*About the Cottage* ............. Kelpies Cottage is a bungalow which is simply decorated with comfortable beds. It has oil fired central heating throughout, and a lovely log burning stove in the living room for those cosy winter nights. The kitchen is modern and has cooker, fridge/freezer, microwave, washing machine, kettle, toaster, and dishwasher. The hot water is an "on-demand" system. The bathroom has a bath and shower. There is plenty of free on-site parking. Dogs or other pets are welcome and the garden is fully enclosed for your furry friends safety. We ask that all animals be kept off the furniture and out of bedrooms, please. The rear bedroom has a double bed and a single bed. The front bedroom has one double bed. The cottage is thus suitable for up to five people. Fresh bed linen is provided for each guest along with a single bath towel for each guest and hand towels for the kitchen and bathroom. If you need more towels, please feel free to ask. In the living room there are a couple of small sofas and a table/chairs for meals. There is a TV, Roku streaming device and DVD player but please note there is no TV licence (or reception!) for watching live TV. There is free Wi-Fi. There is secure bike storage and a hose outside. Glentrool Cycleworks in the village provides bike hire and repairs. There is an EV charging point at Glentrool Hive in the village, just 100m from the cottages, which is available during opening hours. SHORT-TERM LET LICENCING Kelpies Cottage holds a Short-Term Lets licence under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and is hereby authorised to operate Short-Term Lets. Maximum number of guests: 5. Short Term Lets Licence Number: DG00161F.

*About us* .................. We are Dave and Beth, and we are lucky enough to live in beautiful Glentrool in the Galloway Forest. We moved here 10 years ago and love it here :-) Kelpies Cottage is opposite our house and we split our time between running the cottage and various other things! Dave is a professional photographer, and living in the Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park he takes advantage of the starry skies here. You can see some of his photos, all of the local area, in the cottages. Beth designs and makes jewellery (you will find some of her pendants for sale at Glentrool Visitor Centre) and is also a student with the Open University, studying for a maths degree. We both love the outdoors and enjoy running, loch swimming (Beth) biking (push bike and motorbike - Dave), and hill walking (both of us!). We love exploring both here in Glentrool and all over our beautiful wee country. We are always happy to chat about the best ways to enjoy our amazing countryside, and offer suggestions for walks/bike rides/etc. If wild swimming is your thing, Beth is swims regularly in our local lochs and is always happy to have extra company and show you the best swim spots.

*About the area* ........... Kelpies Cottage is a cosy two-bed bungalow in Glentrool, the only village in Galloway Forest Dark Skies Park. It's a beautiful, peaceful, rural location, with fabulous starry skies and plenty of biking, wild swimming and walking nearby. We are right in the heart of the stunning Galloway Forest and part of the UNESCO designated Biosphere, with trees, streams, lochs and mountains right on the doorstep. If you want to explore by bike, you can enjoy the thrills of the 7Stanes mountain biking trails at Glentrool, or the slightly tougher ones at Kirroughtree a 25-minute drive away; there are trails for all ages and abilities. There are plenty of great road cycling routes around too, all on lovely quiet roads. If walking or running is your thing you won't be able to stay long enough to explore all the trails on the doorstep - after 10 years here we are still discovering new ones! Nearby there is the Wood of Cree ancient woodland, the largest ancient wood in southern Scotland. It's beautiful all year round but our personal favourite season is spring, when it comes alive with incredible carpets of bluebells. There are plenty of walks direct from your front door ranging from 2-8 miles. Our favourite more strenuous walks are the Loch Trool trail (starts a 10 minute drive from the cottage) - why not pack your swim gear and enjoy a cooling dip on your way round too! The trail up The Merrick, the highest summit in Southern Scotland, starts a 15 minute drive from the cottage. The top of this beautiful mountain yields a stunning panorama that includes much of the Galloway Forest as well as across to Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, and on a clear day the Lake District. If the seaside is your choice of destination we have several beautiful, quiet and unspoiled sandy beaches within easy reach. We love Monreith, a 45 minute drive away, or Girvan, around 30 minutes away.