We spent 5 nights here August 2017 in our tent.
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We spent 5 nights here August 2017 in our tent. Location great - you can walk/cycle out of the back of the site and quickly get onto 7Stanes. Dalbeattie itself is a few minutes drive with shops for supplies as well as places to eat out. Beaches on Solway coast also close. We found plenty to keep us busy within about 30-40 mins drive.
The "wild camping" area for tents was smaller than we expected but we fitted our large tent into the smaller of the two clearings. You can't take your car into the wild camping area. It's not far to carry your kit though. We had the small clearing to ourselves and felt we could have been in the middle of nowhere. We had paid in advance for a firebowl and wood etc, which was all delivered to our pitch and added to the experience. We saw bats every evening and heard owls nearby. We weren't troubled by midges.
There was a noise issue one night with a newly arrived big group and the site management nipped it in the bud which is always good news.
As it is a small site on a busy farm there isn't a staffed reception as such, but there is a button you can press and someone will appear on a quad bike to sort you out.
The kitchen, washing machine and tumble drier were all a godsend. It would be good if there was a drying line/rotary drier as an option. We got our freezer packs re-frozen a couple of times on request. There is a basic but comfortable lounge area with tables, chairs, sofas and some board games. Showers etc looked recently fitted out to a high spec. Plenty of hot water.
We took advantage of the on-site bike hire and our bike-ride in the forest was a holiday highlight. Staff very helpful and flexible arranging this, thank you.
I picked this site partly because the activities listed for children as our 8 year old loves free-ranging and making friends on camp sites, but the adventure trail etc was a little further from the base camp area than us or he would be comfortable with him free-ranging to. There wasn't really a focal point for kids to pal up in the main base camp, other than the lounge, so harder for him to make friends. Also, as it is more a glamping than camping site there was a different, less communal atmosphere, the kids didn't seem to spontaneously form a pack as readily as they seem to at the typical sites we go to.
Gorsebank have gone to great effort to make this site comfortable and accommodating and it is a great location. We'd recommend.
Type of accommodation: Tent
Date: 24/08/2017
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