Threave Garden & Nature Reserve
Please note that Threave House will be open on Saturdays and Sundays during December, up until Christmas. Additionally, the house will also be open on Friday 20 and Monday 23 December from 11am–3pm. There will be an elf hunt for children, priced at £2.
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, café, visitor centre and shop
- Current period 28 Oct–23 Dec, daily, 10.00–16.00 24 Dec–8 Jan 2025, closed 9 Jan–28 Mar, daily, 10.00–16.00 29 Mar–26 Oct, daily, 10.00–17.00
-
Threave House
While we aim to open at the advertised times, Threave House is solely operated by volunteers and this may not always be possible. Please check with the property prior to arrival to avoid disappointment.
- Current period 28 Oct–28 Mar 2025, closed 29 Mar–26 Oct, Fri–Mon, 11.00–15.00
-
Nature Reserve
- Current period 1 Jan–31 Dec, daily, dawn–dusk
Entry prices
- Adult
- £8.50
- Family
- £23.00
- One adult family
- £14.50
- Concession
- £7.50
- Adult
- £12.50
- Family
- £27.00
- One adult family
- £19.00
- Concession
- £11.00
- Adult
- Free
- Family
- Free
- One adult family
- Free
- Concession
- Free
Planning your visit
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.
Dogs are permitted in the garden but must be kept on a lead at all times. Dogs are not permitted in the Walled Garden, Kelton Hill Wood or the play area.
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.
Coach parking is available 20m from the visitor centre.
Dogs are permitted in the garden and nature reserve, but must be kept on a lead at all times.
Dogs are not permitted in the Walled Garden, Kelton Hill Wood or the play area.
There is a holiday cottage at Threave:
Gate Lodge (sleeps 5)
Booking a holiday with the National Trust for Scotland helps us to protect this special place, now and for the future.
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.
Our gift shop has a great range of exclusive gifts created for the National Trust for Scotland. Discover a curated selection of one-of-a-kind items for everyone to enjoy.
You can also shop our beautiful range of products and gift ideas at our online shop.
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.