Stable Cottage Lochnaw - Stranraer
Dumfries & Galloway

We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday on the Lochnaw estate and especially appreciated the peace and tranquility of the estate and the location of Stable cottage, which is set amongst the very atmospheric woodlands of the Lochnaw estate, not far from Lochnaw Castle and a really beautiful loch, which has lovely areas of Monet-style lily ponds and is surrounded by woodlands and a mixture of shrubs and ancient trees, which give the castle and the grounds a very evocative and almost fairy tale-like quality. But this is a place of real and significant history and the grounds of Lochnaw Castle are very picturesque and the castle itself is very historic with several hundreds of years of history associated with it and the Agnew family who were resident there for hundreds of years. So, there is a feeling and sense of that history there and the estate is a really fascinating and interesting place to have the opportunity to rent a cottage and the cottage itself was a very good quality property and a unique place to have a holiday because of the lovely natural landscape around it and the history of the place. We all really appreciated the experience of being on the Lochnaw estate and being surrounded by nature, and especially enjoyed the opportunity to be close to nature and were delighted to sometimes see deer darting across our path and disappearing into the woodlands as we journeyed around the estate. Seeing the splendid historic architecture of Lochnaw Castle every day of the holiday and trying to find out more about its importance to the history of the area and its place within Scottish history was also an interesting and valuable part of our experience. Stable Cottage is a really lovely property and is very quietly situated near to the castle and is located in an old stable yard that had been built for the Agnew family of Lochnaw Castle in the mid- nineteenth century. Stable cottage is in a very atmospheric place amongst the peaceful woodlands of the Lochnaw estate and is approached by a driveway that passes both the castle and the loch, so there is a very scenic approach to the cottage. The sudden view of this amazing sixteenth century tower house castle and its gardens and grounds was absolutely beautiful and the journey to and from the cottage each day was for all of us a memorable and unforgettable experience! We all really enjoyed discovering all the wonderful woodland and loch side trails that there are to explore within the Lochnaw estate and the magnificent views of Lochnaw Castle from across the loch and loved the serene and tranquil views of its beautiful classically designed grounds and old-world gardens, which make you feel as though you have stepped back in time! The walled gardens are really lovely and have a great sense of this feeling and atmosphere. Old- fashioned wrought iron gates are at the entrance to the gardens and small turreted buildings at the corner of each garden and there was an orchard, with lines of fruit trees and an archway of roses that leads to the ornamental centrepiece of the garden, which was covered with roses. Seeing the historic architecture and experiencing the natural beauty of the Lochnaw estate is a wonderful part of the experience of staying at Stable Cottage and the cottage itself is a really lovely property with an excellent standard of accommodation and a beautiful and quite spacious kitchen and lounge. It is very clean and well-equipped and is a good-sized property, which has been tastefully furnished in keeping with its traditional surroundings. The lounge of the cottage has a French window, which opens onto the old stable yard and most evenings we enjoyed sitting outdoors at the patio table and chairs, which had been supplied for us. The roof of the stable yard has an old clock and a weathervane, and at the centre of the stable yard there is a lovely old tree, which adds to the atmosphere of the outdoor space around the cottage. Opposite the cottage there is another room in an old outbuilding within the stable yard, where there is a pool table and bar football for the family to enjoy. The interior of Stable cottage is comfortably and classically furnished, and the lounge has pale blue linen sofas, which fit in nicely with the coastal location of the cottage, which is not far from the lovely coast and beach at Larbrax bay, which is about a mile or two from the cottage. Larbrax bay is the most local beach to the cottage and has superb views of the Killantringan lighthouse in the distance and has a vast expanse of golden sand beach to explore and on a sunny day there are views towards the Irish coast. The bedrooms of Stable cottage were all a good size and were comfortably furnished with excellent quality fixtures and furniture and the main bedroom has a nice ensuite in addition to the main bathroom. The kitchen was spacious and traditionally styled with cream coloured kitchen units and the focus of the room was a large farmhouse style table, which was at the centre of the room and was a nice place for us to all gather around for our family meals. All aspects of the accommodation within Stable Cottage were of a very good and excellent standard and we would strongly recommend this is very charming and comfortable cottage as an ideal base for a holiday in the Rhins of Galloway. Apart from the property being a great place to stay, it also provides the opportunity to explore a number of very nice scenic beaches and coves in the area and also the wild windswept lighthouses at Corsewall Point, Killantringan bay and the Mull of Galloway, which is Scotland's most southerly point and a place of dramatic and magnificent cliff scenery. The lovely coastal village of Portpatrick is a twenty- minute drive from the cottage and has a beautiful, rugged coastal setting and has some hotels and a few shops and is a lively harbour village, with a golf course and putting green and the RNLI lifeboat is based there, and there were numerous organised activities going on to entertain the family, including a Sunday afternoon Zumba class! Dunskey castle is just along the coast from Portpatrick and is another amazing old castle with a history going back centuries and has a really magnificent, quite dramatic, and very rugged high clifftop setting, overlooking a steep rocky and shingle cove. The beautiful coves of Port Kale and Port Mora are also near Portpatrick and can be reached along the lovely, wooded valley of the Dunskey estate. Other amazing places to visit within a short twenty-minute drive from Stable cottage include the really beautiful Killantringan bay, which has a stunning panoramic view over a vast golden sand beach backed by high rugged cliffs. There are interesting rock formations on the beach below and a beautiful waterfall and a lovely view of the House of Knock, which is situated high up on the cliffs above the bay and was built by the Agnew family, who were connected with the Lochnaw Estate. Portamaggies cove is on the other side of the Killantringan lighthouse and bay and is a smaller cove with a little cottage on the beach. It has beautiful, rugged cliffs and some rock formations on the beach and there is a view of the Killantringan lighthouse high up on the clifftop above the cove. The view from the clifftop above Portamaggies cove is really beautiful and is a wonderful place for photography and the colour of the sea there on a sunny day is a lovely deep turquoise. About fifteen to twenty minutes from the Lochnaw estate is the village of Kirkcolm and Loch Ryan, which has a very quiet and peaceful shore were ships can be seen travelling to and from Ireland every now and then. It has an important history associated with the second world war and the story of the flying boats which were based there. Further along the coast in the southern Rhins of Galloway is the beautiful harbour and beach at Port Logan, which has wonderful cliff scenery, a wide sweep of bay and a fine sandy beach and a characterful row of very quaint coastal cottages just above the harbour and the lovely white sand shore. The old harbour wall and lighthouse is a really beautiful place to sit and relax and take in the lovely view of the harbour beach and all the boating activities and the lovely cliff scenery. Ardwell bay is near Port Logan and is another stunning bay and has another fine sandy beach and a wonderful view of the magnificent coastal cliff scenery right along the coast up to Portpatrick.

Lovely cottage (large), well equipped and warm when needed. Wonderful woodlands and walks and well situated to explore the area. Could have done a good vacuum to defeat the spider webs and dust though. Most importantly do not attempt to drive to the beach unless you have a 4x4 as treacherous for low cars, walking is recommended as it's beautiful.

Stayed at stable cottage lochnaw Castle beginning of June for 4 nights. It has everything you could possible want for your comfort.The Owners of the castle gave permission for us to tour the grounds and Castle.They even even lent us the gardener to show us around .We are Discovering our Family tree and it was amazing to find out about our past.The stable cottage is in the Woods by the Castle and loch.It is so peaceful .We were blessed by wonderful weather and we would sit in the Courtyard with our drinks in the evening.We saw so many Birds I hadn't seen before Deer are common .The castle is situated 3 miles from Stranraer.Port patrick and the Mull of Galloway are near by.Perfect base for visiting West Coast. We are hoping to make this Beautiful place a yearly thing it was so lovely.

The cottage itself was lovely and very comfortable. It had everything we needed for our stay and the area was very tranquil. The only thing to let it down is that when we arrived the cottage was very cold as there was no heating on (I believe the last guests had been there 3 weeks previous) and had not been made ready for our arrival. Not what you need at the end of a 4 hour drive. I am not sure where the mistake happened and the caretakers, when I finally got old of them, were very nice and apologetic and came over to make the beds and replenish items.

We had a fantastic week here in January, snowed in one day. The cottage is warm and comfortable. There lots of excellent walks on the estate even down to Larbrax Bay but we cheated and took the car half way...Every walk we saw deer and herons. The wifi is fast and we had all the facilities we needed in the cottage. It is not a luxury or modern cottage but this is not what we were looking for, it was very clean and had all we needed. We barely saw anyone on the estate other than a lively welcome from Venetia from the castle. Looking forward to our next visit...

Stable Cottage is the perfect getaway if you are looking to disconnect from the stresses of modernity! It is set in a truly tranquil spot, surrounded by woodland and only a few minutes drive from a very beautiful, secluded beach. We spent a very relaxing week there and left feeling recharged. The cottage itself is well kept and comfortable with three good sized bedrooms, a very spacious kitchen diner and a large living room; there was more than enough room for the six of us. We would highly recommend Stable Cottage and hope to return soon!

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Stable Cottage. Very cozy and very well equipped. Super peaceful in beautiful surroundings.

Great place and an Aga as a bonus! Very comfortable and well appointed. The grounds of the estate are good for walks and the surrounding area for drives. Portpatrick for a nice harbour town and Stranraer for shopping.

Very good setting in the castle estate with wonderful walks in the castle grounds..Accomodation was also very good suggested road route in to stable cottage on arrival needs to be reviewed as it unsuitable for cars.

Fabulous week spent at Stable cottage the surrounding estate is beautiful and so peaceful. A great base to explore the wonderful coast and countryside. The cottage would benefit from some redecoration but is very comfortable with everything one needs for a break away.

Stable cottage is tucked away behind Lochnaw castle in woodland abundant with wildlife. The walks and beaches are unspoilt and stunning. The local attractions like Portpatrick and Logan botanical gardens are well worth visiting. The locals are incredibly friendly and there is a whole variety of restaurants and eateries to tickle your tastebuds. The cottage was comfortable and reasonably well equipped. Its location is simply perfect for a wilderness holiday.

Great cottage and location. Loved all the wildlife and peacefulness.

Cottage was well appointed. It was comfortable, clean and warm. The location was excellent, within wooded grounds and close to the beach. We enjoyed walking sections of the Southern Upland Way and Mull of Galloway trail, as well as visiting local gardens, including Logan and Glenwhan. There were 4 people in our party and all had a great holiday. We couldn't fault the cottage and would recommend it as a place to stay to anyone visiting Stranraer.

Great cottage in a quiet location - ideal for anyone who wants a peaceful break in a very rural setting on a historic estate. Cottage was to a high standard throughout. We loved it!

We had a very enjoyable holiday at Stable Cottage. The accommodation could not be faulted, ideally situated in wonderful surroundings and we would be happy to return in the future. Would be of special interest to wildlife watchers.

Wonderfully comfortable, clean, warm and well equipped holiday home, thank you to the owners we had a fab time.

Cottage is more than adequate for 6 people. Has all the amenities you could think of. Kevin was exceptional so helpful. The grounds are great well maintained. Would definitely return.

Stable cottage is a beautiful accommodation in the most stunning setting. We stayed in May, and the woods were filled with blue bells, and so much wildlife, roe deer, red squirrels, woodpeckers, jays, owls to name a few. Our children had a great time riding bikes and fishing, although we struggled to catch anything. The only down side was the renovation works which, while they didn't interfere with our holiday as such, it did prevent the children playing in the courtyard as trucks came in and out during the day from about 8am. Having said that we would happily return again