About this business
The Selkirk Arms Hotel is a historic townhouse hotel on the High Street of Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway — built in 1777 and famous as the inn where Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns stayed during his travels through Galloway. Kirkcudbright, known as Scotland’s Artist’s Town for its long tradition of attracting painters, sculptors, and craftspeople, provides an intimate and characterful setting for a small historic hotel wedding, with the working harbour, galleries, and painted lanes of the town centre all within walking distance. Run by owners Chris and Sue Walker for over 12 years, the Selkirk Arms offers 16 individually styled bedrooms, two relaxed dining spaces, and the warmth of a family-run hotel with deep roots in this corner of south-west Scotland.
The inn was established in 1777 and acquired its place in Scottish literary history when Robert Burns lodged here during his Galloway tour — the connection is marked and celebrated in the hotel’s Burns-themed offer for visitors who come to Kirkcudbright in the poet’s footsteps. The town itself carries a remarkable cultural legacy: from the late 19th century, Kirkcudbright became a magnet for artists drawn by its harbour light and medieval townscape, and it remains today a living working town of studios, galleries, and painted buildings where the tradition of making art continues. The hotel’s position on the High Street places guests at the centre of this townscape, a short walk from MacLellan’s Castle, the working harbour, Broughton House, and the full texture of one of the most characterful small towns in Scotland.
For a wedding at the Selkirk Arms, the entire hotel can be taken over for a couple of nights — giving one couple and their guests exclusive use of all 16 bedrooms, the bar and lounge, and the Artistas Restaurant for a fully bespoke celebration in Kirkcudbright’s most historic inn. The hotel’s team plans every detail, from menus and floral arrangements to activity programmes that make the most of the Galloway landscape: clay pigeon shooting, mountain biking, paintball, classic car hire, golf at nearby courses, and hiking through the coastal and riverside countryside of this exceptional south-west Scottish landscape. The lit fireplace in the lounge, the bar’s local whiskies and gins, and the intimate scale of the property create the atmosphere of a private house party rather than a hotel function.
Dining at the Selkirk Arms centres on seasonal, locally sourced produce served in two relaxed settings — the Artistas Restaurant and the bar and lounge — with bistro-style menus that reflect the agricultural and maritime character of Dumfries and Galloway. The region is one of Scotland’s quieter food landscapes, known for its beef and lamb, its excellent game, and the seafood caught off the Solway coast, all of which find their way into the hotel’s kitchen. The bar stocks a carefully chosen selection of local whiskies and gins, and the informal, welcoming atmosphere of both dining spaces suits the kind of celebration that feels personal and unhurried rather than formally choreographed.
The Selkirk Arms Hotel is located in Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway, in the south-west of Scotland — approximately 1 hour 20 minutes from Glasgow, 2 hours from Edinburgh, and within easy reach of the Cairnryan ferry port for guests travelling from Northern Ireland. The town’s setting on the River Dee estuary, within reach of the Galloway Forest Park and the Solway coast, provides a landscape of real beauty and variety for a destination wedding weekend — with Cardoness Castle, the Stewartry Museum, and the galleries and studios of Kirkcudbright itself offering a programme for guests who want to explore the area beyond the hotel’s own grounds.