Dumfries and Galloway
Selkie's Haven Lodge
Introduction
Selkie's Haven is the closest thing Dunskey has to a beach house. The newest of the estate's lodges sits above the shore between Port Mora and Port Kale, the two coves at the foot of the glen, with the Southern Upland Way running past the door on its first miles out of Portpatrick. The name borrows from the seal-folk of Scottish folklore, and seals do work this stretch of coast, along with diving gannets and oystercatchers on the tideline.
The build is the draw inside: chapel-style archways and a barrel-vaulted ceiling, reclaimed wooden floors with radiant heating underfoot, a jade-tiled bathroom and a kitchen with curved walls and bronze hardware. The bedroom is lofted, with a dormer window over the bed for the night sky. Outside, a lawn runs down towards the water through rewilded meadow, with a fire pit, a Green Egg BBQ and, on the cliff side, an outdoor bath and shower facing the sea.
Prices & Availability
Facilities & Services
The kitchen is full-sized and fully equipped, with a starter pack of dish soap, sponges, kitchen roll and laundry detergent. There's a Frame TV and Bluetooth surround sound, WiFi, underfloor heating, a fire pit, outdoor furniture and a Green Egg BBQ. The outdoor bath and shower sit on the cliff side with hot water plumbed in. Logs are unlimited for the length of your stay. Every booking includes a welcome hamper of bread, eggs, coffee, artisan cheese, jam and baked goods, plus laundry, linen, Dunskey's toiletries, complimentary use of the estate boat and chef-made ready meals to order.
Location
The lodge sits on the shore of Dunskey Estate northwest of Portpatrick, between the coves of Port Mora and Port Kale, where the 1854 telegraph cable to Ireland once came ashore. The village and its harbour are reachable along the clifftop path or a short drive round, and the estate's 2,000 acres of glen, loch and woodland rise behind. Killantringan Lighthouse marks the coast a little further north. Stranraer is eight miles for supermarkets and trains, Cairnryan's ferries 20 minutes, Glasgow around two hours by car.
Good to know
Selkie's Haven sleeps a maximum of two, with one lofted bedroom and a shower room inside plus the outdoor bath and shower. Minimum stays run to three nights year round, rising to seven over Christmas and New Year, with flexible check-in dates. Up to two pets are welcome, with a £60 deep-clean fee per stay. The lodge stands beside the coast path, so the occasional walker passes on the Southern Upland Way. Kayaking and paddleboarding work from the coves in settled weather. A car is the sensible way to arrive.
What's nearby
Port Mora and Port Kale are steps away, one sandy with a waterfall at its back, the other pebbled with rock pools and sea glass at low tide. The Southern Upland Way runs both directions from the door, south into Portpatrick with its pubs and harbour, north past Killantringan Lighthouse, built in 1900 by David A Stevenson, where the wreck of the container ship Craigantlet has sat in the bay since 1982. Dunskey Golf Course is beside the village, and Logan Botanic Garden is 20 minutes down the Rhins.
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