This is a review of the Castle grounds only - as I have only been there,although the castle itself does look very interesting. Drumlanrig is a lovely place to visit and ride the mountain bike trails in the grounds. But be aware it costs £4 per person, which is significantly more than you may be used to compared to the other trail centres in the borders. That said, the trails around the grounds are so very enjoyable. They flow nicely and do not involve too much climbing. Well worth a visit. In addition there is the coffee shop to visit afterwards. read more

Drumlanrig Castle - Castles Near Me - Thornhill, DGY

A beutiful park with managed woodland areas and ornamental gardens around which can be walked for a small entrance fee, which is essentially pay for the parking. My avatar is an example of one type of flora that can be seen in the woodland area which also contains a range of ancient trees and wildlife (which probably isn't so ancient). I have seen people foraging in the wooded areas collecting mushrooms and berries according the time of year. It's also popular with dog walkers and, so-long as dogs are controlled, they seem to be welcome. The castle itself is an impressive site and is open to the public for an additional fee, I've not been inside although I've heard it's very good. read more

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Drumlanrig Castle offers an excellent day out for the whole family. The main attraction here is the miles and miles of forest walks. As a kid I always loved those walks where you follow the coloured markers and on a recent trip here it seemed that our son had inherited this love. He was able to run off ahead quite safely while we struggled to keep up with him. The only complaint I would have about these walks is that they are sometimes crossed by bike paths and roads. The roads are not a problem but the bike paths can be concealed and bikes do go rather fast. During the summer months there is a monthly farmer's market in the courtyard that's well worth a visit for the Galloway beef burgers and regular displays of falconrytop tip is don't sit at the top of the steps if you want to avoid the low flying vulture! There are a number of little craft shops and you can hire a bike from Rik's bike hire if you don't fancy walking. On the subject of Rik's Bike Hire be sure to visit his museum where you can view what I think is the only side by side tandem in the world he might even let you go for a spin on it! read more

Drumlanrig Castle - Castles Near Me - Thornhill, DGY

My husband and I recently took a 3300 mile UK road trip. On the trip, often when we saw a Historical marker for a castle, we pulled off the road and took a chance. Usually, as in the case of Drumlanrig Castle, it paid off. The drive is long. Drumlanrig Castle is tucked away in the middle of the woods. Unfortunately, we arrived in the off-season and the interior tour of the castle was closed. We paid six pounds each to explore the grounds, including multiple gardens. I felt like I was in a Jane Austen novel. The grounds are gorgeous and enormous. We walked around and snapped a million pictures of everything. Also, if you have kids with you, there was a very cool playground with zip lines adjacent to the castle. I think that there may have been an extra fee for it, but as we were there when everything was closed, no one was monitoring it. If you have young kids, they would love it and you might have a difficult time prying them away from the play area to see the castle! It's worth the drive. read more

You can find this castle only 1.5hours drive south from Edinburgh just off the A702, on the A65. The driveway to the castle is a long one and sadly on the day when I arrived the council did some road improving works, which only distracted from the view a little bit. The estate is massive and I am just taking about the Drumlanrig estate considering that the current Duke of Queensberry owns 80000 acres and at one point owned land from Drumlanrig up to Edinburgh, so if you would have walked from there to Edinburgh, you never would have left his lands. The family tree is extensive and it's involvement in political affairs shaped their future, starting with J Douglas (I think) trying to save the heart of Robert the Bruce by throwing it in the air screaming something about fly my braveheart fly. Also to mention are the families Scott and Montagu. The empire was mainly founded by marriage of the 4th Duke to a wealthy heiress called Elizabeth Montagu a few hundred years back with vast lands coming into their possessions. I did a house tour, which lasts about an hour and is definitely worth it. The house is well secured considering the massive amount of expensive paintings hanging around this place, not to mention a Rembrandt, which was once bought for £140 and now worth 140 Mil. Yes, you heard correctly! Also, not so long ago one of this centuries unsolved art heist took place at the castle with 2 people pretending to be tourists and stealing the Madonna with child at gun point, a painting from Leonardo da Vinci, worth 36 Mil (I think). The painting was found, not the criminals so! The interior of the house is grand, but still very comfortable. After the tour you can enjoy the tea room with table service. I ordered a coffee and Scone with jam for £3.40. Well priced I may say. Afterwards I enjoyed a stroll through the gardens, which are maintained to a very high standard. Lots of thought process went in the landscape shaping. The gift shop only holds a few items, especially books. There is also an area for children, where they can enjoy outdoor activities. It's nice to see children running around in the gardens and not infront of TVs. Enjoy! read more

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A beautiful castle, and wonderful grounds. The long drive toward the castle is very impressive, particularly if you can time it so that no one is in front of you. The walks can go on for miles, especially if you manage to get lost. The scenery however makes up for the extra walking. The castle have opted for guided tours after a painting theft some years ago, and although this can sometimes be rather tedious, in this case the extra information given by the guide was very enjoyable. A great day out for all the family. read more