Reviews Here's what our lovely guests have to say....
A beautiful oasis of calm with warm hosts & fabulous rooms.The setting will take your breath away!First time stay with wonderful hosts Mel and John. The rooms are simply beautiful, very tastefully decorated, with local antiques in a contemporary setting. There is a really luxurious and homely feel to all the guest spaces.The house is set in a stunning location with gardens which reach down to the river Nith. It’s so peaceful there and there is an abundance of wildlife for company. Everywhere you look there are lovely touches for guests from the well provisioned rooms to the books, flowers and area guides.We had the most beautiful breakfast with all local produce.Mel and John care deeply about positive community impact and it shows in their sustainability practices and genuine love for the area. If you want warm and friendly hosts, beautiful rooms in a stunning location - stay here.
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Treena, Kings Lynn June 2021
Relaxing & Luxurious
Nithbank offered a slice of tranquility from our busy world.
The property, gardens, Melanie and John were all outstanding. Nothing was too much trouble.
Perfectly placed for a relaxing and luxurious break.
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Ed, London June 2021
An Amazing Place, A Superb Experience – We cannot wait to go back!
Nithbank was sensational.
The room was perfect, the views are incredible and Melanie and John the perfect hosts.
An ideal getaway and a brilliant stay.
We felt welcomed, cared for and like nothing was too much trouble.
Nithbank is found in a lovely part of Scotland with plenty to do nearby.
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Jane, Lancaster June 2021
Wow!
The house sits in beautiful grounds and we spent some time, wandering around and sitting admiring the stunning views and the riverside.
The very spacious room was amazing, with a fabulous bathroom, extremely comfortable bed and sofa and plenty of amenities.
Breakfast was superb with a great choice and again Melanie and John could not do more for us.
We spent a day cycling and another walking in the area which Melanie kindly printed some maps for us to navigate our routes which was a huge help!
On our final night we chose dinner in the stables, both the location and food were UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Definitely recommend this place!
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Lesley, Glasgow June 2021
Bliss!
Gorgeous accommodation with every need catered for. Melanie and John have the perfect balance of attentiveness without intrusion. We thoroughly enjoyed our 3 nights in June with fantastic breakfasts and gorgeous surroundings.
The scones or arrival were a welcome treat.
Thanks both for making us feel so welcome
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Craig, London June 2021
Outstanding indeed!
The only reason that we have given Nithbank five stars is that we aren’t allowed to give it six.
Hosts Melanie & John are determined to deliver a truly exceptional experience to their guests and in that they succeed admirably.
The house, originally of 1790, has been sensitively restored avoiding caledonian clichés and achieving an individual interpretation of traditional luxury. The views from all of the windows are of bucolic majesty, augmented by their own small heard of ‘belties’ (Belted Galloway cattle). Of particular note is their commitment to locally based food business and environmental concerns as exemplified by the Biosphere initiative which deserves to be more widely recognised. Nithbank provides an excellent base from which to explore the Gallovidian region, itself a revelation. The nearest town of Thornhill is charming although sadly lacking in decent eateries.
In terms of local dining options, we tried several and the best by far was the Auldgirth Inn where you can eat excellent dry aged ‘beltie’ beef. John provided the Range Rover transport which was very much appreciated and yet another example of the outstanding level of service and attention that we enjoyed.
We would heartily endorse the superlatives expressed by other reviewers. Nithbank defines a new standard in hospitality and has been justifiably recognised with numerous awards. Our thanks once again to Melanie & John; you deserve only the best for your extraordinary efforts.
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Katherine, Edinburgh May 2021
A wonderful luxurious stay
We have just had four nights at Nithbank Estate, staying in the Chamberlain’s Quarters, a beautiful room with views from the large bay window over the river Nith to the hills in the distance.
The thoughtfully placed chair in the side window was a brilliant place to curl up with a book on our one rainy afternoon, as it gave more views of river, fields and hills and, below, a busy bird feeding station! The very large bed was extremely comfortable, the duvet was perfect for the current temperature, but there were blankets and other bedding provided as an option, lovely towels and a large bathroom with both power shower and slipper bath. Tea and coffee bags, fresh milk, a Nespresso machine, shortbread…… and those welcome scones!
We were made to feel at home from the first warm greeting as we arrived to the “Haste Ye Back” as we left. Melanie and John have thought of everything that you might want in the room and in the small library on the half landing, full of books and maps, both local and more generally for Scotland. In the boot room downstairs there are rows of macs, long and short, wellies and even field glasses for guests to use.
We took advantage of Melanie’s offer of supper the first night, with soup and a wonderful spread of Italian Antipasti, it was a perfect welcome meal. Each morning we managed to surprise ourselves by tucking into a range of imaginative and beautifully presented breakfast options – it was too irresistible, and we would return again and again for the Cranachan!
Nothing was too much effort for Melanie and John, running us into Thornhill for dinner on two evenings, researching information on what castles, houses, gardens and other attractions were now open and which were probably still shut, and we were able to have full days of seeing much of what is on offer in this part of Dumfriesshire (quite a lot).
The walks around the estate and further afield offered enormous scope for seeing so much more of the countryside, the gardens closer to the house are being thoughtfully and carefully restored and John and Melanie have exciting plans for all the future developments on the estate.
What a fabulous place to stay! -
Rosie, Cheshire May 2021
Idyllic weekend – A beautiful place to stay, inside and out.
Everything is great quality, from the kettle in our room to the pretty china. Melanie and John were wonderful hosts – they have thought of everything!
We felt very safe with all the measures they have put in place (hand sanitiser by front door and outside all rooms, masks to be worn in the hallways). Delicious scones with homemade jam on arrival, and great breakfasts using local produce.
We also had Melanie’s lovely homemade soup and sharing platter one evening – very tasty and more filling than we expected! Our room was enormous with a fabulous view of the garden and the river. Very comfortable bed, and great shower. There’s a small fridge with fresh milk, and a great selection of teas, local chocolate, and a good coffee pod machine. Melanie lent us her bat detector one evening which was brilliant – lots of bats in the late evening around the trees.
Drumlanrig Castle is well worth a visit for the waymarked walks in its amazing woodland – you can park and do the walks for free.
Melanie and John are very enthusiastic about the local wildlife and we hope to return soon to see more of it – and of course have more scones!
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Ryan, Sheffield September 2020
Amazing place and people!!
Absolutely beautiful estate with a truly stunning room to match. If you are looking for a place to completely relax and unwind then I cant think of anywhere better to spend a few days. All precautions have been taken in terms of hand sanitiser being freely available and it smelling amazing as well as masks being worn while walking round the house.
The Breakfast is beautiful and freshly cooked with all local ingredients and is more than enough to keep you going while you explore the stunning surroundings.
Mel and John are wonderful and couldn’t do enough for us including picking us up from Dumfries train station and making sure we had everything we needed they have made somewhere to be incredibly proud of and so environmentally conscious.
We will 100% be back if even just for the breakfast
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Stephanie, Edinburgh September 2020
The hospitality we received was second to none! Melanie was absolutely lovely going above and beyond with loads of little touches – that’s what really made it special! She had warm scones waiting for us on arrival, she’d popped the kettle on in our room so we could have a cuppa after our journey, there were complimentary chocolates and lovely hand creams throughout the house. We felt very safe staying with all the measures in place and was great that Melanie wore her mask whenever she was passing us.
The breakfast that Melanie prepared was exceptional – one of the nicest breakfasts I’ve ever had – you could tell the products were high quality and the food was expertly cooked and all nice and fresh and hot rather than having been sitting for ages.
The room itself was huge with stunning views out of the bay window – absolutely idyllic sitting watching the birds eating from the feeders as well as spotting rabbits and squirrels. The bed was lovely and comfy and perfectly placed to lie down and take in the spectacular view out the window. The bath was another great feature and a great way to relax.
The trip really was the perfect way to switch off and we were both so sad to leave. We have already started looking into our next stay here!
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John, London September 2020
We thoroughly enjoyed our weekend at Nithbank. Melanie and John are superb hosts, nothing is too much trouble. They make you feel at home.
We stayed in a suite which was beautifully appointed with all the facilities you would wish for.
We loved the bathroom and selection of toiletries and hand made soaps. The breakfasts are first class, great choice of locally sourced produce and well cooked with lovely presentation.
Will definitely stay again. We can’t recommend Nithbank high enough.
Try Something Different
Relax and sleep peacefully in our spacious bedrooms, then choose from our extensive breakfast menu and enjoy your freshly prepared breakfast in our bright guest dining room