BEST WESTERN Dryfesdale Country House Hotel

Burns House

Robert Burns' final home, this humble sandstone building in Dumfries, is now a much-visited museum and simply called Burns House.

Available : Daily

Robert Burns Centre

Set in Dumfries' 18th-century watermill on the Nith's west bank, the Robert Burns Centre celebrates Scotland's national bard. It exhibitions, relating both to Burns the poet and his times, include original manuscripts and a scale model of 1790s Dumfries.

Available : Daily

Trophy D’Ecosse

Now fully designated as a full ISU International for Synchronized Skating, the Trophy d'Ecosse returns to Dumfries Ice Bowl incorporating Sk8Scotland's Scottish Synchronised Skating Championships. Building up to the championships themselves are skate camps and workshops.

Available : Apr 2013 (annual)

Kagyu Samye Ling

Take time out at a beautiful Tibetan retreat in the Scottish countryside. Founded in 1967, Kagyu Samye Ling ("place beyond concept") was the first Tibetan Buddhist Centre to be established in the West. It continues to attract hundreds of visitors every year - Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.

Available : Daily

Silloth Carnival

The carnival in Silloth - on August Bank Holiday Monday - features floats and fancy dress, sideshows, stalls and more. With the event's festive atmosphere now well established, expect a big turnout at this small Cumbrian town.

Available : Aug 2013 (annual)

Carlisle Fireshow

Exploding high above Bitts Park on the banks of the River Eden, the Fireshow is Carlisle's traditional bonfire night celebration, remembering Guy Fawkes' dastardly terrorist plot. Most of the town turns out to see the display.

Available : Nov 2013 (annual)

Carlisle Castle

Carlisle Castle amply repays those wishing to explore its 900-year history. Once commanding the western end of the Anglo-Scottish border, the castle has witnessed, over the centuries, countless conflicts and sieges, as both the English and Scots laid claim to it.

Available : Daily

Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery

Carlisle's award-winning museum has been known as Tullie House since the end of the 17th century and once housed the city's main library. In 1990 the museum was modernised and expanded to become interactive, with a further Millennium development in 2001, including the Carlisle Millennium Gallery which created a special walkway from the castle.

Available : Daily

Great Cumbrian Run

Starting at Carlisle's spectacular castle, nearly 3000 runners regularly take part in the Great Cumbrian Run. They race through Carlisle's city centre before reaching the picturesque villages of Cumwhinton, Wetheral and Scotby and finishing at Sheepmount Athletics Stadium.

Available : Oct 2013 (annual)

Carlisle Cathedral

Carlisle's red sandstone cathedral - the second smallest in Britain after Christ Church Oxford - is a must for any visitor to the great border city. A little time spent here gives an extraordinarily vivid evocation of the turbulent history of the place.

Available : Daily