24 Things About Dumfries And Galloway That Will Seriously Surprise You

Human slingshots and a tropical climate: What's not to love?

1. You can spend a day at the (sheep) races in Moffat.

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The Moffat Sheep Races take place every August. They involve sheep and their woollen jockeys racing down Moffat high street, because why not?

2. You can watch a Shakespeare play at the UK's only equilateral triangular castle.

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Medieval Caerlaverock Castle was repeatedly besieged and captured by the English due to its proximity to the border. In July, you can catch a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream on the battlements.

3. There's a human slingshot in Gatehouse of Fleet.

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It's part of a range of activities offered by Laggan Outdoor; you can see a Vine of a BBC journalist using it here. They're also home to one of Europe's longest zip wires at 820 metres.

4. You can make your own ice cream at Cream O'Galloway.

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The award-winning Cream O' Galloway Ice Cream Company have a visitor centre that run lots of fun activities, including regular ice cream--making workshops for £8 per person, and it's suitable for anyone aged 5 and up.

5. We're home to the western world's first-ever Tibetan Buddhist Centre.

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Samye Ling at Eskdalemuir, Langholm, was established in 1967 and officially opened In 1988. Visitors are welcome to visit the temple, walk around the gardens, and relax in the shop and cafe.

6. You can take a trip along Scotland's most haunted road.

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Mostly Ghostly Investigations run ghost and local history tours, which range from visiting Scotland’s most haunted road, to exploring an intriguing vampire legend dating back to the 12th century. It's not for the faint-hearted!

7. Or stay in an Iron Age roundhouse at Marthrown of Mabie.

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This Mabie Forest campsite offers stays in an authentic replica of a Celtic Iron Age roundhouse, complete with an open fire in the middle that you can use for cooking.

8. We're home to the UK's first Dark Sky Park.

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There are so few people living within Galloway Forest Park that the nights are super dark. You can visit the Dark Sky Observatory within the park for £12 per person, which includes a 90-minute stargazing session using their powerful telescope.

9. And one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland.

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Annandale Distillery was established in 1836, making it one of the oldest operational distilleries in Scotland. It's also one of only four lowland distilleries in existence.

10. You can try a burger topped with a battered haggis in Gatehouse of Fleet.

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Head to Galloway Burger, where you can get a burger with an incredible Scottish twist. As well as their battered haggis-topped burger, they also do one topped with a battered, deep-fried macaroni cheese fritter.

11. We have a surprisingly tropical climate.

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Parts of Dumfries and Galloway, notably Logan Botanic Garden (pictured), are warmed by the Gulf Stream, an ocean current that flows from the tip of Florida. It helps exotic southern hemisphere plants like palm trees to flourish in the region.

12. You can hunt for gold in the Lowther Hills.

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The rivers flowing down through the Lowther Hills around Wanlockhead are a great place to find gold flakes and nuggets. Gold from the area even found its way into King James V's crown. You can find a guide on how to pan for gold here.

13. We have an amazing bird of prey trail that you can follow to see spectacular red kites.

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You can also see eagles, peregrines, and owls, amongst others. The red kites were re-introduced into the area between 2001 and 2005, and you can also get up close and personal with the kites by visiting one of their feeding stations.

14. Bored of seeing wildlife during daylight hours? Then head out on a nocturnal wildlife tour.

Instagram: @philgurneyfilms

Nocturnal Wildlife Tours in Castle Douglas will take you out into the surrounding countryside. You'll use thermal imaging cameras with zoom lenses to watch animals like rabbits, badgers, and roe deer going about their nightly routines.

15. We lay claim to having Scotland's highest village.

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Wanlockhead sits at a whopping 1,531 feet above sea level.

16. Not to mention Scotland's most southerly point.

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From the Mull of Galloway (which is further south than Durham) you can see Cumbria, the Isle of Man, and Ireland on a clear day.

17. You can get your music fix at The Wickerman Festival.

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This small but perfectly-formed music festival near Dundrennan ends with a huge wicker man sculpture (pictured) being set on fire, accompanied by fireworks. It's having a break this year, but will return in 2017.

18. Or perhaps a book festival is more your cup of tea?

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With 20 bookshops and book-related businesses, the tiny village of Wigtown is actually a literary paradise. It's also known as Scotland's Book Town. They run an annual book festival an impressive, ten-day celebration of all things literary.

19. There's a set of hills called The Range of the Awful Hand.

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It sounds like something out of Game of Thrones, and it got its name because the arrangement of the hills looks like an outstretched hand. It includes The Merrick, the highest mountain in the Southern Uplands at 843m.

20. You don't have to travel to the National Gallery of Scotland to see a Rembrandt.

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This "pink palace" of rose-hued sandstone was built between 1679 and 1689. It not only looks amazing, but it's also home to Rembrandt's "Old Lady Reading".

21. And if that isn't enough, there's also an entire town full of artists and artist studios.

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The pretty town of Kirkudbright has so many art shops and studios that they've created an arts and crafts trail (with a free bus) to keep track of them all.

22. We're home to five of the seven mountain biking trail centres in the south of Scotland.

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The 7Stanes mountain bike trails are named after the Scottish word for stone. At each of the locations, you'll find a stone sculpture reflecting a local myth or legend.

23. You can go mountain biking at night as well.

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The Galloway Activity Centre at Loch Ken not only offers a selection of water sports, but this year they're also running two night time mountain bike rides through the Galloway Forest Park for £15 per person. More info here.

24. Last but not least, Dumfries and Galloway was voted destination of the year by BBC's Countryfile magazine.

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This isn't really a surprise though. After all, where else can you see amazing sights like Grey Mare's Tail Valley, home to the fifth highest waterfall in the UK?