Itinerary 3: Distillery and Garden Tour

Breakfast at home first, sitting at the breakfast bar taking in those amazing views over Luce Bay, there’s no better start to the day.

Bladnoch Distillery

Head to Bladnoch Distillery, Bladnoch, Dumfries & Galloway, DG8 9AB, tel 01988 402605. It’s about a 15 minute drive, 10 miles from the cottage. Enjoy a guided tour and tasting of their single malt whisky, one of Scotland’s oldest working distilleries. Tours run Tuesday to Saturday at 11am, 1pm and 3pm, and need to be booked in advance online.

While you’re there, treat yourself to lunch or a slice of cake at Café Melba on site, it’s a lovely spot to while away an hour, with a proper lunch menu and homemade treats.

Galloway Distillery

From Bladnoch, it’s a short hop, about 15 minutes and 8 miles, to Galloway Distillery, Wigtown Road, Newton Stewart DG8 6AS, tel 01671 404040. You might know this one better by its old name, Crafty Distillery, it was renamed in 2025 after being taken over by actor Sam Heughan, of Outlander fame, and his business partner. As with all distilleries, you’ll need to book ahead for a tour and tasting of their gin and vodka, including the well loved Hills & Harbour Gin.

Glenwhan Gardens

From here, it’s about a 24 minute drive, 19 miles, out to Glenwhan Gardens, Dunragit, Stranraer DG9 8PH, tel 01581 400222. This is a wide variety of plants and stunning scenery, genuinely tranquil and peaceful, with lots of benches dotted about so you can just sit and take it all in. There’s also a small café here serving fresh lunches and sweet treats if you fancy a stop for cake before heading home. Open daily 10am to 5pm.

Home to the Cottage

From Glenwhan, it’s roughly 40 minutes back to Port William, worth checking your satnav on the day as routes can vary. Head back for a relaxing evening at the cottage, maybe with a wee dram from your day’s travels.

Practical Tips

• All three stops need advance booking for tours, don’t just turn up
• Bladnoch tours run Tuesday to Saturday only, plan your day around this
• Doing Bladnoch and Galloway Distillery back to back saves doubling back on yourself, then Glenwhan as your furthest point before heading home
• There are cafés at both Bladnoch and Glenwhan if you want to spread lunch and cake across the day
• Galloway Distillery was previously known as Crafty Distillery.