Newton Stewart is a picturesque market town on the banks of the River Cree and ideally placed for wonderful days out in the nearby Galloway Hills and Galloway Forest Park.

Popular outdoor activities in the region include mountain biking (with no less than five of the renowned 7Stanes mountain biking centres in the region), pony trekking, fishing and hiking. There are particularly beautiful forest and hill walks through Glen Trool, a forest park located close to Newton Stewart. The Southern Upland Way, a long distance hiking trail leading to the Eastern coast of Scotland, also passes through the region between Portpatrick and Wanlockhead. Sailing is available on castle Loch and Loch Ken, which also offers wakeboarding and waterskiing.

Towns of note within the area include Dumfries (the administrative centre), Castle Douglas, Kircudbright, Whithorn and Stranraer. Wanlockhead, Drummore and Portpatrick are also worth a place on your agenda.

Scotland''s first church was established by St Ninian in Whithorn and the nearby St Ninian''s cave is a pilgrimage site. Visitors can view a small aquarium and feed deep-sea fish at the Port Logan Fish Pond, whereas Port Logan Botanic Gardens is an ideal location for a picnic. Nature lovers can enjoy the reserves at the Wood of Cree, the Mull of Galloway, Mereshead and Ken Dee Marshes.

Galloway is famous for its dairy industry. The Cream of Galloway ice-cream, produced near Kirkcudbright, is famous throughout the region. The region is noted for its pub food.

For a great selection of self-catering accommodation in Dumfries and Galloway see our Newton Stewart holiday cottages.