With 2 open-plan sitting /dining room/kitchens the Coach House has 6 bedrooms and 6 shower/bathrooms. It easily sleeps 12 guests and can take a maximum of 16 as follows :- 1 ensuite double rooms, 1 ensuite king room, 1 room with small double bed (close to shared bathroom), 1 ensuite room with twin beds which can be linked to make superking a bed (on ground floor), twin room and bunk room with a sliding wall between them. For an extra 2 people, the partition can be opened to make enough space for 2 extra guest beds so 6 people sleep in one room with limited floor space. For another 2 people there is a small double sofabed in each open plan sitting room, each suitable for 1 adult or 2 children. One kitchen area has a table for up to 16 people, the other for up to 6 people.
At certain times we can offer half the house (3 bedrooms, sleeping up to 6/8 guests) -please enquire with owner for prices and availability
The ground floor and the ensuite twin/superking room are accessible by wheelchair. Please call us before booking to discuss any special requirements so we can make things as easy as possible. For children/babies, we can supply a travel cot and high chair on request and there are guards for the wooburners and a stair guard. Children are very welcome. There are some steep slopes and drops in the garden so young ones need supervision.
The separate games building has air hockey, table football, table tennis, pool table and chess board. It has a kitchenette with kettle and microwave for popcorn. It converts to a cosy cinema with sofas and bean bags (great with the woodburner lit) and/or it can be used in many other ways, so far for a crafting weekend, yoga weekend, silent disco, noisy disco, mini jazz concert hall (great accoustics) business presentations, small wedding meal etc.
The garden has a charcoal-fuelled stone barbecue with a view and outdoor tables. The stone horseshoe seating area in the top garden has an even bigger view. There's a laundry shed where waterproofs and boots can be stored, biking gear dried etc. If extra space is required in the field for 3-legged races, wheelbarrow races, football, tug o' war etc please just ask us.
We live next door and can leave guests to relax in complete peace and privacy and just be on hand for any requests to sort problems supply any sugar, cooking oil etc if it's been forgotten or else guests are welcome to share our passions - anyone enthusiastic, of any age, is welcome to help Juliet feed the llamas and hens and to take Annie the llama for a walk and give her a cuddle. The hens often hide their eggs in silly places for children to search for them. In season we have some fruit and vegetables and children can help pick these. The mulberry tree in the polytunnel is generally childrens' favorite but be warned - the sweet, juicy mulberries stain everything which comes close to them a beautiful deep purple, including faces, hands, jumpers and trousers. In good weather, Alan can take adults for a short trip in the motorcycle sidecar and children for a very exciting spin up and down the drive. He has a drum-kit, guitars and piano and anyone keen, of any ability, is welcome to have an ear-splitting jamming session with him in our house, with their own instruments or his. Fortunately the walls of both houses and the games room are thick so little sound travels between the buildings and a noise from any building is no problem.
We can advise on good walks, beaches, a secret river swimming place, good fishing places etc.
Galloway is often called 'The Highlands in Miniature' as it has hills, lochs, rivers, woodland and a great coastline, all still undiscovered by mass tourism. It has an abundance of wildlife, including deer, otters and red squirrels. The reintroduction of Red Kites has been very successful and you can see them up close at 2pm every day at the feeding station near Laurieston.
Outdoor activities are countless and wonderful - walking, swimming, golf and watersports. The 7-stanes mountain bike trails are nearby and Galloway Activity Centre by Loch Ken has some very daft and funny activities for teenagers/young adults.
There are castles to explore, Drumlanrig as well as some ruined ones. Annandale whisky distillery tours and a visit to the Devil's porridge Bowl (explosives factory during WW1) are highly recommended. The Cocoa Bean Chocolate factory and a selection of farm parks, some with soft play areas, are a great hit with chldren. Perhaps you'd like to visit the lead mining museum at Wanlockhead, the highest village in Scotland, and pan for some gold while you're there (you can do a course or just hire the equipment and buy a licence to pan there). Threave Garden at Castle Douglas is well worth a visit.
'The Food Town' of Castle Douglas is 5 miles away, with supermarkets and a good selection of independent shops. It has some restaurants. The village shop at Springholm (1.5 miles away) has basic provisions and a cheerful shopkeeper. Tesco will do deliveries to the Coach House. A lady in our village (Kirkpatrick Durham) sporadically sets up a bakery stall with bread and cakes but you need to be quick off the mark to taste her wares as you will have hot competition. The fresh fish man come to the village in his van, with some delicious marine delicacies, at 7pm on Tuesdays. The Laurie Arms at the Haugh or Urr, is cosy and child-friendly and serves good pub food. The Inn on the Loch near Crocketford, is child friendly too, and has good food and plenty of space for large groups. In summer, it rents out paddle boards. The Galloway Arms at Crocketford offers a warm welcome and good food too. We can recommend some excellent caterers who will come to the house and provide you with a meal for special occasions. They even clear up and wash the dishes afterwards.
We welcome most hen and stag parties but please contact us to discuss things first. The house is relatively resilient and child-proof but we can't cope with 21st parties or groups where everyone is under 24yo because we want it to keep standing.
Additional Information
- Deposit: 25.00%
- Check In Time: 16:30
- Check Out Time: 10:00
- Child minimum age: 0
- Child maximum age: 16