If you’re a couple or solo traveller craving a peaceful escape, you’ll love this quirky and remote hut surrounded by Galloway’s wild scenery. It’s located on a working farm on the outskirts of Kirkpatrick Durham, a small village, and around 6 miles from Castle Douglas, a foodie town. This one-bed home makes a wonderfully remote base for discovering the Galloway Hills and Solway Coast, an area renowned for its spectacular dark skies – if it’s clear, you’ll have the chance to spot thousands of stars and planets, along with the sweeping Milky Way.
The hut is clad in corrugated iron and topped with a traditional barrel-shaped roof, providing simple and off-grid accommodation with few distractions from the outside world. On arrival, you’ll climb five wooden steps up to the raised patio before stepping into an open-plan, timber-lined interior. Here, you’ll have comfortable seating along with a small wood burner that you can use to boil water for cosy cuppas. At one end of the space is a custom-made king-size bed dressed with a British wool quilt plus a stylish 1950s cabinet. Head back outside to reach the separate off-grid shower room, with hot and cold running water and a composting WC (it’s odour-free and comes with full instructions). The kitchen space is also outside, and equipped with a small gas stove and a charcoal BBQ – while you cook and wash up, you can watch geese and moorhens on the loch. A traditional zeer pot provides evaporative cooling for a small carton of milk or bottle of wine overnight, and there’s a picnic table for sitting down to al fresco meals. Two wooden Adirondack chairs are positioned beside a fire pit, ready for reading or toasting marshmallows beneath the stars. Parking for two cars is available just above the hut.
Nearby, you can go hill walking, cycling, bird watching, wildlife spotting or fishing, with sea, coarse and game fishing all possible in the area too. If you’re feeling energetic, head to Galloway Activity Centre on Loch Ken (11 miles), for climbing, laser tag, archery and a wide range of water sports. Wildlife lovers can visit Laurieston (9.5 miles) to feed the red kites, while the sheltered Sandyhills Beach (13.5 miles) is a lovely option for some quality time by the sea.