Beach Cottage & Auld Schoolhouse are situated 4 doors apart in the seaside village of Sandhead. They are "almost on the Beach" and both enjoy uninterrupted views over Luce Bay and the Galloway hills beyond. Sandhead is built on "7 miles of sand" - all this on your doorstep! It also boasts a pub/restaurant (Tigh-na-Mara - Gaelic for beside the sea!), well stocked local shop and children's play park.
The picturesque fishing village of Portpatrick, with its traditional harbour and small sandy beach, has many quality restaurants, pubs and gift shops is only a 10 minute drive away. Other activities to be found in Portpatrick include boat trips for fishing and sightseeing, putting, bowling, golf and walking. These Sandhead houses are an ideal base for the golfing enthusiast with 4 courses within a 10 minute drive ( all with stunning sea views) namely - Dunskey, Lagganmore, Craichmore and County - the is also Turnberry at under 1 hours drive! For keen walkers there are extensive footpaths including the Southern Upland Way, which commences in the village of Portpatrick and the Galloway Coastal Path from Stranraer to Mull of Galloway. Auld Schoolhouse and Beach Cottage are located in the Rhins of Galloway, a peninsula which has a varying and enchanting range of coastal features from sandy beaches on the East coast, such as Sandhead itself - 7 miles of unbroken sand, to a variety of cliffs, rocks and sandy coves on the West including the secluded sandy beach at Killantringan - you will be spoilt for the wide variety of beaches in the area - mostly within a 10 minute drive. The climate hear is warmed by the Gulf Stream and the area is home to many renowned gardens - Logan Botanic, Logan House, Ardwell, Castle Kennedy, Glenwhan and Dunskey are all within a 10 minute drive. For the more adventurous there is Threave and Culzean Castle within 1 hours drive from your holiday house. Other attractions include Cream of Galloway Ice Cream and adventure park and the Laggan Outdoor Activity Centre (home to the longest Zip-wire ride) both near Gatehouse of Fleet. 7Stanes Mountain Biking in the Galloway Forest Park. Cocoa Bean Chocolate Factory in Twynholm. Ryan Centre swimming pool and Agnew Park (children's outdoor activity park) in Stranraer. For historians there is Glenluce Abbey and St. Ninian's Cave near Whithorn. Wigtown is also worth a visit if you are interested in reading - it has been labelled the Book Town. At the Southern end of the Rhins peninsula is the Mull of Galloway lighthouse - the most southerly point in Scotland. Attractions hear include the 115 step climb to the top of the lighthouse & a certificate to prove it! (open most weekends in the summer season), Gallie Craig Tearoom and the RSPB bird reserve. Auld Schoolhouse & Beach Cottage provide a perfect base for a self catering holiday in this area.
