Garlieston Club Campsite

Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 3 of 5

Good for families

Beautifully looked after........

Location, facilities and wardens all excellent as described by previous reviewers. My gripe is that the club is being a bit greedy in squeezing too many pitches facing directly onto the bay, particularly 17 to 20. If you are pitched here you really have to hope you have considerate neighbours ( thankfully we did ) as you will become quite intimate with their comings and goings. We were very conscious of having the tv on as low as possible so as not to disturb the vans either side and trying to close doors as quietly as possible. One pitch less would be so much more comfortable and relaxing for everyone.

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GJac

Motorhomer

Reviewed on 16/08/2019 13:10

21 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 5 of 5

Good for families

Lovely Garlieston

I have just returned home after a wonderful week at Garlieston ,even although there were some wet and windy days .The warm welcome you always receive from Anne and Martin the wardens makes you feel good to be there.The site is a little haven ,so peaceful a great place for walking and cycling .The facilities are so clean and the pitches well maintained.The little pub is just along the road from the site ,if you feel like having a meal out.Looking forward to going back to Garlieston llater in the year .Alistair

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IBAH2483

Reviewed on 16/08/2019 09:52

1 review

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 4 of 5

Good for families

Beaches, bays and bookshops

We arrived at the Garlieston site in beautiful sunshine; the sea was bright blue and the site and village couldn’t have looked prettier. Our pitch was not directly at the harbour’s edge but we could still catch glimpses of the water and boats from our van and awning.

This was our first trip to Galloway and we made the journey so that we could visit Wigtown (Scotland’s Book Town), which is just a few miles north of Garlieston. We spent a full day browsing the many bookshops in the town. Most of the bookshops sell second-hand books but some also have new stock. Our dog was welcome in a number of the shops and cafes which made our visit so much easier. Also nearby is Kircudbright, which has been designated an “Artists’ Town” with many art and craft galleries to visit.

On another day we enjoyed a trip to the Isle of Whithorn where we visited the harbour, the tower and the ruins of St Ninian’s chapel. Then we moved further along the coast to St Ninian’s cave. The half-hour walk from the car park to the cave takes you through a wooded valley to a pebbled beach where the cave is found in the cliffs overlooking the bay. We were glad we’d followed the advice we’d found online to wear stout footwear – the path is muddy through the woods and the beach is rocky with large pebbles.

We took a trip west towards Stranraer to visit Castle Kennedy Gardens. We explored the large gardens following the waymarked trails. Afterwards we visited Portpatrick on the west coast of the Rhinns of Galloway. It has an attractive harbour, beach and rocky cliffs from which you can look across to Northern Ireland.

During our stay, we took a number of walks from the site along the edge of the bay round to Galloway House Gardens and also in the opposite direction past Garlieston beach and north around the bay. Our dog loved running on the beach at low tide.

We will come back to Garlieston because there is plenty more to do in the area that we didn’t have time for this time, particularly exploring north into the Galloway Forest Park.

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Eddie J

Motorhomer

Reviewed on 14/08/2019 21:59

1 review

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 4 of 5

Good for families

Beautiful people

Once again another fantastic week, Ann and Martin were brilliant nothing is ever to much trouble for them, and the site is as always lovely, I’m looking forward in returning in September for my fourth holiday there, l was really surprised to read among the reviews that someone had to write that they found the wardens unfriendly, frosty and brusque these people must be very hard to please because in ten years of coming to Garlieston l have never found either of the wardens frosty etc, I’m sure most of us appreciate what you do.

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brown25

Reviewed on 13/08/2019 09:31

5 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 4 of 5

Good for families

A little gem

A warm and friendly welcome is what you can rely on when visiting this site. Ann and Martin do their utmost to make your stay pleasant and enjoyable and will go the extra mile to do so. Their pride in this site is evident as soon as you turn into reception . The tubs and borders are resplendent with flowers and shrubs,the pitches are well manicured and the facilities spotless. No overbearing or indifferent wardens here as there are on other sites. The site is beautifully situated for those who like rest and relaxation. The local walks both short and long are set amidst the lovely Dumfries and Galloway countryside. The village pub and eatery provides excellent food at reasonable prices and a little village garage also doubles up as a small shop and newspaper outlet. Anyone who isn’t impressed must be VERY hard to please. Our favourite site which we visit on a regular basis and hope to continue to do so for many years to come. Thanks again to both of you for a very enjoyable stay Maria and Ken Phillips

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Luxi

Reviewed on 12/08/2019 16:55

7 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 5 of 5

Good for families

Great site and staff

I am very surprised at the review describing the wardens as 'frosty' and 'brusque'. By no means can these wardens br described as such. They are welcoming, hard working and take great pride in their site and their duties. The site is a credit to them. I am sure that many more will agree with my sentiments and share the respect that they deserve.

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MrMelrose

Reviewed on 11/08/2019 14:15

1 review

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 4 of 5

Good for families

wee Bonnies.

We returned 3weeks ago from another lovely break in Garlieston. The weather was also good which was a bonus. Wardens Anne and Martin are first class wardens and a great asset to the club,and I was surprised by one review I read which stated they had got a very frosty and brusque reception on arrival. We find this very strange as they have always been very welcoming and helpful. Nothing is a problem to them. Looking forward to seeing them again in the near future for our 5th visit this year. Garlieston really is a pleasure.

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JIMMY DRINNAN

Reviewed on 11/08/2019 12:29

13 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 3 of 5

Good for families

Beautiful site but beware of arriving 2 minutes ea

Beware - don't arrive at 11.58 or you will have a very frosty, unfriendly and brusque reception from the warden! Not what you need at the start of your holiday. Otherwise the site is very beautiful and peaceful. Fantastic scenery and good location for visiting Wigtown and Isle of Whithorn. Buses run regularly from just outside the site if you are a motorhomer. Lovely stay despite the frosty reception on arrival!

Comment from the Club:

Many thanks for your review and we are delighted you found the site beautiful and peaceful. Please be assured our site staff always do their utmost to welcome guests on the site and help members have a wonderful holiday. As you can see from other reviews from members they always try to be friendly and helpful. However, they are responsible in ensuring that arrivals are not earlier than 12 noon, if any early arrivals pull up in the wrong areas, this can sometimes block access for members already onsite, coming and going and block entry roads. We also consider that other members, waiting nearby for the 12 noon check-in time it would see it as unfair to let another member book in earlier. We have had complaints from members staying at Club Sites who have specifically waited until 12 noon only to find that the best pitches have been taken by earlier arrivals and as such, the site staff at Garlieston do their utmost to be fair to all.

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Reviewed on 10/08/2019 19:35

5 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 3 of 5

Good for families

First visit to Garlieston

On arrival at this site we were greeted by very the friendly and knowledgeable wardens as well as a beautiful array of hanging baskets, most welcoming. Situated right on the harbour side we set up along the back row for our first night stay and were overjoyed to be able to have a front pitch for the following two nights🙂. With stunning views across the bay and several local walks from the site together with a local pub serving tasty pub grub it was ideal for us. We also took our bikes out on the quiet roads on one of the three or four cycle routes from the site, mileages ranging from 17 to 25 mile options, lovely day out. Many thanks to the lovely wardens for their help and dedication to the site.

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Dezzle

Caravanner

Reviewed on 09/08/2019 19:39

1 review

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 5 of 5

Good for families

Great wardens, lovely site

Heading home but the weather suddenly improved so we decided to take a chance on availability at Garlieston. So glad we did! The pitches on the harbour side of the site are a mixture of grass and hard standing and generally quite tight so careful pitching is mandatory but these are the ones with the views, so that’s where we chose. The facilities are immaculate and even though there are only 2 ladies showers in the immaculate toilet block on the harbour part of the site, we never queued. The walled garden area seems very sheltered and is just across the road from the office. It’s very tranquil there and has another toilet block and what looked like less cramped pitching. There’s not much apart from the pub in the village (didn’t get round to eating there but apparently it’s very good) and we didn’t venture as far as the garage for supplies as we stocked up in Newton Stewart before deciding to go to Garlieston. The butcher van visit on Tuesday was a bonus. We can recommend his haggis, lorne sausage and Scotch pies, but everything else looked very tempting too. A fish van came later Tuesday and seemed very popular. The office stocks ice cream, local biscuits and some camping essentials including great quality gas spanners (long story) The bus service is very good and the stop is literally steps from the entrance to either Newton Stewart or Whithorn/Isle of Whithorn. Ideal for motor-homers like us who didn’t want to move the van to go out. The area is off the beaten track but as a result not overcrowded even in high season. Well worth exploring. There seems to be a microclimate on Whithorn as the weather was great even when the forecasters predicted rain. There was a bad thunderstorm one evening but it soon cleared to another great sunset. I must mention the lovely wardens Ann and Martin who are so welcoming, informative and do a great job in maintaining the site really well. The petunia tubs and baskets brighten the entrance beautifully and are worth all the hard work for the pleasure they give. These are amongst the most friendly caravan and motorhome club wardens we have encountered and a credit to the organisation. Hopefully we will be back soon!

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Blackpoodle

Motorhomer

Reviewed on 04/08/2019 01:37

2 reviews

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