A HISTORIC 18th century Scottish hotel where Robert Burns is believed to have stayed has been put on the market.
The Selkirk Arms, in Kirkcudbright, is being sold as the current owners look to retire after 17 years running the business.
The 17-bedroom hotel, which dates back to 1777, is believed to have been frequented by the Scottish Bard several times around 1794.
The hotel has been linked to the Selkirk Grace, a short poem popularised by Burns and recited at Burns Night suppers each year.
The grace, which is often claimed to have been written by Burns, goes:
Some hae meat an canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.
Although versions of the poem were around before Burns, he is credited with having recited it at a dinner held by the Earl of Selkirk in 1794, leading to a surge in its popularity.
The Selkirk Arms is the hotel where the bard is said to have stayed before that dinner, and it is still a working business in Kirkcudbright.
According to listing agents Graham and Sibbald, the town has “a long association with the Glasgow art movement, including the Glasgow Boys and the Scottish Colourists, [Samuel] Peploe and [Francis] Caldwell, who based themselves in the area over a 30-year period from 1880 to 1910”.
The hotel has been owned and run by Chris and Sue Walker, who are looking to retire after 17 years.
As well as offering 17 en-suite letting bedrooms, the hotel includes bars, restaurants, lounges and meeting rooms, as well as an enclosed garden area with seating terrace and a private car park.
Alistair Letham, a hotel and leisure consultant with Graham and Sibbald, said: “The Selkirk Arms Hotel has been a well-established hospitality venue for many years.
“In their tenure, Chris and Sue Walker have spent many years upgrading and developing the property creating the now profitable business.
“New owners can capitalise upon the secure income which is showing further growth in 2024.”
The hotel is said to have an annual net turnover of around £1.25 million and is being marketed for offers around £1.35m.
