Hotel
Dinner, bed and breakfast

8 bedrooms Cavens, family run manor house hotel.
Automobile Association 3 Red Stars 3 Red Stars from the AA
3 Gold Stars from VisitScotland
Exclusive Use of Cavens for House Parties

Cavens Country House Hotel Location map

Cavens
Kirkbean
by Dumfries
South West Scotland

Award winning Country house hotel near Dumfries, on the Solway Coast near Galloway Forest Park

15 minutes south of Dumfries in South West Scotland, and secluded amidst 6 acres of gardens, ancient Florence Court Yews and giant Rhododendrons, Cavens Country House Hotel is the ideal place for complete relaxation in beautiful surroundings. It is the home and hotel of Angus Fordyce (chef proprietor) and his wife Jane and together they extend a very warm and friendly welcome to all their guests.

Cavens Country House Hotel We strongly recommend staying for several days! However, this is a perfect place to stop for a night or two if you're travelling around this quiet and unhurried part of Scotland, and also very suitable if you are a party, because the hotel can be made available on an exclusive basis, for family re-unions, house parties for friends, shooting parties (excellent shooting close by and Angus can help arrange this), and Christmas and New Year.

Cavens was built in 1752 for the Oswalds, who were friends of Benjamin Franklin. Robbie Burns wrote a poem 'Ode sacred to the memory of Mrs Oswald'. Dumfriesshire is Burns country and there are lots of places associated with him nearby. Founder of the American Navy, John Paul Jones, was born a short distance away, you can visit his house. There are 12 golf courses locally, the closest a mile away. The countryside is rural, unpopulated, with rolling hills, woodland (Galloway Forest Park) and a natural coastline.

Accommodation:

Oswald bedroom

Cavens has 8 bedrooms all with private Shower and/or Bathrooms en suite, and two with private Sitting Rooms.

Right; Oswald Double bedroom.

Criffel Double bedroom Bathroom

Left and right;
Criffel Bathroom and Double bedroom.

Kindar Twin Bedroom Kindar Sitting Room

Left and right;
Kindar private sitting room and Twin bedroom.

Drawing Room Sitting Room

Left; The cosy area with sofas around a log fire - a part of the large and light Drawing Room with windows overlooking the garden.

Right; A further Sitting Room, also looking over the garden. An after-dinner Malt Whisky never tasted better than in a comfortable chair by a crackling log fire such as this!

Dining at Cavens:

Dining Room

The hotel's 'Cavens Restaurant' is also a renowned restaurant locally in Dumfries and Galloway. The food cooked by Angus Fordyce and his small team is such as you would expect at a private country house; fresh, locally sourced (and that means excellent), an emphasis on enjoyment, simplicity and totally top quality.

Dinner is served from 7:00 until 8:30pm. The three course table d' hote menu including coffee and petit fours costs from £35.

Cellar

Angus's cellar has a carefully chosen representative selection of wines from Europe and the New World. Claret, Rhône, Malbec, Chardonay, Chablis, Riesling, Puilly Fuissé, etc.

Automobile Association Rosette Taste of Scotland Rosette

Cavens has been awarded an AA Rosette and three Visit Scotland medallions as well as recognition in Scotland the Best.

Tariff:

Sauvignon Blanc

From £100 to £190 per room based on two people sharing and include full breakfast (and VAT)
Dinner is from £30 per person including coffee.
Complimentary afternoon tea is served at Cavens between 4pm and 4.30pm for all the overnight guests.

It is ALWAYS worth enquiring about special discounted rates which apply at Cavens for parties staying two nights or more. Some weekends also may have special offers and also last minute bookings (within seven days of arrival) attract special rates.

House parties, Christmas and New Year The hotel has 8 rooms and parties may stay at Cavens on an exclusive use – including (and this is unusual for a hotel) welcoming outside caterers – basis especially during the winter months. Please enquire.

With advance notice Dogs are very welcome at Cavens – but please enquire to make special arrangements.

To enquire or to book:

Cavens Arms

Please tell Jane and Angus you found Cavens through About Scotland!

Please contact:
Angus and Jane Fordyce

Cavens Country House Hotel
Kirkbean
Dumfriesshire, DG2 8AA
Scotland, UK

Tel: 01387 880234
Fax: 01387 880467
or from outside the UK:
Tel: 44 1387 880234
Fax: 44 1387 880467

Some photographs on this page are by Z. Kracun.

Walking

At Kirkbean is Criffel, the highest of the coastal hills (1868ft/569 m) with a splendid viewpoint over the Nith estuary and Solway Firth.

View of the garden

Castles, gardens and wildlife

Only slightly further afield near Castle Douglas are Threave Castle and Threave Gardens and Estate and Plant Centre, and a little way eastwards along the Solway Firth near Caerlaverock Castle is Caerlaverock Wild Life and Wetlands Trust where in the autumn and winter and spring thousands upon thousands of wild geese and other migrating birds can be seen from hides and observation towers and in summer trails meander through flower meadows alive with wildlife.

Map of the area:

Map of Dumfriesshire, Scotland

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