"Deep in unspoilt country less than two hours from either Glasgow or
Edinburgh and within easy access of the M74..."
Deborah Galbraith’s historic Edinburgh apartment at 19 Windsor Street has been with About Scotland for many years and so we are very pleased to introduce Jarbruck Lodge in Dumfriesshire.
The restoration of the Lodge was completed May 2008 to form a small country house offering self contained accommodation for up to six people. The house sits in beautiful countryside, by a small back road leading to the conservation village of Moniaive, and at the foot of miles of forest tracks offering lovely walks directly from the door. It is ideal for larger families or for couples renting together. Victorian in design, the Lodge has a pretty cottage garden with patio and BBQ and is surrounded by fields where sheep and cattle graze peacefully. The rooms are generously proportioned and Deborah has created a lovely open plan dining kitchen room with a wood burning stove. There are two additional public rooms, a further open fire and one bathroom on the ground floor. The winding cottage stairs lead to three large bedrooms and a second bathroom.
Moniaive is a picturesque village and a well deserving winner of ‘Best Kept Village’ over a number of years. A gentle cycle ride or walk from the house will bring you to rows of whitewashed cottages and the village cross. There are impressive facilities – an organic tea room, local artists’ craft shop, a well stocked grocer with off licence and DVD rental, a choice of two village pubs and a newly opened Italian restaurant.
The countryside is beautiful and unspoilt. There are forests, lochs and rivers and the Solway coast is within easy distance. Some of the world’s best mountain biking is available nearby, as are sailing, windsurfing and water ski-ing on Loch Ken. For those wishing to see wildlife, the RSPB Red Kite Trail offers a wonderful opportunity to see these magnificent birds of prey. You may be lucky enough to spot red squirrels in the garden and roe deer and buzzards abound nearby. Trout and salmon fishing is available on the rivers and lochs of Drumlanrig Estate. Drumlanrig Castle, home to the Duke of Bucceluch , is open to the public in the summer months and has spectacular gardens, an adventure playground and a variety of small local craft and art shops in its stableyard which also houses a bicycle museum. For those who enjoy contemporary art, local artist Andrew Goldsworthy’s work is spectacularly sited in the Dumfriesshire hills which have been such an inspiration to him.
We hope that whatever you seek, you will find it in and around Jarbruck Lodge. Although the restoration of the Lodge was finished only last year, many families have visited and we are particularly delighted that many of them are choosing to return again this year.
Guest comment: Dewsbury party – April 2009
Sunshine, sandcastles, owls, red kites, roe deer, buzzards, peace – broken only by birdsong – Does it get much better?
