self catering southern Scotland

self catering southern Scotland - sleeps 8

Bright, contemporary longhouse holiday cottage near Castle Douglas in scenic Dumfries and Galloway

In a quiet lane a mile or so from the nearest village, this brand new luxury holiday house is perfectly situated for a relaxing holiday with easy access to all types of leisure activites. From the outside, the modern longhouse looks much like a traditional long byre, merging seamlessly into the landscape with local farm houses and buildings, while incorporating innovative design features and sustainable technology. The design was by sought after Scottish architects Dualchas, finalists in Architect of the Year 2013, who have cultivated a knack of lifting the familiar out of the ordinary.

The longhouse sits in a quiet rural location surrounded by lush farmland, with long views to the distinctive Screel and Ben Gairn hills to the south east, Barstobrick HIll and Neilson's Monument to the south west. In the field beyond, two Shetland ponies, Bumble Bee and Dragon Fly, graze placidly. Facing south, the tall windows and glass doors make the most of the lovely view while letting in maximum sunshine; beyond them you can make use of the outdoor seating on the large patio, soak in the sunshine and the view or, luxury of luxuries, indulge in a hedonistic spell in the outdoor hot tub.

Sunshine streams into the airy open plan living space which stretches up to the full height of the building; a large oak dining table ties in with the lovely underheated solid oak floor and opposite this sits the smart new kitchen in pale dove green and grey. It's hard to imagine you would need this with all the sunlight from the windows and the underfloor heating, but a cosy woodstove is the focus of the the seating area - cheery azure armchairs and sofas to sit on and interesting images by a local photographer on the walls.

Upstairs, two spacious bedrooms look out over the hills, with more than enough storage space in neat fitted wardrobes; light and unfussy, these rooms feel peaceful and relaxing to sleep in. Downstairs is a neat bunk room which children will love along with another large double bedroom similar to those upstairs.

There's loads to do in this corner of Scotland. A couple of miles along the road is the National Trust's Threave Gardens, where the lovely mature gardens have a wonderful view of the surrounding hills and there's a kitchen garden as well as a good cafe and shop. Nearby, the ruins of Threave Castle sit beside the river Dee - a great place for a picnic - and there's the added fun of crossing the river in the tiny ferryboat.

Walking, cycling, fishing, horseriding, watersports - it's all here within very easy reach and in the most beautiful scenery. The nearest market town of Castle Douglas is excellent for shopping too, with many independent local shops from butchers to antique furniture stores, classy boutiques, a chocolatier and even the local Sulwath brewery. I recommend working through their very palatable range of beers and lagers on a sunny afternoon on the patio while the barbecue sizzles with delicious local sausages...