We have tried to provide some facilities for people with Disabilities for many years and the Garden Cottage has had a VisitScotland Category 3 (Access for visitors with mobility difficulties) Award since the inception of the scheme.   

In 2001 we constructed a wildlife pond and garden at Rusko House, which is wheelchair accessible and has been enjoyed by many of our visitors, both disabled and able-bodied. At the suggestion of one of our guests we have provided bird tables at the cottages and have put together some “identification sheets” to add interest. There are many wheelchair friendly walks in the area, both in the Galloway Forest Park and in the Cally Woods and the quiet road at Upper Rusko is a fantastic place for watching moorland birds! Cardoness Beach is wheelchair friendly as they have rubber mats (for launching boats!) leading down to the sand and, apart from a short bit of soft sand, most of the beach is hard enough for wheelchair and pushchair access. There is also access to the foreshore at Carrick, but not to the beach itself. There are several wheelchair accessible fishing lochs in the area (Whiteloch and Penninghame lochs) and most of the local Visitor Centres are fully accessible. Even some of the 7 Stanes Mountain Bike trails are accessible – they even have specially adapted “buggies” for hire! We are also compiling a list of wheelchair friendly restaurants – see our “Links” page. In Gatehouse the Masonic Arms, Murray Arms, Ship Inn, Bank of Fleet, Galloway Lodge and Mill on the Fleet are all accessible.

Garden Cottage