Hidden Scotland
Sign in
A stone country house facade is partly covered in red and gold autumn ivy climbing past its dormer windows and chimney stacks.
Dumfries and Galloway

Dunskey Estate

An Edwardian castle and eleven lodges on a 2,000-acre coastal estate by Portpatrick, for two to ten, each done in its own bold colours.

Booking for a groupSee the houses free together
Book on their website
Welcome

Lodges in the old stables, the gardens and the woods, and an apartment in the castle, on two miles of coast.

Dunskey is a 2,000-acre coastal estate that runs for two miles along the cliffs from Portpatrick towards Killantringan Lighthouse. At its heart is Dunskey Castle, an Edwardian house built in 1900 that opened its doors to guests for the first time in 2016. Around it, the estate's old buildings have become lodges, each one done up with real flair: the stable courtyard, the walled garden, the head gardener's house between two lochs. There's a lodge on a loch with its own dock, and a little white one in a cove on the Southern Upland Way. There are secluded beaches, beech woods, a glen full of bluebells and a hedge maze to explore, and Portpatrick harbour is a twenty-minute walk away.

A seemingly endless supply of magic and wonder exists across our slice of coastal Scotland.
Dunskey Estate
The houses

The castle apartment for ten, two lodges for six, five for four and three for two.

A stone country house facade is partly covered in red and gold autumn ivy climbing past its dormer windows and chimney stacks.The Royal ApartmentSleeps 10
  • Inside Dunskey Castle
  • An art deco spiral stair
Free 13–15 JunA pink harled house with a hipped roof sits behind a gravel drive, trees framing the building on either side.Saltwater Chronicles LodgeSleeps 6
  • A deck over the sea
  • Above the fairy glen
Free 26–28 OctA grey stone house with crow-stepped gables sits behind a post and rail fence, pine trees flanking a gravel drive.Fern Forest HouseSleeps 6
  • Between two lochs
  • The head gardener's house
Free 17–19 OctThe stone cottage seen from the garden, with crow-stepped gables, a wooden bench and a hot tub set on the patio to the right.Artemisia LodgeSleeps 4
  • An enormous garden
  • Nearest Portpatrick
Free 17–19 OctA rendered stone cottage with a gabled porch and a wooden bench sits behind a gravel courtyard, ivy climbing one gable end.Symphonica LodgeSleeps 4
  • All on one level
  • By the hedge maze
Free 28–30 OctAn aerial view shows a turreted stone house nestled among dense trees beside a curving driveway.Harriet's Lodestar LodgeSleeps 4
  • Its own dock on the loch
  • A bath outdoors
Free 17–19 OctAn aerial view shows a stone courtyard building with a gabled archway, other roofs and trees surrounding it.Heritage Coachman LodgeSleeps 4
  • In the stable courtyard
  • A wood-burning stove
Free 18–20 OctA stone cottage with two chimneys and a pale blue door sits behind a lawn, a bench and planter on the gravel path in front.Fawn's Velvet LodgeSleeps 4
  • In the walled garden
  • Beds in the old stalls
Free 17–19 OctA white gatehouse with twin turreted roofs stands on a lawn, a round table set for tea beside a green ceramic barbecue and potted palm.Selkie's Haven LodgeSleeps 2
  • In a cove by the sea
  • A bath and a hammock outside
Free 25–27 OctA stone cottage with a slated roof sits shaded by overhanging trees, an orange door and picnic table set on the lawn beyond a gravel path.Rose Blair LodgeSleeps 2
  • In the wildflowers
  • A bath among the vines
Free 18–20 OctWren's NestSleeps 2
  • A sunny garden
  • A bath under the camellia
Free 20–22 Oct
Booking for a group
4people

For four of you, Artemisia Lodge, Symphonica Lodge, Harriet's Lodestar Lodge, Heritage Coachman Lodge and Fawn's Velvet Lodge are each just right. Artemisia Lodge is next free Sat 17 Oct; Symphonica Lodge is next free Wed 28 Oct; Harriet's Lodestar Lodge is next free Sat 17 Oct; Heritage Coachman Lodge is next free Sun 18 Oct; Fawn's Velvet Lodge is next free Sat 17 Oct. Or spread out: Selkie's Haven Lodge for two and Rose Blair Lodge for two, next free together Mon 9 Nov. The Royal Apartment, Saltwater Chronicles Lodge and Fern Forest House are free as well, just roomier than four need.

When

October2026

MTWTFSS

Choose the night you arrive.

The stone cottage seen from the garden, with crow-stepped gables, a wooden bench and a hot tub set on the patio to the right.4peopleArtemisia LodgeJust right
An aerial view shows a turreted stone house nestled among dense trees beside a curving driveway.4peopleHarriet's Lodestar LodgeJust right
A stone cottage with two chimneys and a pale blue door sits behind a lawn, a bench and planter on the gravel path in front.4peopleFawn's Velvet LodgeJust right
An aerial view shows a stone courtyard building with a gabled archway, other roofs and trees surrounding it.4peopleHeritage Coachman LodgeJust right
A rendered stone cottage with a gabled porch and a wooden bench sits behind a gravel courtyard, ivy climbing one gable end.4peopleSymphonica LodgeJust right
A grey stone house with crow-stepped gables sits behind a post and rail fence, pine trees flanking a gravel drive.4peopleFern Forest HouseRoomier than you need
A pink harled house with a hipped roof sits behind a gravel drive, trees framing the building on either side.4peopleSaltwater Chronicles LodgeRoomier than you need
A stone country house facade is partly covered in red and gold autumn ivy climbing past its dormer windows and chimney stacks.4peopleThe Royal ApartmentRoomier than you need
A stone cottage with a slated roof sits shaded by overhanging trees, an orange door and picnic table set on the lawn beyond a gravel path.Rose Blair LodgeToo small for four
Sleeps 2
Wren's NestToo small for four
Sleeps 2
A white gatehouse with twin turreted roofs stands on a lawn, a round table set for tea beside a green ceramic barbecue and potted palm.Selkie's Haven LodgeToo small for four
Sleeps 2
WhenAny time
Where it is

By Portpatrick, on the Rhins of Galloway in Scotland's far south-west.

Close byWhat Dunskey points its guests to.
  1. A harbour village of colourful houses lines a shingle beach, wooded hills rising behind under an overcast sky.PortpatrickThe harbour village, twenty minutes on foot, for an afternoon of golf and pub-hopping.2 miles3 min by road
  2. Waves rolling onto a curved sandy beach beneath grassy cliffsKillantringanKnock Bay under the lighthouse: nearly a mile of sand at low tide, and the wreck of the Craigantlet.2 miles8 min by road
Directions
The Velvet Upperground, Dumfries and GallowayDumfries and GallowayThe Velvet UppergroundSleeps 4 · A step away
The Harbour House Hotel with white walls, dormer windows and outdoor tables shaded by parasolsRestaurantsHarbour House Hotel2.0 miles
Dreamcatchers hang above shelves crammed with globes, lamps, Land Rover and Porsche signsShoppingSmugglers Cove2.0 miles
Blue-trimmed shopfront reading "The Port Pantry, Coffee Shop, Eatery, Deli" with lifebuoys in the windowsCafeThe Port Pantry, Portpatrick2.0 miles
An aerial view shows a ruined castle standing on a grassy coastal headland, cliffs dropping to the sea on either side.AttractionsDunskey Castle2.6 miles
Small wooden hut atop layered coastal cliffs above the seaAttractionsRhins of Galloway7.2 miles
Stranraer Museum's white clock tower building on George StreetAttractionsStranraer Museum8.4 miles
A stone tower keep with battlements rises behind a public drinking fountain in a paved square, people sitting on benches nearby.AttractionsCastle of St John8.4 miles
Fig & Olive shopfront with turquoise trim on a quiet street cornerCafeFig and Olive8.5 miles
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

Every photograph commissioned, every word written by somebody who went. Printed twice a year, made in Scotland.

Get Issue 13Read it here