Email
Douglas Arms Hotel enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
Other places to stay in and around Castle Douglas
Centrally located within the picturesque market town of Castle Douglas,
the Douglas Arms Hotel was originally a coaching inn dating back to the
1700's.
In recent times the hotel has been tastefully modernized to meet the standards of today's traveller whilst retaining many of its original features.
The coaching credentials and the hotels reputation for hospitality have been well known over the years. Currently owned by the McLaren family the Douglas Arms Hotel is a warm and welcoming retreat for all.
Douglas Arms Hotel Accommodation
This old coaching house with its rambling, well furnished, en-suite bedrooms has all the facilities expected of a modern provincial hotel. Every room is equipped with the following:
· Television
· Radio
· Trouser Press
· Hospitality tray with complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits
· Direct dial telephone with internet access
· Wi-fi Broadband available in most rooms
· Complimentary toiletries
There are 23 bedrooms in the hotel including the honeymoon suite, complete with a four poster bed, for that special occasion. Upgrades are available should you wish a more luxurious stay with slippers and bathrobes provided for your comfort.
Dinning
Lunches and evening meals are available in the Wallace Restaurant
which offers an extensive menu and daily changing specials board. The
Wallace room has its very own play corner dedicated to the children, giving
mum and dad that well deserved peace and time to enjoy the delicious home
cooked fayre.
- Lunch Served 12pm - 2pm.
- Dinner Served 5pm - 9pm.
For an informal and friendly atmosphere why not enjoy a drink, snack
or bar meal in our St Andrew's Lounge Bar. With comfortable
sofas and a full working real fireplace this is the perfect location to
relax and unwind.
The bar has an excellent range of malts as well as a varied selection
of bottled ales from the local Sulwath Brewery.
Weddings
Your wedding is the first day of your new life. To help you celebrate
that unique event The Douglas Arms Hotel can provide you with ideas and
first class services that ensure it will be the best day of your life.
Our hotel offers a selection of event rooms suitable for all sizes of weddings from small intimate gatherings to large parties up to 100 people.
All wedding packages are tailored to your individual needs and we will do everything we can to help create your ideal special day. We can also provide you with a list of our recommended local wedding suppliers to help make your preparations run smoothly.
Our honeymoon suite, including four poster bed, his and hers dressing gowns and chilled Champagne, adds a touch of class and comfort to your first evening as husband and wife.
Meetings & Events
The Douglas Arms Hotel offers a range of rooms suitable for any type of
event from small business meetings to full dinner dances.
Event and meeting packages are tailored to suit your specific needs and are priced accordingly. Full use of standard equipment is included free of charge. Hire of digital projector is available for a nominal fee.
Additional Facilities
· Free Secure Parking
· FREE Wireless BB Internet Access
· Entertainment Available
· Upgrades Available
· Cosy Log Fireplace
· Children's Menu
· Fax/Email Facilities
· Laundry And Dry Clean (Charge)
· Laundry Facilities not on Complex
· Laundry Service Available
· Porterage
· Room Service Available
· Payphones Available
· Property Heated Throughout
· Garden For Residents Use
· Electric Shaver Point
· Hairdryer Available
· Modem Point Available
Child Policy
Children and Infants Welcome
· Outdoor Play Area
· Indoor Play Area
· Highchair Available
· Baby Changing Facilities Available
· Children Welcome
· Children's Menu Available
· Cot Available
Pet Policy
· Pet Free
Smoking Policy
· Total Non Smoking Policy
Disabled Facilities
· Suitable For disabled
· Ramp Access
· Wheelchair Assisted Access
· Disabled Toilets
· Disabled Parking Available
Transportation Facilities
· Coach Parking Off-site / street
· Private Car Space
· Cycle Hire Nearby
· Free Parking Off-Site/Street
· Free Parking On-Site
· On Public Transport Route
· Private Parking
· Public Parking Nearby
Things to see and do
Local Information
Castle Douglas is built next to Carlingwark Loch in which traces of prehistoric
Crannogs can be found, evidence of early inhabitation of the area. A small
collection of cottages were developed by the shores of Carlingwark, which
was a source of marl. These cottages can still be seen on the Western
approach to Castle Douglas and are known as the Buchan.
There's been a settlement here for many centuries, known as Carlingwark until it became Castle Douglas in 1792 after Sir William Douglas, a wealthy descendant of the Douglas Family, laid out a new village on the site of the old. Today's street plan has changed little over the past two centuries. It is rectilinear in form, comprising three long parallel streets, King Street, Queen Street and Cotton Street, linked by cross streets.
Sir William Douglas also created a number of industries in Castle Douglas, including hand-woven cotton factories from which Cotton Street derives its name and Castle Douglas was then established as a centre for the hand spinning of cotton.
For a time the plan succeeded, but in the long term there was no way Castle Douglas could compete with industrialized cotton spinning in huge water-powered mills like those at New Lanark, established seven years before Castle Douglas itself.
But if the town did not succeed as a centre for cotton spinning, it certainly did in other ways. The many hotels and pubs which derived from coach stops are an indication of the town's importance as a stopping place for travellers in the coaching days of the early 1800s.
But throughout the period Castle Douglas's role grew as the largest market town for a considerable distance in any direction. Evidence of this can be seen from the Auction Mart towards the east end of the town. The typical hexagonal market building built in 1900 is accompanied by extensive stock yards indicating the scale of activity here.
Castle Douglas today still has a focus on fresh produce, and is now known as Dumfries & Galloway’s Food Town. There's a choice of superb delicatessens, 4 quality butchers, a greengrocers, 2 local bakers as well as specialist sweet shops along the main high street - King Street, where you will find most of the activity in this pleasant market town.
Castle Douglas also has an abundance of independent shops including many traditional shops no longer found on many town high streets offering an array of gifts, arts and crafts, jewellery and clothing giving rise to hours of browsing and a ‘unique shopping experience’.
Parking in the town is free. There is a large car park on the Market Hill at the top of the town next to the Tourist Information Centre. There is also free parking on many of the side streets that lead away from the town centre.
King Street is also home to an antique restorer and a clockmaker as well as the local Sulwath Brewery whose real ales are brewed traditionally and is open to the public for tours. Sulwath Ales are also served here in the Douglas Arms Hotel.
Other towns in Dumfries & Galloway are also worth a visit for their unique attractions, Eg Wigtown for its books and Kirkcudbright, known as the Artists Town.
Threave Gardens, Castle Douglas
A big pull in the Castle Douglas area is Threave Gardens, one of the best
in Dumfries & Galloway. Sixty four acres of gardens are waiting to
be explored, crammed with water features, a walled garden and glasshouse
plus woodland and heather gardens. In Spring the masses of Rhododendrons
at Threave are not to be missed!
A Scottish Baronial House, marked trails, bird hides and a wild fowl sanctuary are all on-site, plus a visitor centre, gift shop, plant centre and exhibition room. The house within the Threave Garden estate dates from 1872 and was built by the Gordon family.
Threave Castle,
Threave Castle (5 miles west of Castle Douglas off the A75) sits just
a mile north of Threave Gardens (an easy walk) and is unusually set on
a small island on the River Dee. You can reach this Scottish castle via
a boat. You'll need to go down some steep steps to the riverbank which
are unsuitable for wheelchair users.
The distinctive Threave Castle tower dates from the 14th Century and was built by Archibald the Grim (nice name) - one of the Black Douglases and Lord of Galloway. The structure of revolutionary in its time, with its unique rectangular tower.
Once across the river the castle reveals a storage area, a prison in the basement area and a flat roof, designed that way to deal with stone throwing weapons. The jutting out balcony also aided throwing hot oil and the like onto attackers below.
A fascinating structure, and well worth a visit, Threave Castle later fell into English hands and effectively disabled. The rectangular tower however survives almost intact.
Walks
A short walk around the park beside Carlingwark Loch makes a very pleasant
stroll. As a continuation there is the walk known as Lover's Walk, which
goes out along the south shore of the loch to an area of marsh and a bird
hide, from where further trails lead back to the town or on to Kelton
Hill and Threave Gardens.
There is now also a walk leading from the town to Threave Castle, and there is a network of trails around the National Trust for Scotland property at Threave Gardens. Threave Castle and Threave Gardens are both to the west of the town and about 2km apart.
Loch Ken Watersports, Water Ski, Windsurfing, Sailing
& Canoeing.
Just to the north of Castle Douglas the long narrow Loch Ken (9 miles
in length) is a hub for watersports including water skiing, canoeing,
sailing and windsurfing - click here for more information.
Cycling
Dumfries and Galloway offers stunning landscapes and coastline, and is
famed for its cycling - the ideal way to explore, with lots of off-road
trails and miles and miles of quiet country roads. You'll even find the
only museum in Scotland devoted to the history of cycling: Drumlanrig
Castle. See the magnificent collection of bikes, dating from the c19th
to the present day.
For an Off road challenge, then make sure you take time to visit 5 of the 7Stanes! Located at Ae, Mabie, Dalbeattie, Kirroughtree and Glentrool forests, these cycling centres are sure to make you come back for more.
Birdwatching
An exciting new birdwatching opportunity to view spectacular red kites
in lovely scenery is now attracting the attention of walkers, cyclists,
wildlife lovers and birdwatchers in Dumfries and Galloway and from much
further afield.
The 'Galloway Kite Trail' around beautiful Loch Ken promotes the population
of kites, recently re-established in Kirkcudbrightshire, as a source of
nature-based tourism to benefit local communities in the area.
Developed by RSPB Scotland, the trail includes various facilities around
the loch such as footpaths, viewpoints, information points, CCTV (in summer).
A feeding station with a hide has been established at Bellymack Hill Farm near Laurieston, and over 30 kites have often been seen together over winter months. The site also offers good views of raven and buzzard. Large numbers of kites are best seen in late afternoon in the winter but there are generally a few kites around during the day at any time of year.
The Douglas Arms Hotel is also a partner in the kite trail project and we display a unique information board on various aspects of the kites’ history and biology. We also provide up-to-date information on the kites. Several RSPB and other birding groups have already enjoyed visits to the Hotel and trail and it is likely that more birdwatchers will take the opportunity to come and see kites in this fantastic setting
Lochside Theatre
Lochside Theatre in Castle Douglas, converted from an old church in 1996
and seats 200 in its auditorium. It is professionally equipped and managed
and staffed entirely by part-time volunteers, providing a varied programme
of events throughout the year. A licensed bar is open on performance evenings.
History of the Douglas Arms
Situated at the corner of King Street and St Andrew’s Street opposite
the Clock Tower, the Douglas Arms is over 200 years old and is a former
coaching inn. Built into the wall is a stone often put on a lintel and
bearing the name of the man and his wife who built the house. In this
case the initials are W.C and M.G with the date 1772 or 1779.
The town’s founder, William Douglas most probably stayed here before
he built his residence at Kelton, as letters are said to have been sent
to William Douglas care of Mrs. Douglas, Douglas Arms Hotel, Castle Douglas!
Mrs Douglas, who was the landlady at the time was reputed to be a ‘popular
and charming hostess’.
On the King Street wall of the hotel is a mile-stone in tablet form, rescued from a ditch by a former provost, Dr T. M Donald, which shows mileages to a few destinations such as Dumfries, Carlisle, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow. It was cast in Dumfries in 1827.
DIRECTIONS
Castle Douglas is easily accessible from all Directions just off the A75
Euro Route, and is only one hours drive from the A74(M) and M6.
Getting there from the Information Centre:
On foot, travel down the main street of Castle Douglas (King Street) towards
the Town Clock. The hotel is situated on the crossroads of King Street
and St Andrew’s Street opposite the town clock. No more than a 10
minute walk.
Getting There by Car:
Castle Douglas is situated off the A75 main route from Dumfries to Stranraer.
Leave the A75 signposted Castle Douglas (A713) The hotel itself can be
found down the main street (King Street), opposite the town clock.
Getting There by Railway:
The nearest railway station is Dumfries, approximately 17 miles. Regular
buses run to Castle Douglas from here. Nos 500, 501, 502 or X75 to Stranraer.
Getting there by Aeroplane:
From Glasgow and Glasgow Prestwick, take A77 south to Kilmarnock and Ayr
and from Prestwick take A713 south to Castle Douglas. Approximate distance
from Glasgow 90 miles, approximate distance from Prestwick 54 miles.
Getting There by Ferry:
From Stranraer head east along A75 Euroroute turning off at bypass roundabout
for Castle Douglas. 50 miles.
Email Douglas Arms Hotel enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
