Sandyhills Bay Holiday Park

Sandyhills Bay Holiday Park sits directly beside a sandy beach on the Solway Coast, with wooded hills behind it and views across the bay. This peaceful, family-friendly site welcomes dogs and offers grass tent pitches with or without electricity, pitches for touring caravans, campervans and motorhomes, and glamping pods. Direct beach access is its defining feature, making the shore part of everyday campsite life rather than a separate outing.

Practical facilities include a heated toilet and shower block, a launderette and a covered washing-up area. There is also a shop for supplies and a beach takeaway. The opening season runs from 1 April to 31 October, covering spring coastal walks, summer beach holidays and autumn exploration.

For walks beyond the beach, the coastal trail between Sandyhills and Rockcliffe passes Portling and Castlehill Point, following a coastline of cliffs and sheltered bays. At Rockcliffe, the Jubilee Path links the village with Kippford through woodland and meadows. Dalbeattie Forest offers a different landscape, with walking trails beside lochs and burns as well as technical mountain-bike routes. Wildlife-watchers can explore Mersehead RSPB Reserve’s wetlands, saltmarsh and sandy shore, with barnacle geese among its autumn and winter visitors. Its Wetland Trail leads to two hides, while access along the Coastal Trail depends on the tides.