No independent financial adviser listed in Dalbeattie yet.

An independent financial adviser (IFA) provides impartial advice on pensions, investments, mortgages, savings and insurance - working for you, not for a bank or product provider.

The 'independent' part matters. Unlike tied advisers who can only recommend products from one company, an IFA can search the whole market to find the best fit for your circumstances - and they are legally required to act in your best interest.

Check that your adviser is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and ask how they charge - some work on a fee basis, others take commission from the products they recommend. Either way, they should be upfront about costs before any work begins.

Dalbeattie is a small granite town in the Stewartry, built largely from the local Craignair granite - the same stone that was used to build the Thames Embankment and Liverpool docks.

The town sits on the Urr Water and has a compact, well-kept centre with independent shops, a museum and a strong sense of community.

Dalbeattie Forest, managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, has 7stanes mountain biking trails that draw riders from across the country - the Hardrock trail is one of the most challenging in the network.

The town is well placed on the A711 between Dumfries and Kirkcudbright, in the heart of the Solway coast.

(opens in new tab)

Dumfries and Galloway is the most south-westerly council area in Scotland, stretching from the English border at Gretna to the Mull of Galloway - the southernmost point in Scotland - and from the Solway Firth coast inland to the hills of the Southern Uplands.

Dumfries is the largest town and administrative centre, a handsome red sandstone burgh on the River Nith where Robert Burns spent the last years of his life and is buried in St Michael's Kirkyard.

The region divides naturally into three historic areas: Dumfriesshire to the east, Kirkcudbrightshire (the Stewartry) in the centre and Wigtownshire to the west - each with its own character, landscape and loyalties.

The Galloway coast and countryside have a mild climate influenced by the Gulf Stream, fertile farmland, dark-sky reserves and a string of small harbour towns that attract artists, writers and visitors drawn to the quiet and the landscape.

Despite its size, the region is one of the most sparsely populated in Scotland - a place where community is strong, the pace is slower and the landscape ranges from river valleys and rolling farmland to wild moorland and rocky coastline.