Threave Rural - Castle Douglas

Scotland

Gillespie Gifford and Brown - Castle Douglas

CKD Galbraith - Castle Douglas

Hewats

Landal Belvedere - Landal Belvedere

Cavers & Co - Kirkcudbright

Williamson & Henry

A white knuckle whirlwind but seriously beautiful and dutmk

Great walks all round , have noticed an increase on people not picking up dog mess or picking it and hanging on fence as no bins around

Visit regularly for dog walking.  Amazing views ..great for dogs who love exploring..woods , river and safe pathways .

Well worth a visit..a small castle ruin that you need to take a small boat journey to the island that it sits on...an 800M walk from the car park to the boat but its an easy stroll for all ages.  Advice is to NOT follow Google maps to 'Threave Castle' ..make sure you go to 'Threave Castle Car Park' or you'll end up on a single track road nowhere near the castle.

The unique feature of visiting this ancient castle is calling the ferryman to cross the water to the island on which it is situated. 

There are plenty of information boards scattered across the site but compared to some Historic Scotland sites we have visited it is less interactive and therefore holds less interest for little ones. 

It should also be noted that the walk to the ferry is approximately 15mins which, whilst enjoyable for us, might be a bit of a trek for those with limited mobility.

Lovely walk, thoroughly enjoyed it! It's a good idea to take your wellies! I look forward to going back to do the bat trail soon!

Interesting site. Huge historical interest and plenty of information about it. There is a nice boat crossing to the castle. In addition we also looked at the ospreys and also saw a red kite.

Beautiful walk ways, so well kept. I visited June and saw Osprey chick being fed on nest as dad brought in massive fish. Visited again end of July to see the last of three chicks to fledge, still thinking about it. How wonderful was that! All on our doorstep too. We are so lucky. Thanks to all volunteers for knowledge and stories.

Exciting to get to with boat trip and walk through nature reserve, but not much to see in the castle at the moment as peregrine falcons have been nesting in top of Castle so top part is closed off. Still, good Castle and we got to see Osprey so.

There was a nice walk up to the castle. After that, we took a small boat across a river and to the castle. The castle looks beautiful from the outside, and the vaulted ceiling inside was impressive. However the upper floors were not open due to bird nesting which was slightly disappointing, but that didn't really detract from the overall experience too much. There was also an area where you could view Ospreys, which was great.

We ended using google to get us to the Castle . We took the wrong way and found out later there was no public access. What happened to freedom to roam? Well we were able to get some great photos. Sorry we didn’t read the signs until we left.

Just brilliant. Ring the bell to summon the boat. Wildlife, deer, otters, Ospreys etc. Car park by farm buildings with a walk in beautiful farm land towards the river. Hides available to view wildlife. Staff knowledge first class and very helpful. Photography available is abundant if you are an enthusiast or just a snapper.

Firstly not expensive to visit.    Easy to visit by car.   Free car parking.    I'd buy the guide book as it gives  background to your visit  and how this fits in to history.  And with a good walk away from the car park and the road the countryside is so quiet except for the birds.    
Best to visit on a blue sky day for photos.
Ring the bell and a small motorboat comes to collect you and be taken to Black Douglas's former castle.    
Not so much to see, but more to appreciate with the guide book.
On this occasion part was closed off for repairs and the upper part was closed due to nesting birds.
If you are in to bird watching there are some hides and telescopes with the guide to advise on.
For me it was a photo and history outing.   Nice also for the country walk.     Not sure this would suit wheelchair users - you may wish to contact them before travelling.
Bring your own food and drink, as shop only had a few souvenirs.     By the way - castle and grounds have no toilets, so use the facilities at the info centre before you trek to the castle.
For overseas tourists this would be worth a look at for the novelty of a Scottish castle on an island and the little ferry boat crossing.
Enjoy your day.... I did.

It's more about the journey than the castle itself - there's a boat ride over, ring the bell to get the boat person's attention. Between April and November you might also get to see osprey from the viewing platform, but it's not a guarantee!

The castle was still closed when we visited but it was a lovely day for a walk and we saw the Osprey nest and the male osprey waiting for his mate to arrive from Africa! The ladies at the osprey viewing platform were very helpful. I may have seen the nest without their help but I definitely would not have spotted the osprey! Well worth a visit.

Threave estate circular walk fully open and good underfoot. Peregrine falcon on the castle. Whooper swans arriving on the marshes. Goosanders on the river and much more. Well worth a visit. Fingers crossed for the return of the ospreys in March.

Threave Castle was a formidable fortress in medieval times. Now it is a beautiful ruin. It's the only castle I know of where you need to get to on a boat. All you need to do is ring the bell and the ferryman will come and ferry over to the island. A visit to this Romantic is highly recommended.

Wonderfully atmospheric place, where it is easy to imagine what life was like five hundred years ago. Also a great place for a picnic on a sunny day. There's also a good country walk and lots of wildlife, we saw deer and geese flocking.

Well worth a visit, if only just for the ospreys when in season. (For the nest you really need a super-tele lens for great photos, 400mm doesn't quite cut it, 500/600 seems about right)

Fantastic castle ruins in the heart of Galloway. From the car park you take a lively walk down to the river where you cross by means of a boat to the castle island. This all adds to the excitement and anticipation which is well rewarded once you cross.
Threave castle is one of the most historic castles in Scotland with connections to the wars of independence and Robert the Bruce!
Plenty to see and do with some stunning scenery all around!
The Castle is just next to the little town of Castle Douglas which you simply can't miss for some fantastic local shopping, excellent food and is the food town of Dumfries and Galloway.

Threave Castle is situated on a small island with access via a very short boat ride following a 10 minute walk from the car park. The castle itself consists of a single tower structure with excellent views of the surrounding countryside. If as we were you might be lucky to see wild Otter and Red Kites also.

This is a very beautiful place with green hills and a small lake. The castle is situated on an little island so we got on a small boat to get there, it takes only one minute. From the island you can watch peregrines living in the wild through a telescope. There is also an osprey watching platform.

Really beautiful views... And the wee boat ride across to get to it makes up for it. Such a beauty

A simple castle with gorgeous scenery around it. I love that you have to take a boat to get to it and that gives you some of the better photos on your way over.

Well maintained paths lead to the river crossing to the castle island. Some terrain could be tricky for less able people but lovely to visit. Toilet facilities available at car park.

Really lovely gardens, they are worth a visit young and old, ok for wheelchair user's, two cafes.  Toilets shop. The castle is  worthy of a visit, at present a pair of peregrin are breeding so limited to ground floor only, unfortunately wheelchair users would not be able to go to castle, very uneven and inaccessible plus you need to go across river in boat. But gardens are very good for all.

Lovely castle. Friendly, knowledgeable guides.
Don't trust directions from Google Maps though

Me and my youngest had a lovely visit here today, the staff were so nice with lots of historical tales to tell and the boat ride made it extra fun :)

What a totally unexpected awesome experience we had today not only was the Castle amazing and the boat over to it a brilliant added fun point but the best , most exquisite part of our visit today had to be the Osprey viewing platform where we could see both Ospreys on the nest. We were told that they hopping for an egg in the not too distant future. It was amazing and we will return 5?

Lovely to visit, the lashing rain is just par for the course in Scotland. The castle is quite a hike to get to along the country lanes and through many gates, followed by a short boat ride across the river Dee. The boat driver gave us a little history of the river and the it's name. We explored the castle as best as we could, but a lot of it was fenced off because some Peregrine Falcons were nesting up top and we were told that as they're protected species we can't really explore the castle much right now. A shame as we may not have chance to return again.

Brilliant and beautiful place if u love the country side

Beautiful location set on its own island. Surrounded but wonderful countryside and an encyclopedias worth of wildlife. Well worth o visit.

Well worth a visit.  There's lovely walks around the grounds and dog are welcome on part of the site. They can't go on the island so be prepared to split your group if possible

Beautifully maintained castle, which is nestled on an island. Involves a short walk on muddy paths and a short boat ride. You even need to call the boatman using a bell! Pretty exciting and a good day out. The Osprey viewing season is over, but we did spot a family of Peregrine falcons. A good family day out.

This place is a MUST if you find yourself in the Castle Douglas area. A gentle 10 minute stroll through nature to a jetty, where you ring a big brass bell to call the ferry man. Once on the Island, the Castle of Threave is all yours to explore. Imagine the great banquets and the cries from the prisoners in the dungeon! Everything is possible in Threave Castle ... listen to the Ospreys they may have tales to tell. If you sit patiently you may be rewarded with sights of otters playing in the river.

**Small boat ride is required to get to the castle**

Varied wildlife, couple of different nesting birds of prey with knowledgeable, friendly and helpful staff at various areas. They have viewers on hand and will offer advice on the best views for the birds

Bat sanctuary with walks. Glow in the dark signs by the looks of things.

A small boat ride is required to get to the castle so be wary of that. Costs £5

Now just a square keep in the middle of nowhere this once mighty fortress stands on an island. There is an 800 metre path to the castle from the car park. We visited on a dry day but I imagine it could be muddy and slick in the wet. The final approach  to the castle is by row boat. (there are two strong young men available for the task). A wooden bridge allows access across a dry moat and into the bailey where a flight of steps leads to the first floor entrance. From here one can descend to the ground floor. Access to the higher floors and the glorious view was denied to the visitor at the time of our visit because of the nesting Ospreys and Red Kites. Even so, Threave is well worth the time to visit. DOGS  are NOT allowed on the island. Do take a drink with you in hot weather.

A fun experience being taken over to this imposing castle by boat. It's a short walk to get there and there's an interesting alternative route with good views to get back to the car park, making this a circular walk. It's an easy walk (8km return, some of it along an old railway track) from Threave Garden to the castle too. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable as well.

Well maintained and nicely curated path to this island castle. Wonderful views from all over. The journey to this castle is very amusing crossing the small lake on a boat is fantastic. Good scenery of the mountains, trees and the lake. The views inside this castle are worthy of watching it many times.

A real experience not to be missed if you love castles. A short boat trip takes you across to the castle. Beautiful views and lots of nature trails.

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