Selkirk Arms Hotel

I would agree that this is a friendly hotel. There is obviously a strong local clientele and a nice, busy atmosphere. Parking is available at the rear of the hotel and there is on street parking at the front but which is nearly always full. We have stayed here before and were impressed. This time things not so good. The room was in a garden annex up a narrow steep staircase and whilst it was a reasonable size the decor and fittings are very tired, the room has old timber sliding sash windows which are either stuck open or closed and very difficult to open or shut. The bedroom looks out onto the garden and privacy difficult -in fine weather the noise from the garden where drinks and food are served would be very intrusive. The bathroom was cramped and a bit dilapidated and the shower pathetic. The bed however was very comfortable. The dining room lacks ambience . The service in the whole area seems confused and rushed. The cooking is mediocre. The ‘woodland mushroom starter was acceptable but uninspiring - mushrooms on toast. The main was on the face of it traditional - salmon fillet, boiled potatoes and romanesco but it said ‘chilli sauce' which I assumed was for the romanesco - a bit odd but no matter. No, the main ingredients were cooked as in a traditional plate but then dumped into an oily hot chilli goo . A complete disaster. The dessert was a ‘rice pudding’ which was clearly meant to be east Mediterranean or Indian in concept and which I love. I was warned it was not ‘hot’ which is one indication of what others might have expected. It was inedible slushy rice liberally sprinkled with dry, crushed pistachios. A travesty of the classic version. I was unable to eat either Dish There was solicitous listening to my reasons but no more. Why such kitchens have to indulge , literally in spicing dishes that well-cooked don’t need it rather than turning to genuinely creative ‘re-inventions’ if thats what they intend defeats me . The ingredients may be fine but the menu construction and cooking is very poor. The pricing is not expensive but neither is it out of the normal range of high quality restaurants and it thus offers very poor value for money . The wine list lacks imagination and is overpriced. The hot food at breakfast on the other hand was well done— cooking to order is very welcome and its quite efficient. The side dishes were not so good and the side table was not always stocked up promptly This is the premier hotel in Kirkcudbright which is a delightful and very popular destination. It's not part of a chain which is good but it seems to me to underperform and would benefit from a revamp and a complete re-think of the menu and some true creativity in the cooking.

Just returned from a most enjoyable 4 night break at the Selkirk Arms. It began so well with a warm and friendly welcome from Joanna who is a real star. The super king room we chose faced the garden at the back of the hotel, so it was very quiet indeed. The housekeeping was first class throughout our stay with a daily refresh of the room and the bathroom. We ate in the hotel each night and the menu offers a wide range of very tasty dishes to suit all tastes including vegetarian and daily changing fish options. Kirkcudbright is an excellent base for a break in Dumfries and Galloway and we could not have chosen a better hotel for our holiday than the Selkirk Arms.

We enjoyed this hotel very much & it far exceeded expectations - the best value for money of the hotels that we stayed in on our Scottish tour. Our Superior King room was lovely, comfortable, quiet, with great view of garden. Staff friendly and obliging, & knowledgable of the district. Dining good & reasonably priced. We’d like to make special mention of the breakfast kippers from Galloway Smokehouse - we ordered some more from them as soon as we got home & have not been disappointed!

We were in Kirkcudbright for personal reasons and had booked the Selkirk Arms Hotel. From our initial warm and welcoming greeting, until we checked out a few days later, we had an excellent stay. Dinner in the bar, breakfast in the restaurant, plenty of choice at both, cooked to a tee, food of good quality, fresh and local. Our room on the first floor was quiet, spacious and traditional, no time for the tv as we were on a mission. The sun shone. We thought the staff were brilliant. A particular mention to Joanna, so personable, helpful and fun. Every hotel should have one. You were great. Thanks too to Magda for helping us in our quest, it was appreciated. We left the Selkirk Arms with very fond memories of it and Kircudbright. Thank you.

Was looking forward to staying here They upgraded me to a double room, though with numerous stairs The hotel is Georgian and the stairs and rooms are from that time, sash windows that rattle, small tight bathroom with shower in bath not easy if you have disabilities, no safety handles and not easy climbing into bath for a shower, not very disabled friendly but they have some ground floor rooms outside at the back. Wifi good Parking at rear of hotel My main annoyance was the price via quality of the food at £10 for a prawn cocktail and £32 for a steak (which was tough and inedible, though they did refund me). I do not drink so £99 for two dinners says a lot. Not cheap at £125 a night for a single in January. I left a day early and drove home, losing £125 but had paid for that and did not fancy another £50+ dinner sitting in a bar area The service was pleasant and breakfast was ok they cooked me tomatoes and toast Lovely town but will not be in a hurry to stay here again, though I have friends in the area and had driven 250 miles

Where do I begin. I booked the restaurant on line for my birthday treat. When we arrived we were met with a lovely welcoming smile and led to our table. It took a few moments to realise the table had been decorated with a Happy Birthday sign and card. Next we were offered a celebratory drink which was also totally unexpected. What followed was a most exceptional meal, great service, a very hospitable host in Chris the owner and an all round wonderful experience. We will be calling in again before the week is out for drinks. There is also a beautiful secluded beer garden for those who like the fresh air.