Local Produce & Shopping

Trying local produce is one of the pleasures of being on holiday. These are some of the local highlights we think guests at Kirkennan Estate Holiday Cottages might want to explore.

Farmers and Producers Markets
Colvend: Indoor. 10-2pm, 4th Saturday of each month (Mar-Nov)
Creetown: 10-3pm, 2nd Sunday of each month (Apr-Sept)
Dumfries: 11-3pm 1st Sunday of each month (Feb - Dec)
Gatehouse: 9-12 noon Every Saturday (small but popular)
Glenkens Community Market: Indoor. 10-12.30, 2nd Saturday of each month.
Kirkcudbright: 11am 4th Sunday of month (Mar-Dec)
Wigtown: 10-4pm, Every Sat (Mar - Oct)
If venturing further afield Langholm, Lockerbie and Moffat also have markets.

Dalbeattie
T H Carson, Butchers - an award winning traditional Scottish butchers. They will deliver on specific days. 01556 610384 TH Carson facebook page. Their meat products can also be found at Palnackie Village Shop.

Castle Douglas
Grierson's Bros Butchers - another local award winning butcher. In 2018 they won Gold Scottish Craft Butcher awards for hand held steak and lamb shank pies and Silver for sausage rolls and pulled brisket pies.
In House Chocolates - Amazing chocolates hand-made in the shop
Sulwath Brewery, Local Craft Ales. You can take a tour, try some at their bar and buy some to take away. Facebook page
Sunrise Wholefoods A family business with a wonderful selection of wholefoods including herbs and spices you can get weighed out from big jars. Facebook page
The Earth's Crust Bakery specialize in hand crafted slow- fermented traditional bread but also sell amazing cakes and pastries. The Earth's Crust facebook page

Beeswing (on A711 between Dumfries & Kirkennan)
Loch Arthur Farm Shop and Cafe - a social enterprise run by Loch Arthur Camphill Community where you can find produce from their own farm including: fresh milk, yogurt, butter and cheese all made from their own organic milk; beef and lamb from their own animals prepared in their on-site butchery; a variety of breads made in their on-site bakery plus crafts made in their woodwork shop plus much more. Facebook page

Dumfries
T B Watson/Drambusters Specialist wine and spirit store with over 800 whiskies and 130 gins. Stockist for Bladnoch whisky and Solway Spirits. Facebook page

East of Dumfries (can be combined with day trips to Gretna Green, Annan, Moffat etc)
Annandale Distillery, Annan.One of Scotland's oldest working distilleries. Visitor centre, cafe, tours and shop. Facebook page

To the West of Kirkennan (can be combined with day trips to Galloway Forest Park, Wigtown etc)
Bladnoch Distillery, Wigtown. Visitor Centre due to re-open end 2018. In the meantime whisky can be purchased at T B Watson/Drambusters in Dumfries
Crafty Distillery, Newton Stewart, distillery where you can take tours and sample and take away their Hills & Harbour Gin (10% off for those taking the tour). Facebook
Cream O'Galloway, near Gatehouse of Fleet. The place to buy amazing artisan ice-cream and their own award winning cheese from The Ethical Dairy. The farm also has a visitors centre aimed at young children. Opens again Feb 9th 2018 till end Oct. Their ice cream can also be found at Palnackie Village Shop. Cream O'Galloway are in the forefront of developing ethical dairy farming where calves and mothers are kept together.
Galloway Smokehouse, Carsluith (enroute to Newton Stewart). Award winning smoked produce including salmon, duck, trout etc. Also has The Galloway Fisherman Cafe where you can sample many of their products.
Marrbury Smokehouse, Carsluith Castle. A great place to buy smoked salmon among other things. Also has a cafe and ruined castle.
From Ewe to You Farm Shop, Sorbie. Not the easiest place to find, but worth it for their organic cheeses, sheepskin rugs (the ones we have in The Mews) and much more. Open Monday to Friday between 11am and 4pm, from May to September.

Local produce to look out for in local shops
Galloway Chillies, Wigtown. Speciality chillies, grown in Galloway and transformed into a sensational range of award winning craft preserves, hot toddies and mustards that pack a flavour punch! Facebook page
Garrocher Tea, Creetown - award winning tea. The garden is sometimes open between May-Sept. From March onwards on every fourth Sunday the Garrocher Tea Emporium can be found at Kirkcudbright Farmers and Producers Market.

Steilhead Cider

Solway Spirits Artisan Spirits and Liquers. Can be bought from T B Watson/Drambusters in Dumfries
See also Food and Drink in Dumfries & Galloway for more ideas

If I have missed your favourite local product do let me know!

If you are interested in artisan food then you may enjoy some of our blogs highlighted in the slider below

Like to make your own wild garlic pesto?
Why not visit Kirkennan in Spring when there is masses of wild garlic growing in our woodlands.
Making elderflower cordial is incredibly easy...
Shop bought elderflower cordial is rather expensive. But it costs pennies to make, takes little time and is fun to do. Take a look at our simple recipe.
Ever wondered how honey is extracted by small producers?
We keep bees at Kirkennan - largely to support pollinators and pollination. If the bees produce more honey than they need for their own use then we extract the surplus. And if we have a surplus we share it with guests in our holiday cottages. Read our blog to find out how it is done...