South Ayrshire, KA19 7PH
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From the 13th Century
Kirkmichael - A Little History
Although only a small village in the South Ayrshire hills, Kirkmichael has a surprisingly long and rich history, going right back to the thirteenth century, when a church dedicated to St Michael was built here.
Its two main streets are lined by white cottages built for weavers in the 1790s, joined a century later by the red stone McCosh Hall that serves as a village hall and was a gift from James McCosh, the President of Princeton University, whose family came from the area.
Book A TableNotable Residents & Military Honours
A Village of Service and Recognition
Another notable McCosh grew up here: John (1805-1885), an army surgeon whose photographs of conflicts in India and Burma mean he is now recognised as the earliest war photographer known by name.
The village has, indeed, shown a deep commitment to service for its country, with two inhabitants being awarded the highest British military honour, the Victoria Cross: Samuel McGaw (1838-1878) and William James Montgomery Cuninghame (1834-1897)
Our Story
Aqua vitae
Whisky Tasting“With ale, we fear no evil;
With whisky, we’ll face the devil!”
'The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible'
— Robert the Bruce
'In the end, it is not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years.'
— Robert the BruceWilderness journal
Stories from Scotland's last great wilderness, where stags stand proud on hillsides and salmon shimmer in the burns.
Tales of the land that inspires us, the artisans who shape it, and the adventures that await in this playground of legends.
Tucked away in the rolling hills of Ayrshire, The Kirkmichael Arms is a Michelin‑listed restaurant and bar, offering a true taste of Scotland’s wilderness.
Kirkmichael Arms