Galloway Cycling Holidays - Castle Douglas

Laurence H.

I have just returned from a fantastic week’s gravel cycling with Esther and Warren, the brains behind Galloway Cycling Holidays. They took care of all the planning, arranging the accommodation, and planning the routes with food/coffee stops, etc.
I chose to ride with them for two days, followed by two days self-guided. Detailed printed maps were provided along with GPX files for all of the days.
The guided days were amazing. Both Warren and Esther have a vast knowledge of the area and its history, and the storytelling whilst out riding was a joy. The attention to detail in the planning for my days out alone was outstanding, and they even threw in a few surprises as they knew I wanted to visit some filming locations from ‘The Wicker Man’.
Galloway Forest Park is home to some of the best gravel cycling in the United Kingdom, and I thoroughly recommend a visit. I will definitely be returning soon, and yes, it will be with Esther and Warren.

Veronika M. C.

Whether you are seeking a high-performance ride or a scenic exploration of an amazing part of the world (UNESCO biosphere!), Galloway Cycling Holidays delivers; with great narration, humor and pics along the way! Esther and Warren are great hosts, guides, and people. Communication pre, during, post trip was solid and greatly appreciated. And to ride some of the best gravel in the world, aka "Gucci gravel", was priceless. What was also special to observe is the sense of community, love, support between Galloway Cycling and local businesses we visited, such as the Ship Inn or local cafes. There is something special happening in Galloway Forest and Gatehouse of Fleet; highly encourage you to experience it.

Deborah S.

We have just had a wonderful three days cycling in Galloway on routes provided by Esther, who also guided us on one of our rides. We are a group of ladies who love to ride, but also enjoy our coffee stops and exploring places of interest. Esther hit the spot perfectly with her suggested routes, information provided and knowledge shared. We all enjoyed the whole experience and would recommend Galloway Cycling to anyone.

Lynne R. M.

We had a wonderful eight-day cycling trip with Galloway Cycling. Esther was great - she worked with us to suggest a wonderful itinerary at three really lovely hotels with good food and fantastic and friendly staff. We did encounter a little weather but lots of the weather was good! We used a combo of hybrid, gravel, and e-bikes and really loved the gravel bikes, even for riding on rough-ish roads. Esther booked the hotels, and despite a last minute change to add a third member to our party, got us wonderful accommodations at each site, transported our things, suggested routes with highlights and cafes for each day, and was lots of fun to be around. We spent our rainiest day (it was Scotland in late September after all) riding with Warren and extended our trip instead of quitting after lunch even without fully drying out our gear - a fine endorsement of the company, the bikes, and the scenery!

Natalie S. K.

Our family of three—my husband, my teenage son, and I—recently returned from the most amazing bicycle trip in Scotland, organized by Galloway Cycling Holidays - run by Esther and Warren. The entire experience was beautifully curated, with each route meticulously planned and GPS information provided. They guided us on how to use the navigation app and offered wonderful recommendations for lunch stops, coffee, and daily excursions to castles, churches, rock formations, whiskey distilleries and more.

The atmosphere is gorgeous - it was a delightful experience, biking through country roads that made me feel like I was transported into a Jane Austen novel, riding out to a picnic at Pemberley. We loved The Powfoot Hotel, which was such a cute place with great food and thoughtful employees. We were also incredibly impressed with the B&B Nithbank Country Estate—pure luxury! The grounds are gorgeous, and the breakfast is amazing. It was one of the top highlights of our trip.

Each night, we stayed in charming small-town hotels, and our luggage was seamlessly transported from one place to the next by Esther or Warren. The flexibility they offered was incredible—I started with a road bike and switched to an e-bike on the last day with no issues.

Esther and Warren are professional bike riders, and it shows in the quality of the trip. We were fortunate to have Esther guide us on a ride one day, and it was unforgettable. We saved a frog, saw hundreds of prancing cows and lambs, visited a castle, and even saw the home and grave of Kirkpatrick Macmillan, the inventor of the bicycle. Esther also took us on a magical hike to a hidden waterfall only locals know about. Over lunch, we heard all about her adventures bicycling around the world.

The attention to detail in planning these trips is amazing. The entire trip was incredibly fun - in ALL the weather. Esther and Warren's professionalism and passion for biking made this an incredible experience that I highly recommend to anyone looking for an adventurous and well-organized bike trip. It was The Best Part of our trip to Scotland.

Kathy G.

We had the very best cycling experience with Esther and Warren! Our group of four had high expectations, and we were not disappointed. They both took the time to design the perfect 4 day adventure for us. Two of us wanted to use ebikes, and the other two wanted road bikes. We were perfectly outfitted with all we would need to navigate on our rides. One of the days, Warren took the guys on an epic gravel ride. They also booked the hotel and restaurants for us, and provided tips on where to stop during the rides. In addition they were so helpful with things to do in the area when we were not riding. Cycling South Scotland is fantastic-beautiful roads and scenery. Esther and Warren love their region, cycling, and sharing it with others! This trip was postponed several times due to the Pandemic, and it truly was worth the wait! Highly recommend Galloway Cycling-Esther and Warren will make it a trip of a lifetime for you!

Nicole H.

If I could give 6 out of 5 stars I would. I had an absolutely lovely cycling holiday with Warren and Esther which far exceeded my expectations. Not only did I get to experience the beauty of the Galloway area, I learned a wealth of new information thanks to Warren. It was so enjoyable chatting with him and learning new things. They made my first time cycling so enjoyable, and what a perfect way to experience a new area! I can't recommend Esther and Warren's Galloway Cycling Holidays enough! Please, please book your next holiday with them, you will absolutely love it!

leslie K.

Pre trip prep: Esther was attentive and responsive to all our needs and questions. She met me at the train station in Dumfries and we became fast friends as she told me of her extensive history with riding....she and Warren spent 4 years riding around the world. So they know bikes and they know bike travel. I had a wonderful lunch with them and then we set up the bikes, meeting the rest of my group in Kirkudbright (lovely town) later that day.
4 days of riding: The bikes were well equipped, the maps and directions clear (all loaded on GPS) and the rides were incredible. Most in our group were casual riders and they took that into consideration in the planning. The beauty of this part of Scotland has been described by those better with words than I, but leave it to say, it is breathtaking. Baby lambs on Kelly green pastures, miles and miles of stone walls, sweeping views of the ocean, and SUN! The roads are a bit rough at times (but only 1 flat tire) but very few cars to contend with. Our evening accommodations in both Kirkudbright and Newton Stewart were terrific. The Newton Stewart B&B is owned by very seasoned cyclists who helped us modify one route. Very sad to end the trip but have incredible memories of a wonderful tour.
I have already referred 2 family members to Galloway Cycling and will continue to steer friends their way. They are amazing at what they do. Highly and energetically recommend Galloway Cycling Holidays