Cairnholy Old Farmhouse was built from local stone over 200 years ago and extended around 100 years later. The barn had, until the 1930’s, a waterwheel powered by the burn running through the garden. Although no longer a working farm, Cairnholy was in the early 20th century quite a large holding of around 300 acres. The countryside around is still farmed and usually full of lambs and cattle.

It is favoured by its close proximity to the Cairn Holy Chambered Cairns, an ancient place of worship and burial dating back to before 4000BC. Cairn Holy II is said to be the tomb of the mythical King Galdus. Even today small rituals are carried out on the site with people leaving flowers and candles. The area is encircled by hills to the west, north and east but open to the sea in the south, with views across Wigtown Bay to the Machars and the Isle of Man on the horizon. It’s a beautiful spot to just sit and look and feel the peace and tranquillity.

Cairn Holy Chambered Cairns

Cairnholy Old Farmhouse has three gardens for you to enjoy. The main garden has some unusual and frost tender plants including Euchryphia, Abutilon and Crinodendron (Lantern tree). A large collection of perennial geraniums provide an abundance of colour from spring through to autumn. The scented garden is bisected by the Kirkdale burn and contains a lavendar bed and three magnificent Madonna lilies, snowdrops dominate in winter. Our barn garden is in the early stages of development and contains our “orchard” and three raised fruit/vegetable beds - help yourself to a strawberry or two…

If you’re interested in plants Linda will happily spend hours showing you around.

"Flowers with the sweetest odors filled all the sunny air,
And not alone refreshed the sense, but stole the mind from every care." - Gonzalo de Berceo (1180-1246)