What was hiding in a trunk in a bedroom in this rural B&B?

Craigmount, a B&B with a literary theme in Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway | Contributed

Wigtown is Scotland’s National Book Town and home of the annual Wigtown Book Festival | Copyright Fiona Laing 0794665445

My bedroom is full of character – Peter Pan to be precise. And I’m about to go to sleep in Neverland – there’s Captain Hook’s trunk, silhouettes of Peter and on the cushion the opening paragraphs of JM Barrie’s book.

It’s been an entertaining evening rediscovering the adventures of the little boy who can fly from the prompts that decorate this top floor room at Craigmount, a bed and breakfast in the Galloway town of Wigtown.

As befits a room that will sleep a family, next to the single bed the pirate captain’s trunk has a crocodile hidden inside. For the adults, story boards bring you up to speed on Barrie’s life and his connections with Dumfries. It seems only natural to be staying in a literary-themed room in Scotland’s National Book Town – home of the annual Wigtown Book Festival and reputedly quarter of a million books.

JM Barrie's Peter Pan is one of the books highlighted in the bedrooms at Craigmount in Wigtown. | Fiona Laing

In Craigmount, Nicole and Malcolm Court have created a welcoming retreat out of what was once a 19th-century manse. It’s an ideal base to explore Wigtown and the Machars, the peninsula to the south of the A75 between Newton Stewart and Glenluce.

Although Wigtown majors on books, there are plenty of other items in the stores to browse. Local crafts and art are in evidence and there’ are toys and home decor, as well as vintage and antique treasures to discover. Cafes do come with a side helping of literature. But at Books & Bakes, the shelves are almost incidental once you discover its airy garden room and homebaking. In ReadingLasses, it’s a more immersive experience with books all around as you take your refreshments.

Budget or boutique

A themed B&B is about as boutique as it comes.

Room service

My room was Peter Pan and Wendy themed, but I might have been reacquainting myself with Gavin Maxwell’s Ring of Bright Water or meeting the works of Ian Niall through his memoir A Galloway Childhood. I could also have stayed in the Diary of a Bookseller room inspired by the work of one of Wigtown’s modern day characters, Shaun Bythell.

The Sitting Room for guests at Craigmount | Contributed

Wining and dining

Nicole keeps it simple with an offer of a soup and sandwich supper, which is welcome as out-of-season evening dining options in the town are limited. The comfortable guest lounge – with books, boardgames, smart TV and glasses if you wish to bring in wine – is the ideal post-supper place to relax.

In the morning, after orange juice and some fresh berries, Craigmount’s hearty cooked breakfast piles up freshly cooked locally-sourced products for a full Scottish plate.

The countryside around Whithorn is just waiting to be explored. | Fiona Laing

Worth getting out of bed for?

It would be easy to linger in the shops of Wigtown and walk locally to find the Martyrs’ Stake or the bird hide, but I want to see more of the Machars. I could relish the rolling countryside or explore the twisting 40-mile coastline, but I decide to take a road back into ancient history.

I head south to learn about St Ninian who laid the foundations for Christianity in Scotland. At the the Isle of Whithorn, I see the simple chapel on the windy headland where the early pilgrim arrived from Ireland. The isle sits at the end of the Whithorn Way – the 194-mile pilgrims' route from Glasgow Cathedral. Its final stretch takes you though the Machars. Along the way, the modern pilgrims find not only relics from early Christian times, but also some of Britain’s most important evidence from the prehistoric era, including Bronze Age standing stones and Iron Age crannogs.

At Whithorn, there’s a ruined priory to explore and, like Wigtown, pretty Georgian houses add to the town’s character. In summer, the Whithorn Trust has an exhibition which charts the generations who have left their mark on the landscape which, with its replica Iron Age roundhouse, neatly bring all the strands of history together.

The ruined priory at the Isle of Whithorn. | Fiona Laing

Little extras

With an eye on the environment, Craigmount uses dispensers for the bathroom toiletries, while fresh milk is provided in small glass bottles in a fridge.

Guest book comment

Definitely a chapter worth booking up for.

Factfile

Craigmount, High Street, Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway, DG8 9EQ, 01988 402178. craigmount.info

The Wigtown Book Festival 26 September to 5 October 2025. www.wigtownbookfestival.com