Lochside Caravan Park

View prices & book 8.3 63 reviews
Aerial view of the lochside pitches
Aerial view of the lochside pitches
Rainbow over the site
Grass pitches
Hardstanding pitches
Caravan pitch
Tent pitches on grass
Lochside grass stretch
Site entrance
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Rainbow over the site
Grass pitches
Hardstanding pitches

  • Dog-friendly site in Castle Douglas, Scotland's 'food town'
  • Overlooking Carlingwark Loch and five minutes’ drive from Loch Ken
  • Shops, restaurants and lochside play area within a short walk
Foodies who appreciate a good view just as much as a good dinner will surely want to take a look at Lochside Caravan Park. Overlooking Carlingwark Loch, this site is in Castle Douglas, a small 18th-century market town self-appointed as Scotland’s first ‘food town’ – and with good reason, as it has more than 80 independent food retailers of various sorts. The main part of the town is just a five-minute walk away, so this is a handy spot for shopping, eating out and attending local events such as the annual Stewartry Agricultural Show. And with so much excellent food on offer nearby you should have plenty of energy for trips to Loch Ken (five minutes’ drive north), Threave Garden (five minutes south) and Threave Castle (10 minutes). There are also several supermarkets, a post office and a petrol station in town, so it’s easy to get practical matters out of the way. That leaves more time to explore Carlingwark Loch, which is dotted with islands and excellent for boating, learning to sail or just having a scenic picnic. A lochside kids' playground is also within walking distance. The A75 runs past the town, providing an easy route out to other parts of Dumfries and Galloway, including Kirkcudbright (20 minutes’ drive away). Amenities on site are fairly simple but have all the essentials covered, including a bathroom block with accessible facilities, a chemical disposal point and a laundry area with washer, dryer and washing-up area. You’re also welcome to bring a barbecue to cook up whatever goodies you’ve acquired in town.

Campground type

Caravan sites 20
Tent sites 50
Open now
Opens 1 March

Tourist board rating

Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Sun, 1 Mar 2026 to

No availability here for your search criteria

Site types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCaravan sitesRV & Motorhome sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
0 dogs

Reviews

8.3

Overall rating from 63 Pitchup.com customers

  • 41%
    10
  • 14%
    9
  • 23%
    8
  • 3%
    7
  • 6%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 6%
    4
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    3
  • 4%
    2
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    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 5
PeacefulLake and/or mountain

83% would recommend this campground to a friend

79% would stay here again

What customers say

Top spot by the loch, near town, with brilliant views. Reviewers rave about clean loos, helpful staff and tidy tent sites. It's quiet after 10pm, great for dogs. Some reckon hardstanding pitches feel like carparks, and it's a bit open. Dishwashing facilities have been sorted.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 28/02/2026

Reviews page 1 of 7
Arrival date (latest first)

Stayed for one night in a…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 6
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Rudi K. 1 review

Unpowered grass caravan site

Liked Stayed for one night in a converted campervan with an awning. Toilet and shower facilities within walking distance. Lovely views of the Loch.

Disliked £30 for the night is a tad expensive

Recommend to friends Visit again

Would definitely go back

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 7
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 6
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 No rating
Andrew R. 1 review

Unpowered grass caravan site

Liked Quiet and peaceful and close to town

Recommend to friends Visit again

It was absolutely amazing

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 9
 Iona T. 1 review

Unpowered concrete slab caravan site

Liked We liked that we had a brilliant view from our pitch

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location, facilities and friendly, helpful staff. Short…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Jason K. 1 review

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Location, facilities and friendly, helpful staff.
Short walk into town for local shops and cafes, very dog friendly.
Our pitch was under the trees good for shade in the heat, but the nesting birds left a mess on our tent 😁

Disliked A noisy couple on the first night kept us awake until 3am, but this was resolved the next day.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice outlook from our pitch…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 No rating
Value for money
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Michael P. 1 review

Unpowered concrete slab caravan site

Liked Nice outlook from our pitch

Recommend to friends Visit again

We would definitely stay here again—the location was perfect.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Clear instructions, seamless check-in, and clean facilities.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Friendly staff, clean facilities.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 6
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 1
 Jill B. 2 reviews

Unpowered concrete slab caravan site

Liked We were lucky and got a lochside pitch with a lovely view. Reception is helpful and very friendly. Barrier at entrance.
Toilet block (x2) facilities were very good and kept clean (though bins are not emptied daily). There are spacious hot showers with 3hooks and a chair in each. Hairdryers require a coin to operate. Laundry facilities comprised a washer (coin op), a dryer (coin op), a clothes sink and a dishwashing sink.
Black waste, grey waste and fresh water near the second toilet block.

Disliked Stayed in April, site fairly busy but no issues with shower availability. There are 2no in each toilet block. Possibly an issue at busier times.
We needed levelling ramps on the motorhome pitch.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Faculties very clean

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Paul H. 1 review

Unpowered concrete slab caravan site

Liked Good site staff very helpful

Recommend to friends Visit again

View of lake Proximity to town Showers…

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 6
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
bill a. 6 reviews

Unpowered concrete slab caravan site

Liked View of lake
Proximity to town
Showers

Disliked Supermarket Car park looking pitches

Recommend to friends Visit again

Site and facilities. Staff friendly and…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Unpowered grass caravan site

Liked Site and facilities. Staff friendly and helpful. Instant hot water and clean toilets and shower block.

Disliked Minor gripe, Mowed grass gets walked in everywhere.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports Wild swimming

Amenities on site

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Lake and/or mountain Leave the car at home Peaceful Walkers' paradise Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby

Type

Large (51-200 sites)

Accessibility

Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible shower Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible toilet Level campground, no steep slopes Site close to accessible bathrooms Smooth, hard roads e.g. tarmac

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Indoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Tennis nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Seasonal sites

Location

Lochside Caravan Park

Castle Douglas

Dumfries and Galloway

Scotland

DG7 1EZ

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.93628°N
3.92987°W

Nearest transport

Coach
0.3 km Carlingwark Street
0.3 km Carlingwark Street
12.4 km Village
Rail
25.8 km Dumfries Rail Station
37.6 km Maryport Rail Station
38 km Flimby Rail Station

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Fuelled up by all the top-notch food on offer in Castle Douglas, you’ll be able to get out for walks in places like Dalbeattie Forest Town Wood, mountain bike rides on the trails at 7stanes: Dalbeattie (both 15 minutes’ drive) and the various outdoor activities of the Galloway Forest Park (25 minutes). Galloway Activity Centre (20 minutes) organises things like watersports, archery and laser tag. This part of the world is also excellent for wildlife watching – you may like to look out for ospreys, bats and wintering wildfowl at Threave Garden and Nature Reserve (five minutes) or join one of the feeding sessions at the Red Kite Centre, Laurieston (10 minutes) to get up close to the big birds. Other places to visit include Threave Castle (10 minutes), a 14th-century castle on an island accessed by ferry, the Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Museum (half an hour), and Mabie Farm Park (half an hour), with quad bikes and trampolines as well as lots of cute animals for the kids to meet.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Rockcliffe 11.7 km Estuary N/APoorPoorPoor
Sandyhills 14.6 km Sea N/AN/APoorPoor
Dhoon Bay 16.9 km Estuary N/APoorPoorPoor
Brighouse Bay 20.9 km Sea N/APoorPoorPoor
Southerness 22.2 km Sea N/AGoodGoodExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

John Paul Jones Cottage Museum & Visitor Centre 22.5 km

Robert Burns Centre 24.7 km

National Trust

Wordsworth House and Garden 47 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Around Castle Douglas 0.7 km

Threave Estate, Castle, House and Garden 1.6 km

The Doach Wood Circuit 5.1 km

Dalbeattie - Colvend - Rockcliffe - Kippford - Dalbeattie 7 km

Screel Hill 8 km

Local events

  • Wigtown Book Festival (Friday 25 September 2026 – Friday 25 September 2026)

    Newton Stewart, Scotland 33.6 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in Dumfries and Galloway?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Lochside Caravan Park have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Lochside Caravan Park dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Lochside Caravan Park? Fuelled up by all the top-notch food on offer in Castle Douglas, you’ll be able to get out for walks in places like Dalbeattie Forest Town Wood, mountain bike rides on the … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Lochside Caravan Park?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  noon –  5 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Lochside Caravan Park? From $46.82 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.