John Paul Jones Cottage Museum Information

Journey back in Time with a visit to the John Paul Jones Cottage and Museum located near southwest Scotland’s Solway Firth in the village of Kirkbean. This tiny white cottage has been visible to mariners entering the Solway from the Irish Sea for centuries. We invite you to stand within the very room where Scotland’s own, John Paul was born and matured into John Paul Jones, the Father of the United States Navy.  Today, he is universally considered one of the greatest naval officers in history.

The John Paul Jones Cottage was built on the 1200-acre Arbigland Estate where John’s father had been employed as the Head Gardener by its Laird, William Craik. In addition to Commodore Jones, this tiny patch of land also produced Dr. James Craik, the personal physician to American President, George Washington and the first Surgeon General of the United States military. Robbie Burns visited Arbigland on many occasions.

The John Paul Jones Trust is dedicated to preserving the remarkable story of John Paul Jones, Aribigland, and other great men and women of Galloway. We offer unique artifacts and accurate historical information for all and fun, hands-on displays and virtual reality experiences for our young visitors.

In addition to the wealth of information our Visitor’s Center provides, we also sell passes to Arbigland’s 24 acres of magnificent gardens bordering the Solway beach and you can arrange a tour of the principal rooms of Arbigland House built in 1755. We also provide limited Caravan Parking at affordable rates and can direct you to nearby historical lodging and great food.