A glorious old coaching inn set in the Yarrow Valley, The Gordon Arms stands as an award-winning local spot for honest sustainable dining and overnight stays. Found near St Mary’s Loch and some of the most gorgeous towns on the Scottish Borders, it’s a remarkable spot for Sunday lunches, weekend getaways, and milestone celebrations. Locality, seasonality, and sustainability touch every corner of The Gordon Arms, putting the finest Scottish produce in pride of place.
The Gordon Arms has some of the finest pedigree, having hosted the likes of Sir Walter Scott, James Hogg, and even the revered Robert Burns over the years. Today, with chef-owner Bryn Jones at the helm, it proudly stands among the best restaurants in the area. The Gordon Arms menu isn’t flashy or ostentatious, relying instead on the quality of honest good cooking to deliver flavourful dishes. Naturally, the menu changes daily, keeping up with seasonal availability, the freshest produce, and what local suppliers can provide.
For example, starters have included cream of wild garlic soup, Dunbar smoked mackerel with homemade pickled heritage beetroot, and North Atlantic crab and leek tart with mixed leaves. As for the mains, consider Borders free-range chicken in a French mustard sauce; Oxford Sandy Black rare breed pork loin with Nduja spicy chickpeas, cherry tomato, and roasted red pepper; and local ribeye steak with triple-cooked chips and Mountbenger garlic butter. Meanwhile, desserts at The Gordon Arms have stretched from honey cake with salted caramel ice cream to creme brulee made with local rhubarb from a neighbour's garden.
To guarantee the freshest plates available, The Gordon Arms sources much of its ingredients from the immediate area. Apples and strawberries come from the restaurant's kitchen garden, venison and pigeon from just across the road, ale from Traquair House Brewery, and eggs from Bowhill House Estate.