Help to protect a historic tower with a charitable society in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK
Last activity
: 24 Oct 2025
Profile information
Usually responds within 16 days
Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks
Workawayers needed
Possibility that workawayers are needed
No availability
Details
Host ref number: 177453346893
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Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (6)
My partner Jack and I stayed for 2 weeks at the end of August. Steve was a kind and communicative host. It was a lot of fun being tour guides as you get to meet many people from UK and beyond. It was also a joy to help out at the Medieval Weekend Festival! As it was light work setting up, packing down and running the coffee station, we were able
… read more to get involved with activities like firing the cannon and shooting a crossbow! Spending time with Steve and the reenactors was great, we felt very welcomed and there were a lot of interesting tales to be shared.
The tower was a good place to recharge on our travels, as you can really slow down and focus your energy on whatever you bring with you, like an instrument or a book. We made use of the bikes that were there, they were our main transport in the time off as it's relatively far to walk to the surrounding villages.
The living/ history of the tower is fascinating and it's surreal to live on the site for a period of time.
The restoration dreams for the tower are admirable and exciting, we wish Steve and the society our love and support for the project! We'll be checking the updates in the future for sure.
Left by host for Workawayer (Liam)
Straight away Liam got the the effect. He was very natural with visitors and made friends quickly with the locals. I would be happy to welcome him back again . He was a fantastic help during this years Garlieston's Military Weekend, a fundraiser we host each year. Good luck with your next WorkAway. Cheers. Steve
Left by Workawayer (Liam) for host
I did a couple weeks here and immediately felt welcome!
The tower is located in such a beautiful part of the country and its surrounding villages and towns are worth a day trip to go see.
The facilities are fantastic with a full kitchen, warm showers and camping equipment provided. To be waking up and having your morning coffee in front of a
… read more 16th century tower is fantastic experience.
The work varied between gardening, showing people around and helping with events. If you are lucky to be volunteering during an event you'll love every second of it. The amount of work Steve puts into the tower and the workaways shows. I am incredibly grateful to him for letting me work with him. I'm sure I'll be back as soon as I can.
Liam
Left by Workawayer (Judith ) for host
My friend Gill and I worked here for 12 days early April and wow, what a great experience. The Tower is a fascinating historical building and the work of the Hannay Clan, notably Steve, our host, to restore it, is admirable.
The location is peaceful and unique in an area rich with other historic buildings and artefects, and the coastline in
… read more Galloway is beautiful.
We were provided with two spacious tents and had an amazing fitted kitchen in a shed where we could cook, eat and relax after working and exploring the area. Steve was a great host who provided food for us to cook ourselves, lots of info and knowledge plus two social evenings to mark the end of our stay.
The work tasks included painting benches, window bars and other items, gardening, general site maintenance and giving Tower tours to visitors.
A truly memorable experience and one we thoroughly recommend.Left by host for Workawayer (Judith )
Judith & Gill came here in April 2025. They fully immersed themselves into every thing we do here on site. Meeting and greeting some 80 visitors and Clansfolk from across the globe. They both conducted themselves in a sensible and professional manner, not afraid to get their hands dirty and get on with the tasks given. The banter and their company
… read more was good. We would recommend them to others and hope to keep intouch. Cheers. Steve.Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
My partner Jack and I stayed for 2 weeks at the end of August. Steve was a kind and communicative host. It was a lot of fun being tour guides as you get to meet many people from UK and beyond. It was also a joy to help out at the Medieval Weekend Festival! As it was light work setting up, packing down and running the coffee station, we were able
… read more to get involved with activities like firing the cannon and shooting a crossbow! Spending time with Steve and the reenactors was great, we felt very welcomed and there were a lot of interesting tales to be shared.
The tower was a good place to recharge on our travels, as you can really slow down and focus your energy on whatever you bring with you, like an instrument or a book. We made use of the bikes that were there, they were our main transport in the time off as it's relatively far to walk to the surrounding villages.
The living/ history of the tower is fascinating and it's surreal to live on the site for a period of time.
The restoration dreams for the tower are admirable and exciting, we wish Steve and the society our love and support for the project! We'll be checking the updates in the future for sure.
Left by host for Workawayer (Liam)
Straight away Liam got the the effect. He was very natural with visitors and made friends quickly with the locals. I would be happy to welcome him back again . He was a fantastic help during this years Garlieston's Military Weekend, a fundraiser we host each year. Good luck with your next WorkAway. Cheers. Steve
Left by Workawayer (Liam) for host
I did a couple weeks here and immediately felt welcome!
The tower is located in such a beautiful part of the country and its surrounding villages and towns are worth a day trip to go see.
The facilities are fantastic with a full kitchen, warm showers and camping equipment provided. To be waking up and having your morning coffee in front of a
… read more 16th century tower is fantastic experience.
The work varied between gardening, showing people around and helping with events. If you are lucky to be volunteering during an event you'll love every second of it. The amount of work Steve puts into the tower and the workaways shows. I am incredibly grateful to him for letting me work with him. I'm sure I'll be back as soon as I can.
Liam
Left by Workawayer (Judith ) for host
My friend Gill and I worked here for 12 days early April and wow, what a great experience. The Tower is a fascinating historical building and the work of the Hannay Clan, notably Steve, our host, to restore it, is admirable.
The location is peaceful and unique in an area rich with other historic buildings and artefects, and the coastline in
… read more Galloway is beautiful.
We were provided with two spacious tents and had an amazing fitted kitchen in a shed where we could cook, eat and relax after working and exploring the area. Steve was a great host who provided food for us to cook ourselves, lots of info and knowledge plus two social evenings to mark the end of our stay.
The work tasks included painting benches, window bars and other items, gardening, general site maintenance and giving Tower tours to visitors.
A truly memorable experience and one we thoroughly recommend.Left by host for Workawayer (Judith )
Judith & Gill came here in April 2025. They fully immersed themselves into every thing we do here on site. Meeting and greeting some 80 visitors and Clansfolk from across the globe. They both conducted themselves in a sensible and professional manner, not afraid to get their hands dirty and get on with the tasks given. The banter and their company
… read more was good. We would recommend them to others and hope to keep intouch. Cheers. Steve.
Left by Workawayer (Mena) for host
I had a wonderful time here! Steve is an amazing host, I felt immediately comfortable with. He is really easy going and can even give you a hair cut if you need one :) The tower is an amazing place to stay and it is quite cozy in a tent but with a small kitchen and bathroom on site. The work varies from work on the tower to work in the grounds and
… read more most importantly giving tours. Thank you again Steve for your hospitality!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Anne) for host
I had a magical time here and met the best people. The work consisted of gardening and taking visitors on a tour of the place - and I enjoyed tremendously! Steve is a generous and kind host with a great sense of humor. And the locals here are some of the most welcoming people I've ever met. I will recommend coming here as a WorkAwayer to anyone
… read more who likes history, the Scottish countrywide and a nice beer at the pub 😄You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Leora) for host
I stayed there for two weeks at the end of April. I enjoyed myself very much. Steve, the host, welcomed my fellow workawayer and me warmly and made me feel comfortable immediately.
Each of us had their own tent next to the tower equipped with a camping bed, a chair and a small table. We cooked our own meals in the shed and could have fires in the
… read more old tower kitchen in the evenings.
As for the work, there was a variety of different tasks. We did some weeding and general maintenance around the site as well as painting windows, tidying up inside the tower and we even got to mix the original lime mortar mixture that we then used to do some pointing on the tower walls. Taking all the visitors around and giving them tours of the tower was lots of fun as well.
After work or on our free days we were exploring the beautiful surroundings by bike and/or foot. The village of Garlieston is about a 30 to 40 minute walk away, is by the sea and has a great pub and a cute café. Local people got to know us quickly and were all so lovely!
Steve is very passionate about the Tower and the project to restore it. His passion is contagious and it‘s amazing to see the tower evolve knowing that my own work can now be seen within its walls. Steve has many stories to tell and it‘s always been fun to sit with him.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
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