What the Papers Say in 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005
Carmel Thomason, Manchester Evening News, September 2007
"THE window sign read, ‘Closed for lunch. Back at 2pm’. In today’s 24 hour shopping society it’s a refreshing change to see that there are still places in the UK where people can survive for an hour without the rush of consumer culture. Standing on the main street in Gatehouse of Fleet, south west Scotland, I felt like I’d stepped back in time ... Galloway isn’t a place to be rushing. It’s a place to meander and to savour.
"You could drive through Gatehouse of Fleet in a minute, but if you take the time to look it is a charming street which is not as sleepy as it first appears. The rural idyll has certainly charmed actress Chrys Salt who moved from London, setting up an arts centre, The Bakehouse, in 2001. Since then the former Crossroads star has de-veloped the old shop into a studio for exhibitions, workshops, poetry readings and book launches. The Mill On The Fleet Visitor Centre is also worth a visit. It was built in 1788 as a cotton spinning mill and closed in the 1930s .... Today it houses a museum, gallery, café, gift shop and a second hand bookshop with a maze of shelves stacked floor to ceiling with all sorts of reading material.
"We stayed just 10 minutes walk from the centre in the impressive Cally Palace hotel. The building dates from 1763, when James Murray, owner of the Cally Estate, chose the picturesque setting overlooking the Galloway hills to build his country mansion. Restored to its former glory by the McMillan family, it is now a four star hotel, which allows guests to enjoy the grandeur of a bygone age without any pomposity. Indeed, Cally Palace has been named friendliest hotel in Scotland in the Scottish Hotel of the Year Awards.
"The hotel is sited on the edge of the Galloway Forest and most of its 56 rooms have stunning views over the grounds, lake and golf course. The course, which incorporates wonderful views of Cardoness Castle, Rutherford’s Monument and the Fleet estuary, is for exclusive use of hotel guests and is a particular draw, attracting many visitors on specialised golf holidays.
"It is also a fantastic spot for walkers and mountain bikers, with numerous forest trails. Within the forest is the walled Cally Gardens, a specialist perennial nursery dating back to the 1770s. It is three acres of planted garden and nursery bursting with colour and only 10 minutes walk from the hotel. You can make it an hour long circular trip by returning into the other side of the hotel grounds. However, if you choose to do this, keep a better eye on the track than we did. Getting lost in the forest, we finally emerged six miles away.
"Still, back at the hotel the spa bath was waiting to ease our tired muscles and after what turned into a trek there was certainly no guilt over devouring dinner, especially the traditionally hearty Scottish choice of sticky toffee pudding – delicious."
Alicia Harney, Golf Monthly, August 2007
"The road running up the western seaboard of Scotland offers one of the greatest road trips ever. Offering glimpses of the sea, yellow gorse and the occasional lighthouse, tantalisingly winding inland through magnificent countryside.
"Our first stop is at Cally Palace in Dumfries and Galloway. Many bypass this friendly region of green rolling hills in search of more famous tourist hotspots, but the tranquility of the landscape here makes for a thoroughly relaxing break - although the splendour of the Cally Palace alone is good enough reason to pull off the road for a few days.
"The parkland course at Cally Palace opened in 1994 and has wonderful views of Cardoness Castle, Rutherford's Monument and the Fleet Estuary. Cally Lake and a sneaky burn run through the course, adding interest and stepping up the difficulty of this already challenging layout.
"The 18th century stately home, now a hotel overlooking the course, has been restored to its former glory and boasts sumptuous furnishings as well as modern facilities like an indoor pool. The course was blissfully quiet as it's reserved for hotel guests."