Darren Flint – författare

Part of Bradt's distinctive, award-winning series of 'Slow' travel guides to UK regions, the new, extensively updated third edition of Dumfries & Galloway (Slow Travel) is the sole full-blown guidebook to this beguiling southwest corner of Scotland. With intimate detail and insider tips from two southern Scotland experts, it reveals one of the country's best-kept secrets through lively descriptions, historical anecdotes and hand-picked accommodation recommendations.Dumfries and Galloway is ever more alluring to discerning visitors in search of grand views, peace and isolation, bustling harbourside towns, craft shops and galleries, cafés and restaurants, mountains and coast, wildlife and outdoor pursuits. all ingredients for a successful UK break. Even the weather defies expectation, the far west being warmed by the Gulf Stream so gardens harbour palm trees and southern hemisphere plants. The region is explored in depth, from Eskdale in the east to Scotland's southern tip at the Mull of Galloway, via Annandale, Nithsdale, Dumfries, The Stewartry, The Machars and Moors, and The Rhins. Visit Scotland's highest village (with the country's highest micro-brewery) in the morning, a deserted sandy beach in the afternoon, and a Dark Sky Park, gazing at the stars, in the evening. Wildlife lovers will be in their element as all of Scotland's 'big five' iconic species can be seen: golden eagle, red squirrel, harbour seal, red deer and European otter. In the surrounding waters look out for minke whales, harbour porpoise and dolphins, while Caerlaverock at the eastern end of the region plays host each year to the staggering annual spectacle of thousands of barnacle geese settling on the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve. Human-related curiosities complement natural wonder. Samye Ling was the first Tibetan monastery established in the west; the Famous Blacksmith's Shop at Gretna Green still hosts a thousand marriages a year - and not just eloping couples either; Hallmuir Chapel is a WWII Ukrainian place of worship in the Dumfriesshire Dales; and Dumfries itself contains the house where Robert Burns, Scotland's national bard, spent his last three years. Whatever your interest, Bradt's Dumfries & Galloway (Slow Travel) is the ideal companion for a successful trip.

The three Dumfriesshire dales of Nithsdale, Annandale and Eskdale are a rural playground of heatherclad hills, linns with tumbling waterfalls, babbling rivers and evershifting merse and firth. Despite being bisected by the main road into England, these dales were known more intimately by the discerning Victorians than they are today. Time, then, to rediscover the charms of this peaceful corner of Scotland. Whether it's a morning exploring the country's highest village, an afternoon paddling the shores of the Solway or an evening gazing at star-filled skies, Darren Flint and Donald Greig;'s hand-picked selection of 40 walks reveals what it is that makes this unassuming part of the world so special.

Made up of the old counties of Wigtownshire and The Stewartry, Galloway covers a vast swathe of Scotland's quiet southwest corner. This under-discovered area offers 260km of coast, full of sandy beaches and towering cliffs, lonely heather-clad moors and quiet hills. Add to this plenty of wildlife, a rich artistic heritage, strong spiritual influences and a climate kissed by the warming Gulf Stream, and you have a region beckoning to be visited. Darren Flint and Donald Greig's handpicked selection of 40 walks reveals the sheer variety of landscapes that makes Galloway so special - from the Mull of Galloway, Scotland?s most southerly point, to the sweeping Nith Estuary, via Merrick, Southern Scotland's highest hill, and plenty of hidden corners.

Much quieter than the nearby Lake District. This book features 40 short walks exploring the best the area has to offer. Look one way and marvel at the majesty of The Lake District's magnificent peaks, the other to find tranquil sea views of the Isle of Man and Southern Scotland (weather permitting).