Route: Dumfries House
Area: Scotland, East Ayrshire
Date of walk: 17th June 2026
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 3.2 miles
Ascent: 100 feet
Weather: Cloudy and bright, a few sunny spells, very warm
Dumfries House has been on our wish list for some time and we finally had the opportunity to visit it today. The house was built in the 1700’s for the 5th Earl of Dumfries and was continuously occupied until 1993. A few years later the house, its grounds and contents were put up for sale. In order to secure its future, a consortium led by the then Prince of Wales succeeded in buying the house and contents with the aim of saving them for the nation. The house and contents were restored and conserved, the estate buildings were repurposed and the gardens redeveloped – a massive project
Entry to the estate grounds is free, and parking is £5 per day. The grounds are open every day of the year from dawn to dusk
We’d booked a tour of the house in the afternoon and arrived in time for a walk around the gardens. There’s no point describing the route as it’s best to wander around as your fancy takes you. We made a bee line for the Queen Elizabeth II Walled Garden, passing over the Adam Bridge and through the Maguire Arboretum along the way. A small entry fee is needed in order to visit the Walled Garden but it’s well worth it – the 5 acre space is beautifully planted and full of interest
We returned to Dumfries House for our tour, which I’d recommend to anyone visiting this place, if only to admire the priceless collection of Chippendale furniture.
Click on the icon below for the route map. Note: the route described is a record of my walk and is for guidance only. It is not intended to be followed step by step. It visits most of the main features of the gardens, which contain numerous interlinking paths so that no two walks are likely to be the same. We were staying overnight, so started from Dumfries House Lodge, anyone here for the day would start from the main public car park
Scroll down – or click on any photo to view as a slideshow
We start our walk from the grounds of Dumfries House Lodge, where there is an attractive 'Doocot' or Dove Cote built by apprentices studying under the Prince's Foundation programme. We'll see a much older Doocot near the end of the walk
We walk over to nearby Dumfries House
Dumfries House was designed in the Palladian style by the Adams brothers in the 1750s
Planting at the front of the house...
Fountain and avenue of trees leading away from the house
We set off on a short circular walk around Shaw Wood
We follow a wide track through the wood
We turn left at the bridge to follow a narrow path above a stream
We arrive back at Dumfries House and walk past its frontage again...
We pass by some magnificent old trees...
We pass by The Maze, inspired by the maze at Sandringham
We cross The Adam Bridge, built in 1760 and designed by John Adam
On the way to the Walled Garden, we pass through the Maguire Arboretum
The Arboretum is home to around 500 different species of tree
We pause to admire the Chinese Bridge, a relatively recent construction, based on a 19th century design
View along the River Lugar from the bridge (spot the heron)
We continue through the Arboretum...
We enter into the Queen Elizabeth II Walled Garden, a five acre space restored from a derelict area
A few photos of the Walled Garden...
We leave the Walled Garden
Looking along The Duchess of Rothesay Avenue, which leads to Temple Gate. We'd booked a tour of the house and didn't have sufficient time to follow the tempting path
We follow a different route back through the Maguire Arboretum
The Doocot, which is historically important. It was built before Dumfries House and dates back to the 17th century. White doves were kept here to provide meat, and their droppings were used as an ingredient for gunpowder, as they contained saltpetre
After a fascinating tour of Dumfries House (photography not allowed), we walk back to the Lodge via the oriental inspired Rothesay Garden...
The end of a wonderful visit as we cross this bridge to return to our accommodation at Dumfries House Lodge
