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Historic and secluded 17th Century Castle located in private Scottish estate

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Exterior
Exterior
Property grounds
Private kitchen
Dining

Reviews

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Laundry
  • Pet-friendly
£286
avg per night

Explore the area

Map
Castle Douglas, SCT
  • Galloway Forest Park
    ‪16 min drive‬
  • Clatteringshaws Loch
    ‪17 min drive‬
  • Lock Ken
    ‪29 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 9)

Bedroom 1

1 Double Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Double Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Single Beds

Bedroom 4

2 Single Beds

Bedroom 5

1 Single Bed

3 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathroom 2

Bathroom 3

Spaces

Deck or patio
Garden
Dining area

Room

  • Sleeps 9
  • 2 Double Beds and 5 Single Beds
Price is £286 avg per night,

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Barscobe House

Large Family Country House Located In An Idyllic Private Estate

  • Kitchen
  • Washer
  • Dryer
  • Pet-friendly
9.8 out of 10, 22 reviews
The price is £500
avg per night
1 Jun - 8 Jun
Large Family Country House Located In An Idyllic Private Estate

About the area

Castle Douglas

Castle Douglas is home to this castle. RSPB Ken-Dee Marshes Reserve and The Lane reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include Galloway Activity Centre and Cally Gardens. Looking to enjoy an event or a game while in town? See what's happening at Laggan Outdoor or Dumfries Ice Bowl. Discover the area's water adventures with waterskiing and windsurfing nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with mountain biking and hiking/biking trails.

What's nearby

  • The Lane - 7 min drive - 5.6 km
  • Loch Ken Marina - 13 min drive - 12.7 km
  • Galloway Forest Park - 16 min drive - 15.2 km
  • Clatteringshaws Loch - 17 min drive - 14.8 km
  • Lock Ken - 29 min drive - 21.6 km

Getting around

  • Glasgow (PIK-Prestwick) - 83 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Clachan Inn - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪The Smithy - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪CatStrand - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪The Clachan Inn - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪The Smithy - ‬8 min drive

About this property

Historic and secluded 17th Century Castle located in private Scottish estate

Property Description:

Grade A listed Scottish tower house built in the mid Seventeenth century by William Maclellan.

The Castle offers comfortable accommodation for a group of up to 9 guests, with excellent westerly views of the rolling hills of the Glenkens across mature lawned gardens and beautiful surrounding countryside.

Furnished in a traditional country style, the Castle has a large kitchen family room on the ground floor, a Great Hall on the first floor and four bedrooms with two bathrooms (one en suite) on the second floor. There is also a bedroom with ensuite located above the entrance.

The Castle is quietly situated within Barscobe Estate, a privately owned 800 acre estate located about 1 mile from the village of Balmaclellan and 17 miles from the market town of Castle Douglas.

This secluded and historic estate also benefits from its own wild trout fishing on the picturesque Barscobe Loch, hills, ancient woodlands, river and waterfalls making it the perfect Scottish retreat.

There are also numerous other activities locally available within 5-10 minutes of the house including sailing, canoeing, water skiing on Loch Ken; hill walking and mountain biking in the Galloway Forest Park; and the local golf course in New Galloway. Barscobe House is also within easy distance of sandy beaches and a range of nationally famous country houses open to the public, such as Drumlanrig Castle and Dumfries House.

PRICING: Minimum stay is 3 nights. Nightly rates vary according to season. The VRBO system is unable to apply our discounts available on nightly rates. PLEASE CONTACT US for an exact quotation if you are interested in booking.

PLEASE NOTE: for families and couples only; stag parties, hen parties or the like are strictly forbidden and entry to the property will be refused.

Property manager

Alistair Emery
Premier Host
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Amenities

Pet-friendly
Parking available
Laundry

House Rules

Check in after 5:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 30
Check out before 10:00 AM
default

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
default

Events

No events allowed
default

Pets

Pets allowed: dogs (limit 2 total)
£20 per dog per stay (max 2)
default

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

This property is managed by a private host (a party not acting within their trade, business or profession). EU consumer law, including the right of withdrawal, will not apply to your booking. The cancellation policy set by the private host will cover your booking.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector and a first aid kit

Frequently asked questions

Is Historic and secluded 17th Century Castle located in private Scottish estate pet-friendly?

Yes, this castle allows dogs (limit 2 total).

What time is check-in at Historic and secluded 17th Century Castle located in private Scottish estate?

Check-in begins at 5:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Historic and secluded 17th Century Castle located in private Scottish estate?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Historic and secluded 17th Century Castle located in private Scottish estate located?

Situated in Castle Douglas, this castle is within 6 miles (10 km) of The Lane, Roods Loch and New Galloway Golf Club. Gills Loch and Dalry Town Hall are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Historic and secluded 17th Century Castle located in private Scottish estate Reviews

Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 28 out of 38 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 8 out of 38 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 38 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 38 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 38 reviews

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Check-in

9.4/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

8/10 Good

Jean O.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2024

8/10 Good

Rose B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Retirement family get together

3rd time of staying at Barscobe with the family Magical place, homely and peaceful with beautiful gardens and waterfall, we never want to leave, and most certainly will return.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Ann-Marie G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Birthday weekend at Barscobe

Fantastic property and grounds. Made a special birthday extra special
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Malcolm F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Absolutely stunning!

We took the whole family and partners to Barscobe Castle and found both castle and area absolutely fabulous. The castle is so atmospheric and the area beautiful. Would definitely book again
Stayed 6 nights in May 2024

8/10 Good

Colin T.

Liked: Cleanliness, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Check-in

Unique experience.Great place to celebrate a special birthday with my close family

All the facilities were correct for what is a very special place, difficult to replicate anywhere else. Communication though needs to be more timely both from Vrbo (No communication between booking made and 3 days before with key instructions) and the proprietor who sent an email after we had left home
Stayed 7 nights in May 2024

8/10 Good

Heidi B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Pretty good

We LOVED walking around the farmland and open areas--there's a small lake and lots of hills, most with a lot of sheep. It was relatively remote but the two houses of the people that work on the farm were pretty close; however, I only ever saw them twice in 4 days and just as we were driving by. The castle has all the conveniences and was very homey. However, the mildew and peeling paint here and there from all the moisture had me worrying about perhaps some being black mold. I'm sure it doesn't have it as the owner was very responsive and has clearly taken good care of it, but it was still a concern of mine. It has some funky, musty smells throughout, and the stairs were something you had to be very careful on as they're not really even or flat steps. It was only two of us, so we only needed one room and one bathroom. I think this would be a great place for a group as it was well set up w/multiple bedrooms and bathrooms and a large updated kitchen. I recommend it but with hesitation due to the moisture. I was happy with my stay but wouldn't stay there again. If you're looking for something, as I was, that is out in the country where you can roam freely without seeing people, this is great for that!
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

laurie powell

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic location

Beautiful scenery and great walks
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2023

2/10 Terrible

Rebecca F.

Liked: Check-in, location
Disliked: Cleanliness, communication, listing accuracy

No running water for half the stay, nobody came out to check on us and no refund of any kind.

We booked a 3 night stay. On day 2 we went out and when we returned found that the water had stopped working. It took about 10 phone calls to find someone who would pick up our calls and then that's when the nightmare started. First, we were told that this had only ever happened after a long drought. An hour later they called to say everyone on the estate was out of water, this has never happened this time of year, and the caretaker was on his way to the water tanks to investigate. Meanwhile, we had no drinking water, couldn't flush toilets, do the dishes, couldn't bath or shower. We were all sweaty and grassy from playing out in the nice, weather on the fresh cut lawns and ended up having to climb into bed like that. I received a text message at 22:40 to say the water problem was unprecedented, that they would fill the tanks the next day but only use what we need to drink and flush loos, but not to bath for 24 hours!! The water still wasn't working then. No offer to bring us drinking water, no gesture of apology, nobody came to speak with us, no money back at all and a loud, whirring noise from the utility room went on through the night, keeping us awake. The next day we were told by text the caretaker would look into it, but we never saw him and the water was still not working fullywe had a trickle in the kitchen so we had to carry jugs upstairs and manually fill the cisterns to flush. On our last day wewent out to get away from it, and it was back on when we got in. Never
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Nicki Z.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A fabulous New Year away with extended family.

The most beautiful peaceful setting to relax & enjoy being together. We cooked, ate, danced, played games, walked, hiked, climbed, swam & read our way through the New Year break, just lovely. Alistair & the team looking after the castle could not have been more helpful.
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Lesley W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful stay

Spent Christmas week at Barscobe Castle with the family. Despite the weather, it was warm and comfortable with everything needed for preparing our Christmas celebrations. It was very special and we even had our own tree to decorate and to put the presents under. The area was stunning, amazing walking country and we were very sad to leave. Thank you for giving us such a memorable Christmas and a birthday celebration.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Julie P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful castle property with wonderful grounds

A very special property in quiet rolling hillside with wonderful grounds to enjoy. A very peaceful and relaxing stay. An excellent venue to socialise with family and friends.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Alison c.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

We had a wonderful weekend at this beautiful castle!

This is such a special place to stay with family and friends. We will definitely be back.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Abigail M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic stay!

We rented Barscobe castle for my husbands delayed 40th birthday (had to cancel last year due to covid but rebooked this year). There were 7 of us in total (myself and my husband, our 2 year old son and both our parents). The accomodation was fantastic! Very clean and very well equipped! I was impressed with everything the kitchen included and especially plastic table ware and cutlery for little ones! Loads of storage space so you can unpack and not feel like you're living out of a suitcase. All the rooms were great and very spacious. The castle was also very cosy, which surprised me as, having lived in older properties before, i came packed with lots of jumpers and slipper socks (they werent needed!). Such a great entertaining space in a beautiful setting. Owners were great too with clear and friendly comms! The only very minor thing was that we had our son in with us during the night as i was worried that he'd wake during the night and fall down the spiral stairs. I knew this was a period property when i booked though and saw pictures of the stairs so was prepared that this may be the case. Just something to consider if you're bringing littles! Would definitely come back!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Veronia H.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Barscobe castle

Fantastic, beautiful, peaceful location and property to stay. Our break away has been incredible. But it needs to be stated before booking that you must strip beds and bag them along with all towels. Clean fire and ovens, and empty all bins on leaving the property. This property also says dog friendly but only allows them to stay in the only room on the ground floor. Check in is very late too.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Stephen C., United Kingdom

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great stay

Beautiful castle our family enjoyed our stay immensely, grandchildren where throughly delighted with it thought they were in another world of knights in armour! We had good weather so where able to enjoy gardens and walks on property grounds saw wild deer in woods superb.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Katharine B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Relaxing week away!

Perfect house for 2 families. We enjoyed walking the estate, finding the loch and splashing along the river. Lots of wildlife and amazing views to enjoy. Local water sports close by to partake it too. The house was warm and homely and had everything you need for a home from home experience. Would highly recommend!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2020

10/10 Excellent

David F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great fun in a wee castle

We stayed for 6 days brought our grown up kids and invited some pals along. All in all very flexible accommodation, local walks and a fine pub at Clachan Inn.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2020

10/10 Excellent

Leana K., London, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Christmas and New Year

The whole family enjoyed our 2 week holiday at the Castle very much including our 2 dogs who enjoyed lovely walks every day.
Stayed 14 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Claire P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Simply amazing.

We all had an outstanding stay at the castle and wished we had booked for longer !! I throughly recommend for families
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019

8/10 Good

philip s.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Comfortable & well equipped

Beautiful location,peaceful and ideal for a quiet getaway.Enjoyed making memories with the family to celebrate our wedding anniversary and a 60th birthday
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Cara F.

Lovely location and castle experience

It was lovely to stay in a castle which was also comfortable. Local scenery beautiful. My husband fished the loch which he says was great. Some of us did hill walking - fairly easy to access (max 1 hour drive) and the rest visited nearby NT properties. Good location and really top class property.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2019

10/10 Excellent

Lucas D.

Wonderful bolt-hole in rolling Scottish countryside

Christmas visit for 2 Californians and 5 Londoners. Well-appointed interior and somewhat remote location are perfect for an active family stay.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

M Martin L.

A handsome house in beautiful grounds

A handsome house combining a rugged historic exterior with perfect comfort indoors, and in really beautiful grounds. The house has a good arrangement of bedrooms for three couples plus three children to stay comfortably together. The ground level is welcoming and convivial with the large open kitchen/dining room, while the living room taking up the whole of the first floor was perfect for evenings with its wide hearth and ceiling beams. Our favourite features were the thickness of the walls and the massive stone spiral staircase. The interior is quite light during the day despite the small 17th century windows. Within the grounds, we particularly enjoyed the walk through mature broadleaf forest up the hill and down to the burn where there are pools for swimming in. The small lake is further, over open terrain but also a good walk. Overall our stay was excellent, despite lack of internet connection while we were there and an AGA that wasn't quite as hot as it should have been for cooking on.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2018

8/10 Good

Ian I.

A perfect property for a family celebration

This property is very well equipped for all your needs for up to nine people.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2018
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

John S.

Great! Dignified and spacious. Fit for Kings!

Fabulous location and the property just absorbed nine people. Amazing kitchen and relaxing lounge with roaring log fire. Wonderful 'away from it all' venue.
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2017