Winter in Dumfries and Galloway has got it going on just as much as any other season, and not just for families either. In this blog, we look at winter activities for everybody!
Wreath for the stars
Ever fancied having a crack at making a wreath? How hard can it be! Hard enough for a workshop to exist at Drumlanrig Castle. You can take your wreath-making to new heights – and all under the watchful eye of Head Gardener – Robbie Black. Enjoy hot drinks and a hearty soup and roll for lunch too! It’s open on Sunday 8th, Wednesday 11th and Saturday 14th December.
On the Tea-Coo
This is the winter activity for you if you wish to see highland cows and Beltex sheep up close in their home environments, and all from the comfort of a covered trailer. It’s closed for most of November, but you can book tours from December right up to when it closes for winter in February. You can also take tea with the cows, well nearby at any rate!
A real-life chocolate factory
There are few Christmas-themed activities in December but not a tremendous amount at this chocolate factory in Twynholm. That’s why you’re advised to book this mesmeric winter activity. Kids can join chocolate-making workshops and explore extensive indoor and outdoor play areas.
Greatest munitions factory on earth
You won’t see Goldilocks and the three bears here but you will find a state-of-the-art museum dedicated to the ‘Greatest Munitions Factory on Earth’ and the people who lived and worked there. It’s a story of how this quiet place became a hive of wartime activity. You can also take a 360° virtual reality tour of Chapelcross Power Station and see where plutonium and tritium were produced for the atomic bomb.
Silver service
On loan to the gallery right now, is a silver casket believed to have belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots. Made in Paris, roughly between 1493 and 1510, the casket is a scarce work of early French silver. Also, Jenny, of Peerie Artists is delivering a block of arts workshops at Kirkcudbright Galleries from 7th and 14th December.
Crystal gaze
The Gem Rock Museum in Creetown boasts a collection of crystals and other colourful specimens from the UK and globally. We’re talking a 4.5 billion-year-old, three-kilogram meteorite the likes of which you don’t see every day. Then there’s a fossilised egg and dung of a dinosaur, and The Maverick gold nugget, one of the largest on display in the whole UK, to add to the list of reasons why this place should be on your winter hit list. Open until 22nd December 10 am-4 pm – Wednesday to Sunday inclusive.
Raise the roof
A choral Christmas concert is just the ticket if your Christmas spirit seems to have given up the ghost, and if you head to St John’s Church, Dumfries, for 7:30 pm on Monday 23rd December your ears and then the rest of you will fall in love with this season all over again. Expect an evening of carols and seasonal ditties conducted by no other than Jamie Brand MBE.
Happy birthday Rab
Winter is of course the birthday of our Bard Rabbie Burns so if you’re looking for something to do in late January, head to Dumfries and raise a dram. You might meet someone who will appreciate your poetry. To get a feel for the man himself and how he lived, you should check out his house, The Robert Burns Centre and, of course, his Mausoleum.
It’s just gorge!
And speaking of Burns, there’s allegedly an inscription by the man himself at Crichope Linn – a gorge and waterfall at the heart of Dumfries and Galloway. Getting there involves following a short path through woodland, and all you must do is keep a look out for the distinct sandstone walls that flank and tower over the gorge.
Geese is the word
How does a serene winter walk bird spotting sound? At Glenwhan Gardens or RSPB Mersehead, you can spot wintering birds like beautiful barnacle geese. Both are open during winter and are a splendid winter activity for all the family.
Sources:
forestryandland.gov.scot
thecocoabeancompany.com
kitchencoosandewes.com
gemrock.net
visitscotland.com