The Dhoon Beach

The beach at Dhoon curves away from Kirkcudbright in a long, quiet sweep of sand and shingle that most visitors never quite find. You won't get crowds here - that's both the appeal and the slight problem if you're hoping for facilities. It's a proper working beach, the sort where you can actually walk without dodging windbreaks and ice cream vans.

What you get is space. Lots of it. The sand is firm and decent for walking, and the backdrop of low cliffs gives it a bit of character. On a clear day the light's lovely across the water. It's the kind of place where you can spend an hour without feeling you've wasted the trip, though it won't keep you entertained all afternoon unless you're genuinely here for peace and quiet.

Families with young kids will find it manageable - the walk from Kirkcudbright isn't brutal - but there's no lifeguard cover that I could establish, so keep an eye on things. Walkers will appreciate it as part of a wider coastal route rather than a destination in itself. The nearby holiday parks - Seaward, Domes By The Sea, and Solway View all within a couple of miles - make it an easy add-on to a park-based break in the area.

Go when the weather's settled. A grey day here feels greyer than most places, and there's limited shelter if the wind picks up. Parking's straightforward near the village, and it costs nothing to access the beach itself. Reckon on 90 minutes if you're combining it with a walk into Kirkcudbright.