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Dalbeattie lies between Dumfries and Castle Douglas at the junction of the A711 and the A710.  The trail head is just over a kilometre south of Dalbeattie, at Richorn.

• View a map showing where Dalbeattie is in Scotland (link to an external site).
• The Dalbeattie trail map (PDF 660k) shows the location of car parks and access points for the trails.

The Dalbeattie trail head OS Grid Reference is: NX836590.

By bike

National Cycle Route 7 runs through both Dumfries and Castle Douglas. It joins the B794 at Haugh of Urr, (5km from Castle Douglas, 20km from Dumfries) which leads through Dalbeattie town to the trail head, around 8km distant.

By car

Read our directions for getting to Dalbeattie by car

By public transport

By bus

The service 501, run by Stagecoach West Scotland, provides regular daily buses to Dalbeattie from Dumfries and Castle Douglas.  Please note that bikes cannot be carried on these services.

There are regular buses to Dumfries from Stranraer, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Carlisle.  Check with individual operators to see whether bikes can be carried.

For bus journey planning in Scotland see www.travelinescotland.com or use the box at the foot of this section. Use http://www.traveline.org.uk if coming from elsewhere in GB & NI.

By train

The nearest station is at Dumfries, approximately 22km from the trail head (around 26km using National Cycle Route 7 and minor roads).  Regular direct daily trains to Dumfries travel from Carlisle, Newcastle and Glasgow.  If travelling from Edinburgh, it is easier to travel to Carlisle then change rather than going via Glasgow.

Journey times to Dumfries are around 35 minutes from Carlisle, 1hr 45 mins to 2 hours from Glasgow and 2 hours direct from Newcastle (add half an hour if changing in Carlisle).  From Edinburgh, journey times vary, but the shortest trip is just over 2 hours with a change in Carlisle.

Train connections are available from Stranraer and Troon, if arriving by Ferry from Northern Ireland.  Journey time to Dumfries is around 3 hours from Stranraer and 1hr 30 minutes from Troon. 

Trains to Dumfries are run by First Scotrail and Northern Rail.  Bikes can be carried on these trains but space might be limited, or you might need to book.  More information is at First Scotrail’s information for cyclists and National Rail Enquiries' general information about taking your bike on trains in Britain (link to PDF).

Virgin Trains provides an intercity service that runs through Carlisle for connections to Dumfries.

For further information on rail travel in Scotland and throughout GB see www.nationalrail.co.uk.

By ferry

From Northern Ireland, there are ferries to Stranraer from Belfast, and to Troon and Cairnryan from Larne. Train and bus connections to Dumfries are available from Stranraer, and a train connection to Dumfries is available from Troon. (See bus and train details above).

See www.stenaline.co.uk and www.poirishsea.com for more details.

By air

The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Glasgow Prestwick.  There are rail connections from Prestwick to Dumfries taking around 1 hr 30 minutes (changing in Troon or Kilmarnock), and car hire is available at the airport.   For more details of flights, see the Glasgow Prestwick airport website.

Traveline Scotland

Use the Traveline Scotland box below to plan a journey to Dalbeattie using public transport in Scotland.  You'll need the postcode of where you're starting from.  See www.travelinescotland.com for other options or http://www.traveline.org.uk if coming from elsewhere in GB & NI.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the details provided above are accurate, however, you should check times and services with individual service providers prior to travelling as changes may occur at short notice.