In Search of Summerisle: The Wicker Man Trail from the Selkirk Arms

The fictional island of Summerisle was created using several real towns, villages and coastal locations, many here in Dumfries and Galloway. 

The Wicker Man Trail — In Search of Summerisle

Main route: Kirkcudbright → Gatehouse of Fleet → Anwoth → Creetown → Isle of Whithorn → Burrow Head → Kirkcudbright.

Allow a full day, roughly 110–125 miles, depending on detours. Distances and timings below are planning estimates.

Start with a Summerisle stroll around Kirkcudbright

From the hotel, walk along High Street to 84 High Street, The High Street Gallery used as May Morrison’s sweetshop. Continue towards Harbour Cottage Gallery at Castlebank, used as the bakery exterior. Take time to look at the surrounding streets and closes: much of the enjoyment comes from recognising how these familiar places were stitched together on screen. 

Gatehouse of Fleet: find the Green Man

Drive west to Gatehouse and look for 9 Ann Street, opposite The Masonic Arms, the building used for the inn’s exterior. The street itself also appears in Howie’s walk through Summerisle. This is an exterior viewing stop; the pub interiors were filmed elsewhere. 

Anwoth: the most atmospheric stop

A short drive brings you to Anwoth Old Kirk and churchyard, with the former schoolhouse opposite. The ruined church is particularly evocative, and film fans will recognise the setting immediately. The schoolhouse is a private home, so view it respectfully from outside.

Creetown: the other half of the Green Man

Continue to St John Street to see the former Ellangowan Hotel, where the pub interior scenes were filmed. Treat this as an exterior photo stop and check its status before advertising any access inside; the BFI records the hotel as closed. 

Lunch at Isle of Whithorn, then the finale

Head into the Machars and stop at Isle of Whithorn for lunch and a harbour stroll. St Ninian’s Chapel makes a worthwhile historical addition: it is free to visit and open throughout the year. It is a separate site from St Ninian’s Cave. 

Finish the filming trail at Burrow Head, where the wicker figures were erected for the final scenes. The location is beside Burrowhead Holiday Village. Check visitor parking and the appropriate walking route with the park before setting out, and keep well back from the cliff edges. The attraction is the landscape and filming site; don’t promise guests a surviving full-size wicker figure. 

St Ninian’s Cave: include only when access permits

The cave and nearby Port Castle Bay feature in the closing section of the film. However, Historic Environment Scotland currently lists the cave as closed for conservation works. I would leave it out of the standard itinerary for now and check the official access notice before adding it. Once access allows, give this stop its own walking time rather than squeezing it into a quick roadside visit. 

An optional second day: Lord Summerisle’s gardens

For a two-day trail, add:

These connections are documented by the film-location guide, with Logan’s role also confirmed by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Check both gardens’ seasonal opening arrangements before travel.