As we move out of the coronavirus lockdown, we’re pleased to be able to welcome back visitors to our outdoor spaces. Some of our buildings (historic buildings, visitor facilities, cafés and shops) remain closed. The toilet facilities at Threave are open. We urge people to check opening times on the website and to carefully observe social distancing. We strongly advise that you pre-book before travelling to Threave – see the Planning your visit page for more details.
Getting here
Threave Garden & Estate is 1 mile west of Castle Douglas and only a short drive from Dumfries.
Threave Garden is just off the A75 and is well-signposted from every direction. Turn onto the B736 from the roundabout and follow the brown signs.
The road to the nature reserve (and osprey platform) is directly opposite the B736 off the same roundabout – follow the signs for Kelton Mains or Threave Castle.
Contact information
Telephone: 01556 502575
Opening times
-
Garden & Visitor Centre
- 1 Jan–5 Jul 2020, closed Current period6 Jul–1 Nov, Thurs–Mon, 10.00–17.00 2 Nov–23 Dec, Thurs–Mon, 10.00–16.00
-
Nature Reserve
- 1 Jan–22 Mar, daily 23 Mar–5 Jul, closed Current period6 Jul–31 Dec, Thurs–Mon, dawn–dusk
Entry prices
- Adult
- £12.00
- Concession
- £10.50
- One adult family
- £18.00
- Family
- £26.00
- Adult
- Free
- Family
- Free
- One adult family
- Free
- Concession
- Free
Planning your visit
As we move away from lockdown, we have to limit the number of visitors in the garden at any one time so that we avoid overcrowding and ensure physical distancing. We also want to try and avoid long queues of traffic given the limited number of parking spaces.
We have set up a pre-booking system to make your arrival at Threave easier and safer.
We strongly advise that you pre-book before travelling to Threave. If you do not pre-book, we cannot guarantee entry to the property and you may be turned away. Without booking, you travel to Threave at your own risk.
Book your timeslot to arrive at Threave Garden.
We want you to enjoy your visit to Threave Garden & Estate – your safety is our priority. This means we’ve had to make some changes so that we can keep everyone safe. Please read our Guide on what to expect before you set off.
Threave Garden is renowned for its exceptional plant centre, stocking an outstanding range of plants. Many are from unique specialist suppliers or cultivated at Threave’s own training nurseries.
Assistance dogs only are allowed into the garden due to ongoing training and conservation activities. However, dog owners are welcome to walk their dogs on the rest of Threave Estate and enjoy the outside seating around Threave Visitor Centre, including the Terrace Café, which has magnificent views over the Galloway countryside.
Photography is encouraged throughout the property.
Requests to fly drones must be received in writing to the property, with permission granted only on rare occasions due to our conservation work.
For more information about planning your visit please see our Facilities drop-down information or our frequently asked questions.
Facilities & access
At Threave Garden we pride ourselves on accessibility.
We have an ongoing programme of accessible content development. Detailed accessibility guides for the most visited Trust places are available on our Accessibility pages as well as links to useful resources.
We’d love you to visit the Euan’s Guide website to review the accessibility of Trust places and tell us (and others) what’s good and where we need to do better.
There’s designated disabled parking adjacent to the visitor centre.
Routes throughout the garden have been adapted for all ranges of mobility.
The visitor centre, café, shop and toilets are all on one level.
Threave House has five main rooms to see – there are steps up to the main entrance and stairs to the main floor.
There are some inclines in the garden although the tarmac paths allow easy access.
From 6 July, we’re delighted to offer you a small selection of takeaway refreshments at Stables Café.
Stables Café Takeaway will be open 10.30am to 3.30pm.
There’ll be physically distanced queues with spacing of 2 metres – look out for floor markings and signage.
Payments can be made with contactless cards or by using machines that are protected with plastic and regularly cleaned.
Coach parking is available 20m from the visitor centre.
There’s a car park near the visitor centre, and parking is free for all.
Threave Nature Reserve can be accessed by parking at Kelton Mains/Threave Castle.
Threave Visitor Centre Gift Shop will be open 10am to 5pm. Similar to the systems you’ve probably seen at supermarkets lately, we’ll have one-way queues in place, and guidance provided through floor markings.
Please keep handling of products on shelves to a minimum.
Payment can be made by contactless card or by using machines that are protected with plastic and regularly cleaned.
You can also shop our beautiful range of products and gift ideas at our online shop.
The Toilets at Threave Stables will be open. The disabled toilet will be open at Threave Visitor Centre. Please ask staff for access.
Due to restricted space in these facilities, distanced queues will be introduced to ensure physical distancing.
We’ll be providing hand sanitiser at the entrance to toilets and we may close off some cubicles and urinals to avoid overcrowding.
Guided touch tours of the house are available (please book in advance).
Footpaths link visitors between both Threave Nature Reserve and Threave Garden. There are numerous trails to enjoy.
Routes throughout the garden have been adapted for all ranges of mobility.
The visitor centre, café, shop and toilets are all on one level.
There’s a garden viewpoint from the visitor centre and Terrace Café.
Threave House has five main rooms to see – there are steps up to the main entrance and stairs to the main floor.
There are some inclines in the garden although the tarmac paths allow easy access.