by caroline | Nov 27, 2024 | Explore on foot, Explore on wheels, History and heritage, Open spaces, Towns and villages
Deep in the hills of Upper Nithsdale is an iconic attraction – one of the best in Dumfries and Galloway – which has to be seen to be believed… welcome to the Crawick Multiverse, just a short and very scenic drive from Moffat.
What is it?
Crawick (pronounced croyk) Multiverse is an astonishing landscape restoration on 55 acres with gigantic landforms showing the wonders of the universe.
A celebration of astronomical and cosmological forms and theories.
It’s the cosmos but not as you know it.
Who put this together?
The man behind it all is renowned land artist, cultural theorist and landscape designer Charles Jencks (1939-2019).
He transformed an open-cast coal mine into a place of natural and cosmic beauty using the materials found on site.
Look up, down and around
Join any path and find your own way to galaxies, comets and a 360-degree view of the whole valley.
Some of the walks are easy…
But some are a challenge and a bit hilly.
Whichever way you take, the views are immense and well worth it.
Make for the Milky Way
You can’t miss it.
It’s represented by two huge mounds of earth (25m and 15m high) topped by large boulders.
See the Supercluster
Dive into a distinctive group of triangles that represent the creation of the universe and its position in the cosmos.
Come for the Comet Walk
Stroll along the ridge to the tallest point of the site – and soak up the views.
Comet collisions and starry sights
Cosmology fans will be drawn to this place but also art lovers, adventurers and anyone who likes a quiet walk about with a unique outlook.
And at the heart of the Multiverse…
Seek out the Sun Amphitheatre which depicts a total eclipse with iconic shapes and forms.
The sun is represented by a circle of boulders and ridges.
As seen on TV
Scottish comedian Susan Calman paid a visit to the Crawick Multiverse for her programme Grand Day Out.
And it was!
Where do you start?
Begin at the Coalface for a welcome from the team at the visitors’ centre and a chance to freshen up or grab a cuppa.
What else is in the area?
And while you’re here seek out Sanquhar (pronounced Sanker) where you’ll find the world’s oldest working post office.
There’s also a fantastic art centre selling the famous Sanquhar knitting pattern and serving up delicious fare in its award-winning cafe.
Find more things to do in the Dumfries and Galloway here.
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by caroline | May 29, 2024 | Explore on foot, History and heritage, Towns and villages
Burns Night – a time to remember Robert (Rabbie) Burns, Scotland’s national poet – is celebrated across Scotland and elsewhere every year on 25 January, the day of his birth in 1759.
But his spirit lives on all year round in the south of Scotland, especially Dumfries because of his extraordinary legacy.
21 July is the anniversary of his death (1796) – he was just 37 – and a new way to honour the man and his legend has been launched.
A new storytelling tour…
…or ‘haunting adventure’ is held at the Globe Inn in Dumfries led by Kathleen Cronie from the award-winning Mostly Ghostly team.
On this tour of chilling tales and astonishing facts, Kathleen brings Burns to life amid the Globe Inn’s atmospheric rooms.
We’ve had a sneak preview and… it’s utterly fascinating.
Famous as Burns’s favourite howff (drinking place), the Globe Inn is a characterful pub and restaurant where he held court and which still attracts his fans in their droves.
His favourite chair still stands
And you too can sit on it. It’s allowed.
But there’s a catch: you must recite some of his work.
Or buy a round of drinks for the entire inn.
Take the Burns trail…
A walk about town has much to explore.
There are many Burns connections from the museums and arts spaces dedicated to his life and work to the famous statue made of Carrara marble in the town centre.
A literary sensation in his own lifetime
His impressive legacy included poetry, books, songs and written chiefly in the Scottish dialect.
He wrote about the things that gave him pleasure: love, nature and friendship.
He left his mark in other ways too, often scratching his name on windows of bars he frequented.
See if you can find any of his etchings in Moffat.
He was prolific in more ways than one
He had 12 children.
His funeral procession walked past his house as his wife Jean Armour was inside giving birth to his last.
His last home
Robert Burns House (free entry) is a two-storey red sandstone property on Burns Street, a characterful cobbled roadway, where he lived from 1793 until his death.
It is now a museum manned by enthusiastic staff who will guide you through the wealth of material he left behind from every-day household items to original manuscripts making up a rich social history archive.
Famous visitors over the years have included the poets Keats, Coleridge and Wordsworth who were inspired by Burns.
His final resting place
Burns lay in state at Midsteeple in the centre of Dumfries even though he had courted controversy for not standing up for the national anthem.
But it’s the mighty Robert Burns Mausoleum (now open to the public twice a day, seasonal) which brings pilgrims from far and wide.
This is where the poet and his wife lie at St Michael’s Kirkyard, the oldest church in Dumfries.
Its historic graveyard is packed with many of Burns’s friends and colleagues and there is an incredible collection of monumental sculptures commemorating religious ministers, lawyers and merchant princes.
A tour of this churchyard is a must.
The farm Burns built
Another place of pilgrimage is Robert Burns Museum Ellisland near Dumfries where Burns produced a quarter of his work.
He wrote Auld Lang Syne here
He had his most creative period at the farm.
An impressive archive of artefacts, manuscripts and personal items remain.
He designed his office to have two windows so he could gaze out on the landscape, surrounded by riverside and woodland paths.
Little has changed here since the 18th century.
Burns said of it: “As sweet poetic ground as any I ever saw”.
He was a man of the people
He promoted literacy and read the daily papers to the public for those who were illiterate.
What a man, what a legend.
Discover more on a tour at the Globe Inn here.
Dumfries is just a short drive from Moffat. Find out more here.
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by caroline | Jun 29, 2023 | Explore on foot, History and heritage, Towns and villages
Robert Burns, JM Barrie, James Hogg, Walter Scott… Southwest Scotland has attracted plenty of literary names over the years.
Find out more on a literary tour – all within easy reach of Queensberry House.
Get close to Burns
Scotland’s national poet ‘Rabbie’ Burns famously wrote Auld Lang Syne.
Why not take the Burns tour or visit the Robert Burns Centre both in Dumfries?
Get to the great Scott
Known as the ‘Father of Scottish Tourism, Walter Scott wrote some of his best-known novels at his home: Abbotsford.
It’s now one of the most famous mansions in the world with a Regency garden designed by Scott himself.
A must-visit is the beauty spot St Mary’s Loch where you’ll see a monument to James Hogg.
But it’s not all about the giants in literature such as Burns and Barrie.
DE Stevenson deserves a place on Scotland’s literary map, too.
Did you know…
Southwest Scotland – Moffat in fact – was home for the Scottish author Dorothy Emily Stevenson, or DE Stevenson (DES) as she was known, for 30 years, where she was very much part of the community.
DE Stevenson: the top ten facts
How much do you know about the author?
1. Her fans are known as ‘Dessies’.
They’re a faithful lot and consider her a goddess.
2. She was related to Robert Louis Stevenson.
The author of Kidnapped and Treasure Island was her father’s cousin.
3. She made Moffat her home.
She was born in Edinburgh on 18 November 1892 and lived in Scotland her whole life.
She moved to Moffat in 1940, where she wrote most of her bestseller novels, one a year between 1952 and 1969.
Here, she also sang in the church choir and worked with the Girl Guides.
6. A commemorative plaque marks her house.
She lived in one of Moffat’s grandest houses (pictured above) until her death in 1973 aged 81.
Some fans make a pilgrimage to see it.
She is buried in Moffat Cemetery on the A701.
7. She didn’t just write…
She was also a successful golfer.
8. And she had a personal life.
In 1916 she married James Reid Peploe, a young army officer, and they had four children.
9 Her art imitated her life.
Her first novel Peter West was published in 1923.
But her success started with Mrs Tim of the Regiment (1932) which was said to be based on her own diary as a British Army wife.
She went on to publish more than 40 novels described – depending on your point of view – as ‘light romantic’, ‘domestic fiction’ or a ‘comfort read’.
They sold in their millions, were translated in many languages worldwide and are still sought after in the secondhand market.
Perhaps you’ll find one in the Moffat Bookshop…
Her characters were known to make a second appearance as a cameo or secondary character in a sequel.
After her death, five more books were found in a family attic and published to much excitement.
10. Join the pilgrimage to Moffat.
Want to make a pilgrimage – just like the diedhard Dessies – to DE Stevenson’s former home?
We can show you where to find her former home.
Discover more gems of Moffat’s history during the Moffat Walking Weekend (27-29 September).
Read more on Moffat here.
While you’re in town, seek out its independent shops on the unique double high street. You can browse here.
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by caroline | Apr 26, 2023 | Explore on foot, Food and drink, Towns and villages
One of Scotland’s big draws is its national tipple.
The country has the greatest concentration of whisky production globally.
And everyone loves a distillery tour.
Get the measure of Southwest Scotland’s unique distillery map – all the distilleries are within easy distance of Moffat – and meet the people who’ve made spirits their passion.
Moffat’s first legal distillery
Finally open, the Moffat Distillery is almost on our doorstep… within walking distance of Queensberry House.
What’s so special about it?
- It’s run by independent producer Dark Sky Spirits (named after Moffat’s dark sky status), boutique blenders of Scotch whisky
- The only wood-fired still in Scotland for whisky and gin. And the wood is collected from a sustainable source.
- The smallest whisky producer in Scotland with a visitor centre.
- There is an otter in its pond.
- In its grounds is the darkest spot in the dark sky town of Moffat.
Read more here.
Get the five star experience
The award-winning Annandale Distillery is located on a historic site.
It was one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland: established in 1836 and then reborn in 2014.
Its tours include an ‘Annandale snifter’ and five tastings plus one to take home for the driver.
It’s a joy to visit even for those who are not whisky connoisseurs.
Look around the grounds for quirky artwork while the on-site Maltings Coffee Shop is a relaxing stop for lunch and afternoon tea.
And it’s not just whisky…
Take a shot at rum at the Ninefold Distillery, the first and only rum distillery in Southwest Scotland.
Located in two converted cattle byres, the award-winning rum is made from scratch in Scottish-made copper pot stills.
Choose from unaged, cask aged and spiced rum.
The perfect rum to create a magical cocktail – recipes on Ninefold’s website.
Of all the gin joints…
Opened in 2021, the Dark Arts Distillery is located in the Artists’ Town of Kirkcudbright, next to the Galloway Park, the first dark sky park in the UK and western Europe.
It crafts a luxurious spirit using a custom-built still 450l Carl – which is called Peggy.
Sky Garden Gin is a classic to delight the purists: fresh and crisp notes, balanced with juniper with a hint of citrus.
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And if whisky isn’t your cup of tea, seek out the best tea rooms in Southwest Scotland here.
Find out more about Moffat here.
by caroline | Feb 21, 2023 | Explore on wheels, Food and drink, History and heritage, Open spaces, Shopping, Towns and villages
Peebles is one of many attractive towns on the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders – and one of our favourites.
Author of The Thirty-Nine Steps John Buchan was once a resident here.
From independent shops and fascinating heritage to a rich landscape to walk upon and lush gardens to lose yourself in… Peebles has much to offer the discerning visitor.
We have 7 magnificent reasons to call in.
1 Find your type at a Victorian printers
Robert Smail’s Printing Works (pictured above) is a commercial letterpress printers dating back to 1866 – the oldest of its kind and still operational.
This impressive piece of heritage is now looked after by the National Trust of Scotland.
Its archive, fully intact, is there to be marvelled at.
Every print job ever undertaken has been kept: all tickets, posters, letterheads and newspapers printed by this family firm are available to be viewed.
And you can try a bit of typesetting as part of the tour – simple jobs only! – and learn how some common terms we use today came from this industry.
There’s a shop, too, with unusual gifts and quirky cards.
2 See the whole of Scotland in one go
The Polish Map of Scotland was created by two men from Krakow who had a mission to design a map with a difference.
This became the world’s largest 3D terrain relief model of one nation.
It is surrounded by water to represent the sea.
Built in the 70s as a thank you to the people of Scotland for hosting Polish troops during WWII, it now has Historic Scotland Category B listed status.
3 Tour a house with history
Traquair House is Scotland’s oldest inhabited house – it dates back to 1107 – and has been owned by the same family since 1491.
The tour is a fascinating history lesson – hear the heart-breaking and heroic stories about the family and their well-known visitors.
Mary Queen of Scots stayed here – see the bed she slept in.
Plus there’s a maze, as well as a family chapel, brewery, priest’s room and much more.
4 Wander in famous gardens
From fine tree collections to the oldest trees in Britain – and the tallest – species from Nepal, Chile, Japan and America… Dawyck Botanic Gardens has 65 acres of exquisite lush green spaces for when you want to feast on nature.
Pick a season – any season – and you’re sure to find captivating displays of flowers from blowsy Himalayan poppies to the humble bluebell.
A woodland trail will lead you to discover plant explorers and themed gardens.
5 Be a glutton for (chocolate) punishment
Peebles is blessed with Cocoa Black, Scotland’s Chocolate Capital.
This café/shop/school is an homage to all things chocolate thanks to Ruth Hinks, UK Confectioner of the Year and winner of the World Chocolate Masters.
There’s a wealth of luxury handmade chocolates, cakes and patisserie to salivate over.
Get your fill from a stylish edible handbag to delicious vegan chocolate and a terrific truffle tasting collection.
Rest awhile at the bright café and take some tea with your chocolate.
6 Seek out natural heritage
Some of the best hillwalking in the Scottish Borders is right here in Peebles – it’s a rich landscape of heather moors, rolling green hills plus the celebrated salmon river, the Tweed, one of Scotland’s best.
Nearby there’s Glentress Forest, well known for its walking trails and its splendid views of the Tweed Valley.
And there’s a Wildlife Room with live osprey cams.
See if you can also spot red squirrels, herons and bats.
Close by is the Scottish National Trail – a must for long-distance walking.
7 Go niche shopping
Peebles has an attractive and bustling high street full of independent shops including swish furniture store Manse Furnishings (one also in Moffat) and a theatre in a converted church.
Plenty of eateries can be found including a superb lunch spot: the Oven Door.
Find more towns to explore in Southwest Scotland from Dumfries to Kirkcudbright and not forgetting the jewel in Southwest Scotland’s crown Moffat.
Ready to book a break away? Read our reviews here.
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