Alia Nelson
Alia moved to Dalry from a larger town but finds there are more opportunities here to buy local, seasonal food and to shop second hand.
Alia likes to batch cook to save energy and avoids single use plastic by using refillable products.
“The countryside around here is really nice and there’s so many lovely places to go for a walk. And also there’s a really nice community. Despite it being a really small population, there’s just always loads of stuff going on.”
Alia’s recommendations for living sustainably in the Glenkens:
‍Buy local!
Galloway Food Hub sells a huge range of really good food, from veg to baked goods and preserves, as well as lots of local meat. It's a brilliant place to find ethically sourced and local food pretty much direct from the producers. A lot of the packaging is returnable, reusable, recyclable or compostable as well.
Glenkens Producers Market - these markets take place at Dalry Town Hall on the second Saturday of every month, and as well as local produce being on sale, there is a cafe selling delicious home baked cakes which supports the Town Hall.
Village shops in the Glenkens supply some great local products as well as being much more sustainable than driving to Castle Douglas for a bottle of milk or a loaf of bread! They are also a vital part of community life, sharing information and knowledge. They need the community's support to stay viable though.
Balmaclellan Store: "We’re a family run village community store. We sell local products including meat, yoghurts, pies, cakes, bread, rolls and vegetables. Fresh bread 3 times a week, vegetables 4 times and the butchers twice a week."
Crossmichael Shop & Post Office: "Well stocked Convenience Store and Post Office. Off Licence, Tobacco, Rolls/Snacks, Coffee."
Wright’s Shop, Dalry: "Dalry's local convenience store, stocking a range of local produce to provide for your daily necessities."
New Galloway Community Shop: "Run by the community for the community, it offers a wide range of everyday essentials, local produce, and unique gifts."
Don't throw away or recycle, refill!
New Galloway Community Shop offers refills for: Washing-Up Liquid, Laundry Detergent, Toilet Cleaner, Shampoo & Conditioner.
It's not quite within the Glenkens, but if you are going in to Castle Douglas, Sunrise Wholefoods offers lots of options to refill (cleaning products etc) or buy loose goods (eg, herbs, spices, tea - take your own jar to refill, or using a supplied plant based cellophane bag) - as well as lots of other environmentally friendly products.
Buy secondhand
The Glenkens Community Shop is a fantastic charity shop on the doorstep on Main Street in Dalry - and its profits are distributed in grants to a huge range of important causes across the area.
There are many other great charity shops in Castle Douglas and other local towns – and last year, Dumfries was named the best place in Scotland for second hand shopping!
Sell it or give it, don’t bin it!
Local Facebook group The Glenkens in D&G - For Sale/Free & Wantsis a place where you can gift or sell surplus items, or avoid buying new.
Supported by funding from the Scottish Government’s Climate Engagement Fund.
