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Reviews of Balloch O Dee Campsite
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Balloch O Dee Campsite
Kirkcowan
Newton Stewart
Dumfries and Galloway (Browse area)
DG8 0ET
Tel: 07551070270 or 01671830708
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Pitches: 5 caravans 40 tents plus indoor accommodation
Open: 01/03/2024 to 31/10/2024
01/03/2025 to 31/10/2025
Rating: 
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 Tent Pitches |
 Caravan Pitches |
 Motorhome Pitches |
 Small Campervans |
 Glamping Units |
 Holiday Homes for Hire |
 No Statics for Sale |
 No Seasonal Pitches |
 Electric Hookups |
 Hardstanding Pitches |
 No Fully Serviced Pitches |
 Show Full Facilities |
| Who's it for |
 Families Welcome |
 Not Members Only |
 Rallies Welcome |
 Not Naturist Site |
 Dogs Welcome |
 No Dogs Allowed |
 Groups Welcome |
 Motorbikers Welcome |
| Facilities |
 Toilet Facilities |
 Hot Showers |
 Washing Up |
 No Bathroom |
 No Baby Changing |
 No Laundry |
 Drinking Water |
 Disabled Friendly |
 Chemical Disposal |
 No Battery Charging |
 No Gas Exchange |
 Recycling Facilities |
 Kitchen Facilities |
 Freezer / Fridge |
 Motorhome Point |
 Wifi Access |
 Shop <5 miles |
 Bar <5 miles |
 Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway <5 miles |
| Activities |
 No Playground |
 No TV Room |
 No Games Room |
 No Evening Ents |
 Fishing <1 mile |
 No Wild Swimming |
 No Indoor Pool |
 No Outdoor Pool |
 Horse Riding On Site |
 Cycle Hire <5 miles |
 Golf <5 miles |
 No Tennis |
 Beach <10 miles |
 Watersports <5 miles |
 Boat Launch / Mooring <5 miles |
| Other Features |
 No Sea Views |
 Not Working Farm |
 Campfires Allowed |
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 No Waterside Pitches |
 Public Transport <5 miles |
 Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access |
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Reviews:
43 in total, now showing 31 to 40
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| Date of Visit: May 2013 |
Unit: Campervan |
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| Reviewer: Notty1977 |
2 reviews from this member |
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 I have just returned from a thoroughly enjoyable 4 night stay at Balloch O Dee, with my family (husband and 2 kids, aged 6 & 8).
We have a small campervan, awning and used the EHU. Upon arrival we were welcomed, the site was well maintained, and we found the pitches extremely spacious. The owners strive to maintain a quiet location, not overcrowded in any way.
The facilities were very pretty - the toilets/ shower/ wash up facility was lit by candle light by night, and constantly clean, with beautiful soaps, and shower gels; in lovely showers.
We stayed when the campsite was at full capacity. The owner had already turned away many interested campers. Unlike the review below, we didn't find the facilities were crowded. It all worked well.
For the first time, we really felt like we were 'camping' and not staying at a caravan park. People here were camping, in the depths of Scottish countryside. It felt like we had escaped.
Our kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves. There was no 'playground' with swings. There was a small cart, trampoline, and a large space in which to roam safely. It worked really well. Our kids did what kids should do - use their imagination with what they had. My son picked eggs each morning, and they were delicious.
Finally, the views were spectacular - both the surrounding hills, and skies at night.
The owners were developing a small room 'Bothy' which would accommodate 7 people, with wood burning stove. It looked beautiful and very comfortable. I would recommend this for any camper wishing to extend their camping season in this beautiful part of Scotland. I believe this is very close to '7 Staines' - a popular cycling point.
I would absolutely recommend this campsite. 
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| Date of Visit: October 2012 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Babywhale |
26 reviews from this member |
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Booked in for a 1 night stay at the beginning of October. As I'm a stargazer with a telescope I as looking for a dark skies and back to nature experience. I found it here.
The site is near to the Galloway Forest and the town of Newton Stewart is 15 mins away where there are shops, takeaways and a small Co-op. The setting is rural idyllic. Chickens roam, horses and ponies canter around the surrounding fields. Terrain is ruggedly beautiful. Peat fires burn in the distance. Surrounding fells cast eerie shadows at dusk and dawn.
Welcome from them was warm. The site wasn't busy of course so there was plenty of space to pitch. The pitching area for EHU tenting was flat and spacious. A fire pit was available, and drinking water nearby available near the pitches. Views amazing from the pitching area.
An extension to the main house forms the area for showers, toilets and dishwashing. There are a couple of showers and toilets. Could easily see this getting a but overcrowded at busy times, and it is better to have dishwashing separate from the toilet area. However the room is kept clean and is sweetly decorated with ornaments, scented candles etc. It's a nice touch and takes away the feeling of 'roughing it'.
There's loads to do if you have children with an imagination. Plenty of room for them to play, and animals and nature abounds. The site is also very dog friendly. Everyone is made to feel welcome.
We will return here, although it is three hours away, even for overnight stargazing. That's how good the site is!
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| Date of Visit: September 2012 |
Unit: Campervan |
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| Reviewer: Ross25 |
4 reviews from this member |
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I visited this site in early September, just for an overnight stop. What a perfect place for a stay. Quiet, peaceful and in a beautiful location. My Boys loved the animals, especially the horses.
The candle lit toilet/shower block is, I think, Unique.
The site is quite large, but the owners try to ensure it is not busy.
The owners were welcoming and friendly.
All in all a brilliant campsite. I recommend Balloch O Dee to anyone wanting to stay in This area.
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| Date of Visit: September 2012 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Soulpadl |
1 review from this member |
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Pitches, toilets, views and surroundings are all first class. See a clear night sky and you will be astounded. As near to wild camping on a site as you will get. We had the site almost to ourselves wish it could be like this all the time but owners deserve it to be a success
Will most definitely return and are glad to see that it is open all year. We have camped in this area for some number of years now and this is a great new asset to this region
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| Date of Visit: August 2012 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: Laps |
2 reviews from this member |
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Truly unique and lovely site. We 'pulled in, pitched up, and chilled' out for 2 weeks from the 4th to the 17th August. Me, the wife and our 10 and 11 year old children (dogs are welcome as well) and James (owner) can usually be identified anywhere on the site by the swarm of dogs that follow him round.
The owners are very helpful and friendly and we could not have been made more welcome. The first night we were there James quickly got all the kids involved in a cricket match and great fun was had by all.
Pitches are all pretty level and very fast draining (just as well this year). The grass is kept nice and short. The toilet block is new and very nicely done. Two Loos, Two Showers, two wash basins and two washing up sinks. Always plenty of loo roll and washing up liquid on hand. One suggestion I would make for any possible future development would be to move the washing up sinks outside under a 'lean to' or something rather than in the toilet/wash/shower room.
The owners also run the riding stables at the nearby 3 Lochs Park so you can book pony trekking directly with them and even help out in the stables like our little girl did (which she absolutely loved). The 3 Lochs can be fished for a £5 a day fee and make for pretty good fishing. You can also do shooting, archery and other activities at the 3 Lochs.
The site has free ranging chickens whose eggs are inclusive in the price! Great fun and very exciting for the kids to be able to find, fetch, then eat their breakfast! Camp fires are allowed in the fire pits which have been provided at various points and logs are on sale from the owners. There are also several stone build BBQs for use as well. There are also hammocks in the tent field for anyone to use. There are also dozens of swallows who nest at the site and they were a lovely site and sound to have around.
This is a very spacious site and is kept this way deliberately by the owners. If you would like to camp in a beautiful location on a well cut pitch, with a firepit, BBQ, hammock, and loads of space then you should definitely visit. We were lucky enough to get pretty good weather the first week and reasonable weather the 2nd so we also got to spend some time layout out on mats in sleeping bags under the dark skys counting shooting stars (one of the reasons I chose this area) so I'd also recommend it if you like a spot of star gazing. There are no floodlights and the toilet block is lit by Tee candles after dark giving just enough light without polluting the night. Just one of the many features which make this site a real gem and guarantee a memorable holiday.
Other things to do? The Galloway Forest park is close at hand and there is plenty of mountain biking and walking to be had all around. Its only 20 minutes from the coast, there's Scotland’s most southerly distillery about 30 minutes away and the Mull of Galloway (Scotland’s most southerly point) RSPB reserve is an easy and lovely visit.
Our time here flew by and can honestly say it was one of the most memorable holidays we've had. We tend not to visit the same areas repeatedly so I won't say that we'll definitely be back but if we ever visit south west Scotland again this is where we'll be staying.
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| Date of Visit: June 2012 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Donnyfan |
1 review from this member |
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We visited this campsite during the Bank Holiday Weekend with our new tent for its first outing. The weekend was as perfect as it could get.
The site is surrounded by the Galloway Forest with fantastic views, wherever you pitched your tent you will have an amazing view. The showers, toilet and washing facilities were great although it did get crowded during the busiest morning but James said he would look into this anyway.
There are firepits dotted around the site for you to enjoy the whole campfire experience and hammocks posted on the perimeter which my boys & Husband thoroughly enjoyed! There were hens and baby chicks running around the place and their gift of eggs was greatly appreciated! James and Hazel were on site and could not be more helpful. My boys went Pony Trekking with Hazel and the facilities and experience they had there again were fab.
We will definitely be returning to this site and recommending it to our friends although part of me wants to keep it to myself because it was such a perfect weekend I want to make sure they can fit us in again!
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| Date of Visit: June 2012 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Markphelan |
19 reviews from this member |
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We spent the long bank holiday weekend at this site. I spoke to James a couple of weeks before to check that the site had facilities for us to be comfortable for a 4-day stay. The response was 'err. Yep, it'll definitely be done by then!' and so we booked ourselves in for the bank holiday weekend.
Driving to Balloch O' Dee we knew that this was going to be something special - the single track road winds for a couple of miles off of the A75 and takes you across fields and over cattle grids until eventually you find a friendly sign along the lines of 'drop in, pitch up, relax'. While relaxing is easy to do in such a fantastic location, I'd recommend booking since James and Hazel won't let the site get too crowded but off-peak you're probably able to turn up without a problem.
The site has a brand new block comprising 2 toilets, 2 showers, 2 sinks for washing yourself, and another 2 for doing the dishes. The showers are great - plenty of nice hot water and were kept clean, especially since the site was quite busy.
Kiln-dried firewood is available for £5 a bag, and there are fire pits scattered around for you to use as well as some stone-built BBQs.
The views are beautiful - the nearby Culvennan fell, forests, and the distant hills all make for a great experience here and it is in a great location - Stranraer is about half an hour away where ferries can get you in to Ireland in a couple of hours, or if you prefer to stay more local there's the nearby National Forest Park as well as plenty for wildlife enthusiasts - the Wood of Cree RSPB reserve is a lovely couple of hours walk through the forest with waterfalls and plenty of nature to enjoy.
Though this is a fairly new site, James and Hazel have got it just right. It's not over-crowded, the location is great, and it's a really relaxing place to stop. We will definitely be returning later in the year.
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| Date of Visit: June 2012 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Emms |
1 review from this member |
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One of our favourite campsites so far.
The campsite is set in a beautiful rural location.
We were a party of three families, with 7 children altogether and we were allocated a large, quite private area to pitch together round a fire pit and stone bbq which was fantastic.
The kids had a great time - they loved the freedom to wander over the fields and to the nearby forest, and spent many an hour playing with the hammocks provided.
The owners were friendly and helpful - we were pleasantly surprised to return from a day out to a gift of 10 fresh eggs. They also said that they did not allow too many tents, and had turned away about 30 people for the weekend we were there as they didn't want an overcrowded site - perfect!
There are now two toilets and two showers which were very nice. Our pitch was quite a walk from the toilets etc but it was worth it for the view and the feeling of privacy. We had one evening of horrendous midge attacks but the other evenings were fine, helped in part by the breeze that the location provides.
All in all a great site which we all enjoyed.
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| Date of Visit: May 2012 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Jenmccall |
1 review from this member |
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We spent 4days/ 3 nights at this site. We had fabulous sunny hot weather and had a great time.
The hosts were fantastic and extremely helpful, we were given fresh eggs from the free range hens (lots of very cute baby chicks roaming around also) and they even lent us a midge net!
There was work going on to complete toilet/ shower block, but 1 toilet and 1 shower were available with plenty of hot water and judging by the speed at which work was progressing will be complete in no time!
The fire pit was brilliant, and we were able to purchase good quality firewood on site. The hammock was also great for just chilling out and was very comfy.
The site was mostly flat with fantastic views of the surrounding area and forests. We saw a few pheasants wandering through the long grass at the edge of the site. Very peaceful and quiet a real 'get away from it all' experience, while still having the flexibility of showers/toilets.
The three lochs site a few mins drive was great for picking up a few essentials in the shop and for getting stuff for fishing, bait/permits etc. The trekking was excellent, beautiful well behaved horses/ ponies available. I got a lovely cob for my hack and was able to enjoy a nice canter.
Within half an hours drive there are many more activities, we went to laggan outdoors for a segway tour.
We will definitely be returning for a longer trip later in the year.
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| Date of Visit: May 2012 |
Unit: Motorhome |
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| Reviewer: CaltonMonument |
6 reviews from this member |
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Spent a weekend here in glorious sunshine. It was just what I had been hoping for - a haven of peace and quiet. The area is very pretty, and there is loads of space on site, as well as quiet roads and tracks for walking or cycling.
The three lochs holiday park is fifteen minutes away by bike on a very quiet road, and there seems to be loads to do there.
Balloch O Dee feels really safe, and we had nothing but pleasant encounters with the owners and the few other campers.
The fire pits and barbecues are really great, and there was even wood provided. We were also invited to eat any eggs we could find from the free range chickens, which were delicious (the eggs, not the chickens). The shower block is nearing completion.
One shower and one toilet are currently available, and if the amount of work the owner is putting is anything to go by, the other will be ready very soon. These new facilities are really lovely, and there was plenty of hot water.
It was a dark too late for us to have the real dark skies experience, but I would love to go back here in September or October to see that.
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Common Questions
Is Balloch O Dee Campsite child friendly? YES, it accepts children View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Balloch O Dee Campsite? There is a shop within 5 miles View all facilities
Is Balloch O Dee Campsite dog friendly? YES View all facilities
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