The School House New Luce

The School House is in New Luce, a quiet village up in Dumfriesshire. It's detached but next to our house, though you get your own space. The garden is enclosed, which is good if you've got dogs or kids.

It's a big place, sleeps eight. Four bedrooms, three bathrooms. It's got a 4 Star rating, so it's comfortable and well-equipped. There's a woodburning stove for the evenings, a games room, and the kitchen is open plan.

The village is small. There's a shop about 250 yards away for basics, and a pub about 200 yards. The pub does food. For other restaurants, you'd need to drive about five miles.

The location is really for walking and being outdoors. The Southern Upland Way goes right through the village. The coast is about a twenty minute drive. There are loads of beaches, from sand to rock. The cliff walks at Burrow Head are impressive, and that's where they filmed the end of 'The Wicker Man'. Further down, the Mull of Galloway has an RSPB nature reserve and a lighthouse you can tour. You can see seabirds, and sometimes dolphins from the cliffs.

Stranraer is nine miles away for bigger shops. You can get a ferry to Ireland from Cairnryan, which is about half an hour by car. There's local fishing and golf if that's your thing.

Practical stuff: it takes two pets. There's a cot and highchair. Bedding and towels are included. Parking is on site. There's bike storage. The WiFi is okay for browsing but can be slow if everyone's on it at once, it's the countryside.

For planning days out, the Galloway Forest Park website is good, and VisitScotland's National Parks page has general information.