Restaurant
Honest and robust, romantic and gastronomic, traditional and inspirational, daring and welcoming — a true taste of Scotland
Best Scottish Pub, The Scotsman Scran Awards 2025
He who has contempt for food is a fool. He who has contempt for food is a fool. He who has contempt for food is a fool. He who has contempt for food is a fool. He who has contempt for food is a fool. He who has contempt for food is a fool.
He who has contempt for food is a fool. He who has contempt for food is a fool. He who has contempt for food is a fool. He who has contempt for food is a fool. He who has contempt for food is a fool. He who has contempt for food is a fool.
Our approach
'He who has contempt for food is a fool' – old Scottish saying
Scotland is the last great wilderness of the British Isles, a place where stags really do stand proud on hillsides and you can see the silver shimmer of salmon in the burns. Its larder constantly inspires us.
We smoke our own salmon. And our own garlic, leeks, venison. We churn butter. Cure bacon. Bake bread. We do things in a painstaking, pre-industrial, old-style manner because we believe you can taste that on the plate.
We follow traditional ways but we're not in thrall to tradition. We're forever exploring ways to bring out the best of this paradise of Scottish produce, or take it in new and exciting directions. So we draw on classical French techniques and there will often be Asian influences at play. Food for us is an adventure, and we'd like you to come on it with us.
As you'll have guessed, in our quest for perfect produce and ingredients, we're unashamedly Scottish first, searching out first local Ayrshire farmers and artisan, then the lowlands, highlands and islands before venturing further afield.
Whether you're looking for something simple and inexpensive or a blow-out banquet, you can trust us to serve up an incredible meal. We believe we're one of the best restaurants in Ayrshire, maybe one of the best restaurants in Scotland. We can cook, we care about what we cook, and we take care doing it.
'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