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Another day in Cumbria, another road trip. This time going north of the Solway Firth so my father could visit some of the places he worked before retiring. We’d discussed visiting Auchencairn Bay well in advance and the pub in Auchencairn village (The Old Smugglers Inn) looked a decent prospect. However, I was only the driver and directions were left to my Dad and he had somewhere else completely in mind. That was how we ended up at The Murray Arms in Gatehouse of Fleet.
South-west Scotland has an air of an area that has not developed at the same pace as the rest of the UK. It wasn’t helped by the closure of the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint railway, linking Dumfries and Stranraer, when Lord Beeching decimated the railway network. The road system has been upgraded with road widening and straightening but not to the extent of adding extra lanes. Consequently the main fabric of towns and villages has an old-fashioned feel to it.
Gatehouse of Fleet is a village of approximately 1000 people taking its name from the Water of Fleet that runs into Wigtown Bay. The Murray Arms is a small 18th century hotel at the east end of the High street in the village. Regardless of the state of the roads, there’s no doubt that Robert Burns had no problem getting about the area. During a stay at The Murray Arms he composed the words to Scots Wha Hae.
The lunch dining options were to eat at the bar or in the hotel restaurant. We opted for the not particularly homely restaurant.
South-west Scotland has an air of an area that has not developed at the same pace as the rest of the UK. It wasn’t helped by the closure of the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint railway, linking Dumfries and Stranraer, when Lord Beeching decimated the railway network. The road system has been upgraded with road widening and straightening but not to the extent of adding extra lanes. Consequently the main fabric of towns and villages has an old-fashioned feel to it.
Gatehouse of Fleet is a village of approximately 1000 people taking its name from the Water of Fleet that runs into Wigtown Bay. The Murray Arms is a small 18th century hotel at the east end of the High street in the village. Regardless of the state of the roads, there’s no doubt that Robert Burns had no problem getting about the area. During a stay at The Murray Arms he composed the words to Scots Wha Hae.
The lunch dining options were to eat at the bar or in the hotel restaurant. We opted for the not particularly homely restaurant.
Main of choice was the unfortunately named Scottish tapas that actually turned out to be rather good. It was a combination of Galloway smoked salmon, haggis dumplings, smoked duck breast and Scottish cheese with oatcakes. I also ordered a portion of chips as a side. Without taking anything away from the other ingredients, the local smoked salmon was simply superb and was the star of the plate. The dumplings were balls of haggis that were breaded and then deep-fried with good flavour and a lighter result than expected. The smoked duck breast had a very gentle smoke flavour on the meat. The cheese was strong without being overwhelming and the salad with mustard dressing provided a refreshing counterbalance to the proteins on the plate. This was a really good light lunch option. The kitchen had obviously done a good job sourcing the ingredients for the plate.
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Criffell bitter was usually available on tap but unfortunately was off for our visit. However, bottles were available for a taste of Kirkcudbrightshire at home.
Overall verdict.
Despite its awful name, the Scottish tapas turned out to be really good. The restaurant was a decent spot to know about if in the area, although we didn’t really test the capability of the kitchen.
Would I revisit The Murray Arms?
I’d only likely be in the area if having the same kind of trip with my father. However, I’d be happy to eat at the Murray Arms again for lunch.
Overall Rating - 3 /5