Great food in an authentic village pub. Craft beer by Five Kingdoms. It's a community pub and hub…read morewith folk music nights, coffee, beer garden, right near the sea.

The King Arms Hotel was very comfortable, clean, and hospitable!…read more On our journey 2014, we had left Belfast Ireland very late in the day on a Stena Line car ferry to cross the Irish Sea heading to Scotland. By the time we had arrived at Cairnryan Port Scotland it was very dark, but we decided to start driving the 200 mile trek from Cairnryan Port on the A77 roadway to Lochness Lake located approx (200) miles away. Being so very tired, and struggling to drive any further, we began looking for places to rest on the long dark roads around Ballantrae, this is when we stumbled upon the King Arms Hotel. The King Arms staff booked us in late without any trouble, were very polite and offered us a late night dinner and drinks. We ended up playing pool in the pub area, having drinks, and speaking to the locals in the pub about the history of the area. In the morning, in the dining room area, they had a very nice breakfast prepared for us to sustain us on our journey, the atmosphere was amazingly family like. It was a very unexpected and pleasant stop on our journey into Scotland! If you walk to the west of the main parking lot, there is a small trail which will lead you through a large grassy soccer field, this trail will take you to the shore of Ballantrae Bay, the trail is approximately 700 feet in length. The view in the morning hours was amazing!!!!! Definitely Recommend!

I only have three words. OH. my. GOD. Thos was one of the best restaurants ever…read more Reasonable prices Fish dishes amazing Deserts and coffee world class This chef and restaurant should be a top world class restaurant in a major casino. Amazing!

Wildings restaurant has a separate vegetarian menu but you need to ask for it, and they don't mind…read morea bit if you want to mix and match with the other set menu which is exactly what I did being ever the awkward customer;) Wildings is primarily a seafood restaurant. Located at Maidens harbour with its fishing boats bobbing about, it makes sense that there would be a focus on fresh fish! The menu is well balanced though and fans of meat, poultry and vegetarian fare are well catered for. The dining room is modern, bright and airy and full of nice decorative touches. The drinks are a little more expensive than some places but they are generous with the jugs of iced water at the table, so thumbs up for that. I'm not a fan of fizzy soft drinks, so as I was driving I opted for a glass of lime cordial with tap water which also kept my costs right down. Being a bit greedy we polished off the warm fresh bread and butter before our starters arrived, but the friendly staff were only too happy to bring us another basket on the house. Our starters were fabulous as were our mains, but we had no room left for dessert which is a pity, as it doesn't add much to the bill at lunchtime! This is a place where tables are properly set with linens and nice cutlery and its a perfect spot to bring someone for a special occasion. It may be a fair drive for most people to get here, but it's definitely worth the trip. I've dined here many times over the years and used the opportunity to walk across the beach to Culzean Castle where you can access the grounds free of charge. I don't feel too bad about not paying to get in, especially as I've been an almost lifelong member of the National Trust anyway. Another spot you can go to walk off lunch is the iconic Turnberry Lighthouse on the famous Open golf course. Its two minutes from Wildings Restaurant and there is a public right of way across the course. Tip: Ask for directions to the lighthouse at the Golf Club starters box so you can safely avoid getting hit on the bonce with a golf ball! Guests at the adjacent glitzy Trump Turnberry Resort Hotel flock to Wildings Restaurant for a change of scene. They know good food when they see it and I can't disagree with them! Two superb courses at lunch for under £13. Booking Essential! Highly recommended.

I had just arrived in Stranraer on the last ferry from Belfast. It was cold, it was rainy and it…read morewas almost 1 in the morning. I was tired and had nowhere to stay. I walked up and down the streets of Stranraer hoping to find a B&B or some sort of Hostel. After an hour I had pretty much given up and was planning on sleeping in the train station and just by chance I see a light on in the Craignelder, as I head towards the front door, it opens and a woman comes out and locks it. I asked her if there were any vacancies and she she said they were closed but for whatever reason, she looked up at me, smiled and said "Come in". After telling her my story, she got me a cup of tea and brought me to my room. She obviously was on her way home but decided to help me out and I will never forget it. Clean rooms, lovely staff and a great view. I highly recommend!

This is a review for the restaurant: Hands down, this was the best lamb dish we've ever had! We…read morewere amazed by the amount of side dishes that were gratis, and we couldn't even eat everything. The service was fun and friendly and made for an enjoyable dinner. Worth a visit!

We were in the area and stopped off for lunch. The service is impeccable and so friendly which is…read more the main reason for the score. We have a 6 week old baby and it's so nice when staff are understanding of the difficulties faced at times with a newborn. The staff seated us next the fire so that we were warm and away from drafts. The food is wholesome but doesn't really rock the tastebuds. My starter of breaded Brie was done well and Hubby's lentil soup was piping hot (a must for soup!). Both were palatable and enjoyable. I opted for lasagne which was served with salad and chips. It almost reminded me of a school lunch in that it was comforting. Hubby's burger was well seasoned and quite tasty! Dessert was homemade profiteroles in chocolate sauce. It was tasty but didn't rock the tastebuds. It's a little out the way from Glasgow as it's just outside of Kilwinning. However there's a good sized car park and the staff are simply lovely. Great value for money in that we both had 3 courses and a few non alcoholic drinks for the grand total of £25. All in all we were happy with the meal and the staff made it even better.

Excellent food at a very reasonable price. Good service and pick the conservatory when dinning as…read moreit over looks the river, peaceful and relaxing outlook.

We came to Stranraer for just one night, and this hotel was our pick. On arrival, it genuinely…read morelooked like a quaint little castle - even more charming than the pictures suggested. Our room exceeded expectations, complete with a lovely view over what I think was the Stranraer port or perhaps the sea. The amenities were far more than we expected: a fun game room, a pool, a gym, plenty to keep you entertained. I actually found myself regretting that we were only staying for one night. The hotel seems to be a hub for special occasions like wedding receptions; during our stay, there was a wedding anniversary being celebrated. While you could hear the festivities from certain areas, it was never loud enough to disturb us in our room. Convenience was another plus, there's a Greggs right next door for a quick coffee and sausage roll in the morning. Parking is plentiful in the hotel, too. For me, the highlight was the bar lounge area. We stayed there until midnight, enjoying great drinks and great service from the friendly bartenders. All in all, this hotel was a delightful find that I would highly recommend if you find yourself in Stranraer!

This is now called the Trump Turnberry. This is a luxury destination resort hotel in the middle of…read morenowhere on the southwest coast of Scotland. The only reason I stay there is for the golf at the Ailsa course, an Open Championship venue. There are many resort hotel activities and a spa, so I suppose you could do that stuff but there is not much else except the Eisenhower Castle close by. The nearest town is Girvan which is tiny, but with a few good local places for fish and chips and Indian food. The restaurant has a good Scottish breakfast included with the room. The continental breakfast buffet is very good with lots of fresh and dried fruits. I get a load of smoked salmon with my usual Turnberry Grill, which consists of eggs, bacon, sausage, roasted tomato and black pudding. I suppose you could get Haggis. I've stayed there many times since the 1980's and the property has been extensively remodeled over the years. It's a lot more modern and fresh now. Service has always been excellent.

Fantastic waitstaff! Lovely high tea with spectacular views of Isle of Arran, Ailsa Craig and…read moreTurnberry Lighthouse.

Superb hotel overlooking Campbeltown Loch. The rooms were well furnished and comfortable. The…read morebreakfast was excellent. The dinner cooked by head chef Joanne was excellent. The only thing the hotel lacks is a bar. They provide only canned and bottled beers. Apart from this one of the best small hotel experiences in a long time.

This is a lovely place to go for a meal. We arrived slightly early for our meal and were escorted…read moreinto a lovely warm sitting room where we were offered a drink. There was a lovely atmosphere and we were encouraged to take our time choosing from the menu. We relaxed by the fire overlooking Campbeltown loch. We ordered and when our starters were ready we were shown through to the dining room. The dining room was cosy and there were other diners but you didn't feel as though you were being overheard by anyone. The menu was extensive and I would highly recommend the monkfish. At the end of the evening we had a lovely stroll along the side of the loch back home.

During our stay near this quaint little Scottish town my wife and I rode bicycles into Ballentrae…read moreto experience local fare and culture at the Kings Arms. From the time we entered the door we got a strange vibe that I can only describe as not being welcome. My wife and I travel often and regularly try to find and local gastronomy and drinks off the beaten path. 99.9% of the time everywhere in the world we are welcome as visitors, just as we treat out of town guests. Not only were we not given a seat at a table we were told we could not eat at the bar after sitting down and ordering drinks (we were asked to pay immediately after the drinks hit the bar). We weren't given an explanation nor were we offered even a mere crisp to tide us over. Assuming worst case that the several open tables had reservations which potentially accounted for all the food in the kitchen the lack of hospitality in this small Scottish town to visitors from across the pond was beyond disappointing on an early Saturday evening. For an establishment that has been brought back to life on the donations from the greater Ballantrea area I truly hope Kings Arms "Community" Pub learns the meaning of community and something related to hospitality and service. First time in my 30+ years of traveling internationally to be denied service and food.