Scotland's beaches are legendary, and the beaches of Dumfries & Galloway are certainly up there with the very best in the country.
An exhaustive list would be impossible, but one of the great joys of exploring in this area is to drive the coastal route and stop whenever you see a beach that takes your fancy! You'll want to leave a lot of time for this, as there are so many stunning ones.
Here are a few of our favourites, but we are sure you'll find plenty of others that grab you.
Either side of Big Water of Fleet, not far from Castle Douglas, you'll find Mossyard beach and Carrick beach, among many others. Rugged bays with glorious stretches of golden sand, there's plenty of space for everyone to spread out. Outside the summer months, you may well have the place to yourself!
The Wigtownshire peninsula, particularly the Stranraer area, is also full of incredible beaches. Arguably the very best on the peninsula is Luce Sands on the south coast, near the village of Sandhead. An expanse of yellow-white sand stretching for miles, this is shallow, safe, relatively sheltered and great for a paddle or a swim if you can handle the North Atlantic chill! You'll find Killantringan and Knock Bay on the west coast, with a stunning sandy stretch at least a mile long and an impressive lighthouse to the south.
Another beach-heavy hotspot is the collection of headlands just south of Dumfries. All within a 30-minute drive of the town, you'll find the popular Powillimount (sandy coves backed by rocky cliffs and an impressive stone arch), Southerness (wide, sandy stretch with intermittent rocky sections and a very photogenic lighthouse!), Sandyhills (gently sloping with rock pools, great for walks) and Rockcliffe (pretty, sandy cove, connected by a causeway to Rough Island at low tide) beaches, among many, many other smaller bays.
Just over the border in England, the Solway Coast AONB is well worth a day out for beach and wildlife enthusiasts. There are some incredible sandy beaches, mudflats, salt marshes and other havens for seabirds and other creatures. The dunes at Mawbray Banks are a highlight.