xplore the town

The Town Trail is a good way to get a feel for Castle Douglas. It’s a gentle stroll around the town, taking in sights of particular interest.

The walk begins at the Market Hill car park and walking onto King Street with the library and art gallery on the left you will see the Imperial Hotel opposite. It, like the Douglas Arms at the bottom of King Street was once a coaching inn and had facilities to stable horses until the 1920s. The sign on the wall of the Douglas Arms dates from cattle droving days and shows distances to various towns.

Turn right at the Douglas Arms into St. Andrew’s Street and walk to the Town Hall, built in 1862 with the town emblem on the frontage. Continue along the street to the junction and turn right into Cotton Street, named for Sir William Douglas’s ill-fated cotton industry.

Further up the street the building which is now the community centre was once the High School. Cross the road here onto Railway Terrace, turning left onto Wallace Court. This is part of the route of the former Stranraer to Dumfries railway line (1861 – 1965). Continue on this road to the old railway bridge at Abercromby Road. If you cross the road the railway track can still be made out past the Golf Course.

Walk down Abercromby Road, crossing Cotton Street back onto St Andrew’s Street, retracing your steps to the corner of King Street. Here stands the Clock Tower, the location of the original Town Hall. The first tower, built by Sir William Douglas, was destroyed by fire in 1892 as did a second clock tower forty years later. A plaque on the wall states that in May 1935 Henry J. Hewat of Paterson, New Jersey, USA, donated the present clock tower to the town

Cross over King Street and continue along St Andrews Street to the Kings Arms Hotel, believed to be around 200 years old. Turn left along Queen Street and continue up its length. This was a planned residential area of 18th century Castle Douglas.

Near the top of the street the hexagonal building is the auction market. The nearby Market Inn was once the veterinary surgeon’s house. Back at the car park, the small grassy mound is the former bandstand. The Tourist Information Centre beside it is an essential stop to pick up leaflets on local walks, accommodation, things to see and do in the town and surrounding area.

Information on local and other walks in our area are available on the following link http://dg.wildseasons.co.uk/downloads-links/web-resources