South west Scotland is rich in all things rural and the Auldgirth Inn lies at its very heart offering accommodation for shooters, fishermen, walkers and anyone who just wants a relaxing break.
Sitting just north of the area’s capital, Dumfries, on a main route to Glasgow, it’s central for a range of countryside pursuits.
Shooting drives, fishing beats and walks suitable for all ages and abilities are right on the doorstep.
If your passion is the past then the Inn is also at the centre of a part of Scotland steeped in hundreds of years of history with a plethora of castles to explore within easy distance.
Shooting
Grouse moors and pheasant drives are not far away from the Auldgirth Inn and its impressive accommodation for those who enjoy a day out with shooting parties.
Drumlanrig Estates, for example, owned by one of the UK’s biggest landowners, the Duke of Buccleuch, is just a short drive away.
It offers a variety of shoots to make up an exhilarating day’s sport.
Drumlanrig, for example, is now seen as one of the best partridge shoots in the world.
A variety of 25 drives amongst hills and woods provide a top class experience for those who prefer pheasants.
And the estate boast 25,000 acres of heather moorland with four major beats for grouse shooting.
Conservation and responsible land management are at the forefront of everything the estates does.
Fishing
The Auldgirth Inn sits alongside the River Nith, one of the best salmon rivers in south west Scotland.
Locally lochs are home to fishing clubs and angling associations can offer tickets for visitors.
Just down the road from the Inn, Dalswinton Estate has two and half miles of single bank fishing which start fairly close to the Inn.
It’s a celebrated stretch particularly for grey-backs and salmon landed regularly in the Autumn.
In fact a 34lb salmon was caught on fly and returned there in 2011.
Sea trout usually arrive around April with a peak in May.
Grayling are also abundant.
Walking
Set among magnificent hills and woodland, the Auldgirth Inn provides accommodation for those who love to pull on anoraks and boots so they can spend the day hiking around the countryside.
Whether looking for a designated path or just wanting to explore the area, the walker will be hard pushed to find more diverse area offering magnificent panoramas.
Dumfries and Galloway council has a jigsaw of designated paths right across the region and thirteen of them are in Nithsdale.
They range from a couple of kilometres to almost twenty and are classified in terms of just what sort of challenge they offer.
Each May there is also a walking festival at Newton Stewart.
History
Scotland’s rich historical past is never far away.
And the Auldgirth Inn, along with the site on which it stands, has been witness to much of it down the centuries.
What better than a relaxing weekend with comfortable, top class accommodation the launchpad for an exploration of impressive castles and sites that provide valuable links with days gone by.
The Auldgirth Inn is within easy distance of the homes of two Scottish kings, Buittle Tower near Dalbeattie, the fortress of John Balliol, and Lochmaben castle associated with Robert the Bruce.
Dumfries itself is home to the Greyfriars Kirk where Bruce and John Comyn met on that ill fated morning of Thursday, February 10, 1306, when, in a fit of range, the future king stabbed his cousin and launched his quest for the throne.
Comyn spent his last night at Dalswinton Castle within walking distance of the Auldgirth Inn.
The loch at what is now Dalswinton House was the scene for the first ever steam powered trip by a boat, courtesy of inventor William Symington.
Amongst those on board was Robert Burns, Scotland’s internationally loved and admired, poet who farmed at Ellisland about three miles from the front door of the Inn.
Coming forward in time and just a short distance away is the tiny settlement of Kier where blacksmith Kirkpatrick McMillan gave the world probably it’s most used method of transport, the bicycle.
Just a few of the people and places who made major contributions to the rich tapestry that is Scotland today.