Glentrool, in the heart of the Galloway Forest Park, is famed for its dark skies and scenic walking and mountain bike trails. The tranquil setting wasn't always so.

In 1307, Robert the Bruce with 300 men defeated an English army of 1500 heavy cavalry here by ambushing them on the steep banks of Loch Trool. The action was the first in a campaign of guerilla warfare that eventually led to Scotland winning independence.