Galloway is all about the outdoors. Cycling, mountain biking, walking, hiking and mountaineering opportunities abound, from the coast to the hill tops. All levels of difficulty and distance of hiking are easily accessible from the village, from a quick walk up the Mulloch hill behind the cottage to the peaks of the Rhinns of Kells and the Southern Upland Way long distance footpath which passes through the village. Galloway also has enough crags to keep any rock climber busy. Watersports, including canoeing, sailing and water skiing are available on Loch Ken. Golf, fishing and shooting can also be participated in locally.

After all that fresh air and exercise, you may be hungry, thirsty or both. Dalry has two pubs: The Clachan Inn, which serves an award winning menu and a rotating selection of craft beers, and the Lochinvar Hotel. Both are located at the bottom of the hill.

The town of Castle Douglas, about 30 minutes away has a well-deserved reputation as "Food Town". Several real butchers and bakeries, and a fishmonger will tempt you with their extremely high quality wares. Castle Douglas also offers a surprisingly eclectic mix of shops for a town of its size.

Dumfries and Galloway enjoys a thriving arts scene, including an annual festival. The Catstrand in nearby New Galloway is a combination venue and gallery and a great source of information about arts happenings in the region. Across the burn from the Catstrand you will find The Smithy, one of many excellent local tearooms.

For history buffs, there are numerous castles within easy striking distance of the village, including Kenmure, Doon, MacLellan, Threave, Drumlanrig, Caerlaverock and Culzean. From even earlier times, Roman and Pictish forts dot the hilltops and Hadrian's Wall is only a couple of hours away. Fans of the poet Robert Burns will find Dalry's location ideal as it is almost equidistant from both Dumfries and Alloway, between which he spent the most significant parts of his life and where you will find museums in his honour.

Dalry sits at the edge of the Galloway Forest Park, which at 300 square miles is Britain's largest forest park and is one of only a few "Dark Sky Parks" in the world. Stargazers can visit the observatory by appointment. The forest can be explored by car via the Carrick Glen and Raider's Road forest drives, where a wide variety of wildlife might be encountered. Less patient animal lovers are catered for at the forest park's Red Deer Range and Wild Goat Park. The goats are actually quite friendly and make decent picnic companions. Ornithologists should bring their binoculars; there is a wide range of bird life in the area, from red kites, buzzards and falcons, to various tits and finches. The cottage has bird feeders in the garden. Feel free to fill them using the bird seed in the summer house and enjoy the show as you work in the kitchen. Please do not let the blackbirds come into the house! Rabbits and hedgehogs are also frequent visitors to the garden.