Threave Gardens lies just to the south west of Castle Douglas and is clearly signposted off the B736 as it makes its way into the town from the A75 bypass. The gardens were originally established alongside Threave House, built in 1872 on rising land to the east of the valley of the River Dee and commanding excellent views west to the hills of Galloway. Threave House was built by William Gordon, a Liverpool businessman who had bought the Threave Estate as a summer home for his extensive family in 1867.