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Home  >  Blog • Review  >  Dumfries and Galloway road trip – Cavens Hotel

Dumfries and Galloway road trip – Cavens Hotel

Trish Burgess Posted on07/09/201603/05/2017 Dumfries and Galloway, hotel, Scotland 15 Comments
Cavens country house hotel Dumfries and Galloway
Cavens Country House Hotel, Kirkbean, Dumfries and Galloway

Every once in a while my husband Dougie has a hankering to return to his homeland and soak up a healthy dose of Scottishness. While our son Rory was heading off on a 10-day tour of European cities with his girlfriend, his empty nester parents had a spare week available and the lure of Alba was inescapable.

Scotland is a long way from South Lincolnshire, it has to be said, and we couldn’t face the idea of several hours driving to the highlands and islands . Why not just hop over the border instead? Neither of us had ever visited Dumfries and Galloway before but if you look on a map, it’s on a similar latitude to the North East of England. Heavens, we visit my mum in Newcastle all the time – this would be a breeze.

We decided on a romantic road trip around the region and agreed we should do this in style. I popped the word ‘luxury’ into Google and chanced upon the Luxury Galloway website which featured just five country house hotels, all of them rather special. I couldn’t find anything else which suited us better so we booked four out of the five on the site – with a thousand apologies to Kirroughtree House, the remaining hotel – I assure you, it was nothing personal, it just didn’t quite fit with our route and timings.

The four hotels were very different from our usual choice of contemporary/minimalist accommodation. In truth, we weren’t sure if they would be a bit too chintzy and old-fashioned. But I was convinced that if we were going to do the Grand Tour of Dumfries and Galloway then a little touch of traditional comfort and attentive service would be just the thing.

The Luxury Galloway website is run by Angus Fordyce, owner of the Cavens Hotel. Each hotel was wonderful in its own way: one might have had the best views, another the best food but all of them had something extra to make our stay truly memorable.

Although this was the last stop on our trip, I’d like to start with Cavens and show you what true hospitality is all about.

Cavens Country House Hotel

A stunning white hotel, set in its own 20 acres of grounds, a stone’s throw from the Solway coast. When the owner of the hotel greets you in the drive and invites you into his home, you feel very welcome.

Cavens is the home of Angus and Jane Fordyce and their children. Proud to call himself an old-school hotelier, Angus is passionate about providing a place for people to relax and unwind. There are only six bedrooms but you would think there were more as the public rooms are so large, with several sofas and chairs that were made for snoozing in. Within five minutes of settling down with a book on our first afternoon there, Dougie had started to gently snore. No-one else could hear him apart from me, so I let him slumber on, especially as I was making use of the free WiFi to quietly catch up on my emails.

I had to wake him at 4pm when afternoon tea was served: a complimentary cuppa is brought to guests in the lounge alongside a couple of slices of home-made cake. That kept me going until pre-dinner drinks, though I didn’t notice the fabulous assortment of gins at the bar when I ordered my G&T so only quaffed a plain old Gordon’s.

Cavens public rooms, Dumfries and Galloway
Public rooms and restaurant in Cavens hotel

Guest bedrooms are large and designed for comfort. We were staying in possibly the loveliest of them all, Criffel, named after the majestic hill nearby. A vast room, with a super-king bed, sofa, two comfy chairs and two sets of bookshelves, crammed full of the family’s favourites, collected over the years. The bathroom was spacious and fresh with smart Penhaligon toiletries and fluffy white towels warming up nicely on the heated towel rail.

Criffel bedroom Cavens hotel Dumfries and Galloway
Features of Criffel bedroom, Cavens Hotel

Angus, now with his chef’s hat on, describes his food as ‘high-quality dinner party fare’. Using local suppliers, the menus are uncomplicated, featuring hearty beef and venison steaks, whopping scallops and an excellent range of cheeses. The dining room is quite beautiful, like the rest of the house, capturing that authentic country house style so well. It’s amazing to think that when the Fordyces  bought the building it was decorated in 1960s/70s style. They started from scratch, lovingly returning the house back to how it used to look, adding cornices, antiques and old portraits to complement the design of the building.

The history of Cavens is worth mentioning here. The house was built in 1752 by Richard Oswald, a transatlantic merchant, one of the Glasgow Tobacco Barons. In America he became friends with Benjamin Franklin and was appointed the British representative at the end of the American Revolutionary War, signing the treaty to bring it to its end. Oswald’s neighbour, half a mile from Cavens, was William Craik , a pioneer of modern agriculture, also a friend of Benjamin Franklin. The son of Craik’s gardener was John Paul Jones, who went on to become head of the American Navy. The cottage he grew up in can be visited nearby.

History lesson over – let’s talk about breakfast which was delicious with a locally-made granola, berries and an excellent full Scottish assortment on the menu. During our trip around D&G I ran a competition, based purely on my own taste, as to which hotel made the best porridge. Like Goldilocks herself, I was very picky. One was too watery, another a tad salty but here it was just right and with a jug of cream to accompany it. The golden spurtle* award therefore goes to Cavens.

One other thing to add – one of the features of the hotel is that it can be hired for exclusive use. I think this would be the perfect place for a large family or group of friends for a special occasion. Imagine playing croquet on the lawn, having a day’s fishing arranged or some whisky-tasting but not having to self-cater. Check the website for details for rates for a group of 10 people. And just think – you could snore on those sofas to your heart’s content.

*spurtle is a traditional Scottish kitchen utensil designed for stirring porridge.

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15 Comments

  1. Lisa (Travel Loving Family) Reply
    07/09/2016 at 8:42 pm

    Ah this sounds like a heavenly road trip! I love the idea of a golden spurtle award!!

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      08/09/2016 at 4:04 pm

      It was – pure heaven and the weather was great too. I think there might well be an official Golden Spurtle Award – they need me on their panel!

  2. Sarah Reply
    08/09/2016 at 6:36 am

    Always nice to end a holiday with a bang, and this hotel looks just the job. I do love an overloaded breakfast table with brekkie made by someone else.

    I went to Scotland for my honeymoon, and it was as far to drive up to Glasgow from London as it was to drive from Montpellier to London (or was it Calais?). It’s a looooong way up.

    • Trish Reply
      08/09/2016 at 8:33 am

      The best bit about this holiday is that all the hotels had a wow factor. This one was so relaxing, another had amazing views and another had superb food. Can’t quite believe how brilliant the whole week was – we have vowed to look beyond the chintz in future!In fact Ibought to change the post slightly to indicate that all the hotels were fabulous.

      That’s the problem – it is such a long way but this area was just that bit closer, making the drive a lot less of a strain.

  3. Mandy Reply
    08/09/2016 at 3:31 pm

    What a lovely place! I’ve been lucky to stay in a couple of places like this in the past and they are always the maker of very fine memories indeed. I look forward to your next posts.

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      08/09/2016 at 4:02 pm

      You’re right – somewhere with a bit of history and tradition makes for great memories. Loads more to come, Mandy! Thanks so much for reading.

  4. susanna Reply
    10/09/2016 at 4:44 pm

    That looks really lovely! We are going to Scotland in October and I may just check it out.

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      10/09/2016 at 5:05 pm

      All of the hotels in the Luxury Galloway group were fantastic so worth a look, depending on where you’re staying.

  5. Nell (the Pigeon Pair and Me) Reply
    10/09/2016 at 5:27 pm

    This place looks perfect – luxurious, but not too over-the-top. And porridge is one of my favourites, so I’m keen to try out your recommendation!

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      11/09/2016 at 6:04 pm

      That’s right – I didn’t feel as if I were standing on ceremony. All the hotels were very welcoming, even the ones that I thought might be a little grand. Porridge is such a personal thing – I imagine everyone likes it cooked differently. I’m a full fat milk kind of girl – none of this watery skimmed stuff!

  6. Jane Reply
    12/09/2016 at 9:15 am

    Typical that you, the travel blogger, had to catch up on some emails! I hope you managed plenty of relaxation too. Sounds like a fabulous trip.

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      12/09/2016 at 7:01 pm

      Couldn’t resist it. And I had to message my boy, to pester him while he was on his travels. But no worries, I wasn’t blogging or using social media while we were away so it was very relaxing.

  7. Emma Raphael Reply
    14/09/2016 at 8:45 pm

    Oh my gosh, can you imagine renting that for a party?? That would just be fabulous! I would be happy to rent it just for me though and snooze and read to my hearts content! 🙂

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      14/09/2016 at 9:34 pm

      The owner was telling me an American family had taken the hotel over recently and had a great time – lots of chilling and kicking footballs about in the garden. And no need to cook!

  8. Pingback: A room with a view at the Balcary Bay Hotel - Mum's Gone To ...

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