The Store (Artists Impression)
Hello and thank you for visiting our site, the Official Website for the 'Galloway Art & Craft Centre'
Welcome to The Galloway Arts and Crafts Centre! We are a small, local business, run by 3 generations of our family. We specialise in anything arts and crafts and can help young and old develop, explore and expand their creative genius in pretty much any branch of the creative spectrum!
Our business began when Gran and Granddad (Joan and John) opened their store to the world in the mid-seventies, catering for the local artists of the area (Gran) and displaying an amazing array of fossils and semi-precious stones and minerals (Granddad). Since that early beginning, the business has expanded, now owned and managed by Maw (Sarah) with Yarns, Knitting, Crochet, Fabrics, Haberdashery, Crafts, Games, Kits, Art supplies... you name it! Gran and Granddad still have their parts to play in the business and we have expanded here, online, managed by the family.
We are a locally owned, small, family-run business Located down in the beautiful South West of Scotland in a little town called Castle Douglas, also known as “Food Town”. and we pride ourselves in being able to offer our customers such a wonderful treasure trove to explore. We are always available for a chat, advice or assistance in finding whatever it is you need to be creative and love hearing from customers about their successful projects.
Towards the store entrance you will find an epic selection of tools, materials and instruments to bring out and develop your inner artist. With a vast range of paints, brushes and mediums there isn’t much that we don’t have to help you become an artist.
If you care to venture up the stairs you will encounter our craft range which includes modelling, card-making paper craft and more. We even have a small corner for vintage and retro games.
The Up-Top back room is where you’ll find one of our favourite departments… our Fabric section. Once again you will find a floor to ceiling arrangement filled with fabric and needle craft stuffs all contained in the relaxing atmosphere that we sometimes refer to as Up-top Fabrics’.
Finally, Outback Yarns is the wool department at the back of the ground floor of the Galloway Arts & Crafts Centre (sometimes referred to as the Galloway Gem Shop). Just enter through the arch and find yourself in the soft and fluffy world of Outback Yarns.
From floor to ceiling you will find a massive range of colour, size, feel and style of yarn to suit any individual, just waiting to be made into something awesome. You will also find all the accessories you could possibly need to knit anything your imagination could think of. We also have a wide selection of patterns to allow you to knit up the perfect Christmas present or to help you increase your wardrobe. So if you are ever in this part of the world please drop by and give us a a visit. Look for the big bright red and white building on the main street (with the image of Sherbet the Sheep above the door).
We do really hope that if you are in the area that you pop in to see us and if you want to get in touch with us we are always available on the phone or via our contacts page.
Thanks for reading
Meet the Team
We thought it would be nice if you knew a little about the Outback Yarn staff, so here is a list of who handles your yarns and knitting needs.
Sarah
The overlord, creator and ultimate bringer of knitting produce... In the beginning there was nothing. Shortly after there was:
Starting the business, shortly after Jesus was born, she continues to be a source of knowledge and inspiration to knitters all over the moon. Her day to day task does require her to be in many, many, many places at once; which she seems to achieve better than anyone else. Either on the phone, conversing with a customer, filling out orders, placing orders or drinking coffee if she is free she will gladly give her opinion and lend a helping hand.
Sammy
Next is daughter to the Overlord, and an Overlord herself to the world in her own mind.
Not much of a knitter, crocheter or seamstress. Sammy doesn’t have much of an interest in the world of knitting and Sherbet the Sheep. However working in Outback Yarns you have to know your stuff and so when Sammy was younger she was shipped off to one of the highest fields in Castle Douglas. There in a hidden temple she learned all that could be learned about the ways of the wool and the yarn. How they could be manipulated to create clothing, art and much, much more.
So even though Sammy is quiet, content, absentminded and appears to be unsure of where she is: she is a fountain of knowledge.
In Sammy’s spare time she likes to invest in developing her skills in beadwork, scrapbooking and generally all things crafty (unless it is related to knitting). She is an artist in her own right and you will often see her in the back room doodling away at some new masterpiece or another.
Ross