Things to Do in Dumfries and Galloway When It Rains

22 Jul

You may have heard that it rains occasionally in Dumfries and Galloway! Scotland’s weather is famously changeable, but a wet forecast need not spoil a holiday in Galloway. Having said that, the region’s low-lying coastline is the sunniest area of the whole of Scotland with over 1500 hours of sunshine each year. The coast has higher annual irradiance levels compared to areas much further south such as Oxford and London—a reminder that Galloway’s maritime climate brings far more variety than its rainy reputation suggests.

Sunshine and showers can pass over the Solway coast within the same afternoon, transforming the landscape as they go. More importantly, some of the best things to do in Dumfries and Galloway are indoors, while its forests, lochs and hills can look especially beautiful beneath rain clouds. From whisky distilleries and art galleries to chocolate workshops, independent bookshops and atmospheric woodland walks, here is how to enjoy a rainy day in Galloway.

Take a tour of a Dumfries and Galloway distillery

A distillery tour is one of the best rainy-day activities in Dumfries and Galloway. While the weather does its worst outside, you can step into the warmth, learn how local spirits are made and discover the stories behind a growing collection of Galloway whiskies and gins.

The region now has several very different distilleries, stretching from Newton Stewart in the west to Annan and Moffat in the east. That makes it possible to include a tour whether you are staying near Wigtown Bay, exploring central Dumfries and Galloway or breaking a journey close to the Scottish border.

Galloway Distillery, Newton Stewart

Just outside Newton Stewart, Galloway Distillery produces the Hills & Harbour range of spirits and offers tours of its working site. By no means the oldest distillery in Galloway, but quite possible the most well known, given that it is owned by Galloway boy come good Sam Heughan of Outlander fame.

It is a particularly convenient option if you are staying in western Galloway or visiting Newton Stewart, Wigtown, the Machars or Galloway Forest Park. There is also a distillery shop stocked with spirits, gifts and locally made products. Tours should be booked in advance, especially during busy holiday periods. If time is short, the shop itself can still make an enjoyable stop on a rainy journey along the A75.

Bladnoch Distillery, near Wigtown

Set beside the River Bladnoch, Bladnoch Distillery is one of Scotland’s oldest privately owned Scotch whisky distilleries. Its history stretches back more than two centuries, giving a visit a wonderful sense of continuity: whisky has been made here through generations of dramatic change in both Galloway and the wider world.

Bladnoch offers several visitor experiences, from an accessible introduction to the whisky-making process to more detailed heritage tours and tastings. You can see how grain, water and yeast are transformed into spirit, hear about the distillery’s revival and sample whiskies created on the banks of the Bladnoch.

The visitor centre also includes a shop and Café Melba, so there is no need to hurry back into the rain when the tour finishes. Combine a visit with Wigtown, Scotland’s National Book Town, for a full day that works particularly well in unsettled weather.

Dark Art Distillery, Kirkcudbright

For guests staying at the Wild Galloway cabins, Dark Art Distillery is the closest distillery to visit—just a 10-minute drive away in Kirkcudbright. It is an easy rainy-day excursion, either on its own or combined with the town’s museums, galleries and shops.

This small craft distillery produces Scottish gin, vodka and agave spirits, including Sky Garden Gin, inspired by the dark skies above Galloway Forest Park. Its guided tours last approximately one hour and fifteen minutes and introduce visitors to the distilling process, the stories behind the spirits and the distillery’s custom-built still.

There are other distilleries to discover farther east in Dumfries and Galloway, including Annandale Distillery, the wood-fired Moffat Distillery and Ninefold Rum Distillery, a small-batch rum producer near Dalton. Tours and visits may require advance booking, so check availability before travelling.

Spend a rainy day in Kirkcudbright’s museums and galleries

Kirkcudbright has been associated with artists for more than a century, earning its reputation as Scotland’s Artists’ Town. Its colourful streets and harbour are lovely in any weather, but the town truly comes into its own on a rainy day. Several museums, galleries and historic buildings sit within easy walking distance of one another, so you can move between them without spending long in the elements.

Begin at Kirkcudbright Galleries, housed in the town’s former council offices on St Mary Street. The gallery explores the story of the Kirkcudbright Artists’ Colony and displays work connected with the town’s unusually rich artistic heritage. Temporary exhibitions mean there is often something new to see on a return visit.

Nearby, The Stewartry Museum offers a broader introduction to the area. Its collections cover local and natural history, archaeology and the lives of people who have called the Stewartry home. It is the kind of small museum in which an intended half-hour visit can easily become an entire morning.

The historic Kirkcudbright Tolbooth has served several purposes over the centuries, including courthouse and prison. Today, the building provides an atmospheric setting for art and craft exhibitions. Its thick stone walls and old cells are particularly evocative when rain is falling outside.

Art lovers should also look at the programme at Harbour Cottage Gallery, which presents exhibitions by local and visiting artists close to the River Dee. Because exhibitions change through the season, it is worth checking what is showing before your visit.

For an intimate glimpse into the life of one of the Kirkcudbright Artists, visit Broughton House and Garden, the former home and studio of painter E. A. Hornel. The house contains paintings, furniture, books and personal objects collected by Hornel. Although its Japanese-influenced garden is best enjoyed during a dry interval, the interiors alone make this a rewarding visit.

Opening days can vary by season, so check individual venues before setting out. You can find more museums, galleries, places to eat and ideas for exploring the town in our complete guide to Kirkcudbright.

Make your own chocolate—or simply eat some

Rain provides an excellent excuse to make the day revolve around chocolate. Dumfries and Galloway has several independent chocolate makers and sweet shops, including one where younger visitors can create something of their own.

At Twynholm, a few miles from Kirkcudbright, The Cocoabean Company is one of the region’s most family-friendly wet-weather attractions. Its hands-on chocolate workshops allow children and families to decorate and make chocolate creations to take home. There is also indoor soft play, a café and a factory shop filled with chocolate made on site.

The combination makes Cocoabean especially useful when rain has removed the beach, playground or long walk from your plans. Children can burn off some energy indoors, adults can have a coffee and everyone leaves with something sweet. Workshops can be popular, so booking ahead is advisable rather than waiting for the first drops of rain.

In Castle Douglas, In House Chocolates offers a more grown-up variation on the theme. Its workshop and café outlet sits in the centre of Scotland’s Food Town, with handmade chocolates in an impressive range of flavours. Settle down with one of its signature hot chocolates, choose a box to take home or use the visit as the starting point for a leisurely tour of Castle Douglas’s independent food shops.

While you are in town, call at The Toffee Shop, an old-fashioned sweet shop on King Street. Its shelves are packed with chocolates, fudge, shortbread, toffee and hundreds of varieties of traditional sweets. It is nearly impossible to leave empty-handed.

Castle Douglas works well on a rainy day because its shops are concentrated around the town centre. You can move between delicatessens, cafés, bakeries and independent retailers, stopping whenever the rain grows heavier. Check out our comprehensive guide to Castle Douglas for more information.

Hide from the rain in Wigtown’s bookshops

Few things suit a rainy Scottish afternoon better than a good book, and there is no better place to find one than Wigtown. Officially designated Scotland’s National Book Town, this small Galloway town contains an extraordinary concentration of independent and second-hand bookshops.

The joy of visiting Wigtown is not necessarily searching for a particular title. It is allowing yourself to browse without a plan: following a narrow aisle into another room, discovering a book you had forgotten existed or finding something you never knew you wanted to read.

The Book Shop, with its extensive shelves and famously characterful interior, is an essential stop, but it should not be the only one. Wigtown’s different booksellers have their own personalities and specialisms, covering subjects such as Scottish history, natural history, literature, children’s books and collectable editions.

Between shops, stop for coffee and cake, then return to your accommodation with a novel for the evening. If the weather clears, take a short walk through the town or down towards Wigtown Bay. If it does not, you have still experienced one of Galloway’s most distinctive places.

Check shop opening days before making a special journey. Wigtown remains a small rural town, and individual businesses may close on different days or change their hours outside the main visitor season.

Go outdoors anyway: Galloway is beautiful in the rain

It is tempting to treat rain as something to hide from, but Galloway’s landscape can be at its most atmospheric in wet weather. Water gathers on the branches of ancient oaks, burns tumble noisily through the forest and the hills emerge and disappear behind veils of cloud. Colours deepen too: moss becomes intensely green, bracken glows copper in autumn and wet stone turns almost black.

You do not need to tackle a high summit to experience it. Choose a sheltered woodland trail, a short lochside route or a coastal walk that allows you to turn back easily if conditions deteriorate. Kirroughtree and Glentrool both have waymarked forest trails of different lengths, while the region contains many shorter walks around villages, nature reserves and historic sites.

Rain can also bring quieter paths. A busy viewpoint may be empty, and familiar places take on an entirely different mood. Listen to rain moving through the canopy, notice the scent of wet earth and pine, and enjoy the particular satisfaction of returning somewhere warm afterwards.

Use common sense. Avoid exposed summits, fast-flowing river crossings and difficult ground in severe weather. Check the forecast, choose a route suitable for the conditions and make sure somebody knows where you are going if you are heading somewhere remote.

Find route inspiration and practical advice on our Walking in Galloway page.

What to pack for walking in Galloway in the rain

A little preparation makes the difference between a memorable wet-weather walk and a miserable one. Pack:

A properly waterproof jacket with a hood
Waterproof overtrousers, especially for longer walks
Comfortable waterproof walking boots or shoes with good grip
Warm layers that can be added or removed as conditions change
A spare fleece or jumper stored in a waterproof bag
Extra socks
A waterproof cover or dry bag for your phone, map and valuables
A paper map and compass for remote routes—not only a phone
Water and high-energy snacks
A warm hat and gloves, even outside winter if you are heading into the hills
A small first-aid kit
A charged phone and portable power bank
A flask containing something hot
A towel, dry footwear and a complete change of clothes left in the car

Avoid relying on an umbrella on open ground, where strong wind can make it more hindrance than help. Bright clothing is useful on darker days, and a head torch is sensible even when you expect to finish before sunset.

Most importantly, be willing to change the plan. A short forest circuit followed by tea and cake is far better than forcing a long hill walk in unsuitable conditions.

Rainy days are part of the Galloway experience

There are plenty of things to do in Dumfries and Galloway when it rains. Tour a working whisky distillery, explore Kirkcudbright’s museums and galleries, make chocolate in Twynholm, browse the food shops of Castle Douglas or lose an afternoon among Wigtown’s bookshelves. And when cabin fever begins to set in, pull on a waterproof jacket and see how beautifully the forests, lochs and coastline respond to rain.

The weather in southwest Scotland is rarely as simple as an all-day forecast suggests. A grey morning can become a luminous afternoon, while showers sweeping across the Solway Firth are often followed by clear light and enormous skies. Galloway’s coastal climate also means the region receives a respectable amount of sunshine, particularly for western Scotland. You may experience rain during your holiday—but you are equally likely to experience several kinds of weather before lunch.

That unpredictability is part of Galloway’s character. It slows the pace, encourages spontaneous stops and makes warm cafés, quiet galleries and evenings beside the fire feel even more inviting.

So do not spend your holiday refreshing the weather app or waiting for the perfect forecast. Pack waterproofs, leave room in the itinerary and go exploring. Rainy days in Dumfries and Galloway are not lost days. Quite often, they are the ones you remember best.