like an assembly line 😆.
Nice open space green good for picnics, a Love Maze to keep you occupied for 20mins.
Lots of retail opportunities should you wish to induldge.
Tahir Anwar — Google review
National Holidays did a stop here on way home was busy in cafe and shops but still lovely to have a walk around saw 1 wedding! Piper was amazing too
Lesley Clayton — Google review
Had a lovely afternoon here at Gretna Green. We had the handfasting blessing. The setting and service conducted by the lovely lass Hope. She made the the whole experience for my wife and I very special. Xx. Will remember that day xx thank you to to the chap in the shop the bagpipe player and the lady in the office. You all made our day. Xx thank you xx yours sincerely Steve and Annie and Luna xx
STEVE SINGLETON — Google review
Good place to visit we stopped on the way to Banff.
Very interesting shops and some bargains to be had also a good food hall.
And don't forget the piper and the weddings.
paul dalton — Google review
We checked first that dogs were allowed and it said they were except in the food hall so we drove up so we could look around. Once we arrived we found all the shops had no dogs allowed posters on the doors but we got lucky with the big Scottish shop as the lass told us we could go in with ours (would never leave them outside). We spent quite a bit in there getting presents and was a lovely shop. The two lasses were so friendly and helpful too.
Unfortunately that's were the good part ended. We ate outside, as obviously had our dogs, so had to go in separately to get our food. I had eaten mine before my partner got back and it really wasn't great. The chips were mostly not cooked through and yet this wasn't early when we got there. That night we were both unwell and could only put it down to the food we ate there. A real shame. We did see 3 couples getting married whilst we were there and the place is lovely. Obviously caught them on a bad day but we wouldn't go again.
Claire Nolan — Google review
I used to love this place it was always the first and last glimpse of all things Scottish at the start and end of trips over the border but now it's become a soulless corporate enterprise. The actual Blacksmith shop and outer area are still lovely and traditional and of course it's in a beautiful setting but it's no longer a good shopping and dining experience.
Deborah Young — Google review
Wow what an incredible bit of history tucked away. And still operating like the times of old. Excellent layout loads do shopping opportunities, great food and such lovely staff. Highly recommend this location for a day out or go big and get married here. Many photo opportunities.
zane cohen — Google review
We stopped off there only for coffee and walk the pooches. Very busy. Plenty of parking. Areas for dogs. Gift shops and restaurant. There was even Bagpipes being played.
Julie Powell — Google review
This was such a find. I had no idea of the history behind Gretna Green. We did the experience, which was £6.95 for an adult and was worth every penny. Full of history and how legislation changed marriage, together with some personal accounts and stories. It was beautifully presented.
Very friendly service from staff too.
There are several shops, a restaurant and an outdoor area with a maze and play area for children.
It's a really special place and truly worth a visit.
Andy T — Google review
Great place to visit. There is such a rich history of Gretna Green and the Famous Blacksmith Shop. Fantastic experience would definitely recommend visiting if in Scotland.
Stewart Hall-Smith — Google review
We got married here on the 22/03/2024 and we had a magical experience from start to finish. The day was absolutely perfect. Thank you to all the staff who were fantastic!
We are so glad we chose this venue and would highly recommend to anyone thinking about marrying here xxx
Lesley — Google review
Very touristic place with posh shops. Dogs are nowhere allowed. Only the "experience" is worthwhile (but you have to pay for the entrance). You even cannot visit the old Black Smit Shop (because of all the weddings going on). So, a place to visit only once and never again. If it is not on your route for your vacation, don't go there.
M vW — Google review
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4.0
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Headless Cross, Gretna Green, Gretna, DG16 5EA, United Kingdom
Aquarium and aquatic display hall plus an adventure park with model boats, crazy golf and a cafe.
Really had a lovely time here. Wasn't the biggest seaside centre I've been to but it was interesting non the less. The fish nursery was a highlight. Crazy golf was included too but we didn't do it this time. We'll worth a visit with your family.
Carol Capaldi — Google review
Pleasantly surprised! Felt really atmospheric and plenty to see. Staff were lovely, animals seemed really happy. Would recommend. Takes about an hour and a half to walk round it all but for £10 it's well worth it!
Rebecca Gamble — Google review
Visited today with kids (ages 3 and 8) was sure what to expect but was great! So much to see and to do. Kids loved the big open tank with the bridge, we spent a good few hours walking aroundlooking at the different fish and sea life. We also got a free game of mini golf but didn't go due to how bad the weather was however we got told we could come back another day which was very nice of them. All staff were very helpful and friendly. We stayed for lunch and I have to say the meal was lovely. Good selection of food and cakes and didn't have to wait too long even though it was really busy. Would definitely recommend and will definitely be back.
Beverley Moore — Google review
We loved our trip to Maryport, having visited Sealife, we actually preferred this small aquarium. Very informative and lots of local fish. The staff were incredibly friendly and happy to answer any questions we had.
As a bonus the ticket price included crazy golf and we could come and go from the two all day if we wanted. Also, incredibly well priced! We will definitely come back here!
Jamie-Leigh Dixon — Google review
Excellent aquarium well worth the visit. Value for money.
All staff were exceptionally well informed about the fish and helpful. Watched the piranha fishes getting fed!
Has a lovely cafe on site that's worth a visit in itself.
Ste — Google review
What a fab place to visit. The old castle has some great history and the views from the roof battlements are well worth the climb. Some steep steps in places and the elderly and those with disabilities might need extra time to get about. The museum is fab and there are lots of things to read and devices of death to look at. For me the medal drawers were a real eye opener. Lovely friendly staff who's were more than happy to impart their knowledge. Disabled drivers, with blue badge, are allowed to park inside the castle grounds if space is available.
Mikki Tiamo — Google review
Good little aquarium kids loved it. The mini golf was also included, and you could go in ad many times as you wanted during the day as long as you keep your tickets. Little Play Park out the back also and a little cafe.
Michael — Google review
We popped here today and really enjoyed it, purchasing a family ticket. I wasn't sure what to expect but it exceeded expectations, with lots of different fish to see, lots of information to read, and our children were kept entertained for a couple of hours. There was a children's activity sheet to do, and near the end there was a little area with colouring sheets to do as well. There was a cafe which we utilised and the service was very good, as was the food we had. Our ticket included a round of crazy golf and fortunately the weather was dry so we enjoyed a round of that. There was also a play park.
We were told the ticket included unlimited entries into the aquarium for that day, so overall we thought it was great value for money!
On the way out I noted that the aquarium was open all year round bar Christmas day and Boxing day!
Esta-Jane Middling — Google review
A must visit if you like sea life and have a couple of hours to spend on the West Coast of Lake District. Definitely worth the entry fee - very reasonable (bonus: you get to play crazy golf with this entry ticket). Although it looks small, there is a lot of variety of sea life to be seen. There are plenty of exotic sea life and corals which you may not even see in a massive sea life aquarium. Good collection of sealife, well maintained and very informative. Few free parking available on site and lots of pay&display parking opposite the aquarium. Good half a day out for kids - fish spotting activities to keep them engaged, crazy golf, adventurous play area and a very good cafe to top it up. The ticket can be used to enter aquarium multiple times until 5pm. Fish nursery was unique.
Vijay Loganathan — Google review
Beautiful place, staff are friendly, very easy to walk around and the talks are very interesting.
The food in the cafe is beautiful as well they also have a menu for vegetarians and a gluten free menu so everyone should find something they like.
Kerry Mildenhall — Google review
Fantastic aquarium, really great selection of fish and sea creatures. Also has a crazy golf course on site, which is free with admission to the aquarium. Very friendly and informative staff, on-site cafe and gift shop. Prices £12.50 per adult, but you could come and go for the day. Watched Ollie the octopus being fed a crab, very cool. The keeper talk was interesting and informative. Great place to take kids. On-site toilets.
Sarah Mitchell — Google review
Absolutely loved the visit, so worth going. My only regret was that I couldn't put a bed here and sleep in the place 🤣.
Amazingly well ran and excellent use of place. The staff are a credit and really friendly and polite. Definitely worth going for anyone in the area
Lynden Flack — Google review
We visited while on holiday in the Lakes and wasn't disappointed. It was nice to see an aquarium with local fish for change compared to fish from all over. (I don't have many photos on this device, so excuse the lack of local fish pics) But even seeing Chups, Perch and Greater/Lesser spotted sharks was fascinating, especially with all the friendly and very knowledgeable staff giving talks about the fish throughout the aquarium.
Defiantly worth a visit, they've got a lovely cafe as well and mini golf I believe, sadly we didn't have time to explore that but one day maybe!
L C — Google review
Brilliant place to visit, very good value for money as you can come and go as you please.
Interesting tanks full of local species and some exotic.
Staff are very friendly and helpful, the restaurant was very busy and we couldn't get a table so we sat outside in the sun and had a visit from a Very tame crow which seemed to keep the Gulls away.
The food was ok, I had a cheese burgers which wasn't very good but my wife's fish and chips looked good.
Overall I'd definitely visit the aquarium again.
Johnboy Galloway — Google review
Lovely day out with the family. No queuing at the time but not sure what it would be like during the Summer months. Cafe food was brilliant with gluten free food. Also crazy golf included in the aquarium tickets
Joshua Town — Google review
A really enjoyable family day out. The aquarium is much bigger than you think and there's plenty to see in there. The added bonus of a 14 hole crazy golf you get for free as part of your entrance fee. Great friendly staff, I'd certainly go again.
Wayne Gaskell — Google review
Absolutely wonderful. The staff are extremely friendly and welcoming. I've visited 3 times and you always get a warm welcome. The entry price is very reasonable. The aquarium itself is beautiful. The sealife are clearly looked after so well. The displays are filled with interesting and wonderful sealife. There are information plaques to helpfully educate you on what each tank contains. You are guided down a one way system which feels natural. The education centre is engaging for all ages. There is a lovely display on recycling and ecology. The open top ray tank is my favourite place to spend time. It's so peaceful and relaxing. There are regular talks at alloted times. The opportunity to look at microscopic flora and fauna. You can observe sea horses and baby lobsters, which are part of a repopulation programme on the west coast of Cumbria. The cafe is clean, spacious, with great tasty and affordable food. It overlooks the marina which is a lovely view. The gift shop is gorgeous. Take some extra money with you because there's something for everyone. In addition to all this amazingness is a crazy golf course and a huge playground for the kids. Fantastic experience. Not to be missed.
Nichola Morton — Google review
Had a fabulous time looking at all the aquatic life. All seemed to be really well cared for and it was quite educational with a good talk and demonstration too. Not too busy so able to take as long as we wanted at each tank. Ticket also included a round of crazy golf which was great fun.
Ruth Alison Davies — Google review
Really great value. Good aquarium, great play park and free mini golf too. Lovely cafe that opens just before the aquarium for a coffee first and a great chip shop nearby! The aquarium was having electrical issues when we visited but they offered to give us a free return visit without us even complaining or moaning, when we explained we were on holiday and going home the next day, she even said if we wanted to come back later in the day and have another go on mini golf or anything that was fine. Super friendly! Well worth a visit with toddlers!
Dino Park at Hetland offers an adventure wonderland for children, located between Dumfries and Gretna. The park features soft play areas for kids to burn off energy, as well as a Dino Walk with model dinosaurs including velociraptors, triceratops, and the notorious t-rex. Children can explore the Dino Den and Dino Mine while learning about prehistoric times in workshops.
Loved it. Went close to opening time and it was so lovely and quiet, perfect for my 3 autistic boys. Lots of different dinosaurs to see and they loved digging for fossils. Nice little playground in the middle for a run around. The soft play was good, not too big so easy to keep an eye on the kids. Staff were all very nice and friendly, talked us through the whole thing before we went in. It was just great.
Danielle Stevenson — Google review
Took our 3yo son here for his birthday, the path on the Dino walk was a bit over grown but the kids had a blast, we went when it was raining so didn't get use of the outside park.
Got through the walk and went into the soft play. It was a good size and the kids had fun.
The family pass was only for two adults and two kids. We had to buy an extra place for third child.
Stuart Donoghue — Google review
Despite being two "adults" we enjoyed visiting this attraction, some great information of dinosaurs with interesting models done in a family friendly way. Staff are brilliant (Tina on tills was amazing) and the history of the place is a very cool story. Only thing they missed was putting info (and prices) of the plants being displayed with the dinosaurs
Martin everett — Google review
Nice wee walk through dino bit. Kids play area is well kitted out. Clean friendly staff and cafe as standard. If down this way again I would come back to the indoor play area
L Grieve — Google review
This park is brilliant for any lovers of dinosaurs. We spent the day here on our holidays.
We got the family ticket which gave us access to the indoor play area and the Dino walk.
We've got 3 kids with the oldest being 11 and we never saw them whilst in the indoor play area. They proper loved it. The canteen serves really good food and is well stocked in different varieties of cake
The centre operates waterless toilets, which look a tad weird but were clean and the facilities were well looked after.
We had an ace time around the park. You can pick up a quiz where the answers are found by reading the information panels in front of the Dino's which is a good way to keep the kids invested in learning something about the prehistoric animals.
Would recommend this park to anyone who lives in the area or happens to be visiting
Daniel Harden — Google review
This attraction was good fun but slightly disappointing the dinosaurs are not very realistic we expected them to move about etc, my 7 year old spotted the speakers straight away and knew that’s where the roars were coming from.
The little play park and fairy trail were good and we finished off with the soft play which was a huge success, the kids seemed to enjoy everything however I don’t feel this was great value for money overall.
Clare Wrighthouse — Google review
Great place, also has sound effects and fairy gardens, and a soft play area, the garden centre is lovely too.
Teresa ?Treez? Mezni — Google review
loved it!! My boy had the best time looking at the dinosaurs with sounds and the interactive things to do. Great time!
James Murray — Google review
Soft play and Dino park. £45 for two adults 2 children Overall it was ok. The dino park was quite well done but not the most enjoyable experience overall. Food was disappointing. Expensive for what it was. Dalscone in Dumfries is better.
John Smith — Google review
This was such a fun day out for our family. The soft play was great as you can see 99% which means you have eyes on your kids most of the time. The dino park walk way was so much fun and for me was the best dino walk unhave been on. Very well maintained area but also over grown enough to fell like you could actually be walking with dinosaur. I would 100% recommend coming here and we are definitely coming back.
Simon Stevenson — Google review
Lovely Dino themed garden. Quite sizeable, plenty of activities for children and the adults including a little hands-on archaeological dig site, walk through mine experience, go-karts and a playpark. Lots of photo opportunities, fairly cheap gift shop too. Absolutely worth the price, like walking into the set of Jurassic Park. Lots of hidden details for the film lovers too. Staff tried their best to make the experience as amazing as possible. Thank you!
Sekhmet — Google review
Fab park! Lots to see and really reasonably priced, loved the garden centre attached. We stopped for lunch and although the lunch picture looks hideous, it was very, very tasty! I would very much recommend.
ffgyn 789 — Google review
Great place. Lots of variety for little ones. Good selection of dinosaurs, well landscaped, a lovely wooden park, one of the best soft plays I've ever seen, and the food was delicious. I'm gluten free and they had loads of GF cakes to choose from! My little boy had a brilliant time.
We've also been when they decorate it around Christmas time and it looks great
Gail Smallman — Google review
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Hetland Garden Centre, Carrutherstown, Dumfries DG1 4JX, United Kingdom
Traquair House is a magnificent country mansion in Scotland, boasting three refined rooms, an impressive dining area, and on-site brewery and craft workshops. With its powerful and otherworldly beauty, exploring the house is akin to journeying back in time. The building's peculiar sloping floors and earthy aroma lend it an authentic feel, with some parts believed to have been constructed prior to its first official mention in 1107.
Oldest inhabited Stately Home in Scotland. Steeped in history. Plenty for all to do and see. Great cafe with plenty of choice. Plenty of parking including disabled and coaches. Can get busy at certain times of the year. Good value for money. Annual ticket is best for families.
michael glowala — Google review
What an amazing place!
We started with lunch in the Cafe, serving excellent sourdough toasted sandwiches - a great start to an amazing few hours. The walled garden was a pleasant stroll among the apple trees followed by browsing the craft shops and the onto the house itself. We received a brief but informative introduction from a knowledgeable guide and the toured the ground floor - I'd recommend the introductory video as it gives a great insight into the history of the house and family. The house itself has a great atmosphere and it's worth spending time in each open room to read the information and look at the items.
Outside, the maze offers good entertainment and there are some animals and a play area for the children. All in all a fascinating way to spend a day
Dave Metcalfe — Google review
Highly recommend!! Great place to explore, would love to come back and get lost in the maze again.
I thought there would have been sculptures or something of importance in each of the corners of the maze, and the signage for the toilets near the cafe needs to be more visible.
Ebony Rae — Google review
Traquair was a lovely place to visit, the grounds were fun to explore with the dog, and the river beds are really nice! Slightly disappointed that the maze wasn't particularly well maintained, but still very cool and the house itself is very impressive! The brewery have 3 types of ale to try and test on site, with the House Ale being my absolute favourite! (although I was overcharged for my gift pack of the 3 ales unfortunately, I didn't realise until I checked the receipt later). Would definitely order a crate in the future though.
ptak 17 — Google review
What a great place to spend a day. And please do take your time. It’s a wonderful house with beautiful grounds. My kids loved the maze so much they wanted to do it twice.
The beautiful house is great to walk through in your own pace, taking in all the information. Friendly and knowledgeable volunteers take their time explaining things and answering questions.
We had a nice lunch in the tearoom and of course as a homebrewer I couldn’t leave without all three beers brewed in the traquair brewery.
Tim Bruls — Google review
Had a lovely day here. The house interior is particularly interesting because it has blessedly escaped the Victorianisation of so many stately homes. There’s a real feeling of history here and a lot of information about the family and famous historical visitors like Mary Queen of Scots.
I wanted to mention the cafe - while I only got a sandwich with a side salad and a cake, everything was made with such care, from the homemade bread to the delicious dressing on the salad. It’s far better than the average National Trust cafe fare. They’ve got someone who really cares working in that cafe - bravo.
Catherine Hirst — Google review
Excellent. Possibly one of the most interesting houses we have visited. Very interesting exhibits with house historical significance. Our visit was greatly enhanced by our guide (Pauline) who was informative, knowledgeable and had amusing tales to tell. A wonderful visit that can be thoroughly recommended.
Graham Haddy — Google review
Interesting property and grounds to visit. House not overly interpreted; you get the information you need to understand the history of the house. Good cafe. Brewery produces interesting well priced beers. Some workshops in the grounds; bought a leather belt which was made for me while on the visit. Well worth a visit.
Paul W — Google review
I first found out about Traquair about 2 years ago when I came across their beer in Washington state. I of course read a brief history on the house, but it didn’t come close to preparing me for how awesome this whole house is. Please take an afternoon to visit, I only had 2 hours and it was not enough, I could have spent an entire day there! I hope to come back and rent a room. The history is amazing, the house is so well put together and so informative without being stuffy or pretentious. Everyone is so nice! If you get a chance to speak with Jan, do it! She is amazing!!! I learned so much from her and she was so welcoming and knowledgeable, I just wanted to spend the entire time with her. The brewmaster and other brewer on site today were so welcoming. They gave me a full history lesson on the brewery, since I’d come all the way from the “Hop Capital” of the US. It was just such a lovely afternoon and I can’t recommend it enough! On a “UK road trip” for my honeymoon, this was the best thing we’ve done by far!
Janell Shah — Google review
Went to the medieval fayre and it exceeded expectations. We were there for 6 hours but could have stayed longer. So much going on. Kids (6 and 4) absolutely loved it. Looking forward to going again next year!
Louisa Hughes — Google review
Visited on the first day of the year. Amazing house and a great place to spend a few hours. Staff in the shops were extremely friendly and helpful. Very child friendly with one of the best mazes we've been to. Unfortunately we can't recommend the cafe, one member of staff (middle aged brown hair in a green apron) was extremely rude. Barely managed a hello and then as I asked whether they accept dogs she walked away completely ignoring me. I walked outside and another member of the public also said they found her very rude. Such a shame as we were looking forward to lunch!
Chris G — Google review
Traquair House is absolutely fascinating, the shop and cafe totally super and very good value. There's also something about the adjacent woods that is genuinely strange, there is a weird disorientating feeling around the area, particularly near the Traquair Yew that is dizzying and energy draining, really quite creepy even on a bright day. Very interesting indeed!
Al Dean — Google review
First time I've been to this location. I came along as a Celebrant, marrying a couple and what a wonderful venue to get married at!
The staff are extremely helpful and really lovely, it felt a homely and peaceful event and I loved it, as did the couple and their guests.
Couldn't recommend it more, as a wedding venue but also simply to visit. I cannot wait to come back as a regular visitor. Thank you for being so very welcoming!
Theresa R — Google review
A warm welcome from the guides at Traquair House, a family home with a wonderful atmosphere. It's a fascinating house to wander through and discover the interesting artefacts along with the turbulent history of the Scottish borders. Well worth a trip to the cosy cafe after exploring the grounds, craft workshops and brewery.
Fiona Wall — Google review
What a lovely place to visit. We only planned a visit to try the huge maze i saw online, but it has so much more to see and do. The grounds are so well kept and the staff we met were very friendly. From a little trip out for something to do, it actually made our whole weekend.
Kids will love the play park, animals and maze. Adults will love all those things, plus the brewery, café and the gardens.
*Yes we got lost in the maze 🤣
*Yes we bought traquair ale 🍺
Will Sturgeon — Google review
Had a really lovely day here. Steeped in history, this is the oldest lived in house in scotland which entertained royalty. The tour guides were so informative and found myself engrossed in the stories. Bought some beer for the hubby. Beautiful grounds. A must see for anyone visiting scotland.
Carol Capaldi — Google review
Currently sitting in front of the pond in the walled garden after spending a lovely few hours here at Traquair House. Never been here before but will definately be coming again. Enjoyed the walks, the peace and tranquility the grounds offer. Well worth a visit
Tirene Voss — Google review
Visited the house for a Halloween event and light trail the same night. The house is an interesting period piece with lots of history attached to it. The brewery,maze and gardens were wonderful to explore and the kids loved the traditional Halloween stalls they could make things at. The restaurant sold good food and hot beverages on the cold and rainy day. Well worth the visit for families
Andrew Tyler — Google review
It is such a lovely place. A lot of Scottish history! Beautiful place to visit with children. Nice garden's and forest walk. Very nice and welcome staff. You can visit small shops and have some nice lunch as well. They have their own brewery as well .
FEDDAR MATDAR — Google review
What an amazing overnight experience. From the moment we arrived, we fell in love with the place. All of the people who live and work at Traquair were phenomenal. So welcoming and warm - it really felt like they enjoyed you being there and experiencing the place! The room we had (pink) was HUGE and had a real authentic feel, especially being in the heart of the castle itself. It was a very unusual and unique stay. We were able to explore the castle and grounds without anyone else and it is something we will never forget. Also, our tours of the house and brew house were very informative and entertaining. Can’t wait to come back!
Darren Buck — Google review
Traquair is great for a low cost day out. The maze, cafe, children's play park and grounds are great, I have very fond memories of the place from childhood and the place has only improved. There were however hundreds of wasps when we went due to the apple picking and my daughter got stung unfortunately.
Jane Rice — Google review
The Traquair house was an amazing day out! With the tranquil walled gardens, the lovely forrest walk, exciting Maze (with bushes even tall people can't see over!), great kids park, animals, there's something for everyone! The main attraction was the house which was amazing, like stepping back in time. The knowledgeable staff were able to explain my questions about some of the portraits. I would recommend this to anyone that likes history even a little, or is after a fun day out (Or even someone wanting to try some local ale!).
Nikola W — Google review
Fabulous family owned small castle/country house with excellent volunteer guides and an absolute ton of history. A small but integral part of borders history with lots of intersection with famous figures including Mary Queen of Scots. A small excellent upstairs museum with relics of history and the house along with some gallery space. Well worth a visit.
Caerlaverock Castle, situated by Glencaple on the Solway coast of Scotland, is a magnificent medieval fortress with twin-towered gatehouses and surrounded by a moat. The triangular pink-stoned castle appears impenetrable but has been attacked several times in history, including the famous siege by Edward in 1300 that was later immortalized in an epic poem.
The castle was closed on my recent visit due to maintenance, but the grounds are lovely and there's a lovely cafe ,
It's the only triangular castle in Britain , and has a most.
On previous visits I have been inside the castle and it's very interesting with architecture that's seems strange in a castle but it adds to the attraction . It's well worth a visit . There's a lovely children's play area as well and further down there's the ruins of the original castle.
Great place for a picnic .
Staff are nice and helpful .
Teen Brown — Google review
Like so many sites on the SW300, it was free to park (perhaps while the castle is cordoned off) and the toilets were very clean and modern and also free to use. The staff in the gift shop were very friendly and pleasant. It’s worth a walk around the moat, despite the back of the castle being in ruins I think it’s much more interesting than the front.
Benny Hell — Google review
an interesting place to visit not only in terms of history but also recreation. The castle is currently closed to visitors, but is due to reopen - when? - not known yet.
You can walk around the castle to admire its architecture. Around a lot of green area where you can lie down and relax on a blanket. There is also a play area for children, a gift shop and very good latte coffee for £2. Free parking, lying on a blanket and watching the castle from the outside as well for free. Enjoy
Anna Besford — Google review
A beautiful and atmospheric place to visit with amazing history.
It is completely free to walk around the grounds of the castle and along the short walk through the woods to the foundations of the earlier building.
Entry to the castle is a very reasonable £6 per adult or free if you are a member of Historic Scotland, and you also get a discount on the price of drinks or snacks inside the shop as a member.
The staff are lovely and very knowledgeable about the area and history of the castle.
We spent a lovely couple of hours enjoying our time at this very unusual triangular castle and would definitely recommend a visit.
joanne patrick — Google review
Lovely staff. Couldn't have been more helpful and knowledgeable. Lovely gift shop. Castle was closed for restoration but still well worth a visit.
Joe McAdam — Google review
If this castle was in England, you'd pay a small fortune for entrance and probably have to pay to park too. Here, it is all free with a lovely gift shop and extremely helpful staff. There's a nice playground for the kids an an interactive app you can download a learn about this castles important place in British history. You couldn't go in when we were there but you could wander all around the castle alongside the moat. Plus, and this is very important, some of the nicest ice cream on the planet!
Jon Harney — Google review
Very nice scenery and great castle. Very informational exhibition about a castle siege.
Unfortunately, Castle could not be entered due to safety concerns and outstanding inspections. But you can have a very nice walk around the castle and see the inside from behind.
Timo Kirst — Google review
Lovely walk down to castle and pretty accessible on lower areas. There are stairs to higher levels. Some of it was unavailable as being improved but clearly stated what was out of bounds. Went around to original site, path a bit bumpy but mobility scooter managed it. There are woodland trails for kids but didn't go on them as not sure if passable. Had a nice coffee in little shop and hubby went in to see the exhibition about the 3 year seige narrated by Tony Robinson. Can take dogs on leads around grounds. Unusual triangular shaped moated castle with an interesting history.
Michele Way — Google review
A place worth visiting. An interesting part of Scottish history. This place is well-kept. The parking lot is well prepared. There is a small souvenir shop in the visitor center. There is a clean toilet. This place is mostly accessible to people with disabilities. You can take your dog with you.
Andy Pandy — Google review
One of the most interesting to look at castles I've seen, even though it was closed for safety reasons when I attended. You can walk around the castle grounds and photograph around the moat which surrounds the castle itself and there is a gift shop and toilets on site (open) as well as a woodland walk, which brings you to an excavated site where the old castle stood.
Write2matthew — Google review
Excellent. Even though they’ve got the builders in! Managed a few photos without the scaffolding. You can still wander about the grounds. Free parking. Found out it would have been free anyway due to EH cross-membership.
Original castle foundations fascinating but I couldn’t find my way to what might have been the harbour. Hot drinks and snacks in the shop.
Noel Fearnside — Google review
Fascinating site with the foundations of possibly the first stone castle built in Scotland.
Caerlaverock castle is the second attempt after the first one started to fall down!
Helpful and friendly staff on site to talk you through the history, landmarks and wildlife.
It's free to park and wander round the site although there will be a charge to look around the castle itself once it reopens following some work to make some crumbling masonry safe.
I recommend spending a bit of time here, having a coffee and appreciating the scenery and wildlife - on my visit, loads of swallows and baby toads.
Nick Toms — Google review
A lovely visit, very nice gift shop where we had some nice small tubs of local ice cream. It was a sunny day when we visited and although the castle is closed for repairs you can still have a pleasant walk around it’s perimeter. An unusual triangular design. Staff very nice in the gift shop. Good toilets and a reasonable car park. Just a nice place to chill. It’s free too, well for now whilst the repairs are being undertaken which look as if they could take some time. There looks to be longer country walks too from the edges of the castle that we didn’t explore as we were only passing through.
Ian, Jac, Wispa & Hugo — Google review
Greeted by very pleasant staff and made to feel welcome. Castle and grounds are great. For our first stay in Scotland and our first castle visit, was very happy with the visit and history. Nice history video presentation too.
M Spooner — Google review
Free entry for English heritage members, the only triangular castle in the UK is well worth a visit. Its in a spectacular setting with some limited access to the insides. There is a cafe, toilets on site, volunteers are first class and it's well worth a visit.
kevin mills — Google review
Lovely walking around the grounds of the castle and £6 if you want to go inside. Very nice tea shop on site. Free parking. Visited a couple of times, would definitely recommend.
Jeff Buggins — Google review
This is a emoted castle with an interesting history. It’s a beautiful place to visit, and even if you do not have an Explorer pass for Historic Scotland, entry is reasonably priced (£6 per adult). I went without my children in this case, but I did notice that there was a lovely playground in the grounds, ideal for little ones, and there’s little café on site as well. It’s honestly a beautiful building within easy reach of Dumfries
Stacey MacNaught — Google review
Was running late but the good people let me in and made me feel welcome. Ended up freezing because earlier in day I was in short sleeves but the weather had changed and I did not want to miss the visit. Had a great time, clicking away merrily. Part is still closed due to restoration work but the rest is great. Enjoyed my stop at the refreshment room, as well. I fitted in a lot in 30mins!
ken Wallwork — Google review
A great castle full of history with a good video exhibition about the medieval siege. An added bonus is the nice walk through a wooded area to the foundations of the original castle. Staff were friendly and there was a nice Easter trail for children. Hot drinks can be bought for a reasonable price in the gift shop.
Ollie Fitton-Cook — Google review
A lovely place to visit. Especially on a Sunny day. Been many time since I was a child. Great for a family day out.
Richard Partington — Google review
Really interesting place to visit. Lovely walk around the Castle and brilliant to visit inside. £6 for adults, £3.5 for kids and under 7 go free.
Ana S — Google review
Have been here in the past but was not able to enter the castle due to the ongoing restoration works. Entry is free for English Heritage members* (*Valid membership that has been active for one year or over). The castle is small but boasts some great architecture and it's triangular shape is unique to other castles I have visited. You are able to view the majority of the interior however, at the time of my visit, the East wing of the castle was still under renovation so was inaccessible. The site also has a tea room and shop which is reasonably priced along with a small outdoor play area. There is also a walking trail that has AR plaques that provide historical information as you progress. The trail also leads you to the ruins of the old Castle which was established in the 1220s (more foundations than ruins). Further out there are amazing walks and bird hides. If you are in Dumfries I would highly recommend a visit to this historic castle.
Butch Dingle — Google review
It was a lovely adventure. The castle is really cool built in the middle of a moat. And there's a layout of an older castle farther in the woods. An educational video played in the small museum and the gift shop also sold hot chocolate for the cold and rainy weather. The price was cheap and I would recommend visiting if you're in the area
Rhonda Boston — Google review
Lovely place to visit. There is also the remains of the original castle further down the driveway past the new castle. The staff were great and very friendly/helpful. They also advised us of the best way to get back to where we were going due to the storm flooding.
Sophie Davis — Google review
Beautiful castle steeped in history.
Lovely walk around the building and the foundations of the previous castle a few hundred yards away. Informative display with a video of the castle’s history and a lovely little shop with refreshments.
Katie Levitt — Google review
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Castle Road End, Dumfries, DG1 4RU, United Kingdom
The Sweetheart Abbey is an imposing 13th century Cistercian monastery and remarkably retains much of its original features and structure. It is a tranquil place with fascinating history, named after the founder Lady Devorgilla who showed devotion to her God and loved others equally.
Stunning abby with some amazing history its great to see the difference in stone used for the newer and older sections, the grave yard has some beautiful head stones well worth a walk through to read a few, set in a picturesque landscape with rolling hills and forests, the whole village is beautiful and full of hidden gems
Well worth a visit even if it's not fully open currently
Elle Simpson — Google review
Well worth a visit, interesting grave yard and great walks . Toilets in the car park free parking.
susan jackson — Google review
It's very quiet here. If you are into architecture then you should see this place. You can not enter the ruins as there is a danger from falling masonry, but if you have a spare hour go and have a look.
Pearl Montague — Google review
Currently closed due to health and safety (falling masonary) however there is a car park nearby which allows you to see it externally. Cafe opposite is well worth a visit
kevin mills — Google review
Lovely history to the place. Beautiful to look around. Repairs were been done when we visited but still could see the place. Toilets in carpark next to the Abby, as well as a little cafe and gift shop. Well worth a visit
Cheryl Aziz — Google review
Absolutely beautiful abbey with a very romantic (depending on your point of view) story. In 1268, Lord John Balliol died and his wife, Lady Dervorguilla, had his embalmed heart placed in an ivory casket. She is said to have carried it with her everywhere!! She was eventually buried with it!
The abbey was built for a community of monks, with remnants of the refectory and other areas still present. The community diminished after the Reformation leading to the slow decay of the Abbey. At the moment (April 2024) under scaffolding due to loose bricks etc.
C KM — Google review
Beautiful peaceful place.....so much history.
David Thompson — Google review
This Abbey is gorgeous, like a lot of sites at the moment we couldn't get too close but the grounds and graveyard are well worth a visit. And the abbey looks great from the outside.
Charles Nancollis — Google review
Site was closed off at time of visit for inspection, however it’s still fully visible from the outside. Great story of the building and background (not giving anything away 😉) which is located on the surrounding boards. A unique find and fascinating story - recommend.
Darren — Google review
When we arrived it was fenced off with work being carried out. Would have been nice if google could mention it was only part open. Ticket office closed but the building itself was stunning
Andrew Walker — Google review
Beautiful Abbey (Ruins) with an extremely romantic story. Currently under repair so some scaffolding in place. Lovely architecture and a huge building…must have been quite a statement in its time!…well kept cemetery adjacent to the Abbey. Information boards to tell its story. Free parking spaces available for visitors - disabled parking spaces also available. Public toilets in car park - full disability access throughout.
Her Indoors — Google review
When I visited the Abbey it was all fenced off Due to refurbishment taking place. However you can still walk all around the outside and see it from all angles.
There is also a walking trail at the back of the cemetery with a stream at the bottom of the field so perfect if you have children or dogs that love water!
Also a free car park and toilets.
Elise Orme — Google review
Beautiful place. The Abbey has a graveyard with some interesting reading on the head stones. It really does show how hard life was in the 1700s and early 1800s. Children died young and sometimes multiple from the same family. It also shows soldiers that died in Londonderry around 1799. The Abbey itself shows strength in its ruins. Anything wooden is gone. The structure is not only sturdy but has a natural beauty of hand crafted window frames and archways. It's worth a visit.
paul nelson — Google review
historical place from the 13th century worth seeing. Located in a quiet, picturesque village. Unfortunately, due to the risk of the walls collapsing, the area is fenced and you can no longer go inside. Free parking, right next to it you can drink coffee and eat lunch.
Anna Besford — Google review
Abbey has lots of work getting done just now, lovely walk around and a look in small coffee shop.
Jane Sommerville — Google review
Such a lovely surprise to come across! A fascinating end to a great day in Dumfries, on the Burns Trail.
Hopefully, the photos sum up the visit.....be aware, the Abbey IS closed indefinitely, for repair.
Normally, there will be an entry charge: £4.50 for adults ( free for 60+ and children).
Stobo Castle Health Spa is a luxurious retreat located in a 19th-century castle, offering a range of modern spa treatments and facilities in a secluded rural setting. The spa boasts stunning views and elegant country house decor, providing an ideal escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Guests can indulge in massages, holistic remedies, body waxes, and more while enjoying amenities such as swimming pools and saunas to detoxify.
Stunning pool, lovely steam rooms, hottubs, and sauna area.
Delicious food quality and presentation that of a 4/5 star hotel.
Super comfortable beds in a beautifully appointed room. Impeccable clean.
I had the most delightful stay, treated my Mum. Quality time, relaxing, outstanding resort destination. Lovely people,.
We will be back
Victoria Dobbie — Google review
Absolutely stunning location,from the second the Castle is in view I feel so excited! Lovely friendly welcome, beautiful rooms which are absolutely pristine. Food is so tasty with an excellent choice. Treatments were high standard and very relaxing. Spa facilities are excellent. Can't wait to return.
Shirley Ross — Google review
Fabulous overnight stay! The food was out of this world! Spa immaculate, staff very helpful and friendly. Loved the touch of getting a tour of the facilities on arrival, the staff made us feel so special. I had mentioned at booking that my partner requires a gluten free diet, and upon arrival to our room he was delighted to see some gluten free biscuits! Was an expensive overnight for us but I wouldn't hesitate to return one day!
V Brady — Google review
Wish I could afford to come every week. Stunning place in a beautiful setting. Everything is designed to make you feel relaxed, we actually napped twice! The food is delicious, grounds are beautiful, enjoyed exploring around the Japanese water gardens. Love the views from the pool, relaxation room is so peaceful and there's a great choice of treatments. Have stayed overnight before and the room was beautiful too. Only wish it was a little less expensive!
Clare Hollywood — Google review
Wow fantastic place the first thing you notice are the views around the place then how quiet it is. In side everything is to a high standard room we're in was on top floor so great views beds really comfortable. The spa and pool areas are all spotless and treatment rooms too. Food was excellent and good choice on the menu for breakfast dinner and tea. All staff were very friendly and helpful.
michael horn — Google review
Superb spa - the perfect place to relax and chill out!! Excellent food, and the employees are beyond attentive. And the spa treatments, although pricey, are fantastic. You come out and free like you're walking on air.....
Lou Bee — Google review
Had a great spa day experience here. Well presented facilities and a lot of relaxation to be had here. Very remote location. The only negative for me was that drinks (non-alcoholic & alcoholic) aren’t included in the price of the lunch, which is part of the day spa package.
Frankie Clarke — Google review
My second trip to Stobo Castle was just as amazing as I remembered. We stayed in the pleasant and quiet Castle Lodge and enjoyed outstanding cuisine for dinner, breakfast and lunch at the castle. The facilities and scenery at Stobo are stunning and second to none. The castle is beautifully kept and preserved. The staff there are friendly, attentive and deservedly proud of their high standard of service and attention to detail. A truly unforgettable 5 star experience. I cannot wait to return.
Melissa Weatherby — Google review
If I could give Stobo Castle 10/10 I would. We had a fabulous one night spa break. Despite being more than I would normally spend, it was definitely well worth the money. The meals were excellent, the spa facilities were incredible, the room was lovely and the Japanese Water Gardens were a delightful secret hidden gem, well worth visiting. Thank you Stobo for making our experience so relaxing and utterly fantastic!
Judith — Google review
Heaven on earth! 5 is not enough stars 😄. Set in the most peaceful Scottish valley, this is effectively a 5 star hotel but you wander about in your robe and slippers. The food is excellent. Fine Scottish fare. The staff are friendly and efficient. The atmosphere is relaxed and not at all stuffy. Fabulous pool with glorious views of the Borders scenery. As well as a wide range of treatments, there is a tennis court, Japanese Garden and walks in the surrounding countryside. There is NOWHERE like it. I've been 22 times in the last 23 years, usually for 2 nights. Don't wait - book!
critical critter — Google review
Had a fabulous stay at stobo. Big thank you to Kenna, who gave me the most wonderful facial, as I said to her “it was like angels dancing on my face”. Can’t recommend her enough!
See you next year.
Jorie
Katie Maxwell — Google review
Beautiful place, beautiful scenery, fantastic spa treatments and a really lovely place to visit. Apart from the food. Definitely not made fresh to order. And you can tell as the food is on your table within 5 minutes of your order being taken. You’d expect somewhere of such a high calibre to have chefs that match the quality of the hotel and spa’s reputation, unfortunately, that’s not the case. Put a real dampener on our visit.
Tom Armstrong — Google review
Fantastic experience, spa facilities available until 10pm. Sitting in a hot tub at night during the winter while it's raining 🌧 is just heavenly 😍. Staff were very friendly. The evening meal (venison) was cooked to perfection, probably the best meal I've had at a restaurant. Lunch was also to a very high standard. The only critique I have was the cooked breakfast wasn't up to the same high standard as the other meals. Overall a very enjoyable experience ☺️ I'll definitely be back.
Gerry Duffy — Google review
Went for half spa day swimming pool was lovely and warm. Hydro pool was good but could have been warmer.
Facilities in ladies changing room are absolutely amazing.
Steam room hot stone seats sauna total luxury. Very relaxed when I left the facilities were first class.
Maureen Mcwilliams — Google review
Its not cheap. But you get what you pay for. The building was well maintained. The facilities were 1st class. Customer service exceptional. Treatments were fabulous. Lunch was delicious. Worth every penny. I'll be back!
Julie Stewart — Google review
Two day stay. Room fabulous, bed was so comfy. Staff were very helpful and friendly. Facilities amazing. Food fantastic. A perfectly chilled couple of days away.
Dawn Piggott — Google review
We were at Stobo for about 24 hours but left feeling like we had had a week's break!
From lovely rooms to being surrounded on all sides by stunning countryside, everything about our stay was perfect.
The staff were very friendly and helpful and the facilities were brilliant (especially loved the outdoor hot tubs!) but what we loved the most was the food!
My daughter has been vegan for about 5 years and have never come across such an amazing selection of delicious dishes to sample. To have a fully vegan menu for each meal with as many tasty options as the regular one was a completely new experience for her. For the first time she did not feel like an afterthought in a restaurant. For this alone I thank you and we will definitely return.
My fishy options were pretty good too!
Thank you to all your staff for making our stay so wonderful in every way.
Kirsty Devlin — Google review
Absolutely amazing. The whole scenic view from The hotel was absolutely brilliant. The scenery on the way there was spectacular 😁. The service was excellent and staff very attentive and helpful and knowledgeable. The food was absolutely lovely. What's not to like. Felt absolutely chilled out and relaxed after my visit. Would not hesitate on going again ❤️
Margaret ONeill — Google review
So enjoyed our first visit to Stobo Castle. Staff and facilities were stand out features of our stay. When we turned up one week early (so keen to stay!), reception staff were so helpful and managed to fit us in! Such a flexible and 'can do' approach. All staff members were the most friendly and helpful people, making you feel so comfortable and welcome.
My daughter and I had a great one night stay and are keen to return again soon......hopefully on the correct date this time!
Elizabeth Watson — Google review
Stobo is such a lovely place. It's the highlight of my year. The food is fantastic, the staff are lovely and spa facilities are incredible. I just wish there was more time to enjoy it during an overnight stay. The time goes too quickly. It can appear dear, but if you consider that you get 3 substantial meals, it's good value. Our most recent visit was the busiest I've experienced it, which wasn't as enjoyable as previous visits, but I'm hoping it was because of a recent promotion
Jasmine Lapointe — Google review
Amazing spa day at Stobo Castle with my daughter. Breakfast was delicious, poached eggs cooked to absolute perfection. We soaked in the outdoor hot tubs, then went indoors to the pool and therapy suite. The cold water therapy shower is an eye opener! Then we had a fabulous lunch. After lunch it was off for a massage and facial, it was the best massage I have ever had. She undid knots I didn't realise I had! After the facials we relaxed in the quiet room and may have had a nap, before heading up to the cocktail bar for a few cocktails before we were picked up at 5pm. I couldn't praise Stobo Castle and all of their lovely staff any higher. Cannot wait to come back!
Dawn Light — Google review
An overnight stay for myself and my daughter. From the moment we stepped through the door, every member of staff was welcoming and couldn't have worked harder to ensure a great stay. Room was excellent, food fantastic and the amenities were just what we wanted. We both had facials which we thoroughly enjoyed. Another guest was coming out of her treatment as I was going in and she remarked on how good it was too.
A visit to Stobo is expensive, but in my opinion worth saving up for.
Lesley Lockyer — Google review
Absolutely beautiful place to come relax, exceptional service, food is very good, lovely dinner and breakfast. Did not do any treatments this time. Very relaxed atmosphere. Will definitely be back.
Jennifer Mills — Google review
Fabulous place. Delicious food. Wonderful staff. Highly recommended and id love to go again - for a little longer next time...
Lesley O'Connor — Google review
Just had a fabulous over night stay,
Did a fitness class with trainer Ann she was fab, food was amazing staff where so good and very professional, so relaxing only one night but felt like a weekend, look forward to my next visit hopefully very soon, don't forget the outdoor hot tub,
Kim Mcculloch — Google review
Arrived to have some lunch but was informed it was only open to residents which is not stated on the website. Service at reception was average. Please update your website so as not to waste peoples time etc.
Stuart Ridley — Google review
Love a short break at Stobo Castle will be going for my third stay very soon.
Staff are always very helpful
And the food is topnotch
Icing on the cake late checkout followed by lunch is something of a rarity.
Such a great experience! We had a lot of fun! Jamie was so nice and friendly. He had everything well prepared and gave us expert tips on how to shoot. Hope to be back here again next year! 😊
Kathleen Quintero — Google review
We had a great clay pigeon shooting experience at Don Coyote Outdoor Centre today. Jamie was really friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Would definitely recommend this! 👌
Kirsty Howard — Google review
Absolutely amazing experience. My family and I did clay pigeon shooting and archery … Jamie was super knowledgeable, patient and personable. We all had different skill levels and he was able to switch instruction to make us comfortable and worked with our pace. Definitely a must try!
Sanya Badr — Google review
Went here for my partners birthday as a treat! The .22 rifle experience at the Don Coyote Outdoor Centre was really fun - Jamie had everything well prepared, provided superb instruction, he even had some games for myself and my OH. Partner tried clays too and i watched. Was a really good way to spend a couple of hours and Jamie was super helpful. Would definitely recommend and will 100% go back.
Lauren McGinlay — Google review
Went with a small group where none of us had shot any type of guns before and Jamie had us all hitting clay pigeons in no time. He is a great teacher; really focused on the 1 by 1 learning experience so we'd all leave happy with the results, and was very kind overall. Would love to go again soon
Carlota Sainz Cotera — Google review
Booked here for my friends birthday and I must say what a great experience, haven’t had that much fun in a long time. Big shout out to Jamie our instructor. Couldn’t have asked for a more professional, fun, instructor. Learned a lot and left with a better shot! Will absolutely be back again.. & again & again. Thanks & see you soon!
Struan Bennett — Google review
We went there for rifle shooting and it was really great. Expert explanation of the rifles and how to shoot. Good individual feedback after each shot on how to improve. James was a super nice guy.
Hansjoerg Metzger — Google review
Came on a family holiday. Quite far down a pothole filled track but signposts made it relatively easy to find. Instructor was friendly and engaging. Did both rifles and clay pigeons. Happy to say I hit most of the targets. Would highly recommend.
Ethan Chan Smith — Google review
Awesome .22 rifle experience at the Don Coyote Outdoor Centre - Jamie had everything well prepared, provided superb instruction, and booking was exceptionally easy and professional - could have spent the entire day there !!! Also very easy to find as well signposted.
Emil Berthelsen — Google review
Fantastic experience, and great teacher made us feel like we could keep on improving and we all actually hit something. as it was our first time this was great!. Felt super safe and super taken care off. if you thinking about it stop and just do it. its worth it :D
Nestor Mendoza (Multinational State) — Google review
Came for archery and had a great time! Jamie was a great instructor. Highly recommend.
Danielle Barbe — Google review
The activities are great fun. Jamie is a delight, kind, warm, professional, gives great feedback and incredibly helpful. He made us all feel supremely comfortable and made us laugh a lot too.
Tahir Khan — Google review
It was a wonderful experience with excellent tutoring. Jamie was an absolute delight and a very professional instructor. Well worth a journey from Edinburgh to ramble through the Scottish countryside. Easy to find, easy to park, and quite well signposted. A fabulous way for vegetarians to engage in a true Scottish country hunting outing (only clays were harmed) at the Don Coyote Outdoor Centre. Quite a few completely well ruined castles in the area, each now marked by a tree. Wee sheep belting in the background completed the ambiance. It was a very authentic experience not to be missed.
The Museum of Lead Mining in Wanlockhead, located northwest of Moffat, offers a fascinating and family-friendly experience. Visitors can explore a real mine, recreated miners' cottages, an 18th-century library, and displays on lead mining and other minerals. The museum provides an engaging look into the history of lead mining and is worth a visit for those interested in learning about this industry.
Driven past the sign on the M74 for this many times, finally decided to visit.
Was not disappointed. Great little museum, friendly and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend the guided tour. If you have to weight, there is a good circular walk along the steam.
Would come again!
Benjamin Murtagh (Benjamin Murtagh) — Google review
Sounds amazing but we didn't go in as the tickets are a tad expensive at £22 each. Its a season ticket, but, why would you want to go back again in the same year ? Will perhaps take a day trip next year to the village, spend time walking around and do the mine.
Laura Burrell — Google review
Lovely little museum with a trip down an old mine. We'll informed tour guide. We'll worth looking out for.
Chris Pepper — Google review
Haven't been into mines yet as was off season when we went but the scenery was amazing it felt as if you travelled back in time, this is a must visit place if you like picturesque scenery, good history with plenty of plaques to explain its history. Just amazing place 😍
gemma mackenzie — Google review
An interesting look at 18th century life in Wanlockhead, a hardscrabble Scottish mining town and the highest village in Scotland.
The tour originates at the museum, which provides a good overview, before proceeding into one of the mineshafts. Walking in a cold, dark, cramped tunnel makes one appreciate how incredibly tough the miners were. After the mineshaft, you take a short walk to see the 1870's era beam engine, the most complete example in Britain, followed by miners' living quarters and the miners' library.
The guides and museum workers are excellent and made for a fun experience. Due to the rural location, I strongly suggest getting tickets in advance so you know they'll be open.
Tim Fender — Google review
Fascinating couple of hours walking around the workings and then visiting the museum. Didn't have time to experience the underground tour. Next time hopefully!
Mike Churchill — Google review
12 August 2022. Probably not for everyone but we all thought it was worth the trip . The mine is fairly level and narrow and you do need to duck down in some parts as you walk about 300m into the hillside. However you do have a helmet and lantern each so perfectly safe. The temperature is stable all year at around 10° and there is moisture dripping in parts which will be worse after rainfall so you may need a coat most times. As we went during a heatwave I was comfortable in T shirt as there was little water dripping from above. The guide was very good and after the mine you get taken to the old miners library then back to the museum and shop. The teashop does a limited lunch menu but very pleasant inside or outside.
M Gallichan — Google review
We chose not to go down into the mine, its pretty wet down there at the moment and two of us weren't wearing the correct footwear. I wasn't feeling the confined space thing either haha but the test of the tour was lovely.
All guides are lovely and friendly as is the girl on the tea room which was also a lovely wee place.
Shaz McCreadie — Google review
We visited with our 7 year old. Fantastic day out. Tour guides are so knowledgeable.
We had fun going down into the mine for around 30-40 minutes then a short walk to the miners cottages to see how the minors lived. Then a walk up a fairly steep hill to the library.
The mine sits in beautiful surroundings well worth a wonder round to take in the sights. Words do not do the surrounding area justice just stunning.
Steph — Google review
Did this as a spur of the moment trip with the kids on the way back from York. Worth every penny. Cost half the price of similar things in york but so much more time for your booking. Guides were both friendly and very knowledgeable. Cafe was great and very reasonably priced. We expected to spend 2 hours. Ended up there 3. But could of stayed longer if we had the time. All ages enjoyed it. Would recommend to anyone for something different to do.
Nick P — Google review
The museum has been on our to-do list for a while now and I'm glad that we finally made it! It has a lovely little shop, a small interesting museum, a really nice cafe as well as picnic benches outside. My wife and I, and my 2 sons did the mine tour, then we were taken down to the cottages, and then up to the miners library. All in, it was about an hour an a half. Our guide was Emily, only 2 weeks into the job and she was superb. She had a lot of knowledge, she was very confident and she chatted away with us. Emily really made the experience for us and anyone who gets her as a guide is lucky. Had she not told us, we'd never have known that she had only just started. After the tour and a visit to the museum, it was back in to the cafe for another coffe and a great cake or two, then off for a walk around the village. If, like us, you've considered going, but haven't yet, make sure you do, soon.
Paul Wilkinson — Google review
Worth the journey, we were there for the first tour and it was just the 2 of us. Really enjoyed it, full of information and insite to the local community and the beautiful surroundings were just dream like on a warm day. The guide knew exactly what he was talking a about, open and friendly in with the conversations. The mine itself was really interesting though I'd recommend waterproof footwear at least. The library was really interesting and we were able to self guide around the rest of the museum.
The gold panning wasn't available on the day we visited but we will most definitely be back. We enjoyed a pot of tea in the tea room and left to enjoy a local pub lunch.
weesho09 — Google review
As an ex coal miner, I found that the whole experience of visiting Wanlockhead breathtaking. The mining history goes back to the Roman times right up until the 1950s when Glen Creiff mine closed. The staff are very welcoming, friendly, helpful, attentive, and knowledgeable. Sadly, I spent too much time exploring the surrounding area where I missed the last tour, but I will back......
Alex Watson — Google review
Great little place to visit and learn about the local mining and get the kids out in the countryside for a walk and don’t forget to buy a bag of Gemstones from the museum. My kids love them and keep looking over them.
Andrew Hack — Google review
great place to visit so much history
liz lenno — Google review
4.5
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4.5
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Visitor Centre, Wanlockhead, ML12 6UT, United Kingdom
The Livingston Designer Outlet is a bustling shopping destination with over 70 stores offering discounted designer clothing, footwear, and home goods. Despite facing challenges in the past due to changes in the Silicon Glen industries, Livingston continues to expand. Visitors can indulge in retail therapy at this outlet, which offers great bargains from popular brands like Adidas, Nike, Vans, Levis, and Tommy Hilfiger.
One of the biggest and busiest Shopping Centre in Scotland. 5* for their Cleanliness throughout. Plenty of sitting at the food court. Nicely decorated with x-mas lightings. Plenty of parking places at multi storey parking. Food, clothes, games, adventures, fashion and many more.
Bhavesh Patel — Google review
Every shop you could need in one place, parking was abit confusing - some car parks more expensive than others. We didn't find any huge bargains but most items were reduced by around 20%. Would reccommend.
Caitlin Jones — Google review
So much variety, loads of alternative shops and outlets. I will say I didn't spot the same kind of bargains I have found at other designer outlets but there were very good prices none the less. Definitely worth a visit.
Cameron McCulloch-Keeble — Google review
If you can walk a lot and want to shop under a covered roof rather than walking on open street. This is the place for you. Don’t miss.
Amazing Shopping Experience under one roof. Has a perfect match for mid budget as well as mid high budget customers.
One can also avail occasional deals on mid and high range items at discounted prices.
I got 2 such bargain deals in Sketchers and Fossil during my visit.
Has all amenities and decent food court and restaurants too.
Covered parking at 50p per hour.
Ritesh Kumar Singh — Google review
Really great shopping centre split into 2 parts. Plenty of choice when it comes to eating and the variety of clothes shops is vast.
Their is free parking between 6pm-8am which is super handy for the the cinema (Vue) located in the centre, or all of the restaurants (Five guys, Nando's etc).
They do currently have a one way system set up due to the current pandemic, which can make some of the shops problematic to get to. This slight inconvenience doesn't take away from the fact the Outlet is a fantastic shopping experience.
James Tait — Google review
Went here on Sunday for the first time it is a massive place plenty of shops and bargins plenty of food places to get something to eat and across the road there is a large shopping center plenty of disabled parking spaces plenty of toilets and disabled friendly easy to get around worth a visit will definitely be going back
Linda — Google review
It was my first time visiting the designer outlet today and I was pleasantly surprised. There are loads of shops in close proximity to each other, making it very easy to get around. I bought items in a few different businesses, and I can say that every single staff member I spoke to was very polite and friendly! There was also plenty of choice in the food court and loads of seating. I went primarily for clothes as there is a wide variety of clothing shops, but there are also other shops too. The full list is readily available on the dedicated website.
Mathew Ireland — Google review
Great place, lots to see and browse. Lots of selection. Clean and bright
Charlotte Madgewick — Google review
Visit to change top in Adidas. No problem doing same. Visited quite a lot of other outlets managed to pick up a few bargains. Will visit soon again as all staff a pleasure to deal with. Stores all have a great selection 😁😁
Harry Chapple — Google review
Great place to shop, especially today. Average of 30% discount in some shops where I went like Nike, Adidas, NB, Puma, Under Armour , etc.
Place was massive. Very accessible via public transport. Will definitely be back here.
Ian Pangan — Google review
One of the best in West Lothian. Met some people from the capital coming over to Livingston to do shopping. Very compact. Together with other part of a shopping centre makes around 100 top retailers. Lots of affordable or even free car parks.
RI0T_ Hawk987 — Google review
Great place, much prefer arriving for opening Time as its nice and quiet then.
All the seating areas dotted round the centre have charge points too so if you leave your other half sitting while you shop until you drop at least they can be kept topped up with charge whilst on their phones.
Clean facilities and all the staff are lovely.
Jax Dawson — Google review
One of the best places I've been to. Has a very wide range of major retailers, and others. Plenty of eateries to choose from. Well maintained and kept clean, also plenty of parking spaces. Will definitely be back in the future.
William Baillie — Google review
If you living in Edinburgh or Glasgow and love shoping then its better place , almost every design shop , variety of resturent and coffee shop if you are lover of eating and planty parking space , some time hard to find one as very busy place
Muhammad Azhar — Google review
First time being here and I really didn't have long enough! So much choice but it was nice to do a bit of window shopping into how the other half live. Definitely recommend
Edith Philip — Google review
Great selection of shops from tetail to cafe and food.
Nice and bright with wide walking areas.
Road Runs — Google review
Pretty much has everything you could want in a shopping centre, with a huge array of shops and places to eat or have a coffee.
One thing I really like is that the toilets are always clean.
A N — Google review
This is one of my favourite places to spend a day and there's the other centre MacArthur Glen where you get a fantastic discount starting at 30% off. Both of these places are spotless, no gangs hanging around, no football tops, no shouting. Just good fun in a safe place for kids to shop or have a juice and meet up with pals. The shops are brilliant fancy labels or not. And there's always a M&S for your big knickers or thongs. I forgot to show off my photo as I was at Livingston centre shopping.
Mary Hunter — Google review
A very nice mall with a good variety of shops, can easily shop for presents and myself.
Iram Nawaz — Google review
Lovely upmarket feel, with many major brands present.
From suits to sweets, and coffees to corkscrews, mini donuts to mini golf and a movie. Good eateries for sit down or takeaways on both levels.
Pizzas from Pizza Express are a favourite. Overall a good place to spend a few hours.
Anton De Klerk — Google review
Great place to shop. Huge carpark outside and indoors very cheap prices. Wheelchair ♿️ friendly lifts. Lots of shops, directions boards etc. Clean and can be very busy at times. There is a information desk, bus stops outside in between both outlets.
Nettie McCutcheon — Google review
Parking there is a disaster! Be very careful! Buy parking ticket!!! You might safer with £100 fine!
This place is not get as used to be.
Kris C — Google review
Both the Outlet and neighbouring mall have a wide range of stores plus a post office and Asda attached making it great for a one off visit - just for the experience - and a handy location for locals to do all their shopping needs.
L M Woodward — Google review
The shopping centre is great for all your shopping needs. Some of the shops maybe need to consider their layouts as some are quite tightly packed and not easy to manouver around. The shopping centre is also nice and central and great parking.
Shelley Doran — Google review
The outlet shopping center provides an engaging shopping experience with a diverse range of renowned brands and attractive discounts. The atmosphere is vibrant, and the variety of products caters to different preferences. The food court complements the experience, offering a delicious array of culinary options.
Danut — Google review
Great place to go for a shopping or just to look around. Plenty space for parking (pay and display),nice restaurants for the meal option,cinema,mini golf, and other attractions for the whole family 🥰
Zivile Kaubriene — Google review
Tried there for a prom dress for my daughter, no luck. Facilities were OK but there wasn't anything outstanding that said to go there over Glasgow (Our nearest city)
TIM Smith — Google review
Quite and very nice place
New Update — Google review
4.4
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4.0
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Almondvale Ave, Livingston, EH54 6QX, United Kingdom
Five Sisters Zoo, located near West Calder, is a beloved local attraction offering an up-close experience with a diverse range of animals including lions, bears, lemurs, monkeys, reptiles, reindeer, birds, wallabies, wolves and snow leopards. The zoo also features a play park and handling sessions for visitors of all ages.
Haven’t been here for about 4 years & I can’t believe how much bigger it has become! We went on Easter Monday weather was nice & dry so the perfect day for a walk round the zoo! Loved to see the new cheetah’s such beautiful animals! Did not manage to see the snow or the clouded leopards so will have to go back for another visit! We also went for lunch in the leaping lemurs cafe which was tasty & didn’t take a long time from ordering until you got your food! Overall a great day out for any age
Epic Gamer — Google review
Our family had a lovely day out here lots of animals to see very good information and lots of Space. Very reasonable Prices we are a family of 6. Its February so there was no Bears,Lions or Tigers to see wondering if its due to the winter months. We will come back when its warmer to see. Kids loved walking around, after we had been to the gift shop we popped into the soft play, gave my review of 4 Stars as you had to Pay for That separately. Cafe in there is very basic. Staff on the grounds were polite. So overall It was a good wee day out.
Alison Fin — Google review
Absolutely wonderful zoo. I've always loved coming here especially as a photographer. The animals are always so well looked after and have plenty of enrichment and space in their enclosures and the staff are always so helpful and friendly! I couldn't ask for a better zoo to visit!
Ainslie Wright — Google review
Had an amazing time at the zoo, with a great variety of animals to see. Not too busy so lots of opportunity to spend time with all my favourites. A good variety of catering options, lots of toilets, and plenty to see. We had a lemur experience, and it was so much fun and our keeper Steve was clearly passionate about the animals and gave lots of knowledge about the Lemurs. I would love to do more experiences here - I hope they introduce more in the Peak season!
Zoe Close — Google review
Five Sisters Zoo was fantastic. My husband and I didn't even know it existed until we had Googled for zoos near us, granted it was a two and a half hour drive away, but it was so worth it.
There's so much to see, and the animals are so clearly taken care of. The staff were so helpful and friendly, especially the lady who carried out the lemur feeding experience with us.
10/10. Excellent day out with loads to enjoy.
The one thing I would advise, though, is to mind the geese in the bird walk-through as they're quite feisty and one of them likes to charge at you!
Chloe Clements — Google review
The whole day was AMAZING! The staff were friendly, informative and cheery! I paid extra for the Lemur Feeding Experience which was absolutely wonderful and I would do it again and again!! The staff really care about the animals and their welfare. It is lovely to see happy animals that do not look stressed or scared. I paid extra for the evening Photography Experience with the carnivores, including the bears, snow leopard, clouded leopard, lions and cheetahs! Amazing experience and the staff doing the tour were outstanding (I think it was Gary and Emma). We also had a volunteer and some of the family on the tour with us, who were all again friendly, approachable and accommodating. The buffet and tea and coffee which was included with the experience was lovely too. Best money I've spent on myself! I interacted with the staff at the entrance, gift shop and cafe which went above and beyond with some help I needed before the Photography experience, which actually made my night possible. This is a place I would visit again and again. I was able to take amazing photos and would recommend anyone to visit, which I have done already when telling friends and those close to me.
Cherisse Docherty — Google review
A modest but expanding zoo buried away in West Calder. Not the easiest to get to and car parking arrangements not ideal but expanding as the zoo grows. A good range of animals nicely laid out in large enclosures but all quite close together, ideal for small kids to explore safely on foot even when busy. Lots of good educational information including informative talks from staff throughout the day. Kids play area and some small vans to grab food but recommend bringing packed lunches. Zoo is actively involved in conservation, taking rescued animals such as the new bear, and supporting other efforts like beaver rewinding in Scotland. Reasonable value for money, quite expensive but keen to support the growth and expansion of this amenity. Will be back.
Martin Hurst — Google review
Had a great day here,would rather spend time here than any other zoo....
We chose to feed the lemurs and that was a brilliant experience for me and my son.we wanted to get one in our bag but the keeper spotted us!!next time...
It's great to support this wee gem of a zoo in any way you can,please visit as soon as you can for an amazing day!!!
Gem Williams — Google review
Amazing place , we have visited this zoo at multiple occasions,and kids are always excited every time. Big collection of unique animals , with our Favourite lemurs and red panda 🐼🐻. Reptali lovers will find a lot of them as well big and small. Restaurant on site sell fries 🍟 hot dogs ,and soft drinks ....ice 🍦 creams as well of course. Souvenirs shop allow your kids to gram some animals gadgets on the go. Great place highly recommend. 🐒 🐒 🐒
tony montana — Google review
Very nice place for the visitors but also for the animals. You can enjoy them and share some memorable hours with friends. The Christmas atmosphere was amazing!
Tsvetelina Tsvetkova — Google review
Fantastic zoo, perfect for family day out. Huge space, and love how they take care of the animals many of which rescued. Loved that you could read the stories about the rescued bears and what difference the zoo makes for them and all the animals. Will definitely go back and will be recommending to everyone. So much better than Edinburgh zoo.
Veronika McCann — Google review
My partner took me here yesterday for my birthday, we had a great day. It was quiet & peaceful being a Friday late morning. Will need to come back during the summer. Great wee day out.
Stephanie Dykes — Google review
Well this place is nothing short of a hidden gem. What a fabulous little zoo with far more animals than I can remember. Located a stones throw from a housing estate, this place has it all from soft furries to friendly donkeys to snakes and crocodiles. Four legs, two legs no legs, wings, fangs... all sorts. It is a bit tired looking so don't forget to donate if you visit. A whole day can be spent here without any real effort. Take lunch with you or buy it in the zoo. If you have young children, my recommendation would be to head to the soft play located in a separate building. It has a lovely cafe with reasonably priced delicious food. Go there first, have your lunch then you can take your time going round the zoo. There are talks at certain times which are posted around the zoo. Some animals have volunteers stationed there too answer questions. Honestly is a great day out for a lot less than some of the other more main stream animal parks.
Stephen Corbett — Google review
It was very nice to relive my childhood memories of going to the zoo. It is a welcoming, beautiful and clean place. Many beautiful animals and many of them also sleepy, we were able to look at them with their little treats and interact with the birds. It is worth visiting especially by children.
isabela muntean — Google review
Good to see large enclosure for bears and big cats. All exhibits close to each other which reduces walking. Only downside was lack of food/drink availability. Gift shop fridge almost empty of cols drinks and no water , only food place was burger van which was 40 mins wait time. Staff didn't seam very experienced, were cooking one order at a time, cooked chips lying in open cartons for 10mins while burgers cooked so chips were cold and very small portion for price. Take a packed lunch.
christine broadley — Google review
What an amazing zoo. Surprised to see so many animals out and about on such a chilly day. Really enjoyed seeing them all but particular highlights included the fruit bats, the playful otters, the talking parrots, the cheeky cheetahs and the wolves which were just on the other side of the fence. Great close up view. Plenty of parking either in the large car park directly beside the zoo building or in the overflow car park across the road. Snack van inside park serving hot drinks and snacks. Chips not gluten free but the ones in the cafe at the main entrance are. Disabled access. A brilliant day out.
Dorothy Warren — Google review
Nice place for family visit 😊 helpful staff. All animals visible not in hideout. The only downside was that there wasn't big enough food choices no vegan option at all. But from the other hand park have quite few seats where you can enjoy food which you brought with you. Definitely worth to come and see. I will definitely return.
trickster cookie — Google review
Main attraction the Cheetah is under veterinary care. Huge in closure with nothing, no snow leopard. Missed the lions but signs didn't make sense. Anyway my daughter liked her time there, but I'll not be back. Need the glass cleaned, difficult seeing what's inside. Pretty much around the same price as Blair Drummond. They offered so much more value for money
Brian Dougan — Google review
Our 2nd time at the illuminations and what a joy it was. We attended last night and there was 4 of us. It was extremely cold but walking round and seeing the animals, stopping for lovely food and drinks along the way and the wee one enjoying the rides and helter skelter. We had a 6.30pm time slot and we left at 8.45pm. The atmosphere was fab. We seen lizards, snakes monkeys, owls, penguins, otters, reindeer, parrots, snow leopards to name a few. The staff were so friendly and helpful. The illuminations were amazing. Really enjoyed all the different types light up displays and discovering more on our way around. It took 40 mins from Coatbridge to get there and is well signposted although Google maps did an excellent job getting us there.
We will definitely be back for a day time visit. Would thoroughly recommend. There's a gift shop and they sell real Christmas trees as well.
Claire Robertson — Google review
Visited today with our 5 and 2 year old, have been before a few times. The zoo was packed with lovely animals and attractions so they didn't get bored walking around too long between enclosures. Everything is also easily viewable for small kids too so they aren't left out or your arms are breaking lifting them up all the time! The zoo is lovely and clean and the staff were friendly and welcoming and there were lots of educational boards around the zoo explaining how they care for the animals and where they came from. We loved seeing the cheetah and the bear having a lovely swim in the pond, and visiting the penguins and reptile house. Thankyou Five sisters for a lovely family day out.
Sarah Thomson — Google review
Great zoo, you can tell that the animals are all truly cared for. Large enclosures for the animals, which look very well kept. Lots of other activities and things for families to do, as well as a cafe to get a bite to eat. Definitely worth a visit!
Owen Glasby — Google review
SUPER PLACE!
A great range of animals housed in well thought out exibit areas. Lots of information to hand, particularly in respect of the commendable conservation work taking place.
Very child-friendly with play areas, good sized and reasonable priced restaurant, friendly staff, and free parking. I was particularly impressed with how easy and inexpensive the zoo has made it for the public to play their part by sponsoring the animals. Terrific day out - well worth a visit. Well done 5 Sisters Zoo and staff.
Working watermill with a museum, farm animal enclosures, train and tractor rides and play areas.
It's the first time we visited with my son, and nieces and wasn't expecting much and thought the price was abit steep but kids had an absolute blast!
Good variety of farm animals, Great play areas, train/tractor rides (extra charges) and even a heritage museum!
There was something new round every corner!
We were fasting so did not checkout the tearoom but we all had an amazing time! Definitely worth the money.
Abbas Aliakbar — Google review
Had a great day out here with my 8yo daughter. Staff are really friendly and helpful. It's just the right size to have lots of activities within an easy walking distance. We spent 4 hours there doing lots of fun activities and seeing the well looked after animals. It is clean and well thought out. The face painter was very talented and my daughter loved it. And the museum was nice to go round to finish the day off. Brilliant day out
warren littlejohn — Google review
Great day out for everyone, lots of different animals for the kids to see they also have a train ans tractor ride my kids loved, and the play park bits they have are amazing my kids could play in them all day lots of different things to do, I took a picnic for us to have you will find plenty of spaces to sit and have something to eat will be back for sure
Lisa H — Google review
We took our kids here as a last minute day out and it was great, we look forward to returning in Easter or Summer, when the train is running, but definitely worth a day out!
Cal Brown — Google review
What a fantastic place to spend the day. Great fun for all the family.
So much to see and do.
Highly recommended.
Nikki Smith — Google review
We had our first ever visit to the Almond valley Heritage Centre in West Lothian. We found it on the ASVA website and it was not a place we had ever heard of before, so a pleasant surprise. We've been to East Links Farm in East Lothian a few times and the kids had asked to go back, so was looking for an alternative. There is a lot of activities and interactive stuff throughout the museum, which you should visit before heading out into the grounds.
There was a lot more animals than we had expected and the various kids activities around were fantastic. The new addition of the covered climbing area at the top of the grounds, where we found a couple of Highland coos. We enjoyed lunch in Morags Café and had we had time, the kids would have loved the large soft play, next time! Lot of outside seating areas, so visitors can bring their own picnic and refreshments. We didn't make the tractors ride, which goes on the hour, every hour. Enjoy when you visit!
Kim Kjaerside — Google review
It’s next door and she just loves it! Got membership from nana so she visits the farm very often. Loads of cute animals to see, lots of outdoor things to play, indoor soft play is also good. Food is reasonable and good for a small break. Walking through the little museum after the entrance we can learn quite a lot about Livingston. It’s a surprise for us - thank you to all staff!
Duan Wu — Google review
Amazing! Great fun for kids. Lots to do, loads of places to play and learn. Reasonable ticket prices.
Spent a full day here and had to drag my daughter out, would love to return
John Percival — Google review
Great family day out that seems to expand on itself every year. Interesting museum on the local shale mining that took place, fun farm with a wide variety of animals and activities throughout the day and a great selection of parks and play areas with tons of activities for kids of all ages.
Rory Falconer — Google review
Been a while since we last went and my son continues to have a great time there. Lots to do for a variety of ages. We've been going since he was about 2 years old. He's now nearly 8 and loves the newer climbing and sliding bits. The go karts are also hugely popular, although a couple could do with a bit of maintenance ahead of the summer holidays. Looking forward to seeing their new build once completed. Good day out, reasonably priced for all that you can do. Definitely one to tire out energetic kids.
Alison Bertram — Google review
Amazing place! We spent the whole day here with friends and their kids (took picnic food with us) Everyone had a blast. Plenty to do for tiny tots all the way up to the men children 😂 my teenager didn't look at his phone all day except for a quick peep while he was eating lunch, never once complained that he was bored and the toddler never stopped until she passed out in the car on the way home, we will absolutely be back - don't think we even got to see it all! And we lost track of time so missed the tractor ride, would recommend it to anyone with kids. Excellent day out.
Nicole Callaghan — Google review
Lovely place with a few mini museums doted about with loads of great information. There are loads of things to do and see from the lovely animals, tho the lovely play areas, there is a wooded forest bit where you can build dens. My daughter and her friend like the war time garden and the toboggan ride and how cheeky the baby alpaca was 🙈😊
joanna Mckenna — Google review
It's always a great day out at the heritage centre. There are a large variety of well looked after animals, lots of things for kids to do, a nice cafe and friendly staff. Definitely worth a visit.
Janice McGregor — Google review
Great time spent with kids out there. Animal lovers will be delighted,you could spend hours petting Alpacas 😜, it's addictive lol. Horses,rabbits , playgrounds, what else do your kids may want ?
tony montana — Google review
Good and full of fun,but so expensive
Tünde Szalma — Google review
Absolutely amazing place for everyone in the family. There is so much to do with kids and it's a fab place to burn some energy and see the animals. I absolutely loved seeing hens and lamas/alpacas, you can see them sooo close. Loved it. My wee one is train obsessed and there are so many of them to see! Another fab thing is plenty of toilets and sinks to wash your hands,plus all the picnic tables. Absolutely loved it.
Wee museum was unexpected gem. Absolutely worth the money.
Lee Stapane — Google review
Mill Farm is very educational place to go. You will find lots of animals and attractions for your kids. Cafe is great. Lots of places to go around. Highly recommended for all ages. Have been there many times. Never disappointed!!!
RI0T_ Hawk987 — Google review
4.6
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4.5
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37 Millfield, Livingston, EH54 7AR, United Kingdom
Woodland area rich in wildlife, with a sequence of waterfalls, plus a visitor centre.
The falls of Clyde down in Lanark, is a remarkable place in the world. Quite literally you can feel the history flowing around you.. the museum tells you the story but to watch the water for any small amount of time and you can see why the location is perfect for the factory. A great visit for all ages.
David Kelly — Google review
Excellent reserve, a lovely walk with the family. Some lovely spots to take photographs. Take hiking boots some part's are mucky.
paddybhoy7 — Google review
We did the full circular walk which was about 7/8 miles. Very interesting but the path on the opposite side of the river from New Lanark was pretty impassable in places due to huge fallen trees.
joanne smith — Google review
Very nice and well maintained walking path along the river to reach the falls of Clyde. Along the way, you can read about the natural habitat of the woods. It's definitely worth walking all the way to the dam.
Norbert Leimeiszter — Google review
Fantastic place to walk around with your family and friends. Natural and unexploited place. First hydroelectricity project in Scotland which looks great. The river is beautiful and gorges heavily. Awesome scenery around.
Sital Karki — Google review
A beautiful walk, especially on a nice day. There are benches onto he way round to sit and relax and they have information about the wildlife and the trail posted as you go. Biggest downfall is no bins on the way round.
Gemma R — Google review
Absolutely stunning view when you get to the viewpoint. Do not recommend the trail for anyone who has mobility issues or who, like me, are just overweight and extremely unfit!! There is a steep decline from the top carpark at new Lanark, and then an incline and stairs on the trail to get to the viewpoint itself.
The trail is easy to find from the New Lanark site, simply follow the badger signs. I would imagine it gets a little muddy in the dreary Scottish weather, so would recommend a visit when it is nice and dry.
Some of the walk is a little bit scary for those with vertigo or a fear of heights, but the view is amazing. You can continue round the trail for more sights, but I was happy to turn back at the falls viewpoint and make my way back to the village.
Lynsey Harte — Google review
Beautiful spot. Great walking path. Beautiful scenery. This is a must see place.
Randall Eckerich — Google review
Fantastic place for some thinking.
If you looking for a peaceful view this is where you want to go
New Lanark, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a former cotton mill industrial village renowned for its social experiment during the Industrial Revolution. The site boasts of a large roof garden that offers panoramic views, making it an attractive destination for tourists. This historic location provides visitors with an opportunity to learn about the influence of industry on society and how this shaped modern-day living.
One of the best places to visit in southern Scotland. Really lovely and off the beaten track. Museum and shop etc. Great walks. I make a point of stopping by here whenever I'm in Scotland.
Beth Mitchell — Google review
Bizarre wee place but what a cool and wonderful history! The walk to the waterfalls is short and well worth the effort! Unfortunately not accessible for wheel chair users but the rest of the premises is! Great little afternoon out and the hotel had some good grub!
Jeremy Young — Google review
Visited here six years ago and enjoyed it so we decided to give it another visit wow! It was worth it and the walk to the falls was so good we sat and relaxed listening to the sound of the water fall. The Clyde is also used to produce electricity which is good for all who is connected. The wife and i loved it.
Bill Butler — Google review
It's interesting to hear about what it is like in the factory. It was good to see some working machines. Owens house was interesting as I had heard a lot about his contribution to socialism. To be honest I'm not sure the pod ride was necessary to learn about it and it might have been as good to have walked through but I guess others would like the novelty. The soup and scone in the restaurant was nice too. I also find the village architecturally interesting. But the piece de resistance is the falls of Clyde for a stunning walk.
Thomas Quinn — Google review
Great day out for the kids and have a nice walk by the water. My daughter thought it was amazing using the payphone to phone her grandad. I found the water hypnotic to watch after the heavy rain fall.
Nicole Devlin — Google review
Highly recommended for New Year! Fireworks, pipers, bells, dancing, and excellent food. The staff could not have been more friendly and helpful.
Sharon Eaton — Google review
Came here to walk the Falls of Clyde. Absolutely Awe inspiring! We're comfortable shoes, some mud and steps along the way. Fantastic water feature. The New Lannark Mills are a fantastic visit but I did not go to them this time.
Nicola June Potts — Google review
This is somewhere I've wanted to visit for a long time as interested in industrial history. The restoration of the mill buildings and tenement blocks has been done to a high standard. It is a living museum in that it still makes wool and people live on site. The story of Robert Owen is amazing and he was so ahead of his time in improving conditions for workers and encouraging education for all. There is a large gift shop and cafe. Would have liked to have seen a clear display of items made with their wool, larger than the one in the manufacturing area, which could be easily missed. It has lost a star because of the wait to get in. There was only one person on the ticket desk and a large party arrived when we did and it took a long time to process them. We were then behind them in the queue for the ride. There was no clear signage to say if you could bypass the ride and come back to it later. The signage that was there, about health conditions, should have been earlier in the queue to give time to change route. Some displays were contradictory and dated.
So overall definitely worth a visit but could do with a bit of tweaking to improve the experience.
Fern A — Google review
Lovely Hotel in a gorgeous setting.
Scenic walk along the River Clyde.
3 course dinner was lovely and there was a good choice.
Great choice for breakfast. Continental or full breakfast were on offer.
Bedroom was large and looked out onto the river.
Wouldn't say spotless. Cobwebs hanging from ceiling and stuck to walls. Skirting boards had a thick layer of dust on them.
TV plug had label attached saying it had been serviced in April. Hadn't been dusted since.
Dish in bathroom to hold liquid soap wS also very dusty.
Karen Ali — Google review
Visually stunning. We never went into any of the exhibitions but just enjoyed the walk along the River Clyde. This in itself was worth the visit with the birdsong and the music of the river. We enjoyed lunch in the restaurant, which was very nice and the staff were very friendly.
ian walker — Google review
Amazing location. Lots of walks for different levels. Lots of beautiful sights to see and nature to look at. The place itself is incredibly beautiful. Almost like you've stepped back in time
Holly Anderson — Google review
Great place !! Take the kids and enjoy the ride through history... If you gift aid your tickets last a year !! Beautiful views, brilliant gift shop and if you're local they do farmers markets etc so it's win win 😊
feehay650 — Google review
New Lanark Mill Hotel is in such a beautiful location. Lovely old buildings, cobbled streets, and fantastic views over the Falls of Clyde. Spacious rooms. Food is super. Friendly, welcoming staff. Brilliant pool & jacuzzi. Highly recommended. 👍🏻
SuperPinny — Google review
A beautifully preserved part of our industrial heritage.
Well worth the visit.
Easy to get to if you're a tourist in Glasgow without a car.
Take the train from Glasgow to Lanark. It's every half an hour and takes and hour.
Right by the train station in Lanark is the Bus Stance. Take the 135 bus to New Lanark, it drops you right by the door. The bus is hourly, at the time of my review it leaves at 34 minutes past the hour.
Sean O'Neill — Google review
Really interesting visitors centre.
Great walk to all the falls.
Free bus back to the car park was the icing on the cake!
clare booth — Google review
Fabulous setting good day out hotel has a spa good scenery and walks very hilly. Stayed in cottage very spacious but basic.Didnt go to museum did gift shop and area around. Good day out take packed lunch if weathers nice very pricey in cafe . Hotel has restaurant as well.
Lynniloo Ady — Google review
Fascinating place and on such a huge scale.
Very interesting history, especially liked seeing where the wool is spun and produced.
Lovely cakes in the café.
As the mills are on the valley floor along the river, the paths down to them from the car park are very steep. There is a shuttle bus that runs back and forth between the two.
Sam Palmer — Google review
A large site with a lot to see. With the car park at the top of a steep hill, a problem for those with mobility issues. The shuttle bus only runs at weekends.
It was very interesting seeing how people lived and worked there in the past.
David Smith — Google review
Had a brilliant time visiting New Lanark.
Lots of interesting information about New Lanark as well as wider issues such as history, society and the local area, presented in an easy and fun way to understand, there is even a small ride to show you around and explain points in a bite sized way.
Nice that the village was open to wander around and see how the rest of life was in the past.
Very clean, good condition buildings and friendly, enthusiastic staff.
Stewart Richardson — Google review
Great experience, superb reconstruction of the mill and the lives of the workers. Exhibitions are modern and relevant; there's even a ride to experience the life of a mill working child.
Nice cafe on site. The waterfall is worth the walk along the wooded path. Open houses are fascinating and very authentic.
You can spend several hours there, so well worth the entrance fee.
Michael Lees — Google review
The mill visitor experience was fascinating and well designed. I particularly enjoyed the chair ride with the ghosts of mill workers, and the roof garden. The café was lovely! Plus the workers' cottages and Robert Owen's house.
Kathryn McFarlane — Google review
Brilliant day out wandering around the mill and surrounding area. Walk up to view the falls(only about ten minutes walk) and then around the houses in the village area. We arrived early,so we drove down the hill to park and didn't have the long walk. There's a school house, owners house, and then the whole of the mill to view,so set aside a good couple of hours.
Lyn Bostock — Google review
Great for an energetic walk up to the Falls of Clyde and on to Bonnington Linn and back to New Lanark Mill.
Nice fresh light lunches available, the carrot and ginger soup was fab.
A visit to the Mill itself is very memorable with its amazing historical past 👍
david edwards — Google review
Amazing place.So much to see. What a fantastic job the Trust have made. Cafe is really good. Lots of walk and amazing views. Don't miss the ice cream shop.
sue snelling — Google review
Lovely place, we walked up along side the Clyde, lovely views of the falls then a light lunch in the hotel. Excellent staff very friendly and polite. Excellent food highly recommended the Korean cauliflower.
Nick Allen — Google review
Fascinating place - it really has to be seen to appreciate this Victorian landmark. I spent a happy few hours last month wandering around looking at the buildings and going to the falls of Clyde viewpoint.
P.S. Don't do what I did and walk from Lanark to New Lanark by the road, you can reach New Lanark from Lanark by a woodland trail (map attached) avoiding the road completely :)
Laura FF — Google review
Such a beautiful place worth stunning walks. It has a play park for kids and there's a cafe aswell. Certainly worth a visit. I haven't stayed in the hotel but have many friends that have and they rave about it.
The Kelpies are magnificent horse sculptures at the entrance of Forth & Clyde Canal, named after Scottish water-horses. These steel equine statues stand tall at 30 meters and pay tribute to the working horses that used to haul barges along the canal. Visitors can see them for free from the M9 motorway between Edinburgh and Stirling or join a guided tour that takes them inside the sculptures.
Sculptures are awesome 😍 definitely "must visit" place. Worth every minute.
Benefits-free car park, pleasant walks along the canal, lots of green space. Nearby road did not bother me much. Lovely restaurant with beautiful views of statues, great tasting coffee and delicious carrot cake.
22dotih — Google review
An amazing place to visit. These sculptures are brilliant. Set in a lovely country park next to the canal. Easy level walking on well maintained pathways. FREE parking too 👍The visitor centre, gift shop and cafe are all worth visiting. Good value for money gifts, good coffee, lots of information on the history of the Kelpies and a children's activity area as well. I don't think you'd get a day out of visiting but definitely a few good hours.
Gary Herring — Google review
Lovely place to go and visit. You can, of course, see them from the motorway, but if you get the chance to park up (free parking) and have a little walk along the river to see this its definitely worth it.
Paul Slater — Google review
We stopped on our way back into town with a tour group. The statues are outstanding and very impressive. There's a little mound to the side where you can stand and someone can take your picture so it looks like you're feeding the horse. They have a visitor's center with information about the place and the area. There's a shop for hot drinks and snacks. Parking was free and handicap accessible. The whole area was handicap accessible. The are free public toilets. There are tons of places to sit and have a picnic or relax.
Leah Lambart — Google review
It is such a great place to visit. The massive statues is built by using a some kind like a steel materials. You can enjoy the view with calm atmosphere there. There are small store selling snacks and coffee at the side. The place is far from the train station, you need to take a bus or taxi to get there from train station.
Arief Rahman Hakim — Google review
It's a lovely place for a picnic and photo sessions. There is a wonderful picturesque walk by the canals.
It was a bit boring to listen to the tour guide. Listening to how much metal they have used for building the horses was irrelevant because you come here to enjoy the ambience and the scenery
Valeria Ryadinska — Google review
An interesting pair of sculptures.
It's some sort of Mafia memorial. 😉🤣
There are guided tours that will answer all of your questions about the sculptures.
No matter what you think of horses, they're magnificent.
Just be careful where you stand while taking pictures, as several birds roost in the statues, and...well, you know what birds do after they eat.
There are toilets, refreshments and a souvenir shop in the main building.
Plenty of other snack choices from vendors in the area of the sculptures.
Mark Hampson — Google review
We visited the Kelpies on two separate weekdays, the first occasion was early evening. We were charged £2 to park in the closest car park which had a toilet block. It’s easy access to get to view them from here. There’s a small cafe and gift shop which unfortunately were closed when we got there.
The Kelpies are very impressive, the nearer you get the better they are. Picture’s don’t do them justice. Apparently they don’t light up until it’s getting dark.
There’s plenty of seating to enjoy an ice cream close by or you can spend anything up to an hour just ambling around the area taking in the views and chilling.
On the second visit we decided to call in for coffee and cake but this time we found out that the car park charge was £4. ??? Don’t know why there was a sudden increase but we didn’t stop to find out why. Sorry people, I’m not paying double.
There is a free car park as you enter the area but it’s a distance away 10-20min walk/amble. There is a bit of a play area for kids over the road from this car park. (Helix Park, 10 min walk in the opposite direction).
This attraction is well worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Dave Holland — Google review
Fantastic visitor attraction and facilities. The Kelpies are awesome to look at with a great visor centre. It's a free attraction and parking close by is only £2 which is reasonable. Helix Park close by if you need a good walk with the dogs/children. Would highly recommend visiting.
Jonathan Gomez — Google review
It was my dream to visit this place since watching Great Canal Journeys with Timothy West and Prunella Scales. Lovely place and no disappointing at all. A lot of area for walking, cycling and playing. I wish I could live nearby to admire the sculptures in all seasons and times of day.
A A — Google review
Hi guys,
I really loved the area and structured.
Car park a decent size ,Payable on entry .
Car park has toilet facilities including disabled and baby change.
More toilet facilities in the main building which has a cafe and gift shop.
Also outdoor vendors having a choice of food , coffee and ice cream.
Next to a canal with no barriers so parents be aware of little ones!.
Pictures attached.
Regards to you all.
Richard Wilkinson — Google review
Simply put a absolute marvel and must do on you visit list around Falkirk. Great visitor centre and lovely staff. Loads of spaces picnic tables. Plenty of photo opportunities. What a wonderful story of vision to reality. Parking practical and costs 2 pounds with only cashless payment option. Toilets available at parking and reduced mobility parking for free, but go past the red barrier and you can park next to the visitors centre. Dog friendly also and the attraction lights up a Sunset.
David Hemming — Google review
Wow! These sculptures are truly amazing, the size of them cannot be appreciated until you are actually stood near them.
We stayed until dark so we could see them lit up, just so beautiful.
Parking is free in one carparks if you are prepared to walk about a quarter of a mile.
Well worth a visit.
martin Claridge — Google review
Really cool! Food trucks are a nice addition, got a hot chocolate from one with enough cream on it to feed a giant metal horse. Amenities were very well staffed and the surrounding area catered really well to families. No issues parking, entry of spaces and the parking attendants were very helpful.
Alex Sewell — Google review
Great place to visit for both old and young. Car park available but you have to pay. Toilets in car park, nice walk to see the kelpies. Gift shop and cafe on site with outdoor vendors as well. Nice walk along the canal to the lake, which has a kids playground and cafe serving sandwiches and drinks.
Sarah Mitchell — Google review
The family at AtlasAdventured highly recommends visiting here!
Stunning works of art! We saw them from the freeway and decided to get closer. As you get close you lose sight of them and we were like “how?! They’re so big!” We turned into Helix Park, which has plenty of walking and biking trails, playgrounds, and cool sculptures throughout. The grounds are very well kept. There are two different parking lots, one closer to the park, and one close to the statues. Once you park, it is a little bit of a walk (an easy walk) to the statues, maybe 5 minutes. How awesome that you can walk right up to them! Plenty of photo opportunities from every angle. There is also a visitor center which includes a cute gift shop, restrooms, and cafe. They do offer tours of the statues, which allows you to see the inside of them! Our daughter loved being able to run all around and couldn’t get over the size of the Kelpies. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend planning a visit here. It's a whole day of fun, for free! And it’s beautiful.
Atlas Adventured — Google review
Didn't know what to expect but wow, I was surprised. Stunning.
You can park further away for free or pay to park £3.20 per car, then walk to the sculpture. Remember by paying for parking your helping to upkeep.
Cafe and food vans on site.
Anthony Fulcher — Google review
Very cool place to visit! Would recommend, there’s a nice place to walk around too. It’s right on the canal and I like that it’s free (minus parking) to go and view them.
Look like they need a clean from the winter!
Melanie Comerford — Google review
Went here whilst working in Scotland and loved it! They are absolutely massive. You can’t get a feel for their size untill you stand underneath them! If you get chance go at night when it’s lit up! Visitor Centre has info and gifts and is handy for a coffee.
Kevin Small — Google review
Finally! We were able to see the famous "The Kelpies" 🥰 it wasn't a good weather but neither bad as well. Still, we had fun and enjoyed the rest of the day. We went here on purpose, no tours whatsoever. Google is the key! Must visit! Too bad we couldn't stay overnight to see it's beauty in the dark. Great place!
Wedalyn Grace Dangan — Google review
I enjoyed every moment I spent here. What A beautiful Place to spend a day with family and friends. I did not go into the kelpies, just had a walk around the park
Victoria Adams — Google review
An amazing sculpture to go and see. It’s just off of the motorway (M9) so is easy to access. There is a small car park for the Helix which is free to park in so I recommend parking there and walking up if you are able to. If not there is a car park located just a 5 minute walk away from the sculptures but it does cost.
You can also walk it along the canal to the Falkirk Wheel which is about a 2hr walk.
There is a shop to buy souvenirs, a cafe and toilets available at the horses.
Jemma — Google review
Absolutely beautiful things to see day and night, a must stop off if you're in the area. Spar down the road too with something called David's bakery, Absolutely beautiful rolls if you're on the road too
Geoff Rayment — Google review
These are awesome DUKE (facing down) and Baron (looking away) are HUGE to see up close wish I had seen them on a better day or all lit up at night but was nice to stop and see them. There's a wee visitor centre with cafe and toilets on site.
Emma Brown — Google review
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4.5
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Visitor Centre, The Helix, Grangemouth, Falkirk FK2 7ZT, United Kingdom
The Falkirk Wheel is a remarkable and distinctive boat lift that was constructed in 2002 to link the Forth & Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. This modern engineering feat features a rotating mechanism that raises vessels by 115ft from one canal to the other. Visitors can embark on boat trips departing from the lower basin, which pass through Roughcastle Tunnel before completing their return journey via the wheel.
What an amazing experience. The sun was shining. The trip was excellent. The Captain and Crew were knowledgeable and really funny. The engineering aspects were incredible and the views spectacular. Ended the trip with lunch at the Boardwalk. Highly recommend both.
pam birtle — Google review
For the mechanical-minded and water-loving sorts, this is a must visit. There are many family-oriented activities in and around the Falkirk Wheel. Great for a day out, as there is a cafeteria and store on site. There seems to be ample low cost parking. There is no other cost to visit, unless you take a boat ride on the Wheel and canal, or participate in one of the other on-site activities.
Jeremy H. — Google review
An astonishingly beautiful piece of engineering that's more like a work of art. The views from the top are fantastic. Don't forget to check out the light show in the Falkirk Tunnel a short distance along the Union Canal heading towards Edinburgh - magical.
Brian Kennedy — Google review
amazing boat trip, boat was packed so would recommend booking before hand. all staff were really polite and helpful, coffee cakes etc all available there too! gift shop had loads of options.
lauren perkins — Google review
The world first and only rotating boat lift. It’s a fantastic innovation and unique piece of boat lift to connect the surrounding Canals. Well worth the visit to explore the area and admire this amazing engineering work 🏴
PH PC — Google review
I have lived here all my life and never been here. I wasn't disappointed. The boat ride was really interesting and was good to learn all about it. The crew were amazing and very knowledgeable. The views are spectacular. It is definitely something to experience. There is a cafe with outdoor seating so you can enjoy a coffee and cake whilst watching the wheel in action. And of course a gift shop with plenty of items. A great day out for all the family.
Sharon Noble — Google review
Really amazing! Very cool bit of engineering, and the park for the kids within the facility is fantastic. Caters really well to families and the amenities are well kept. Really looking forward to taking a canal boat down the Falkirk wheel in the future. Definitely recommend.
Alex Sewell — Google review
An original place to spend time with the family. It has a very large playground and the walk around the place is very good. You can see how the boats rise on the wheel to continue their journey through the canal. it is worth the visit. Don't miss the colored tunnel located in the upper part of the canal.
Javisa Australia — Google review
Stunning piece of engineering designed to raise and lower boats between (I hope I have this right) the Falkirk Canal and the Forth and Clyde canal. Getting to and walking all round the Wheel is free but you can pay to do a boat ride that takes you up and down in the wheel or you can just watch this happening. There's a large a friendly cafe there. Not very easy to access on public transport. I took a train from Edinburgh and cycled. I've included a video of the wheel in action.
Angus Hamilton — Google review
A wonderful piece of architecture. I was full of admiration for how it worked and it still works very well. My journey here took me 5 hours, I was so happy that I finally managed to see it and the weather was good. I recommend spending time there with your family, There is a playground, a shooting range, and water balls and I plan to finish building water rockets for children to shoot at. Inside there is a shop, 1 large restaurant and a stand for buying sandwiches and coffee, toilets and beautiful works of local artists. The area has 2 access roads, 3 large parking lots, and pedestrian and bicycle paths. The entire area is green, but wear a warm jacket or sweatshirt because sometimes it is windy and you will be cold. I recommend it, I will come here again.
The price of parking is favorable, see the photo in the gallery how much it costs to park.
Kinia K — Google review
Went to visit the Falkirk Wheel in January 2024. Unfortunately the wheel was under maintenance work but most of the wheel was lit up and we were still able to visit and see the wheel. Lots of fun too. Also huge respect’s to the owners of the site as there was maintenance happening the car park was permitted as free. Huge thanks to the respects there!
kindness ARK — Google review
Lovely site,something I've wanted to see for sometime. We were able to park beside the shop being a blue badge holder! As the cafe was packed we bought the most amazing hot chocolate from the mobile coffee van, delicious!
Susan Bradford — Google review
As a tourist destination this has everything you expect. Expensive coffee, expensive food a gift shop and something to look at.
To be fair, parking is free and there is lots for the kids to do, just happens that we're adults so I have to be fair in review.
The kids playground was nice and if you wanted to avoid paying parking at The Kelpies they are just a 90 minute walk along the canal.
It was interesting to see the Wheel spin but unfortunately due to high winds boat tours were not running.
If it's your first time in Scotland, got kids with you or you're particularly interested in Canals this place is an obligatory stop.
Robin Steer — Google review
Great engineering matter. Must see near to Edinburgh, Stirling or Glasgow. Wait for moving, a ship flows in, the carousel moves and the ship is high above you and goes on direction glasgow. Great experience. I also recommend taking more time for a longer walking around the wheel. The nature scenes with views are beautiful, good for your healthy and they are amazing places for your photography. After walking don't hesitate to refresh yourself by a coffee in restaurant next to wheel.
Robert Fillner — Google review
We recently visited her in May half term, we managed to get parked fairly easily, there is a charge for the car park. The wheel itself is very interesting to see, we booked for a ride on the boat up the wheel and along part of the canal and back. It was reasonably priced and you receive information about the wheel and history of canals on board. We really enjoyed it as a family.
We also played on the water balls on the surrounding water which the children loved and the little boats. The staff were friendly and we didn't have to wait long. There was also a play park there.
There was other activities you could book there such as bike hire and archery however we didn't book these.
There was toilets, food and coffee vans as well as a shop for souvenirs.
We had a fab few hours here and would definitely recommend a visit.
Victoria Topping — Google review
If you are into amazing engineering then this is a must see if you're anywhere nearby. Essentially it is a boat lift which lifts canal boats from the lower canal up 35m to a higher canal via a huge wheel, thus avoiding the need for multiple locks. Plenty of information and a visitor centre, plus well laid out canal side walks linking various places of interest and local towns and villages. Very interesting.
Steve Mann — Google review
An engineering marvel and must see , enjoy a trip on barge (do book it) or just walk around the park. Walk to the top and see the barges load up , you can also walk though the tunnel and over the top back. At the bottom there’s a kids water play area (see pics) and you can also hire SUPS.
Spencer Hudson — Google review
Good signposts to get to the car park. ANPR is used for the car parking. Drop off is free, take the ticket at the barrier, drive down, drop off, drive back to the barrier, scan the ticket and drive out. 20 minutes is the limit.
Payment for parking is via ticket validation at the yellow machines, card only.
This is an amazing piece of engineering and physics. We managed to get tickets for the last trip of the day, which was just a full rotation of the wheel as there was not enough time to have the full trip before the attraction closed. The guides on they trip boat were fantastic, they were informative, funny and ensured everyone was safe and enjoyed the trip.
There are quite a few activities around the area including the Antonine Wall, the canal tunnel, walking trails, water balls, shooting range, a playground or you can just watch the boats.
Inside the visitor centre there are information boards on how and where the wheel was made and built. There’s also a restaurant, a gift shop, toilets and a parking payment machine.
It’s well worth a visit, we can’t wait to go back to do the full trip, but this time book a trip time in advance.
Dave Holland — Google review
We visited on a wet day but this meant it was quiet, great gift shop and cafe and you can book a boat trip to experience the wheel in motion. Really is worth watching it in action. Lots of side attractions to spend more time. Free to see the wheel and only needed to pay for parking, £3 for as long as you needed, definitely worth a visit.
Sarah Welek — Google review
It wasn’t very clear how the place works. We looked around for ticket prices or times for things but wasn’t easy so sort of gave up. Tried to play mini golf but couldn’t get the kit. Other people were playing and we went to the hire place and it said golf was opening soon go there, but golf had a sign to go to hire. Gave it 10 mins and gave up as patience of a nearly 3 year old is thin 😂
Everything looked closed so maybe just bad timing. Looks like in the summer could be really good. Visited April Easter holidays.
Melanie Comerford — Google review
An amazing feat of engineering. We were given a lot of information by one of the staff a really well worth trip. Unfortunately, when we were there, the basin was drained whilst they undertook engineering work. Buy still worth the trip.
David Trenbath — Google review
Excellent solo visit midweek during half term. Admired watching the wheel operate from the hill (near segway) before descending to the visitor center. Grabbed a delicious macaroni cheese for lunch, the cafe was buzzing, lovely friendly staff. Booked the last 90 min wheel boat ride. There was clearly lots of activities to keep you busy, but I just admired this marvel of engineering and its many photographic opportunities. The tour was great and well worth doing. Something quite surreal about ascending and descending silently afloat. Plenty of parking, clean, ample toilet facilities, cafe and coffee bar with indoor seating, and gift shop.
Rebecca Grimbly — Google review
One of a kind engineering wonder that will make you wonder what's next?
A great place for kids and friends to explore.
Try the gift shop and don't forget to buy some tablets.
No not the iPad or android kind. It's a snack. Ask the store keeper.
Mahmoud Nowaz — Google review
Although we have been a few times, the weather was good enough for us to pretend we were tourists and it didn't disappoint!
We went with our now 6 year old son. There were plenty of activities for him. He chose to do the wee paddling boats, and then we played with the archimedes water pumps, which im so glad are back in action! Super cute! Then we went into the playing area until it was our time for the boat trip.
The ticket was a bit pricey, but we thoroughly enjoyed it! The guy doing the commentary was funny and engaging. Got some stunning photos!
100% recommended to both tourists and non-tourists! #falkirk #falkirkwheel
Abbas Aliakbar — Google review
Unfortunately we visited the Wheel during its maintenance time, but a friendly Scottish gentlemen with a black Labrador informed us that it would be back in operation in March. I wasn’t bothered it wasn’t running, just looking at it and reading about the facts of the Wheel was enough for me. There was a gift shop and coffee shop in the visitor centre so it was nice to enjoy a coffee and scone and looking at the Wheel. We shall definitely come back to see it again. It’s worth noting that if you are a Blue Badge holder like my fiancé is, parking is free when the Wheel is operating. In the winter months the barriers are up so any vehicle is free which I think is really nice.
I’ve put I recommend booking tickets in advance purely because when the Wheel is operational again I expect it’ll be busy, so save yourself some time and get the tickets online.
Can’t wait to come back!
Kathryn Hall — Google review
56% as popular as Keswick
27 minutes off the main route, 78% of way to Hamilton
I'll never travel to Hamilton without this trip planner again
M&D's Scotland's Theme Park is a great place to visit with your partner. There are a number of fun attractions and rides available, as well as a bowling alley and bingo hall. The arcade is also great for kids, and there's plenty of food and drink options available.
Visited Santas Magical Circus at M&D’s “Destination Christmas” on Saturday. Was really busy. Park had a great atmosphere. Circus was very good- really enjoyed the show, which was a good 45 minutes long.
Rides were looking really good too, all lit up in the dark when we left the circus.
The Christmas offering at M&D’s is getting better every year.
David Kidd — Google review
The rides are not that over priced but you don't get very long on them, I tuned up at 1.30pm I went to get on a ride at 2pm and thought where are all the staff, found out after 30 mins all the staff go to have dinner and they just close all the rides down, never been to a theme park which just closed all rides and not tell anyone as everyone was just standing around going what's going on that's the rest for a the 1 star as a lot of people just left the park, there are not many rides as it is very run down and needs a lot of work, the food is not cheep here as I paid £18 for 2 burgers and chips which costs more then what I paid for the rides
Bristolian Days Out — Google review
After spending all day (11am to 6pm) at the park, these are my impressions.
Really enjoyed the arcade with my son. We probably spent a fortune playing games for a few hours. Didn't buy a wrist band for rides, so we spent the money at the arcade instead.
Amazonia was nice for a little wander.
Mini golf was good fun, but think they should give it a bit of tlc as some bits are starting to wear a bit now.
The rides felt more like when the local fairground comes around, just more wide open space to walk around and not that many. So, for us, that was the disappointing bit so only went on two rides with my little boy.
Some of the food court restaurants were shut. A bit disappointing. Luckily the burger joint near the rides made good burgers and fries.
Overall, we'll come again for the arcade and to try the bowling alley.
Jose Garcia — Google review
We had a lovely day at M&D's. My two grandsons enjoyed the soft play and I must mention Karen, for all the soft plays I have been in, I have never seen anyone take the time Karen does with all the children, she asks and remembers all thier names, introduces the older children to each other so they leave not only having had great fun, they have made a new friend, she interacts with all the children and is just a genuine and lovely person. A jewel in M&D's crown. Thank you Karen, Ruaridh and Alfie had great fun.
Bridget Smith — Google review
A place to not only relax, unwind and have fun but to really bond with your family.... Loved every moment I spent there.
Got lots of cool places inside too. Amazonia, arcade etc
chinedu obi — Google review
We took our son here mostly for Amazonia. The place is good but I did expect more animals and for it to be a bit bigger for the money. But my son enjoyed himself and enjoyed seeing the animals as we paid extra for the handling experience.
Unfortunately with him being 2 there was not much else he could go on and do in the park. We will need to bring him back when he is a bit older.
Keith Boyd — Google review
A great spot for kids and teenagers with indoor games, rides, foods, and attractions. Plus, there are beautiful restaurants nearby with beautiful lake and park view!
Imran Hossain Bhuiyan (IHB) — Google review
The arcade was fun and had loads of choices we all loved it there. You can win tokens and then exchange gifts/toys. There was a amusement park with rides outside but didn't go out to see. There's a bar on the far left of the building with pool tables, more arcades and serviced food. A great place to take the kids for a bit to have fun!!!
May Li Cheung — Google review
Spent a full day here with my grandson, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. I have Mobility issues, and the staff were very helpful in assisting me on and of the rides when required. The food on site, is obviously not cheap but not too expensive either, and we found it to be good quality.
George Cummings — Google review
Buy points/bands at least 24 hours in advance you'll save a good bit of money. For example 40 points for £40 buy online and get 20 free points. All day wrist band 22.50 but online and it's £19.50 but has to be bought the day before going.
zonaib tahir — Google review
Great place! You have everything in one place, rides, soft play, bowling (although you might have to wait for that one for an hour or so, best to book it as you arrive and come back after a few rides). Mini golf is very well decorated too. You don't really have to wait for rides so it's perfect for impatient people like me 😅
Super big parking (free!) So no worries about it. There is also a place to eat - clean, proper, tasty and not only nuggets and chips. I recommend baked potato 🥔. You can eat outside too as there are tables with umbrellas or roofs.
Justyna Piros — Google review
Had a great afternoon in the arcade playing lots of games which my little one loved and getting enough tickets for a prize ! There is also a soft play area , mini golf and bowling to keep you amused while the park rides are closed over winter season.
Sarah Kirk — Google review
Over priced and lacks any sort of fun for anyone over the age of 5. I'm not sure what happened to this place as it used to be so much fun. I remember going here for schools trips and it was honestly the best. We were there last year and it was OK, definitely better than it was when we went yesterday. Food cost us more than the tickets. Used to struggle to get parked, now you can have your pick of spaces. I think the park is in desperate need of a facelift. Specialist rides? I've already paid for a ticket and a fun pass, why then charge again for certain rides (they want it in cash)? It's the only place we have north of the border that's theme related, you'd think it would be up to much better standards than what it is. I agree with previous posts, more like the shows that stay put as opposed to a theme park. Hopefully someone with a bit of cash and passion for fun invests in M&Ds, it has huge potential, very sad to see it the way it is now.
Victoria Kasperowicz — Google review
Its OK for something todo.
And a place to visit if u travel to Scotland not all rides are open, you have to buy points for some, and it don't get busy at all been twice and it's not been busy at all.
Elizabeth Davis — Google review
Good Park for most ages but not what I would call a theme park any more. Its more a selection of good fairground rides with added water slides. This park used to have rides for older children bit has slowly diminished since 2018. It needs lots more investment to bring it back to being anything like a theme park, however there us still plenty to entertain a variety of children and includes an arcade and amazonian world. We had a good day but at ages 13 and 11, my children were round the rides several times within 2 hours bring on site.
Mark Wilson — Google review
Bought a day pass and enjoyed going on all the rides more than 3 to 4 times! Best to buy tickets online as they were selling them for £17 but £22 in person.
Restaurants close at 4 PM so plan ahead of time!
They have a jumping pirates show 3 times a day. I enjoyed watching it as one of the three men jumped from 80ft high up into a 9ft pool of water. It's a 20min show with 3 divers.
Make sure to bring an extra set of clothes or a raincoat as there are 2 water rides that you can get on dry but it does splash all over you! We made the mistake of not bringing any and was uncomfortably wet going home.
They sell fun points which you can top up on your fun card, which you can use on the rides or the arcades. However, you can't use them on the small game kiosks as those require actual money.
Franchesca Causin — Google review
It's not Disney land but it's not bad either.
Most rides are suitable for ages 8+ with very little for younger kids, although there is a large softplay area inside. Some rides are not included with the wristband (£22.50) and you have to pay extra for them - eg, trampolines, crazy golf, Amazonia, bowling.
Food was a decent price but limited choice of burgers, hot dogs and pizza slices. There's also a large bar that does pub-grub.
If the weather's decent it's probably worth a visit with the kids for a day out. I wouldn't buy tickets in advance though in case the weather's not good - it's Scotland after all. If the weather's bad, the £22.50 entry fee is not worth it. If the weather's good, it's probably good value.
Gordon Stewart — Google review
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Strathclyde Country Park, Bellshill, Motherwell ML1 3RT, United Kingdom
FUN for ALL Ages!!! Where else can you go that lets you play with GIANT SIZE diggers, these guys were great with my family and me , a real hands on experience day on the diggers and the farm, we got to see the Highland Coos AND Clap the CLYDESDALE horses! They have 24 of these bad boys and girls and it was AMAZING for us all, Pocket money souvenirs excellent, well priced and something for everyone to remember our day! LOVED IT!
MUST BOOK IN ADVANCE
Mr & Mrs Duncan — Google review
It is the most fantastic day I have ever had, the staff are so nice and the Clydesdale horses were a bonus. I love excavators and this made my year complete
Confuso Hoje — Google review
A fantastic day on the diggers and thanks to my guides, Mo and Sonya, whose patience and instructions were impeccable. Everyone was so nice and friendly,
Agnes Wilson — Google review
5.0
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Blackstone Farm, Rigg Rd, Cumnock, KA18 3JJ, United Kingdom
Dumfries House is an impressive Palladian mansion built by the Adam brothers in the 1750s, set within a sprawling country estate. This architectural gem boasts exceptional preservation with Prince Charles taking personal interest in its protection. The house has a stunning collection of Chippendale furniture, tapestries and artworks on display for visitors to admire through guided tours, which can be booked in advance. Historic Environment Scotland members benefit from discounted entry fees.
Lots of nice walks to take. Lovely play area for the kids. Didn't do a tour of the house as there was a wedding. Grounds of the house are lovely too. Cafe was very nice and very well priced too.
Abby D — Google review
Wonderful place to visit. Gardens are lovely and well maintained. Plenty of open space to enjoy walks and sit to enjoy the atmosphere and tranquility in certain sections of the gardens.
Recommend taking your own picnic/ lunch as cafe is small / not much seating and not adequate to deal with large crowds arriving at same time . Toilet facilities are available however more toilets would benefit the public as there was large ques waiting to use toilets. Fantastic family day out can be had at Dumfries House highly recommended
Christine Hughes — Google review
Very pleasantly surprised. The parking and the grounds are free to visitors: there's a charge for a guided tour of the house only. The house is worth visiting. The guide tells of the history of the house and how it came to be under the auspices of the King. You will need to book if you would like to visit the house. Wonderful adventure playground for a wide range of age groups. However, it is the gardens which are the best feature. Very impressive; beautifully laid out and a joy to explore. When we visited there was a very good makers market on site.
Frances Orchard — Google review
We had a lovely walk round the grounds and up to the Barony A Frame. There aren't signs for the path but head up the hill and you can't miss it!
Dumfries House gardens are beautiful, and we particularly appreciated the café for delicious cakes and coffee.
Kathryn McFarlane — Google review
Beautiful Adams house furnished with many Chippendale pieces. The house was excellent bringing it all to life. Extensive grounds with children's play area and an awesome walked garden.
Bryan Steele — Google review
We couldn't get in to see round the house as it was closed for a wedding but we will save that for another day. The grounds were stunning especially the Walled Garden. Lots of walks in the grounds and if you've got kids plenty to keep them busy. Great wee tearoom as well.
Jean Chalmers — Google review
3rd time here and it won't be the last. There is always something different to do and walk .It's so peaceful and well maintained.Dog friendly on leads There is an outdoor area at the cafe if you have a dog .The only problem is if you're on your own with the dog I find it hard to get someone's attention in the cafe to come out to me They need to attach something outside to tie the dog securely.
julia johnson — Google review
Amazing place !! First time here with the family. About 1 hour from Glasgow. Dog friendly (on a leash) . Stunning scenery all around with a large tree top play park for the kids. Be careful on the slide though as there are big bolts that stick out on the outside half way down. There's a cafe / toilets / ice cream. Really amazing place and we will definitely be back. Oh and there's also a section the kids can build dams with water etc. It really is good. See pics 📸
Also there is a maze that costs £1 for adults .... kids are free
Runningwithstephen StephenQuigley — Google review
Loved this place, can’t wait to go back. A great selection of little walks around the grounds, some spectacular trees and shrubs around the gardens and the arboretum. The walled garden and the maze were closed (winter) but another reason to go back again and again.
Rob Croydon — Google review
Astounding greenery, may this place keep being vibrant healthy and strong in eternity. Very nice and safe worksmanship on the toys as well. A little inconvenient that everything was closed down in the evening, perhaps a vending machine for a hot chocolate for the late visitors would complete it nicely 💝😊
Wander Queer — Google review
Brilliant play area for the kids, the swing bridges are incredible and the slides too. The gardens are lovely to walk around and the bridges are great. The food in the cafe was delicious, but very popular so expect a queue. Parking is free so a must if you are in the area
Mighty Red80 — Google review
Have just returned home from an overnight stay. Extensive grounds all well kept.
Fantastic place to visit,everyone is so kind. The room was well appointed and nothing left to chance. Food sublime and the staff couldn't do enough for us.
Beautiful setting. Well worth a visit.
The house is gorgeous and the Thomas Chippendale furniture is just wonderful.
Linda Bailey — Google review
Amazing place. Fantastic for a day out. Lots to see and do. The Woodlands Garden, the Walled Garden, the Arboretum and the Maze are wonderful. So nice for a peaceful walk. There are so many stunning trees to see too. There's a massive playground for children. Lots of parking spaces in the main car park as well as near the visitor centre/café. Toilets and baby changing facilities are available and clearly signposted. Dogs are welcome in the grounds. There's a café, a restaurant and a gift shop. It's free to visit but there's a £3 fee to visit the Walled Garden which is worth it. There's a charge for tours of the Dumfries House but we didn't get to do a tour on this occasion. My friends and I really enjoyed ourselves and would definitely visit again.
Maya M — Google review
First time visiting the grounds & thoroughly enjoyed the walk. The tea room was clean and the staff friendly. The food was decent with a reasonable choice
allan mac — Google review
We had a wonderful time. The grounds are amazing. The only downside is that it's hard going round the house at times, I just wish there were seats to sit on. I know it's not easy but some of us were suffering at the end. The guides were very good.
A few more sign posts would help as the map is not good at showing routes on how to get around. Having said that I will definitely visit again. It's a fantastic place for all ages.
John Yates — Google review
What a beautiful place Dumfries House is .We went a while back but knew we had to come back when the gardens were in bloom,we weren't disappointed, just wonderful. A very relaxing place to wander around ,stop and smell the flowers .Sit and relax in one of the many lovely spots around the estate.
Great adventure playground for kids built around the giant trees that dominate the landscape.
There's also a water park with a difference, kids can learn from small dams , make water move up an Archmeides screw and various other fun stuff with water .
Take a picnic or eat in the cafe .
Worth visiting time and time again .
King Charles done us all a favour in buying this lovely place and saving it for everyone.
Parkland around Torrance House hosting a children's zoo, ornamental gardens and adventure play area.
Great park with a lovely selection of animals from around the world. The park is free to use but if you want to see the animals its £1.85 for adults, 95p for children and under 3s are free. Also, the ticket is all day so you can go in as many times as you want that day. Brilliant value for money. Theres Meerkats, guinea pigs, snakes, monkeys, tropical fish, Scottish wildcats, Otters, and many others too.
The park itself is large and has lots of trails with interesting features such as waterfalls. There's a children's play park with chutes, swings, climbing apparatus and zip line with many other features for them to enjoy. There's plenty of benches and picnic tables dotted around too. This is definitely a place for families to enjoy and is somewhere my family has been going for over 20 years. Thoroughly recommend.
claire Robertson — Google review
Good cheap family day out here if you were to stay out of the cafe. Zoo onsite is very cheap, small but good value for money. Entry to the park itself is free snd so is the parking. The zoo has an adult £2 admission and kid £1 fee. The park is fairly well equipped to keep the kids entertained. We also went a walk to the "Falls" which never took long to reach but the decent up and down the hill is fairly steep with very oversized steps which could be dangerous for kids and very challenging for the elderly. We went to the cafe where I was £49 for 2 pizzas, 4 drinks and 3 cakes.
All in all, good wee spot for a day out. Watch the road leading into it though as it is riddled with large potholes and take a picnic if you want to keep it a cheap day out.
Craig Johnstone — Google review
Nice place for a nice day out for walks and to see there wee zoo.coffee shop to worth a visit with kids or without. Every thing for a nice wee day out 😊
Richard Harris — Google review
Came here with my two children and had a lovely day out. The zoo is reasonably priced - think we paid £4 or so for the three of us to enter. Lovely well kept gardens outside and well looked after animals. Staff member was feeding the skunk and took time to talk to us about her. We followed one of the walking paths too, giving us a beautiful scenic walk. After this we went to the play park and the girls had lots of fun. So much to do and a great day out. Only thing that bothered me was the price of 2 ice creams £5 for a Cornetto and a Calypso.
Lana Killeen — Google review
Great place for walks, picnic, fantastic zoo for just £1 for kids and £2 for adults, great play area, lovely coffee. Well worth a visit.
Joanna Kola?kovsk? — Google review
It's all right, that's all. It's a bit small for what a zoo is, but they do have an ample number of animals.
I'm just weirded out with the monkey(?) that was kept with only just fake plastic plants all over inside the glass enclosure. And I'm concerned with the squirrels, they look very overfed and obese.
It's a good place to go out for a few hours anyway, with a few exotic animals.
Savio Domenick — Google review
We decided to take a trip through to airthrill from Edinburgh yesterday and we started at calderglen Country Park. Parking wasn't the best, really busy and quite a few spaces were taken up by contractors and machinery who were there relaying some Of the road, making it hard to turn around. We did eventually get a space though. We sat and had a picnic first ( there are a few picnic tables there)
And then took a stroll around the ground, down to the horseshoe waterfall. We then went to the park, really good size, good for all ages. The small zoo was 99p per child and I think £1.99 for adults. There is an indoor area with parots, snakes, meerkats, fish and very cute little monkeys. There is also a outdoor area with quite a few species of birds, some very vocal to my kids delight :) and other animals. We would definitely recommend and would like to return soon.
Ashley Mcneil — Google review
My wee girl loves this place. She's 3 and loves the animals in the zoo. It's only £2 and gives you access all day, defo worth it.
The play park is great and she burns off all her energy every time. = a great night's sleep 😂😂
Lost 1 star as the public toilets were closed and she nearly pee'd herself running to the cafe. Not ideal when so many kids in the one place.
Chris C — Google review
Came here for the first time at the weekend with my 3 kids. They absolutely loved it. The playgrounds are great, so much to do, plenty for the bigger kids as well as the littler kids. My oldest loved the adventure playground, my middle son loved the big slides and my youngest was happy exploring and playing with the woodchips 😄 The zoo was a nice addition. So cheap to get in and I liked that you can come and go all day.
My only gripe is that I wish there were more disabled spaces in the car park, it was really difficult finding somewhere suitable to park and most cars that were in the disabled bays didn't have a badge on display. I've got 3 disabled kids so a disabled space is a necessity for us.
All in all a great day out, especially when the sun is shining!
Danielle Stevenson — Google review
Beautiful expanse of land with marked walking trails, a zoo for kids and a playground with several fun options. Taking one of the trails was the highlight for me.
Ty — Google review
We visited with my son aged 7. He loved the park which was busy due to the weather and we had an ice cream from the van. The small zoo was brilliant for the price and would highly recommend this. Very good park and will definitely go back.
Paul Dooley — Google review
The family and I had a fantastic time at this place. I certainly will revisit multiple times and atleast once a month.
This place is a hidden gem
Absolutely beautiful inside
Extremely cheaply priced at £1 for children over 3 and £2 for adults.
I would pay this every single time happily.
Someone here has found a winning formula and knows it.
The place was teeming with children and families.
Parking here is ample and you start from the reception.
Inside there is a indoor section with fish, kids activities, otters, a snake, tortoise, lizards and more.
It leads to an outdoor section (pictures attached) which is serene and like a private top level botanical garden.
I cant reccomend this place enough for families with young children. Top marks!
Abdullah Amin — Google review
This beautiful country park is filled with nature trails, plenty of space to run for kids or dogs, a mini zoo and a conservatory.
Great for days out and to have a picnic on a nice, dry sunny day!
The courtyard café was good too.
The park itself is free, however charges apply when visiting the conservatory and the zoo.
Adults - £1.85
Children - 95p
Under 3's - Free
S S — Google review
Five stars is for park alone. The zoo is very rundown, years ago it was better looked after. I have concerns about the animals. Long tailed tamarind is housed with very little live/fresh vegetation/plants. Quite a few of the plastic variety. Meerkats enclosure also very poor. If this can't be funded to upgrade maybe it should be closed down.
Catriona Smith — Google review
Visited the zoo today with my granddaughter and had such a nice time, plenty of animals to see both indoors and out in the garden area. Animals looked well cared for and everyone we met that worked there was very friendly and helpful, especially the young girl who is there on College placement, she took some close up videos of the meerkats for us that my granddaughter loves and gave us lots of information about them, so helpful and very much appreciated so please pass on my thanks to her. Overall a good day out with easy parking, lots to see and didn’t cost a fortune!
Audrey Laird — Google review
4.6
(3320)
•
4.5
(550)
Calderglen Country Park, Strathaven Rd, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 0QZ, United Kingdom
Loch Lomond Shores is a popular tourist spot with upscale boutiques and a department store, as well as cafes and a children's play area. It is also one of the most popular destinations for water sports in the UK, with operators such as Loch Lomond Watersports based here.
Beautiful scenery here and it's what I would personally suggest going for rather than the shopping experience (it's just shops that you can find anywhere), with some nice short trails ideal for a quick morning out walking.
Andy Langworthy — Google review
What a view, we didn't have too long here, enough to have a walk around. Unfortunately they don't do boat trips around the Loch from here anymore, they are a 10 minute walk up the road, they have a sea life centre, no idea of price, they have a bird of prey centre on site, which is £9 adult to go in, and flying displays at various times. They have a small parade of shops on ground level, Frazers which had a reasonably priced cafe , they have a health food shop, & shoe & school uniform , & a couple of gift shops. We didn't go upstairs but there is a nail salon & a Jurassic Grill restaurant, the only blot on the landscape is a hotel/spa which has unfortunately closed down about 3 years ago it would make a lovely place to stay with wonderful views.
Niki Holmes — Google review
Good place for shopping, there is no wide variety of stores, many of them for kids. Little number of restaurants there, and one of them closed at 3 pm, I guess, but the cafe was still open after 3 pm. The most interesting things are the views and the shores, there were many setting areas on the shores and you can take a boat, and other staffs for water exercises.
Faisal Madanat — Google review
It's a beautiful place, good for children, the view of the lake and hills is beautiful. So many activities are also available for them, and if you like walking you can go for a long walk besides the shoreline.
Deepak Sharma — Google review
It is beautifull, tranquil, at least at this time of year it is. I got there by train, and follow the path along the river. It takes you for a walk around, Balloch Castle & there's also a wall garden. At this time of year all is bare, but there is not many people. Coming down from the Castle, you can see the Loch & just wander along the shores. It's not crowded at the moment, I'm sure in the summer, it must be a lot more people there.
Corrine Bourdon — Google review
Great concept & location but its a shame that the retail units weren't occupied by local artisan producers, rather than run of the mill high street shops.
Sealife Aquarium is located here so might be a good rainy day option for families.
There are 2 eateries, one cafe and the other a restaurant/grill with some outdoor seating.
Some water sports are available and of course lovely walks around the Loch if you venture further northwards.
Sue — Google review
Beautiful lake that is so exquisite and serene on a March evening without any tourists. It was liberating to enjoy the vastness of the lake with the distant mountains in the background.
Merryheart — Google review
Really lovely place, so Accessible for all abilities. The red squirrel walk was lovely, didn't see any squirrels but was a lovely walk and wheelchair accessible. Car park is big and free, overall just a lovely place to go.
Monika Coomb — Google review
Nice place to visit with family. Large array of shops catering mostly to tourists and other visitors. Entertainment for kids and young teenagers. Great even for just a little walk along the sea front.
Francis Zammit — Google review
Shopping centre is a typical TMP, Tourist money extraction point. Often food and craft fairs on outside at the weekend. Small but interesting engine house next to the dry-docked paddle steamer. Try the Pedalos for £25 p1/2 hour , tho' go for an hour. Great views of the paddle steamer if you get on the loch. Nice walks around too.
Hudson Frogg — Google review
Nice shops, lovely Sunday Market. Clean public toilets. Gorgeous location with a very nice play area for little ones. Plenty of places to eat and drink. Lovely for a day out.
Heather Evans — Google review
First time I've visited here , and of course 4 seasons in one day but I still loved it here .
Thought the loch looked magnificent.
Never guessed there would be a wee shopping mall here and I was more surprised by the prices , very very reasonable , well done ✅
R. S. — Google review
A very beautiful place to visit. My family and I went canoeing. Theres a place you can hire kayaks, canoes, paddling boats etc. And it isn't very expensive. For the 5 of us we paid £30 for a canoe for half an hour
The shores are very lively. They have a market nearby, there is free parking on site. The food from the food trucks was amazing.
Dagmer — Google review
Excellent - could do with more baby change and a toilet in the baby change room (what are we supposed to do if we need the toilet at the same time or are potty training?!). That said I love the tiny sinks. Also nice to see the centre still has places there. Will be coming back
Sel — Google review
Visiting on a bright early August day, it was surprisingly quiet when we arrived shortly after opening. It did fill out by midday but not to any extreme.
The shopping mall was smaller than I expected but had the key types of shops you would expect. Though the toilets were not as plentiful as I would expect (and like to have with my condition). Queues often formed but didnt last long, thankfully. Wouldnt want to put that to the test when the place is really busy.
Anyway, nice walk to the maid of Loch Lomond, plenty activities to choose from (due to school holidays they had a few low key fair rides - e.g. large inflatable slide, small carousel, trampolines, and air ball over water). They also had plenty of outside food stalls in addition to the standard cafes.
We took a 50 minute tour across the loch too. Followed by a short walk along their guided path. Plenty of other options we didnt get to try (tree adventures and birds of prey to name two). A lovely day and hope to come back.
Anton Bates — Google review
Fantastic venue for a day out. Family friendly and its on the flat with great wheelchair access and easy access for anyone with walking difficulties.
There is plenty of scope for walks, and Balloch is around a 15 minute walk away.
Loads of options at the Shores for something to eat too.
Robert Ferguson — Google review
Not much going on generally when I last visited. Shopping area looks a bit tired and packed full of small stores into a space previously occupied by an anchor store. Still great walks around the loch but needs an upgrade.
Rock Dinosaur — Google review
Loch Lomond Shores is a stunning destination. The serene waters of Loch Lomond, beautiful surrounding landscapes, and a variety of activities make it a must-visit. Whether you're into scenic walks, shopping, or simply enjoying nature, this place has it all. Highly recommended!
raminder kaur — Google review
I hated this place but the family didn't mind it. It's a really weird layout, sports direct and Fraser's take up half and then there are some smaller shops on the opposite end, some outdoor clothes shops, gifts shops and a good shop selling a mix of gifts and local merch. Also Thornton's with a cafe.
If you go during summer you may get to do a lot more than we did, as there's boat trips, woodland all there and if you can afford it a sea life.
A huge amount of parking is available.
chris Evans — Google review
The shops are nothing much to shout about. Sports direct, Fraser's (which is very expensive), a shoe shop, winter outlet store (good value) and a couple of other little stores.
There is also a sea life centre and a couple of places to eat.
But mainly came for the views and they are excellent. Some nice walks to be had as well.
Damian Brierley — Google review
Not been to Loch Lomond Shores for a long time. Jenners is now Fraser's and Sports Direct so not so upmarket. Otherwise the usual sort of shops you find at the likes of Gretna Gateway but on a smaller scale. Surroundings of the outlet framed by Loch Lomond so very pleasant. Parking is ample and free.
Michael Stone — Google review
Beautiful place to have a day out. Scenery is just stunning. Fantastic gift shops. So many activities for families to enjoy and a beautiful beach side to have your lunch etc. Highly recommend visiting if your out and about in Loch Lomand area.
Julie Beaton — Google review
4.2
(8805)
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4.0
(1080)
Ben Lomond Way, Balloch, Alexandria G83 8QL, United Kingdom