Dumfries ice rink (known as the Dumfries Ice Bowl) is just a few minutes walk from Dumfries town centre. It is a bright, clean rink with a modern feel you rarely find in the UK.
The Ice Bowl is home to several ice hockey teams, including the Solway Sharks of the NIHL 1 North league. It is just one of 41 ice rinks in the UK that are home to competitive ice hockey teams.
Information For Dumfries Ice Bowl
Dumfries Ice Rink Parking
Dumfries ice bowl parking is very convenient. The rink has its own large car park, which is free of charge.
Solway Sharks Ice Hockey Team
Solway Sharks is an ice hockey team playing in the UK’s NIHL National League. The team is based at the Dumfries Ice Bowl.
The NIHL National is a semi-professional league with eleven teams, ten based in England and one in Scotland. This league is the second highest in the UK, with only the EIHL (Elite Ice Hockey League) playing at a higher level.
NIHL National Teams
| Bees Ice Hockey Club | Raiders Ice Hockey Club |
| Bristol Pitbulls | Sheffield Steeldogs |
| Hull Seahawks | Solway Sharks |
| Leeds Knights | Swindon Wildcats |
| Milton Keynes Lightning | Telford Tigers |
| Peterborough Phantoms |
Usually, the Basingstoke Bison would play in this league, but the team has pulled out of the 2023-2024 season due to rink refurbishments.
The season runs from September to March/April, and the teams will play two (sometimes three) games a week, one home and one away. The most common days for games are Saturday and Sunday, but the team will play some on Fridays or mid-week.
These games include those played in the league and for the Autumn Cup. Most of the cup games are played early in the season.
The league season typically finishes in early April with a playoff weekend where the top 4 teams fight for the league championship.
How Cold Is Dumfries Ice Rink?
If you haven’t been to a hockey game before, you need to know that ice rinks are cold places (not a surprise!). And the closer you are to the ice, the colder you will be.
Also, hockey rinks in the UK aren’t heated, so temperatures in the arena drop in line with outside temperatures. We would rank the temperature of the Dumfries ice rink as average for the UK.
Dumfries Ice Rink Seating
Dumfries Ice Bowl has raised seating along one side of the arena and across the back. All seats give good views, and the arena is one of the nicest that you will come across in any of the UK NIHL leagues.
11 Best Ice Rink Activities To Do At Dumfries Ice Rink
Watching an ice hockey game is just one of many things to do at Dumfries Ice Rink. There is a wide range of ice rink activities on offer, including:
- Public ice skating sessions
- Ice skating lessons
- Ice hockey lessons
- Join a recreational ice hockey team.
- Join a women’s ice hockey team.
- Ice dancing or figure skating
- Synchronized Ice Skating
- Ice skating birthday parties
- Try an ice disco with music, a DJ and disco lights.
- Learn to curl and join a curling team.
- Wheelchair ice skating / disabled ice skating
