Plan your visit
Discover everything you need to know about visiting Dumfries House.
Whether you tour the house, walk around the estate or stay at the beautiful Dumfries House Lodge, there’s plenty to explore at Dumfries House. Find everything you need to know about visiting us by scrolling down this page, including prices, opening times and car parking.
Prices
The Dumfries House estate is free to enter on foot and open 365 days a year.
Entry to the House itself is only possible by booking a guided tour or event. Prices vary depending on the type of tour and you can book online or at the Visitor Centre on site. We recommend pre-booking if you would like to tour the House as places fill up quickly.
Entry to the Queen Elizabeth II Walled Garden costs £3 and can be booked in person at the Visitor Centre. You can also pay by contactless payment or via a cash ‘honesty box’ at the entrance to the garden. All other gardens on the estate are free to enter.
As of September 2025, car parking costs £5 per day. Learn more about car parking on the estate.
Opening times
The Dumfries House estate grounds are open 365 days a year from dawn to dusk.
Entry to the House itself is by guided tour only. Tours generally operate most days throughout the summer season, and on weekends only during the winter season. Please check online for upcoming tours and times.
For Visitor Centre, Shop and Coach House Café opening times, check here.
Toilets and baby change facilities are available at the Visitor Centre and Coach House Café and are open throughout the Café opening hours. Please check here for opening times.
The Queen Elizabeth II Walled Garden is open at the discretion of the gardening team depending on prevailing weather conditions.
Getting here
Our address is Dumfries House, Cumnock, East Ayrshire, KA18 2NJ.
By car
Dumfries House is just off the A70 about 1.5 miles west of the junction with the A76. There are two entrances – one clearly marked ‘coaches and deliveries only’ and the other, slightly further west, marked ‘cars only’. The postcode for sat nav is KA18 2NJ.
Car parking costs £5 per day. Learn more about car parking on the estate.
By bus
The nearest bus station is in Cumnock.
The nearest bus stop is on the B7036 at the Barony Read entrance, approximately a one-mile walk from the house on an unmade road.
By train
The nearest train station is in Auchinleck.
By plane
The nearest airports are Glasgow (Prestwick) and Glasgow Airport.
On foot / by bike
Pedestrian and cycle access is possible from both the A70 and the B7036.
Bike parking racks are available next to the café and at the Queen Elizabeth II Walled Garden.
Car parking
As of September 2025, car parking costs £5 per day, with free permits available for local residents living within 20 miles of Dumfries House.
Accessibility
Visitors with special access requirements can access certain areas of Dumfries House via a stair climber and stair lift, however wheelchair users must be able to transfer to the stairlift independently. There is no wheelchair access to the Picture Gallery on the second floor.
Two wheelchairs are available for use inside the House, free of charge. We strongly advise calling in advance if you would like to reserve one.
Unfortunately, powered wheelchairs cannot be accommodated within the House.
There are a limited number of parking spaces close to the tour entrance at the main House reserved for Blue Badge holders only.
Disabled parking is also available next to the Coach House Café, at the Queen Elizabeth II Walled Garden and at our Woodlands Restaurant.
For those visitors who are hearing impaired, amplified hearing transmission is available for those in possession of a hearing aid equipped with a telephone coil (T-Switch). Please also note that children’s pushchairs cannot be accommodated on the tour route.
To discuss any concerns you may have ahead of making your booking please call us on +44 (0)1290 427 975.
Group visits
We welcome group bookings for tours of the House, and these can normally be accommodated at any time of the year and at times of the day outside our normal opening times if required (subject to availability).
Our minimum group size is 12 but there is no maximum, and exclusively for groups of 20 or more we offer a selection of refreshment packages which are usually served within the main house itself.
For full details relating to group visits and rates please contact our tour staff by email on dh.tours@kings-foundation.org or by telephone on +44 (0)1290 427 975.
Animals on the estate
Dumfries House estate is here for everyone to enjoy – including the four-legged friends of our visitors!
When accompanied by a dog, visitors are asked to stick to a few simple guidelines out of respect for fellow members of the public, our staff, and the livestock on our working farm.
We welcome dogs:
- whose owners pick up their mess
- who always remain on a short lead
- who stay calm around fellow visitors and our farm animals
While access to indoor settings is not permitted for pets, visitors to The Coach House Café can dine with their dogs on the outdoor terrace.
Please note dogs are not permitted to enter The Maze.
Dumfries House has a working farm and we have livestock in fields on the estate throughout the year. Please note there is no entry to fields with sheep, cattle and other livestock.
Horses
Prior to visiting Dumfries House estate with a horse, strict protocol requires visitors to supply The King’s Foundation with a copy of public liability insurance. To plan your visit, please email dh.reception@kings-foundation.org.
Routes for horses to proceed – at walking pace – across the estate are restricted to the road and some footpath networks. We do not have any bridle paths or specific treks. Riders are asked to limit their speed – strictly no trotting or cantering – and to be mindful that the estate can be really busy at certain times of the year.
Riders are requested to take care of their own safety and that of their horses as well as pedestrians and fellow road users. They should also be mindful that a working farm operates on the estate, and it is therefore essential not to disrupt any ongoing land management operations or livestock grazing.
All horse droppings are to be lifted and removed and disposed of appropriately. Please follow the responsible access code and act accordingly.
Transportation such as horse boxes must be parked carefully at the rear of the main estate car park and, when parked, must not block the car park entrance or exit or any gateways.
FAQs
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Can I take photos and videos at Dumfries House?
In the House itself, no photos or videos of any kind are permitted.
On the wider Estate, there are no restrictions to capturing photos and videos for personal use, but please be respectful of our other visitors.
For professional photography and videography requests, including drone filming, please read our guidelines and submit your filming request to media@kings-foundation.org.
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Is there a cloakroom in the House?
We have limited cloakroom facilities within the House, so we kindly ask that large or bulky items such as rucksacks are not brought into the House.
Contact us
Reception
For any general enquiries or questions related to car parking, call reception on +44 (0)1290 425 959 or email us at dh.reception@kings-foundation.org.
Tours
Call us on +44 (0)1290 427 975 or email dh.tours@kings-foundation.org.
Events, weddings and private hire
Call our events team on +44 (0)1290 425 959 or email us at dh.events@kings-foundation.org.
Dumfries House Lodge
Call us on +44(0)1290 429 920 or email us at dhlodge.reception@kings-foundation.org.
Education
Email us at dh.education@kings-foundation.org.
Health & Wellbeing Centre
Call the Centre on +44 (0)1290 427 979 or email us at health@kings-foundation.org.
Media enquiries
Email media@kings-foundation.org.