Perthshire, the gateway to the Highlands, has a fast-growing food scene that has earned its reputation of being one of Scotland’s most up-and-coming food destinations
Looking for Perthshire restaurants? Check out our ideas for eating and drinking in the region, from Perth to Dunkeld and beyond… For more exciting restaurants and weekend ideas for food lovers, check out our best UK city breaks and the UK's best artisan bakeries. Now discover the best restaurants in Nottingham, best restaurants in Newcastle, best restaurants in Belfast and best restaurants in Leeds. Best places to eat and drink in Perthshire Aran Bakery Drawing regular queues to its snug 200-year-old home, this bakery in Dunkeld by former Great British Bake Off semi-finalist Flora Shedden is a local phenomenon. Laminated layers of croissants shine, buttery sausage rolls (pork, apple and sage is a go-to) and focaccia sandwiches sell out at speed, and the brownies and sweet and savoury danishes can’t be missed. A roster of seasonal bakes keeps regulars guessing but Flora’s cardamom buns remain the favourite. Grab a windowsill perch and watch the world go by, or order a takeaway to enjoy by the river. aran-bakery.com Gleneagles This stately escape for food lovers has six distinct dining rooms across its grand estate. At The Strathearn’s Gatsby-inspired dining room the sharing beef wellington is the headline act on the set menu, followed by tableside theatre in the famous flambéed crêpes suzette. Take a night cap at art deco The American Bar but don’t go overboard as an indulgent morning awaits. Gleneagles’ extravagant breakfast room features pancake stations, juice and caprese salad bars, and Scottish staples including haggis and smoked salmon. gleneagles.com North Port In Perth’s cultural heart North Port champions Scottish produce with modern flair. Menus are short, seasonal and grounded in relationships with small growers, foragers and producers. Arbroath smokies pair neatly with Fife-grown beetroot, while Ayrshire potatoes arrive dressed in delicate herbs and a Black Isle rib-eye lands coated with chef-owner Andrew Moss’s mouth-watering house garlic butter. If it’s available the homemade haggis is a must-order. thenorthport.co.uk Redwood Wines There may be more than 5,000 miles between Dunkeld and Napa Valley but this small restaurant and wine bar brings a flavour of California to Scotland. Morgwn Preston-Jones and his wife Roseanna make the most of family ties to wineries, pouring exclusive bottlings to accompany lunch or dinner. To eat, expect handmade pastas, peak-season vegetables and Scotland’s best Aberdeen Angus roast beef sandwich. Despite having few tables the communal wooden dining bench in the centre fills up with locals and travellers. It’s the kind of place where a quick glass becomes dinner. redwoodwines.co.uk Iain Burnett Highland Chocolatier Grandtully’s award-winning chocolate shop and café is a pilgrimage that any sweet-toothed traveller should embrace. Watch the chocolatiers at work and book an audio-guided tasting, including signature velvet chocolate truffles, then get cosy in the lounge with a thick, luxurious and glossy hot chocolate made for slow sipping. Shelves are lined with pralines, seasonal boxes and gifts to take home. highlandchocolatier.com Monachyle Mhor Set on a working farm, this lochside hotel in Balquhidder is surrounded by wilderness. There’s a huge emphasis on foraging, preserving and growing produce, with daily changing dishes served in the informal dining room for lunch or dinner. Of the outdoor activities on offer a favourite is the wine safari. Starting with breakfast and a glass of bubbles at sister venue Mhor 84, guests experience a hillside food demonstration with drinks, lochside wine tasting, plus a fire-lit feast paired with outstanding bottlings. It’s the perfect day out. Pay the bakery Mhor Bread in Callander a visit, too. monachylemhor.net The Grandtully Hotel by Ballintaggart A contemporary village retreat, The Grandtully Hotel by Ballintaggart lets local seasonal ingredients shine. When the sun breaks, the terrace is the spot for small plates and cocktails, and inside the dining room keeps things relaxed yet elevated. Nearby sister venue Ballintaggart Farm runs cookery classes and spirited feast nights through the seasons celebrating Easter, Bonfire Night, Christmas and Hogmanay, always drawing a loyal, hungry crowd. Before you leave browse the on-site shop shelves for homemade goods including the excellent granola. ballintaggart.com/grandtully-hotel Restaurant Andrew Fairlie Tucked within Gleneagles, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie offers an intimate dining experience where service is precise and intentional. Retaining two Michelin star recognition since 2006, the kitchen leans on classical French techniques and seasonal fare, featuring produce harvested from the secret kitchen garden. Highlights include herb-crusted lamb loin, hand-dived scallops and homegrown cep mushrooms, plus Andrew’s signature smoked lobster. Those ordering the seven-course tasting menu are treated to exclusive dishes including roe deer and caviar. andrewfairlie.co.uk The Taybank Set on the banks of the River Tay, this independent hotel, bar and restaurant showcases seasonal produce from the walled garden in dishes including the Tokyo turnip salad, Perthshire venison haunch and Gigha halibut. Scottish trad sessions with artists such as fiddler Liam Manion take place regularly on Thursdays in the cosy bar but, for an extra special experience, book a long table event by the riverside. Tables are brimming with flowers and candles, and it’s a convivial experience to meet locals. There’s also a sauna with breathtaking views, so you can dine and relax in style. thetaybank.co.uk Killiecrankie House At Killiecrankie House on the outskirts of Pitlochry, dinner unfolds in a multi-course journey that nods to Japanese kaiseki while showcasing Scotland’s larder. Expect playful plates of beef tartare with caviar, mackerel with yuzu and beetroot with gochujang, plus signature dripping fried porridge, a nod to Scots tradition. The drinks list features sakes and Chinese wines alongside Scottish spirits. The chef’s table is undoubtedly the best seat, and the bedrooms upstairs make it easy to turn an excellent fine-dining meal into a short escape. killiecrankiehouse.com Foodie neighbourhood Crieft This charming Highland Perthshire town may have once been a fashionable Victorian getaway spot but Crieff’s quietly bubbling food scene has reinvented it as a must-visit haven. Home to the country’s most in-demand restaurant, executive chef Mark Donald and his team have manoeuvred The Glenturret Lalique to two Michelin star recognition. Attached to Scotland’s oldest working distillery, the restaurant is a high-end gastronomic experience which blends tradition with art. Artisan bakeries are having their moment. Ems and Co pastry shop has a daily changing menu of 12 different cakes, twisted buns and eclairs, while Damsel Bakery around the corner is committed to bringing the best sourdough to the area. Expect croissants, iced finger rolls, savoury buns and more. A 10-minute drive from Crieff, you’ll find the whimsical Gorse Café, a woodland café nestled in nature at Comrie Croft, home to jaw-dropping sandwiches (open April-October). For a sensational Sunday lunch five minutes’ drive from Crief, historic spot Coorie Inn is the perfect relaxing getaway with a side of local fare. Try the North Sea crab and Perthshire pork belly or, if you want a Sunday lunch centrepiece, pre-book the corn-fed whole roast chicken. A standard king room is from £195, book direct for the best rates. More UK restaurant guides Best restaurants in Deal Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Bristol Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in York Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Cambridge Best restaurants in Margate Best restaurants in Manchester Best restaurants in Glasgow Best restaurants in the Lake District Best restaurants in Brighton
Best Scottish whisky distilleries to visit
Scotland’s whisky scene is having a glow-up. From island distilleries to Michelin-starred food pairings and luxurious lodges, here’s where to sip (and stay) in style
Over the last two decades working as a whisky writer, I’ve witnessed a revolution across Scotland’s whisky makers. Where once Scotch whisky was the preserve of connoisseurs and collectors, today the distilleries have evolved into stylish retreats where the Scotch is only part of the story. Supported by incredible local hospitality, a new generation of distilleries with a fresh perspective has transformed the humble dram into something that’s now firmly in the lifestyle lane. Think boutique hotels with soft tweed and roll-top baths and tasting rooms that wouldn’t look out of place in a high-end Copenhagen restaurant. Whether you’re partial to a smoky Islay or are just whisky-curious, these gorgeous getaways combine flavour, design and unforgettable scenery. For more Scottish travel inspiration, check out our picks of the best hotels in Scotland or our food guides to the best restaurants in Edinburgh, Glasgow or Dundee. 10 best whisky distilleries to visit in Scotland The Isle of Islay Distillery: Port Ellen Islay is home to ten working whisky distilleries, with even more still in the building phase, making this island a playground for whisky-lovers. The most recently opened distillery, or rather reopened, is Port Ellen. A cult favourite among collectors, the distillery is back after nearly 40 years after its gates were shut. One of the rarest whiskies around, with bottles changing hands for the price of a small family car, the rebooted distillery is a coastal showpiece, where pared-back Scandi-style meets Islay’s rugged beauty. Expect sweeping sea views, architectural wow-factor, and an elevated tasting experience that’s all about storytelling and sensory discovery. Where to stay: Keep an eye open for the newly refurbished Ardbeg House which is set to open in September this year. It has been purchased by French luxury goods company LVMH. Already owners of the nearby Ardbeg distillery, they have overhauled the former Islay Hotel into what is sure to become the island’s lighthouse luxury retreat. Until then, understated luxury and windswept beaches await at Another Place at The Machrie, a stylish hideaway that mixes Highland charm with modern cool. Interiors are soft and organic, with sea-facing rooms and a 30-seat cinema for rainy day wind-downs. Fancy an after-dinner dram? Sink into a leather armchair in the snug bar and let the island do its magic. Doubles from £295, check rates and availability at booking.com, mrandmrssmith.com or The Machrie Raasay Distillery: Isle of Raasay Distillery The bucolic tiny island of Raasay is just 15 minutes by ferry from Skye and is home to one of Scotland’s most exciting new distilleries. Opened in 2017, Raasay Distillery is all about innovation, community and a jaw-dropping view across the Sound. Tours feel intimate and personal, with sustainability front and centre. Its whisky is a flavoursome, lightly smoky style matured across several cask types and brought together for an easy drinking dram. In the on-site bar you can relax with a measure of their well-matured whisky, try it in a cocktail or enjoy wines and local beers, too. Where to stay: Part of the distillery itself, Borodale House is a former Victorian villa transformed into a six-bedroom hotel. Interiors blend muted tones and natural textures with total tranquility. It is the kind of place where you pad around in thick socks, sip whisky by the fire, and wake to the sound of seabirds. Whole-house hire is available for group getaways and, as part of the Raasay buildings, it is currently the only place in Scotland where you can stay directly in a working distillery. Check rates and availability at raasaydistillery.com Skye Distillery: Talisker Skye boasts some of Scotland most elemental, rugged and utterly breathtaking landscapes. Truly a cinematic experience, it is also home to the famed Talisker distillery. Recently revamped, it is now as stunning as the surrounding scenery. A beautiful visitors centre takes you on an immersive trip around the island and the whisky made at Talisker. It recently unveiled a satellite location of the island’s top restaurant, The Three Chimneys. Sat in a waterfront space on the dockside, expect dishes with strong local provenance and sustainability. Where to stay: One of my ‘happy places’ in Scotland, Kinloch Lodge is the seat of the Macdonald Clan and is still family run today. Old-school Highland hospitality done right, this is a place to come and relax in real style where the fire is warm, and the welcome even warmer. Characterful rooms have lochside views, there's a cosy bar and a menu that celebrates Skye’s natural larder, from hand-dived scallops to earthy chanterelles and local meat. Top tip: make sure you are there at a weekend for their hearty Sunday lunch. Check out our guide to Skye for more recommendations of where to eat and stay on the island. Check rates and availability at booking.com or kinloch-lodge.co.uk The Cairngorms Distillery: Royal Lochnagar Just a short hop from Balmoral, this dinky distillery was granted royal status by Queen Victoria. Today, it balances tradition with a playful modern twist and is short on crowds, but long on history and tradition. Tucked away between Ballater and Braemar, it’s nestled into the breathtaking Cairngorms colour-changing scenery on the banks of the River Dee. Don’t miss the new Bothy Bar, where you can sample whisky cocktails paired with local charcuterie and cheeses. Where to stay: Art lovers and interiors obsessives, take note of The Fife Arms. Boasting more than 16,000 works of art (yes, really) you might find yourself sleeping in a room adorned with works by Picasso and other equally brilliant artists. There’s a whisky bar, Bertie’s, home to over 500 different bottles, a fondue hut in winter, and some of the Highlands’ best food to boot. Just down the road in Ballater is sister property The Fish Shop, which has become a hangout for famous local residents such as Margot Robbie who is rumoured to have a house nearby. Check rates and availability at thefifearms.com Perthshire Distillery: Glenturret As Scotland’s oldest working distillery, Glenturret has worn many hats over the years. Easy to access due to their central Scotland location – just one hour from Edinburgh airport – it used to be the home of The Famous Grouse Experience, a trad-laden affair which showed whisky in a more dusty light. Under new ownership, it has transformed into a Highland home of luxury, including a two Michelin-starred Glenturret Lalique restaurant, the only Michelin-starred eatery in any distillery around the world, where chef Mark Donald uses local ingredients, including the whisky, to weave genuine magic on a plate. Where to stay: The name Gleneagles needs no introduction, as Scotland’s most recognisable destination. Still holding the title of the grande dame of country house hotels, it doesn’t stand still with developments across their world-class spa, award-winning cocktail bar and countryside activities such as falconry and Land Rover driving. This really is a hotel that keeps evolving for the better, year after year. Doubles from £495 per night, check availability at booking.com or gleneagles.com However, for something more intimate, try Glenturret’s own Aberturret House. The private residence is located just across the river from the distillery and the recently restored property sleeps 12 (either for fully private hire, or individual stays for those dining at the Glenturret Lalique Restaurant) it is filled with Scottish fabrics, pottery, and thoughtful design touches. Check rates and availability at theglenturret.com Edinburgh Distillery: Johnnie Walker Princes Street This is not a distillery per se, but an incredible new visitor experience from the world’s best selling Scotch whisky, Johnnie Walker. The experience, which cost over £150m to build, opened in 2021 and has just welcomed its one millionth visitor; a testament to the offering which welcomes anyone who enjoys not just whisky, but flavour too. The experience takes visitors on an immersive sensory journey of Scotch whisky, including enjoying personalised cocktails along the way. Two impressive rooftop bars showcase more cocktails and great food, all paired with the best view of the city anywhere has to offer. Where to stay: Edinburgh is not short of incredible hotels. Gleneagles has a small outpost, Gleneagles Townhouse, which has just 33 keys and is often fully booked, and Hoxton Hotels opened in June 2025. However, if you are looking for something slightly under the radar, try 100 Princes Street. The new boutique bolthole is petite, polished and perfectly located. With just 30 rooms, it feels like a private club (in fact, it is in a converted former members club) and is personal, plush and with the kind of service that turns a city break into something special. Check out our guide to the best restaurants in Edinburgh for memorable meals during your stay. Check rates and availability at booking.com or 100princes-street.com Tain Distillery: Glenmorangie Distillery Arriving at Glenmorangie Distillery, just outside Tain and overlooking the Dornoch Firth, you’ll be transported back to the Victorian-era. Built on a slope that runs down towards the water, the distillery is famed for having incredibly tall copper pot stills, the same height as a giraffe. These copper sculptures are what gives Glenmorangie its signature elegance, and have platformed it to be one of the best selling single malts globally. Tastings and tours are relaxed yet intimate, focusing on the hose style of a floral, and citrus-bright whisky. Where to stay: Not just a beautiful distillery, Glenmorangie also has its own country pile, 15 mins scenic drive away. Glenmorangie House is less hotel, more sumptuous private residence. Think country manor meets contemporary art-house, with tartan chairs, Hebridean rugs, and incredible views. Each room is unique and colourful. Dinner is often an event, shared around a communal table. Coastal walks are mapped out, and a dram in front of the fire is a welcoming postprandial pour on your return. This is refined yet relaxed luxury. Rooms from £1,347 for three nights, check availability at booking.com, expedia.co.uk or glenmorangie.com Speyside Distillery: The Macallan Probably the most famous name in single malt Scotch whisky, Macallan (founded in 1824) is a brand beloved by drinkers looking for the ultimate status symbol in spirits. A stunning new design-led subterranean distillery was opened in 2018, revolutionising the idea of the traditional Scottish distillery. Always looking to push forward innovative concepts, the distillery has a long-standing partnership with the highly awarded Spanish chefs, the Roca brothers and this year launched ‘TimeSpirit’, a dining experience curated by the legendary siblings. The menu takes you on a journey of pairings where expressions of The Macallan and carefully selected sherries are paired with small tasting dishes. Where to stay: Tucked into the heart of the Highlands, the Craigellachie Hotel is a warm and characterful base for exploring Speyside, Scotland’s main whisky region. An historic building built in 1893, it is a charming 26-room retreat which blends Victorian heritage with modern comfort and Scottish highland elegance. Deep leather armchairs, tartan throws, crackling fires and an unmistakable sense of place give the hotel character. At the heart of the building is the legendary Quaich Bar, home to over 700 whiskies. The Spey Inn, the hotel's on-site restaurant, serves up hearty, locally sourced fare including Highland beef and salmon. Check rates and availability at booking.com or craigellachiehotel.com Highlands Distillery: Dewar's Aberfeldy Distillery Tucked just outside the town of Aberfeldy, at the gateway to the Highlands, is the Aberfeldy Distillery. Built in 1898 by the Dewar family, proprietors of this famous blended whisky to which they gave their name, it is more than just a working distillery producing a soft, honeyed Highland malt; it is an education in all things Scotch with a detailed and interesting visitor centre that covers the global rise in popularity of whisky around the world. Here, you can see a modern take on blended whisky, as well as a focus on the single malt made on-site, through a series of interactive activities and, of course, tasting rooms too. Where to stay: The nearby town of Dunkeld has undergone something of an evolution over the past five years, becoming a foodie Highland hub – make sure you stop off at ARAN Bakery for pastries. Dunkeld is also home to Redwood Wines, a hidden gem wine merchant specialising in organic and low-intervention bottles, flipping into a restaurant after-hours. The place to stay is The Taybank, a welcoming Victorian‑era hotel. Its cosy bar hosts live trad music nights and their Scandi-chic bedrooms are warm and welcoming. They also host seasonal events such as outdoor cinema on the banks of the River Tay. Check rates and availability at booking.com or thetaybank.co.uk Glasgow Distillery: Auchentoshan Tucked just outside Glasgow, Auchentoshan is a rare thing: a historic Lowland single malt distillery. Unlike most single malts, which are double distilled, the whisky made at Auchentoshan is triple-distilled, giving a lighter and more refined style of spirit. A hop, skip and a jump from Glasgow's city centre, the distillery is perfectly located for anyone wanting a city-break weekend with a chance to dip their toe into the world of whisky. Where to stay: Located right in the heart of Glasgow, the Kimpton Blythswood Square hotel is a luxurious city centre retreat. Once the headquarters of the Royal Scottish Automobile Club, the grand building retains its stunning Georgian architecture on the outside, while offering modern design inside. Its 113 rooms and suites are spacious and comfortable, and the award-winning spa is an usually large space for a centrally located hotel. The location makes it ideal for exploring Glasgow (check out our picks of the best restaurants in Glasgow) and gives easy access to the rest of Scotland, too. Check rates and availability at booking.com or kimptonblythswoodsquare.com Travel Tips: Book tastings and distillery tours in advance – many now offer limited group sizes and tailored experiences. Don’t feel you need to be a whisky expert. Most tours are beginner-friendly, and staff are brilliant at guiding you through styles and flavours. Want to pair your dram with food? Look for distilleries offering food pairings or dining options, or the local hotels that also offer this. This is a great way to elevate and enhance any tasting experience. More UK travel guides 8 UK food trips for solo travellers Best UK islands for food lovers to visit Best small towns across the UK that every foodie should visit 16 day trips from London by train Top UK summer travel ideas 13 must-visit UK foodie destinations, picked by experts Best UK vineyard stays Best seaside staycations in the UK Best unique UK holiday cottages 10 best UK glamping holidays
25 small towns across the UK that every foodie should visit
From Welsh market towns with creative culinary gatherings to Yorkshire boroughs that are home to artisan roasters and gin distilleries, these are 10 of the best foodie towns across the UK for a staycation
Looking for UK staycations? Want to know the best towns for foodies? Check out our guide for the must-visit UK towns that every foodie should visit. Filled with must-try restaurants, bakeries and bars, there is something for everyone in 0ur gourmet picks – from an island getaway in Jersey to picturesque Bruton in Somerset's green rolling hills. For more travel inspiration, find out the best unique UK holiday cottages for foodies and check out our best gastropubs with rooms. Feeling active? See our picks of 10 unique walking holidays for foodies. If you're planning a summer holiday, check out our UK summer travel ideas. Totnes, Devon The market town of Totnes in Devon has some of the most progressive organic restaurants in the country. The Bull Inn is driving the charge with its ecological and social impact pledges, including commitments to “field grown, not flown”, mindful meat, seasonality and supplier-led organic food. Its inventive menu includes such dishes as roasted courgettes, whipped tahini, preserved lemon, pumpkin seed picada and basque cheesecake with plums. Eversfield organic farm shop & café has a menu of all-day brunch classics such as toasted banana bread with seasonal compote and Turkish eggs with warm chilli butter. The Totnes Sunday food market is the biggest in Devon offering up fine produce from local producers. For a taste of fine-dining, head to Gather which showcases locally sourced and wild foraged ingredients from Devon’s fields, shoreline, rivers and hedgerows. Where to stay: not just a restaurant, you can also stay at The Bull Inn. There are nine chic, minimally-designed rooms to choose from plus a four-bed self catering apartment (with it's own private terrace) that is ideal for larger groups. Doubles from £165, check availability at booking.com Alnwick, Northumberland The market town of Alnwick, famous for its historic castle, is quietly becoming something of a culinary hotspot. New fine-dining restaurant Sonnet serves up a tasting menu inspired by ingredients from small local farmers, producers of rare-breed meats and British fine food makers. Alnwick Brewery Co & Taproom has been producing traditional brown ales and IPAs since the 1860s, and is a lively hangout that regularly hosts food trucks from local establishments like Caribbean Ren’s Kitchen. The Bistro at The Cookie Jar is a relaxing restaurant serving up local produce in dishes such as tempura cod cheeks with spicy pea purée and chorizo crisps, and homemade ice creams and sorbets. And Jasper’s Bistro, in nearby Amble, is an intimate seafood restaurant with just six tables, specialising in locally landed lobster, crab and langoustines, with an excellent wine list. Check out our full guide to the best restaurants in Northumberland for more. Falmouth, Cornwall Falmouth in Cornwall is famous for its scenic natural harbour and stunning views, and is now also something of a culinary hotspot. Perched on the rocks overlooking Swanpool beach is new seafood restaurant Beach House Falmouth, which is centred around a menu of fresh, local and sustainably sourced seafood. It serves delicious dishes like whole grilled Falmouth Bay crab with garlic butter, shell-on wild prawns with ’nduja, and fried oysters with aïoli. Harbour House, just over the bay in Flushing, is a waterside pub with a focus on seasonal dishes and local drinks. Its menu includes Fowey scallops from the grill, beef short rib cottage pie, and kedgeree scotch eggs with curry mayonnaise. Located between Mylor and Flushing, Food Barn is a weekly market with more than 20 stalls that champion local, sustainable food from traders like Allet Dairy, Penny’s Pies, Loveday distillery and Ruby June’s Indian Kitchen. Sabzi’s Deli serves up Cornish and British produce cooked into Middle Eastern-inspired dishes, like local roasted Savoys with sumac, butter beans and fresh herb chutney, and spiced roasted carrots with whipped tahini. Settle, Yorkshire Dales This historic market town and the villages of surrounding Ribblesdale and Malhamdale are cultivating quite the food scene. In Settle, foodies are buzzing about the hip, crisply executed small plates at chef Iain Graham’s The Nettle restaurant. Elsewhere, refresh at High Street Coffee, micropub Millers @ Bar 13 or the Talbot Arms freehouse. For food shopping visit butcher and expert pie maker, Drake & Macefield, homewares store (and cute café) Car and Kitchen, Tuesday’s town market and Settle Artisan Market (second Sunday, monthly). Heading into the surrounding countryside, Lay of the Land is a small garden centre whose café, led by chef Jimmie Lay, is much-loved by discerning locals. As is Town End Farm Shop, a crucial outlet for regional artisan foods, including owner Chris Wildman’s charcuterie. Just a few miles from Settle, Austwick is home to the well-regarded hotel restaurant The Traddock and nationally significant food hub The Courtyard Dairy. The dairy retails up to 50 carefully matured cheeses from small farmhouse producers, houses a cheese museum and hosts events and cheese-making courses. It also shares its Crows Nest Barn location with pizzeria Rind, natural wine shop Buon Vino and artisan bakery Ambry. Folkestone, Kent The coastal town of Folkestone in Kent offers a unique blend of creativity, seaside charm, and hidden foodie hotspots which are lesser known than some of its trendy seaside neighbours such as Margate and Rye. The Folkestone Harbour Arm is home to an outdoor array of shipping containers which have been converted into independent food businesses, offering everything from fresh oysters and champagne to global street food, all set against the backdrop of stunning sea views. Highlights include poffertjes (mini Dutch pancakes), and inventive cocktails. For a relaxed family meal, head to Rocksalt, where local produce takes centre stage in dishes like Romney Marsh lamb and Folkestone-caught mackerel. Folkestone's Creative Quarter, brims with live music, tapas, cafés and Kentish beers and wine. In the evening, discover strong and perfectly-formed cocktails at The Potting Shed which will transfer you back-in-time to the vibrant 1920s. Where to stay: Shoreline Holiday rentals are the ideal base for exploring Folkestone. Each property is thoughtfully styled, offering luxurious yet cozy interiors, well-equipped kitchens, and private balconies with sweeping views of the English Channel. Perfect for families and couples alike, there’s two and four-bedroom beach houses on offer, all within walking distance of beaches, galleries, and restaurants. Jersey, Channel Islands A short hop from the UK (or France), Jersey, famous for its prized potatoes, oysters and rich custard-yellow cream – is having a gourmet revival. Restaurant pêtchi, from island-raised chef and Great British Menu finalist Joe Baker, is leading the charge. Its menu celebrates the abundance of the island’s local seafood with dishes such as Chancre crab and seaweed tarts, and a signature wood-roasted lobster rice. JEJE, housed in St Helier’s historic fish market, specialises in fresh sushi and Korean-inspired dishes made using the daily catch. Over on St Ouen’s Bay is SANDS, whose menu is inspired by Australasian and Californian coastal cuisine, with homemade tacos and sodas like its apricot/cardamom and lychee/vetiver. And for a nightcap head to The Porter’s Store, a stylish speakeasy with live music and cocktail masterclasses on offer. Reigate, Surrey Reigate has had an influx of foodie establishments in recent years, making it well worth a visit. Lebnani – from chef Jad Youssef – is leading the charge. Its menu is inspired by the food of Beirut with traditional meze and charcoal grills designed for sharing, using the finest spices, herbs and grains from Lebanon, combined with local ingredients. Chalk Hills Bakery makes artisan breads that use traditional long-fermenting methods, each kneaded by hand, including sourdough with potato, rosemary and nigella seeds. The Chapel is an independent café specialising in perfectly brewed coffee, open sandwiches and sausage brioche rolls using meat from local family butcher Robert & Edwards. And New Gurkha Kitchen serves up authentic Nepalese cuisine, like Gurkha aloo (potatoes with turmeric and cumin), Kathmandu chicken and Nepalese-style chow – stir-fried noodles with spices. Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire Famous for its spirited community ethos which has attracted writers and artists for decades, Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire is now a hotbed for culinary creatives. At its heart is Kitchen 91, a micro-bakery and dining room in a converted weaver’s warehouse specialising in Italian cuisine with sustainability at its core. Independent cooperative Valley Organics sells ethically sourced ingredients from local producers, and Goo Cheese has a range of more than 100 British and continental cheeses with an emphasis on lesser known cheesemakers. Stylish contemporary restaurant Coin is the best spot for dinner, serving small plates such as Crown Prince squash, rocket, Loch Arthur yogurt and smoked almonds alongside an extensive list of natural wines. For a night cap, lively bottle shop Drink (open until 10pm) has a range of regional craft ales, fruit sours and cloudy gose beers from across the county. Bruton, Somerset Picturesque Bruton is nestled among Somerset's green rolling hills and has become a something of magnet for unconventional chefs and arty culinary creatives in recent years, turning the once quiet market town into a foodie hot spot. At the Chapel – a Grade II listed restaurant-gallery-hotel hybrid – takes pride of place in the centre of Bruton high street, serving a Mediterranean menu that heroes West Country produce and a wine store filled with organic, biodynamic vintages. Durslade Farm Shop showcases artisan makers and growers of Somerset in the chic Hauser & Wirth Gallery. The Newt country estate hosts seasonal gastronomic events such as foraging masterclasses and artisan cyder tasting in its orchard. And Michelin-starred restaurant Osip, fronted by chef Merlin Labron-Johnson, has removed all menus entirely – asking diners to put their faith in the hands of its masterful chefs. Where to stay: Number One Bruton is a revamped Georgian townhouse that offers 12 bedrooms and a sense of playfulness behind the polish. In the Georgian townhouse itself, designers Frank & Faber have decorated the bedrooms with a tasteful riot of pattern on pattern, plus period fireplaces and gilt mirrors. For a more modern feel, a trio of cottages behind the main house (overlooking the courtyard garden) have simple white bathrooms, quarry-tiled floors and neutral colour schemes, reflecting their former status as workshops. Breakfast, taken in Osip (see above), is totally unique in terms of its offerings. Try vanilla-spiked rice pudding topped with homemade granola and a spoonful of toffee-ish milk jam; still-warm boiled egg cradled in a little nest of hay; pheasant terrine and chutney on freshly baked sourdough; or a sliver of jammy pear and quince tart. Check rates and availability at numberonebruton.com Lyme Regis, Dorset Affectionately known as the pearl of Dorset, thanks to its beautiful bay, the areas surrounding Lyme Regis are also rich in culinary delights. The Seaside Boarding House, overlooking Lyme Bay, champions local Dorset produce and has a guest series with a host of exciting chefs including Jeremy Lee, Rick Toogood and Abby Lee. The Parlour at Bredy Farm offers Italian small plates like Tuscan fish stew with Dorset clams and courgettes alla poverella. And Rachels in West Bay is a beach side hut with fresh local seafood platters, moules and chowder, plus it gets our vote for the best fish and chips in the area. Stockbridge, Scotland Perched on the Water of Leith river and blessed with eye-catching architecture, this hip, upmarket inner suburb is a very pleasant 25-minute walk from central Edinburgh. Beyond its period charms (check cobbled Insta fave, Circus Lane), it is also a tasty place to eat. Acclaimed fine dining restaurants eòrna and Avery, which previously operated in San Francisco, rub shoulders with ambitious gastropub, the Scran & Scallie, cool basement small plates joint, Skua, and the Last Word Saloon, sister bar to legendary cocktail spot, Bramble. Wine geeks will love pace-setting wine bar, Smith & Gertrude (do not miss its grilled Montgomery cheddar sandwich) and the shopping opportunities at treasure trove, Raeburn Fine Wines, Vino and newcomer, Communique Wines. To accompany those wines, food shop at Stockbridge Market (Sundays) or cheesemongers IJ Mellis or George Mewes. Before the steep climb back into Edinburgh, refuel on next-level croissants at revered bakery, Lannan, or take a moment in craft beer haven, Stockbridge Tap, or Edinburgh Cider Co’s The Cider House. Aldeburgh, Suffolk Aldeburgh, a small seaside town in Suffolk, is famous for its annual food and drink festival, and something of a hot gastronomic ticket. The Lighthouse serves simple home-cooked fare with a neighbourhood vibe – including its very own Lighthouse 77 gin, which includes botanicals such as heather and liquorice. Sea Spice is a beautiful restaurant that combines local Suffolk produce with flavourful Indian cooking. The beach is lined with shacks selling boxes of prawns and smoked fish from local artisans including Butley Oysterage. And, like all great coastal towns, there’s the iconic Aldeburgh Fish & Chips made the traditional Suffolk way – fried in beef dripping! Be it colour palettes and decorative touches inspired by the Suffolk countryside or a guest pantry where you can pour yourself a complimentary cocktail, every detail of six-bedroom The Suffolk has been carefully considered. Enjoy the rooftop sea-view terrace, then head down to the restaurant, where chef Tom Payne makes impressive use of Suffolk produce, such as Gressingham duck or Dingley Dell pork. From Butley Creek oysters to lemon sole in Pernod garlic butter, seafood is prominent. Check rates and availability at the-suffolk.co.uk Malton, Yorkshire There’s so much going on in Yorkshire’s food capital of Malton right now. Those serious about their food won’t be disappointed. Over a four year period, 26 food and drink businesses have set up shop here. Many cluster around Talbot Yard – a former stables – which now houses an artisan roaster, Roost, the Bluebird Bakery, the Groovy Moo gelateria, macaron-maker Florian Poirot, the Rare Bird Gin Distillery and a butcher, Food 2 Remember. Other dates for the diary include the Malton Harvest Food Festival in October, and the monthly food markets. These events bring together the wider area’s exceptional producers’ including Malton Cider, cheese from Botton Creamery, chutneys from Sloemotion and lots more. Where to stay: Talbot Inn (owned – like much of Malton – by aristocrat Tom Naylor-Leyland and his glamorous wife and Vogue-contributor Alice) has relaxed décor, in a glamorous, playful sort of way. Ex-Lucky Onion stalwarts, Georgie and Sam Pearman, spruced up the 26-bedroomed Talbot, bringing a modern style to the imposing 17th-century coaching inn, resulting in oak-floored rooms where modern art and antique finds rub alongside ancestral portraits. Eating is when and where you want. Already savoured the views of the watermeadows from the plant-draped Garden Room? Curl up by the log fires in the Snug, or slouch into a leather armchair beneath the wall-mounted wild boar in the navy-walled Upper Bar. Wherever you sit, jeaned and Converse-sneakered waiting staff miraculously appear. Doubles at Talbot Inn from £96 per night, check availability at booking.com Studland, Dorset The village of Studland, on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, is gathering a reputation as a beach destination with discerning culinary clout. Shell Bay Restaurant & Bistro – on the tip of the Jurassic Coast – is a scenic sunset-watching spot that specialises in open-fire cooking. Its exciting menu champions local lobster, bass and Poole Bay oysters, with dishes including fire-roasted miso and yuzu cod and pepper soft-shell crab with smoked pineapple chilli sauce. The Pig on the Beach has a walled kitchen garden and is committed to home-grown produce with its 25-mile menu, serving veg picked that morning and transformed into dishes such as marinated beetroot with spiced hazelnut crumb and blood orange. Across the water from Studland in Poole is Thirteen from head chef Alex Naik, whose tasting menus combine locally sourced and foraged ingredients – courses might include the likes of mushroom tom kha soup with seaweed noodles, velvet shank and oysters, and thyme panna cotta with orange jelly, ginger gel and clementine powder. And Bankes Arms is a pub by the sea that’s also home to the award-winning Isle of Purbeck Brewery – serving up the likes of Studland Bay Wrecked, Solar Power, Fossil Fuel and Purbeck IPA. Moreton-in-Marsh, Cotswolds In the Evenlode Valley, within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the market town of Moreton-in-Marsh makes an ideal base for a ‘foodie’ trip. A short hop from popular villages and towns such as Daylesford (famous for its organic farm, shop and restaurant), Chipping Norton and Stow-on-the-Wold, it benefits from good public transport links including direct trains to London. The main street is lined with handsome stone buildings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, many of them shops, tea rooms, pubs and places to eat. There are plenty of places to stay the night, including the White Hart Royal, a former manor house where King Charles I took refuge during the Civil War. The main public building is the Redesdale Hall which holds antiques and craft fairs, and there’s a weekly Tuesday street market. When it comes to eating out, Henne is highly regarded by the locals with its inventive and sustainably driven menu using hyper-local produce. If it’s artisan bread and patisserie you’re after, Otis & Belle bakery is exceptional and The Cotswold Cheese Company sells countless local cheeses. A short drive out of town is the Michelin-starred Royal Oak at Whatcote. Tisbury, Wiltshire In Wiltshire’s pretty Nadder Valley, Tisbury is more village than town yet still packs a punch when it comes to eating and drinking. On its edge the Grade I thatched Tithe Barn has been converted into Messum’s, a contemporary art gallery where the Mess Restaurant offers much more sophisticated fare than your standard museum café. In the morning Genius Coffea, on the High Street, is the first port of call. For sustenance to go with it, continue on to Tisbury Deli where the shelves prop up goodies from croissants to pork pies. Pick up a bottle to go with your supplies from <The Beckford Bottle Shop, where you can try-before-you-buy and get expert advice from staff. Pythouse Kitchen Garden should be on everyone’s radar too; not only for the first-rate restaurant but because the company’s glamping village, tucked away in the orchard, is the perfect place to stay. Where to stay: Pubs in the area are plentiful but few focus on food; the exception is The Beckford Arms where you’ll need to book to get ahead of the locals who come for a Beckford Bloody Mary and stay on for Sunday lunch. Doubles from £91 per night, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com North Berwick, Scotland There’s a food revolution underway in the seaside town of North Berwick, just half an hour from Edinburgh by train along the East Lothian coast. Millennials priced out of the city have de-camped to the coast bringing with them a demand for flat whites and sourdough – which they get at Steampunk Coffee Roasters and the <Bostock Bakery. The croissants at the latter are so good that NOMA’s René Redzepi sent his pastry chef from Copenhagen to learn from Bostock’s Ross Baxter. For seafood, try Lobster Shack – a seasonal operation on the harbour that cooks its catch from the neighbouring Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery between Easter and October; the lobster and crab bisque is exceptional and the Shack is licensed so you can order a glass of crisp white to go with it. A blustery and beautiful walk out of town brings you to shipping container turned coffee shop DRIFT, perched on an outcrop above Canty Bay; sit in and order the bacon and egg sandwich with herby aioli. Where to stay: Stay just out of town, in Gullane, at The Bonnie Badger, Tom and Michaela Kitchin’s restaurant with rooms. Doubles from £236 per night, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Deal, Kent Kent’s coastal towns are smartening up, luring in a hip London crowd who steer south on fast trains. Whilst foodies still love Whitstable, Deal is the buzzy new kid on the block. Find everything from Kent’s favourite chippie, Middle Street Fish Bar to date-night-dining at Victuals & Co. where the Raid the Larder menu on Sunday evenings is particularly good value. The Deal Dining Club is an institution and its Friday and Saturday night set-menu feasts always sell out; typical events include a Taste of Kent, with a menu boasting Canterbury cheese puffs, Kentish brown shrimp, local pigeon, home-smoked haddock and rhubarb crème brulee. It’s BYOB so pick up a bottle beforehand at Le Pinardier, a French wine bar and shop with an array of predominantly natural wines. Where to stay: Cross the road to The Rose where the seasonal cocktails are invented by local forager and chef, Lucia Stuart, who also runs excursions such as a Berry Bonanza Wilderness Picnic via The Wild Kitchen. As well as a bar, restaurant and pretty courtyard garden, The Rose has eight artfully-designed bedrooms. It’s worth staying for breakfast – the sourdough toast with pear and ginger jam is scrumptious. Doubles from £167 per night, check availability at booking.com Orford, Suffolk The Suffolk town of Orford may have kick-started its foodie reputation with the opening of the renowned Pump Street Bakery (a visit to its Suffolk-pink premises for breakfast pastries is a must) but the business has done a pivot into artisan chocolate-making so save space to try one of their artisan bars too. Proximity to the shingly coastline means the town is also home to two excellent seafood spots, fixtures since the 1950s – Butley Oysterage, a smart restaurant serving up plump oysters and griddled prawns dripping in garlic butter, and the sister shop, Pinney’s, where you can buy smoked fish, potted crab and angels on horseback to take away. If you’re visiting in September, Orford also makes a great base for exploring Aldeburgh Food Festival – confusingly not in Aldeburgh town but, rather, at nearby Snape Maltings, the Victorian red-brick malt kilns turned world-famous concert halls that sit amongst the reedbeds on Suffolk’s river Alde. It’s a great setting to learn, among other things, how to make bread courtesy of Marriage’s Bakery Room. Where to stay: Orford’s pub, the The Crown and Castle, promises smart bedrooms overlooking Orford’s 12th century castle, or there’s the Wash House Studio B&B – stay in a sweet shepherd’s hut or the converted wash house next to the coastguards cottages and wake up to find a breakfast hamper covered with a gingham cloth on your doorstep in the morning. Doubles at The Crown and Castle from £122, check availability at booking.com Abergavenny, Wales Abergavenny Food Festival takes place each September and is one of the most creative and dynamic culinary gatherings in the UK, also one of the longest running. Regulars come for talks by Diana Henry and Bee Wilson, Dinner Party masterclasses with Rosie Birkett and Elly Pear, vegan BBQing tips from Matt Pritchard, debates on sustainable farming, a children’s cookery school and outdoor feasts based around wild cooking. Beyond the festival, you’ll find a quiet market town packed with independent shops like The Angel Bakery, which serves seasonal fruit pastries and perfect artisanal baguettes. Pair one of the latter with a ploughman’s hamper from The Marches Deli (it includes three Welsh cheeses, local chutney, Cradocs crackers and Welsh ale). The top table in town for breakfast and lunch is at The Kitchen at The Chapel where soda bread is baked each morning and might be served with pumpkin, butter bean and olive oil soup and a local craft cider, while the Michelin-starred Walnut Tree Inn is just outside town. Where to stay: Stay at Old Lands in one of three pretty holiday cottages set within converted stables and barns on an old family estate. There’s a walled garden and an on-site micro farm shop and guests can book children into Forest School, go on a nature walk or take a rowing boat out to an island on the estate’s lake. Check rates and availability at old-lands.co.uk Clitheroe, Lancashire The Lancashire market town of Clitheroe, in the Forest of Bowland, is the hub of Lancashire’s Ribble Valley. You’ll find a heaving cheese counter at Holmes Mill, Clitheroe’s monumental new food hall, and regional produce galore at Booths. Dip into independent food shops, such as Cowman’s Famous Sausage Shop, which sells over 70 varieties. Then go for a walk on Pendle Hill, followed by lunch at the Assheton Arms in Downham. Where to stay: Stay over at Freemasons At Wiswell, just south of town. As well as a chef’s table experience the dining pub has added bedrooms; enjoy Herdwick lamb with aubergine and miso purée, and a superlative vanilla slice, then stumble into bed. Or head half an hour out of town to remote Dale House, a 400-year-old farm. One of its owners used to work as a chef for the Roux brothers so expect standout breakfasts and sumptuous (zero-mile) dinners, such as venison haunch steak with blackberries followed by homemade eccles cakes. Doubles from £160 per night, check availability at freemasonsatwiswell.com Porthleven, Cornwall Almost as far southwest as you can get in England, Porthleven is a pretty Cornish port that greets you with waving sailing flags and colourful buoys bobbing in the water (and a medley of carefully curated food stalls if you time a trip to tie in with the annual Porthleven Food Festival each spring). It may be a tiny town, but the food scene is growing at pace here – think Padstow thirty years ago. Current highlights include Origin, a coffee roasters that started here but now has shops in Shoreditch, Edinburgh, the British Library and Southwark too. Next door is Kota Kai which serves Thai tapas and forms a more relaxed little sister to Kota restaurant, up the road. Run by half-Maori, half Chinese Malay chef, Jude Kereama, Kota (meaning ‘shellfish’ in Maori) serves Cornish seafood with Asian and Kiwi influences; think pan-fried hake, crab ravioli, Cornish mussels and tiger prawns in a vegetable dashi broth or Porthilly oyster tempura with wasabi tartare. Try the tasting menu and then stumble upstairs to bed. Where to stay: Kota has two bedrooms above it so you don’t need to leave town. Alternatively rent a picture-perfect thatched cottage on the nearby Trelowarren Estate, also home to the excellent New Yard restaurant. Bridport, Dorset It’s over fifteen years since Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall turned the spotlight on field-to-fork dining in Dorset, with the River Cottage, and West Dorset is now a firmly foodie pocket of the UK. Exciting things are happening in the market town of Bridport. A vibey Asian street food joint might be the last thing you’d expect to stumble on up a small-town alley, but Dorshi is exactly that. The name (“Dorset-sushi”) stems from the founders’ days spent doing a roaring trade out of a food truck. Now in a bricks-and-mortar restaurant the menu is all about dumplings, buns, zingy salads and noodle bowls. Likewise the Soulshine Café is on-the-button with superfood spirulina smoothies, oat milk lattes and a vegan full English on the menu – meat-eaters needn’t worry you’ll find sausage sarnies here too. For a sweet treat visit Baboo Gelato where the ice cream is award-winning – try the plum sorbet. Just outside the town visit Washingpool Farm, home to one of the region’s best farm shops (it stocks its own veggies as well as other local produce, like North Perrott apple juice and Dorset Cereals. Where to stay: Stay further up the sands at the Seaside Boarding House, a hip hotel with unrivalled views over Lyme Bay, elegant modern cooking and a grown-up line in cocktails. Ashburton, Devon Dartmouth and Salcome might get all the attention in Devon’s southernly corner, but look inland for fewer crowds and great food spots. Ashburton, on the edge of Dartmoor, is home to the famed Ashburton Cookery School where over 40 classes are offered from a five-day patisserie week to a three-hour Indian cook-to-go and a recently introduced range of Christmas classes, from festive breadmaking to party canapés and chocolate advent calendar workshops. If you’d rather leave the hard work to the experts, the award-winning Ashburton Deli is the place to go, stocked with the best produce from across the West. Ten minutes’ out of town, meanwhile, brings you to Riverford, the organic farming champions – visit their home turf for lunch or supper at The Riverford Field Kitchen where the set veggie menu is about as close to farm-to-fork as can be. Where to stay: Stay at the Live and Let Live pub where there’s excellent provenance-orientated food and three bright and airy bedrooms. Kendal, Lake District But for its eponymous mint cake, Kendal is not known for its food. It is overlooked entirely by many visitors who, alighting at Oxenholme station or racing past from the M6, head straight for the Lakes’ better-known hot spots. This is a mistake. The food and drink scene in this handsome market town is on a flavour-packed roll at casual dining spots such as Comida, Marra 46, Pappy’s Texas BBQ, Baba Ganoush and exciting small plates restaurant, Ramble, run by wine-maker, Northern Wine. It is home to two mega breweries, Lakes Brew Co, which hosts street food traders at its monthly brew-tap, and Fell (check its bar and new arts venue, Glisky). Kendal also boasts award-winning butcher, Roast Mutton, a carefully curated, twice-monthly farmers’ and artisan-makers’ market (second/last Fridays), and, just outside town, one of Britain’s best bakeries, Lovingly Artisan – a neighbour to, among other food businesses, Plumgarths farm shop. Is Kendal Cumbria’s tastiest town? Quite possibly. Where to stay: 20-minutes drive from Kendal, Gilpin Hotel & Country House in Windermere offres luxurious bedrooms with lakeside views, and an on-site Michelin-starred restaurant that puts an Asian twist on Cumbrian dining. Doubles from £335 per night, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk Words by Daisy Allsup Photographs by Clare Hargreaves, Weekend Journals, Rhiannon Batten, Helen Cathcart, Keiko Oikawa More travel guides Best country house hotels in the UK Best health and wellness retreats Best hotels in London Best UK boutique hotels Best hotels in the Cotswolds Best Cornwall hotels Best hotels in the Lake District Best London hotel bars to visit Best romantic hotels in the UK European hidden gems: hotels off the beaten track Best Paris hotels Best Spanish hotels Best Italian hotels Best restaurants with rooms in the UK Best Amsterdam hotels
Best hotels in Scotland for a food lovers getaway
From grand highland estates to a city break bolthole in Edinburgh, these are our picks of the best Scottish hotels
Planning a Scottish getaway? We've visited some of the best Scottish hotels for a memorable foodie stay. Read on for our picks of the best hotels in Scotland. From slick city boltholes in Edinburgh to rural historic estates and hotels nestled in the Highlands with views of mountains and lochs, there is a hotel for everyone. Plus, if self-catering is your bag, we've tried-and-tested some extra special self-catering cottages, cabins, glampsites and even treehouses. For more travel inspiration, check out our guide to the best country house hotels in the UK, the best romantic hotels in the UK and the best UK spa hotels for food lovers. Or why not relax with our picks of the best hotel baths worth travelling for in the UK? Also see our Scottish food guides for the best restaurants in Edinburgh, best restaurants in Glasgow, best restaurants in Perthshire and best restaurants in Dundee. Best hotels in Scotland Edinbane Lodge, Isle of Skye Since taking over a derelict hunting lodge in 2017, chef Calum Montgomery has transformed Edinbane Lodge into one of the most talked about dining spots in the Highlands. His Taste of Skye menu has provenance at its heart (there aren’t many chefs who can claim the scallops served were in the water an hour or two prior) while innovation and technical excellence underscore its execution. The lodge’s six rooms are spacious and luxurious, tastefully decorated with a subtle Highland theme. Calum’s breakfast menu – laden with local produce and served on gorgeous crockery from the pottery next door – should be enough to rouse you from your deeply comfortable bed. Doubles from £399 per night, check availability at Edinbane Lodge Market Street Hotel, Edinburgh Edinburgh's first member of the Design Hotels group is a slick and slender 98-room pad in the city centre that’s topped with a panoramic champagne lounge and terrace. Top and tail your weekend here, with breakfast from the gourmet pantry or the chef’s counter, then return for a glass of fizz and Queenie scallops as the sun sets over Edinburgh’s dramatic skyline. Doubles from £180 per night, check availability at booking.com, mrandmrssmith.com, expedia.co.uk or marketstreethotel.co.uk Glenmorangie House, Highlands Boldly beautiful, this 17th century house looking out over the stunning Moray Firth offers a maximalist stay with a creative Highlands menu in the hotel restaurant. With only six bedrooms and three cottages, and warmly attentive staff who’ll soon know how you take your tea, the stay here is designed to feel more house party than hotel. The dining room has one large table, cocktails are taken together before eating, and evening entertainment in the form of music, mixology or stargazing is arranged to make the most of the company. The interiors, by designer Russell Sage, tell the story of Glenmorangie whisky with maximalist styling, sensory interpretation and more than the occasional surprise. Head chef John Wilson creates Glenmorangie food pairings, dishes that are enhanced by, and in turn enhance the flavours of, each whisky. There are all the Scottish treats you’d hope for, with rich haggis en croûte in a velvety whisky sauce. Surrounded by pristine Scottish waters you can expect fresh langoustine, lobsters and scallops, too. Your bacon, sausages and black pudding for breakfast travel just three miles from a local artisan, and some of the fruit, vegetables and herbs are picked outside the dining room window in the handsome walled garden. Thanks to the carefully planned design and the eclectic collection of local arts and crafts, there are new details to discover wherever you turn. Seating in the snug mixes traditional tartan upholstery with bright plain seat pads, antique bud vases are displayed with different seed heads and lichen like prized blooms. Rooms from £1,347 for three nights, check availability at booking.com, expedia.co.uk or glenmorangie.com < The Dipping Lugger, Ullapool A restaurant with rooms as opposed to a full hotel, this makes a special foodie stay. Three luxurious bedrooms (with freestanding baths, striking Morris & Co wallpapers), command views across Loch Broom. In the 18-cover restaurant, chef David Smith creates ambitious tasting menus from Scotland’s abundant larder. Dishes might include beef fillet, beetroot and horseradish, or gin-cured halibut with caviar, baby cauliflower and fennel crackerbread. Check rates and availability at thedippinglugger.co.uk Gleneagles, Perthshire No longer aimed so squarely at the huntin’, fishin’, golfin’ brigade, 5-star Gleneagles still offers a luxury experience but also fun for the whole family. De-tartaned bedrooms are softer and prettier (not least the Royal Lochnagar suite, pictured). Two Michelin stars and Andrew Fairlie aside, the resort’s restaurants and bars are much improved – with menus that cater to the brunch and burger crowd as well as finer diners. With 850 acres to explore – and a vast programme of supervised activities – Gleneagles has always been popular with families. There is Little Glen, a supervised play space for kids up to nine, and The Den, whose video games, air hockey and cinema room should keep older children and teens happy. Doubles from £495 per night, check availability at booking.com or gleneagles.com Cameron House Resort, Loch Lomond This couldn’t-be-more-Scottish resort on a prized spot on the banks of Loch Lomond is a wild, romantic tangle of towers and turrets. Guests have included Winston Churchill and Barack Obama, but Cameron House is delightfully unpretentious, built for comfort and relaxation. Rooms feature high beds, velvet headboards, plump pillows embroidered with thistle motifs and tartan blankets. There are plenty of pursuits to enjoy including champagne cruises, falconry, fishing, golf, country walks, spa treatments and the rooftop infinity pool. Take afternoon tea in the gloriously golden lobby bar, or head to the Cameron Grill for locally sourced Scottish produce – West Coast lobster and Orkney scallops – with stunning views over the Loch. One to four-bed self-catering lodges accommodate celebrations big and small. Rooms from £350 in the hotel, from £229 per night at Cameron Lodges. Check rates and availability at cameronhouse.co.uk, booking.com or expedia.co.uk The Bridge Inn, Ratho The 18th-century Bridge Inn, in the village of Ratho on the Union canal is just a caber’s toss from Edinburgh. The field-to-plate concept is an easy one for owners Graham and Rachel Bucknall, who breed pigs and grow vegetables and herbs in the walled kitchen garden. Each of the rooms are named: Bijoux Bonnington, Baird, Bryce and Burke are cosy rooms, all with views. Bonnington has an ornate four-poster bed. Baird has a slipper bath, Bryce a brass bed and Burke is in chic cream-and-striped country style. Doubles from £250, check availability at booking.com or bridgeinn.com Glenapp Castle, Ayrshire As well as ivy-clad turrets and excellent food, there’s one thing Glenapp Castle has plenty of: fresh air. It sits in 36 acres of grounds, all detailed for guests in a beautifully illustrated map. Despite the grand exterior (it was originally built in 1870 as an imposing family residence for James Hunter, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire), there’s no intimidating reception hall – just a welcoming parlour, with neat piles of wellington boots for guests to borrow, panelled wash rooms, chesterfield sofas and a vintage telephone to use if you need assistance. Up a carpeted staircase and to the left is the drawing room, with stone fireplace and ceiling-high windows that frame a spectacular view of Ailsa Craig (you’ll find granite curling stones from that island propping doors open around the castle). Guest rooms, especially the master suites, are spectacular. Chandeliers, four-poster beds, huge windows framed by thick drapes, a fireplace surrounded by armchairs and a sofa and, in one case, a curved corner door that leads to a private spiral staircase... follow it down to reach a wooden hatch that opens on to the castle’s forecourt (imagine the trysts!). So big are the suites that guests also enjoy their own walk-in wardrobes, and there’s enough seating for at least a dozen people. Doubles from £395, check availability at booking.com or glenappcastle.com Isle of Eriska, Oban Cross the rattly Victorian bridge to Eriska and you immediately feel a sense of island zen. A little way up the Scottish coastline from Oban, this 350-acre private island hotel has views to Lismore and to mountains. There are seals on the shore, badgers coming to the door to be fed milk at night, fat sofas beside big fires and two restaurants to choose from. Book tours of nearby Mull and Iona or The Trossachs (Scotland's first national park), relax in the spa, swim in the 17m heated pool or enjoy afternoon tea in the grand drawing room before relaxing in your room or self-catering lodge. Doubles from £324, check availability at booking.com or eriska-hotel.co.uk Rutland Hotel, Edinburgh If you fancy something a bit different to the usual hotel offering The Rutland offers one and two-bed apartments that tick every box in terms of luxury. The roomy apartments are plushly furnished with colourful squishy sofas and dreamy kingsize beds. Rainfall showers, well stocked mini bars, coffee pod machines and treat boxes mean you are taken care of on arrival but still perfectly placed in the centre of town if you want to stock up on goodies. If you are after instant gratification, gourmet steak restaurant Kyloe, The Huxley cocktail bar and Edinburgh Gin Distillery are all housed in the same building. Doubles from £218, check availability at booking.com, expedia.co.uk or therutlandhotel.com Grandtully Hotel, Perthshire The story began with an escape to the country. Ex-banker-turned-chef Chris Rowley and his wife Rachel dabbled with the supper club concept in Edinburgh before taking the plunge and moving to rural Perthshire. Their first venture, Ballintaggart Farm – a rustic restaurant with rooms and cookery school – was an instant hit. It's no longer a working farm, but much of the produce is grown in the kitchen garden and orchard. Alongside cookery classes, they also run five-course seasonal feasts that showcase the local larder. Then, in 2018, the duo turned a once-tired Victorian hotel, The Grandtully, into a sleek gourmet getaway with Chris's brother and bar impresario Andrew, who mixes negronis in the wood-panelled bar. In the restaurant, the daily changing menu features small plates such as Murthly Estate venison carpaccio, fermented salsify and rocket, while more filling dishes include Loch Etive sea trout, sea kale and lemon aioli. Doubles from £286, check availability at booking.com or ballintaggart.com Saorsa 1875, Perthshire Perching on the edge of pretty Pitlochry, in Perthshire, 11-bedroom Saorsa 1875 was the UK's first totally vegan hotel. It’s a place for 'plant-curious' travellers, as well as vegans. ‘Saorsa’ is Gaelic for freedom, and 1875 is the year this stately residence was built. From the outside it's grand gothic, but step across the threshold and it’s a very different story. The dark, rock ’n’ roll, entrance hall is lit by a fluorescent Saorsa 1875 sign (owner Jack McLaren-Stewart's background is in cocktail bars), and there's no traditional reception – just a contemporary glass desk for check-in. The vegan and eco-conscious philosophy is evident in all aspects of the hotel, from the cleaning products to the bedding and the electric vehicle charging point. Even the energy comes from Ecotricity, a green energy company certified by The Vegan Society. The cosy lounge and restaurant is an all-day spot for relaxing by the fire, or sip cocktails at the bar. Dine at the plant-based restaurant and take your pick from either the small plates menu or a 5-course tasting menu, both regularly changing with the seasons. Check rates and availability at saorsahotel.com The Torridon, Wester Ross Sweeping, glacially carved mountains tower behind Loch Torridon. Their golden ridges cut a constantly changing sky and dwarf the tiny strip of white houses that run along the loch’s south-eastern shore. “This place makes the Lake District look like nothing,” says one fellow hotel guest that evening. The scale, the colours and the wild setting combine to form a powerful panorama that every Brit should witness at least once. Preferably from the cosy comfort of The Torridon, a conical-turreted Victorian hotel where you can perch in the Drawing Room’s bay-window sofa, the fire burning behind you, and gaze out at the loch. The hotel is cosy and Scottish, welcoming and luxurious, but neither stuffy nor obsequious. Rooms are just-right comfortable, with huge beds, Nespresso machines and Tunnock’s Teacakes. The brilliantly cheery activities crew (plus team collie, Cuillin) are a huge bonus, with plenty on offer from stargazing experiences to guided walks, mountain biking, clay pigeon shooting, sea kayaking, archery and gorge scrambling. After all that activity, there are two restaurants and two bars to choose from during your stay, including the atmospheric Whisky Bar with over 360 whiskies and 60 gins lining the walls. Check rates and availability at thetorridon.com Inver, Loch Fyne Inver, an award-winning outpost on the shores of Loch Fyne, is the ultimate west coast pilgrimage for foodies. After stints at Noma and Fäviken, chef Pam Brunton and partner Rob Latimer took a punt that Scotland was ready for their version of ‘new Nordic’ cuisine. Inver is a visionary restaurant in an old whitewashed croft house, where traditional Caledonian dishes are reimagined and elevated not just to another level, but a whole new stratosphere. Using local wild and farmed ingredients, innovative dishes include smoked cod’s roe, green gooseberry and pink beetroot, alongside chilled courgette and smoked almond soup with rosemary honey. You can also expect home-baked sourdough bread and cultured butter, which you can buy at Inver’s shop along with homemade preserves and beer brewed with help from Fyne Ales. If you’re staying over, cosy up in a shepherd's hut or splash out on one of the luxury bothies. Breakfast delivered to your door in a wicker basket is a gourmet treat, with homemade bircher muesli or granola, fruit compote and yogurt, freshly baked pastries and bread, eggs and freshly squeezed orange juice. Check rates and availability at inverrestaurant.co.uk Scottish cabins and cottages The Bracken Hide Hotel, Isle of Skye The Bracken Hide offers 27 sleek en suite cabins dotted around the hillside just outside Skye’s largest settlement, Portree. Touches of luxury include underfloor heating and expansive windows from which to enjoy panoramic views across Portree harbour. Hides (sleeps two) from £149, check availability at booking.com Guardswell Farm, Perthshire Guardswell Farm's 150 acres of grassland cradles a rural getaway where you can switch off, soak up the silence and learn about the land. The family-run enterprise offers an eclectic range of courses and foodie events throughout the year, from spoon carving to no-dig organic vegetable growing with pioneering horticulturalist Charles Dowding. Sleep in the Pinterest-pretty clutch of cabins, cottages or farmhouse (sleeps 10) scattered across the farm, including The Pendicle – a larch-clad bolthole with a wildflower-sown roof, wood-burning stove, fire pit and jaw-dropping views from the decking over a field of Hebridean sheep. Or opt for The Infield, an off-grid hilltop hideaway with a stargazing window above the bed (pictured below). Add a breakfast basket onto your stay for a morning delivery of sourdough, eggs, granola, apple juice and homemade compote. Check rates and availability at guardswell.co.uk Alladale Wilderness Reserve, Ardgay Sumptuous seclusion on a wilderness reserve in the Scottish Highlands is the ultimate staycation. And it comes with a chef. You can seek shelter at Alladale in Sutherland, and never leave the pewter-tinged lochs, brooding glens and heather-sprung moorland of the 23,000-acre estate. There are three lodges sleeping between four and 14. Two cottages – Ghillie's Rest (sleeps four) and Eagle's Crag (sleeps 10) – are kitted out with well-stocked kitchens and freshly prepared meals ready to cook. Breakfast kits feature ready-to-pour pancake mix, all the ingredients for a full Scottish, fruit, granola and yogurt. Alladale Lodge's chef, Natasha Buttigieg, whips up gourmet meals using organic produce from the vegetable beds and state-of-the-art aquaponics garden (the three large greenhouses powered by the estate's hydro-generator ensure zero-waste and zero emissions), along with ethically culled wild venison, local game and trout. Check rates and availability at alladale.com Glen Dye Cabins and Cottages, Kincardineshire Glen Dye Cabins and Cottages sits within a 30,000-acre estate in Kincardineshire. There are several cabins and cottages to choose from – from Steading Cottage, with its own woodland hot tub, to North Lodge, with a romantic riverside summerhouse. With interiors designed by the estate’s owners, Pedlars founders Charlie and Caroline Gladstone, and Big Green Eggs to cook on, this is seriously decadent glamping. There's a brand new Discovery & Adventure Centre hosting outdoor workshops, plus an adventure trail and sauna to discover in the grounds. Check rates and availability at glendyecabinsandcottages.com Achnahatnich House, Cairngorms At the end of a private road through the forest on the Rothiemurchus Estate, Achnahatnich House is an off-the-beaten-track hideaway in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. Built in 1900 and once home to tenant farmers, this tastefully renovated three-bedroom house now has a Scandi-chic vibe, its white wood-panelling and soft dove grey palette offset by the odd splash of mustard and Delftware blue. The large open-plan kitchen is the perfect place to whip up a feast, but if you don't fancy cooking you can pre-order a range of freshly cooked meals to be stocked in the fridge (a whole week's worth if you like) from the Rothiemurchus farm shop, made with produce from the estate – think hearty beef stroganoff and venison casserole. You'll also find a complimentary welcome hamper stocked with food from the farm shop and, if you're feeling adventurous, you can book a range of food-focused activities, from champagne picnics by the river to foraging and cooking experiences. Check rates and availability at hiddenhighlandretreats.com Inverlona, Loch Nell Designed for visitors looking to disconnect from the day-to-day Inverlonan’s “rough luxe” bothies are only accessible by boat, on foot or (the slightly less cool option) by buggy. Overlooking Loch Nell, on the west coast of Scotland near Oban, the bothies are surrounded by ancient oaks, inky waters and wild moorland. Each comes with an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven and open fire pit, plus a breakfast hamper stuffed with the likes of Isle of Seil eggs and Inverlonan Farm jams. For an additional charge, everything from a pizza kit to ingredients for a seafood BBQ (think whole bream, langoustines and rustic rolls) can be delivered to the door. Check availability at inverlonan.com Inshriach, Cairngorms This 200-acre mini Highland estate in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park is home to a rustic gin distillery where owner Walter Micklethwait concocts small-batch Speyside gins in an award-winning shed. The estate’s elegant country house is perfect for a large family gathering (sleeping up to 18, with or without a chef) but, for a back-to-nature experience, there’s a cluster of quirky glamping options peppered throughout the tangled woodland. The long-standing yurt has been replaced by a log cabin which Walter and his family made themselves during lockdown. It’s as popular for holidays as it is with TV and photoshoots. The quaint Swedish-style shepherd’s hut is old-school romantic and cradled by juniper bushes (the key ingredient in gin; most of the botanicals are foraged from the estate) but for those who want something a little more contemporary, there’s the bothy, a little modernist cabin nestled in the birch woods above the Spey. Another cabin is in the pipeline, this one made from wind-blown oak trees. We are promised that this will top them all. Check rates and availability at inshriachhouse.com More hotel guides Best spa hotels in the UK Best health and wellness retreats Best hotels in London Best UK boutique hotels Best hotels in the Cotswolds Best Cornwall hotels Best hotels in the Lake District Best London hotel bars to visit Best romantic hotels in the UK European hidden gems: hotels off the beaten track Best Paris hotels Best Spanish hotels Best Italian hotels Best restaurants with rooms in the UK Best Amsterdam hotels
Whether you want a quick lunch, afternoon treat or blow-out meal, Glasgow's food scene has loads of top restaurants to choose from. Here is our pick of the best places to eat and drink in this vibrant Scottish city
Looking for restaurants in Glasgow? Want to know the best places to eat in Glasgow? We have found the top local neighbourhood restaurants, cafés and bars in the city for a foodie weekend in the Scottish city... Discover more Scotland food guides with our best restaurants in Perthshire, best restaurants in Edinburgh, best restaurants in Dundee and best restaurants in Belfast. Best places to eat and drink in Glasgow Cail Bruich – for Michelin-starred dining Michelin-starred Cail Bruich, led by executive chef and Great British Menu judge, Lorna McNee, serves tasting menu dishes both dazzlingly beautiful and bounteous in flavour. For example, brown crab, Granny Smith apple and Thai green curry or Scrabster turbot sauced with a version of cullen skink. Cail Bruich is part of restaurant group Cultar, which also runs acclaimed restaurant Brett (must-try: mushroom XO linguini), and pub-restaurant The Clarence. cailbruich.co.uk Gamba – for stylish seafood Head to chef Derek Marshall’s stylish restaurant (est. 1998), for well-executed classics such as its fish soup with prawn dumplings, lemon sole meunière with baby crayfish and capers or Scottish lobster thermidor and chips. Gamba is still evolving, too. Newer stand-out dishes include its king scallops and monkfish, steamed with spring onion, ginger, fish sauce, lemon and tamari. gamba.co.uk Sugo Pasta – for handmade pasta An attractive space within the famous Lighthouse building (one of legendary Glaswegian architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s creations), big, buzzy Sugo creates regionally specific dishes using its own handmade, fresh pastas. Think: Ligurian-style tagliolini, pesto, green beans and potato or pappardelle with a Tuscan-inspired beef ragu. Sister brand, Paesano, serves terrific wood-fired pizzas. sugopasta.co.uk Margo – for modern sharing plates In Ox and Finch and South East Asian-inspired, Ka Pao, Scoop restaurants has created several game-changing Glasgow venues. Margo is its latest hit. Rigorous kitchen skills (in baking, butchery and pasta making), underpin on-point sharing plates such as scallops, sobrasada and haricot beans, bavette with chimichurri or whole lemon soul in a vadouvan mussel butter sauce. Margo sits above Scoop’s subterranean Sebb’s, a vinyl DJ and cocktail bar, where the food menu focusses on live-fire cooking. margo.restaurant Gloriosa – for vibrant Mediterranean With its bright interior, large windows and open kitchen, chef Rosie Healey’s Gloriosa has a warm, sunny energy and a Mediterranean-inspired menu of seasonal sharing dishes. Start with Gloriosa’s acclaimed focaccia and olive oil, then dip into its daily pastas (say, rigatoni with artichoke ragu, mint and pecorino), before exploring dishes as diverse as chickpeas and green peppers in a chilli and coriander seed sauce, or roast chicken with potatoes, aïoli and green salad. gloriosaglasgow.com Unalome – for contemporary fine dining Chef Graeme Cheevers’ first-floor, one-Michelin-star Finnieston dining room is a polished experience in every detail: décor, service, flavour-packed food. Scottish ingredients are transformed with deft classical skill and considerable modish flair, in dishes of, for example, langoustine tartare with dashi custard, tomato, smoked eel and crispy langoustine or lightly cured and poached turbot (its skirt stuffed with turbot mousse and barbecued), served with potato scone, sea beet, vin jaune-cooked morels and a seaweed butter sauce. Unalome recently opened a sister restaurant, Loma, at Cameron House on Loch Lomond. unalomebygc.com GaGa – for cocktails and Malay small plates Found just beyond the West End in Partick, this bar and kitchen is a hot tip for good vibes, great cocktails and resonant, zingy Malay-inspired flavours. Co-founder, chef Julie Lin (whose debut cookbook, Sama Sama, has just landed), and head chef Dawid Wieczorek deliver in dishes of, say, nasi goreng with fried egg and greens; tea-brined fried chicken with homemade Sichuan hot sauce; or sea bream with chilli coconut butter, capers and roe. gagaglasgow.com Fallachan Kitchen – for intimate tasting menus Intimate railway arch dining room where – working in an open-kitchen and serving 12 diners seated at a communal table – chef Craig Grozier takes fine Scottish produce to interesting modern places across his tasting menus. Recent dishes have included, for example, John Dory with day-boat squid, salted rhubarb, alexanders and squid-and-pork sausage or Shetland mussels with celeriac, peat-smoked yogurt, cobnuts and pepper dulse seaweed. Artisan skills are key in, say, Fallachan’s charcuterie or its distinctive sourdough made with whisky malt. fallachankitchen.co.uk Sebb’s – for cocktails and fire cooking Cocktails, fire cooking and spinning vinyl make for a major night out, underneath Margo restaurant on Miller Street. Chef Danny Carruthers’ menu features grilled snacks and sharing plates with in-your-face flavours like Carlingford oysters with spiced lamb fat; pakora with Lord of the Hundreds cheese and piccalilli; dips of hot hummus with white onion, parsley and grilled banana chilli. Feasting-style plates like grilled aubergine and cauliflower come with salad, pickles, hot sauce and tahini. Spritzes, sours, shots and slushies bring the fun, while low-intervention European wines on draught show Sebb’s has a more serious side. A viewing window into the mixology room and open kitchen centred around the charcoal grill let you get close to the action. sebbs.com <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/2/2024/08/SebbsDCs-Texan-hotlink-yellow-barbeque-sauce-and-bread-and-butter-pickles-Credit-Connor-Stewart--61a7dd6.jpg" width="2828" height="2001" alt="Sebb's_DC's Texan hotlink, yellow barbeque sauce and bread and butter pickles_ Credit_ Connor Stewart" title="Sebb's_DC's Texan hotlink, yellow barbeque sauce and bread and butter pickles_ Credit_ Connor Stewart" /> Elements – for Scottish fine dining Scottish ingredients, some foraged from Loch Lomond, feature in chef Gary Townsend’s Glasgow venture, along with more global influences. Its dark wood and navy décor creates a warm vibe, a welcoming backdrop to dishes like North Sea cod loin poached in butter and served with cockles, cod dumpling buttermilk and miso; Scottish lamb saddle featuring shoulder, sweetbread, BBQ Gem lettuce, smoked aubergine and chimichurri; and Amalfi lemon and yuzu with Perthshire strawberries, preserved elderflower and basil. elementsgla.com The Gannet – for good value fine dining This brilliantly named restaurant is also on The Finnieston Strip. Great staff, well-prepared and prettily presented seasonal Scottish ingredients (beef, sea trout, mutton…) put it a cut above many others. This is a place for a smart meal out in an unpretentious setting: think pared-down wooden-floor, wooden-chairs and brick walls. The attention and care given to the veggie menu, in particular, is impressive. Vegetarians get their own six-course taster menu (think smoked, pickled and salted heritage carrot with horseradish creme fraîche, and cultivated and wild herbs). For carnivores, a carefully sourced selection of Scottish fish and meat is on the cards. The owners set off on an exploratory tour of the Hebrides, to source produce, before the restaurant opened in 2013 and a wild Scottish edge still pervades the food. It’s also good value. thegannetgla.com Partick Duck Club – for casual comfort food Partick Duck Club offers plates of casual food made with love and skill. Ping pong ball-sized crab doughnuts are a light choux mix of white crabmeat and squishy dough, fried to just-golden. A roast duck and pistachio terrine is a meaty, homely starter of what tastes like confit duck served with toasted brioche and a lovely summer pea salad. Mains include fried chicken with perfect homemade sriracha on a signature bun from local Freedom Bakery, which offers a comforting sweet, salty bite. The shredded sesame duck version with honey, soy and ginger, and crunchy slaw, is PDC’s big hit. A sublime summer pud sings with a pairing of white choc shavings, just-right rhubarb – still in shape but totally tender - honeycomb and a magical sprinkling of home-dried berry powder. It’s casual, and open all day. On Friday lunch, other diners share an end-of-the-week bottle with nibbles, and the cocktail menu entices… someone else is having only soup. If you lived near enough, you’d be in for lunch every other day, and always for a hangover brunch of shakshuka baked eggs, or just a proper Scots roll-and-sausage on Sundays. It’s chilled, friendly, and appealing, like the owners Greig Hutcheson and Ross McDonald (formerly of Delizique). partickduckclub.co.uk Porter & Rye – for steak There are a lot of great places to eat steak and drink cocktails in Glasgow these days, so why choose Porter & Rye in Finnieston? Well, the steaks are excellent, including less obvious cuts like bavette and onglet. The beef is sourced from one local farm: Gaindykehead of Airdrie, with breeds including Belted Galloway, Aberdeen Angus, Charolais and Limousin. It’s also given a final dry-age treatment in-house at Porter & Rye. Other fresh produce is delivered daily by Glasgow company Seasonal Produce or foraged locally by the chefs. They’re always striving to do better since they opened in 2014, and now cure their own meats and sausages. In addition to the careful sourcing, the place has a great atmosphere and the cocktails are well made (try a Forager’s Martini or a Hendricks Orbium Gimlet Gin with lime, cucumber and ginger). There’s a lovely selection of starters, too, like Drumbeg beetroot risotto with goat’s cheese mousse, or pheasant rillette with charred pear relish. porterandrye.com Paesano – for pizza There's stiff competition for who makes the best pizzas in Glasgow but Paesano is definitely up there among the contenders. Its pizza bases are made using a yeast and sourdough hybrid proofed for over 48 hours before being cooked at 500C in artisan-built, wood-fired ovens shipped over from Naples; the result is a moist, light, soft crust. There are just eight toppings to choose from. Our pick is the Tuscan fennel sausage with tomato sugo, mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil. paesanopizza.co.uk Ox and Finch – for varied small plates Another small-plate restaurant in Finnieston that’s more popular than ever, Ox and Finch is casual with timber and tiles décor, large windows, and a mix-and-match menu that’s cooked and prepared with care and imagination. Local venison carpaccio is perfectly seared to bring out its juniper and pepper crust and served with a delightfully creamy Scottish crowdie with hazelnuts, while confit duck leg comes with an original flavour pairing of yellow curry, Thai basil and crispy rice. Gin and beetroot-cured sea trout is soft and delicate, seasoned with sesame and the gentle burn of wasabi nuts. There are plenty of vegan choices, including orzo with courgette, pea, lemon and mint, and bulgur wheat with chermoula, apricots, almonds and harissa olives. Book ahead; this place gets busy. oxandfinch.com Crabshakk – for seafood There’s not much left to say about this Glasgow institution (also on that Argyll St strip), buzzing since 2009. If you love fish and shellfish, go. With Scotland’s shores offering some of the best seafood in the world, this is where to enjoy it. They say, ‘We continue to offer the best fish and shellfish available in Scotland, every day.’ And that’s about it. A straightforward core menu of the best just-caught seafood includes everything you’d expect: scallops, mussels, langoustine, deep-fried whitebait, salt and pepper squid, shellfish chowder, Crabshakk bisque, lobster and crab, of course. There is a single steak dish for the awkward person in your party who doesn’t like fish, plus one veggie dish. Accompaniments are really just garlic or lemon mayo, chips, green salad, or bread and butter, as they should be. There’s also a daily changing specials menu. crabshakk.com Tantrum Doughnuts – for doughnuts The brainchild of Iain Baillie (a former pastry chef at The Fat Duck) and his wife, Annika, Tantrum opened the doors to its permanent site in December 2015 and is a short walk from Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Fried in rapeseed oil in small batches, the doughnuts are always super-fresh and either filled or topped with homemade custards, fondants and jams; choose from flavours like pistachio custard, chocolate and hazelnut, vanilla crème brûlée or classic raspberry. Grab one to take-away, or settle in with a milkshake or coffee. tantrumdoughnuts.com Cottonrake – for artisan bakes Head to Cottonrake coffee bar and bakery on Great Western Road for freshly-baked cakes, muffins and pastries made daily on-site, or something more substantial like a smoked salmon and celeriac remoulade brioche bun, Stornaway black pudding and pork shoulder sausage roll, or cauliflower and comté quiche. One of the first of a new wave of artisan bakeries to set up shop in a city not afraid to indulge its sweet tooth, this is one of the most inventive. Grab some coffee while you’re there, sourced from Dear Green Coffee, a speciality roaster based in the city dedicated to getting their hands on the very best beans they can (be warned, its Goosedubbs blend is addictively smooth). cottonrake.com Eusebi Deli – for dinner and a deli What started as an Italian grocer shop in Glasgow’s East End back in 1975 has grown and expanded with a restaurant/deli in the city’s West End showcasing regional, seasonal dishes, such as burrata, pea gazpacho and vignarola salad. Click here to try Eusebi Deli's salad recipe at home Eusebi goes to great lengths to source its ingredients – tomatoes and herbs from Calabria, flour from Rome, cured meats from Umbria. The pasta is made from scratch daily in the restaurant’s ‘pasta laboratory’ using different flours, including chickpea, chestnut and grano arso (burnt grain). “We wanted to take the customer out of their comfort zone,” says Giovanna Eusebi. “Italy is more than carbonara and spag bol. Our food is inspired by our Italian grandparents who farmed from land to table. Our concept was to slow things down and return to our heritage. Food made in factories and sold under the guise of ‘artisan’ just won’t wash anymore. People don’t want watered-down versions of authentic, they want the real deal.” eusebideli.com Mono – for a vegan bar Award-winning Glasgow café/bar and music venue Mono celebrated its 15th birthday at the end of 2017, and the team was humbled by the attention the anniversary attracted, according to general manager Ian Crawford, who’s also head honcho of the El Rancho record label. With a menu including tofu ‘fish’ and chips, jerk-spiced jackfruit burritos and vegan mac ’n’ cheese, all food at Mono is free from animal produce, right down to the raw chocolate and avocado cheesecake. “From day one, our ethos was, and still is, to promote an alternative choice to a meat and dairy diet without shouting about it or being exclusive,” says Ian. monocafebar.com More places to eat and drink in Glasgow Foodie classes & events From pasta making-and-lunch-sessions at celebrated Italian restaurant-with-rooms, Celentano’s, to brewery tours at Drygate Brewery or WEST’s handsome Glasgow Green HQ and beer hall, Glasgow offers multiple diversions. Slow Food Glasgow organises various events from speciality coffee classes to food heritage tours. Plant-based Soul Food Kitchen, meanwhile, hosts a busy workshop programme covering everything from food photography to fermenting. Look out for visits from Edinburgh’s Koji Kitchen. Lupe Pintos – for hot sauce fanatics For almost 25 years, this West End deli has been a colourful treasure trove of hot sauces (it sells more than 100), Mexican foods and items from the wider Americas. Whether hunting for a prized mezcal or buying ingredients for birria tacos, browsing in Lupe is always an education as you explore its dried chillies, Mexican-style queso fresco, made by Yorkshire Dama Cheese or fresh tortillas, delivered each Wednesday. Fans travel to stock up on cult products, such as La Carmina from Asturias, a cooking chorizo Lupe Pintos has stocked for decades. lupepintos.com The Clydeside Distillery – for whisky lovers In its heyday, Glasgow’s Queen’s Dock was a key export point for Scottish whisky. In 2017 that association was renewed as a single malt distillery opened on these former docklands. Visitors can learn about that history and whisky production in tours that centre, variously, around chocolate and whisky tastings, creating your own whisky or expert insight from distillery manager, Alistair McDonald. Clydeside’s modern, multi-storey glass still house offers awesome views across the River Clyde. theclydeside.com Explore the West End You could argue long, hard and appetisingly about the relative merits of various Glasgow food hot spots, such as the Southside Strathbungo cluster around Big Counter (see above): Errol’s Hot Pizza, Made From Grapes, cocktail bar Lunar and gelateria La Gelatessa. Or the concentration of restaurants, including Ox & Finch, Porter & Rye, Crabbshack, Unalome and The Gannet, that have turned the Finnieston stretch around Argyle Street into a go-to hub. But the West End, a leafy, bohemian, student-y enclave, loosely sandwiched between Kelvingrove Park and Byres Road, remains a must, particularly for first-time visitors. From chilled riverside beers at Inn Deep to rolling street-food party, Dockyard Social, good burgers (Bread Meats Bread) or wood-fired pizza (Paesano), to the one-Michelin-starred Cail Bruich, all food life is here. Moreover, in the West End, such attractions are contained in an easily navigable pocket. You can go foodie shopping at cheesemonger I.J. Mellis, Lupe Pintos deli, the Grunting Growler beer shop and bar or Valhalla’s Goat for various “liquid treasures”; drink ace coffee (roasteries Black Pine or Papercup); visit great bakery-cafes (Cottonrake, SugarFall Patisserie, Tantrum Doughnuts); or local classics such as deli and restaurant, Eusebi, all within an area that is walkable, welcoming and as architecturally attractive as it is delicious. Words by Sophie Pither, Sarah Kingsbury, Mark Taylor, Tony Naylor and Ellie Edwards Trains from London Euston to Glasgow Central from £60 return with virgintrains.co.uk. For more information see peoplemakeglasgow.com More UK restaurant guides Best restaurants in Deal Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Bristol Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in York Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Cambridge Best restaurants in Margate Best restaurants in Manchester Best restaurants in the Lake District
Chef Calum Montgomery, born and raised in Skye, shares what makes this Scottish isle so special. Plus, discover where to eat and stay
Learn all about what makes the cuisine of the Isle of Skye so special from Skye-local Calum Montgomery, chef-patron of Edinbane Lodge. From renowned seafood and local whisky, to craft beer and foraged sea herbs, there is plenty for foodies to enjoy. Plus, we share some of the top places to eat on the island and our picks of the best places to stay. Want to learn more about regional cuisine? Check out our guides to the cuisines of Trentino in Italy, the Algarve in Portugal, Cork in Ireland or Istria in Croatia. Isle of Skye cuisine: 10 things we love Scotland in miniature From forested uplands and sheltered sea lochs to the rugged Black Cuillin mountains, Skye is both geographically and ecologically diverse, which means its produce is too. It also ensures that restaurants can offer menus that are low on food miles, with local provenance as a cornerstone. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/2/2024/10/GettyImages-1218375340-04f826a.jpg" width="788" height="443" alt="Scenic view of Quiraing mountains in Isle of Skye, Scottish highlands, United Kingdom. Sunrise time with colourful an rayini clouds in background" title="Scenic view of Quiraing mountains in Isle of Skye, Scottish highlands, United Kingdom. Sunrise time with colourful an rayini clouds in background" /> Hand-dived scallops Plump and sweet, Skye scallops yield plenty of meat for the size of their shells. Local divers, like James Cameron of Skye Scallop Divers, circumnavigate the island, stopping off at one site before moving on to the next and not returning until the local stocks have been given the chance to replenish themselves. The benefits of hand-diving scallops instead of dredging are many: there's no by-catch, and only mature, well-sized scallops are harvested, which preserves the native ecosystem. For really fresh scallops, try scallop ceviche with a touch of sea salt and lemon – but, frying them in a hot pan with foaming butter and a dash of lemon is also delicious. Or, brush scallops with softened butter and Marmite before cooking for an extra umami hit. Creel-caught lobsters and langoustines The waters around Skye are among the most bountiful in the world for shellfish like lobsters and langoustines, plus lesser-known species such as squat lobsters and common prawns. These are typically caught in small creel pots, which – like the hand-diving of scallops – is far less damaging for the seabed than more industrial methods of harvesting. Lamb Skye's pastures are not especially green, so a sheep’s diet on the island consists of a range of foods, such as seaweed, draff (spent barley collected as a by-product of distillation) and hay. This gives the meat a unique flavour – the same flavour it would have had a century ago. For a prime cut like a loin, rump or fillet, serve it pink: season with salt and pepper, fry in a heavy-based pan with butter and fresh herbs, then roast in the oven for a couple of minutes before resting. For fattier cuts like belly or flank, put them on a barbecue first before slow-roasting. Any residual jus from the roast can be used for lamb fat potatoes. Foraged sea flora Sea herbs and flora form a significant part of the diet of the island’s livestock, but are also transformative ingredients in their own right. Sea arrowgrass, scurvy grass and seaweeds like dulse and sugar kelp are natural partners for seafood and fish, while sea buckthorn has a tropical flavour that's more reminiscent of the Caribbean islands than Scottish highlands. Whisky While Talisker is undoubtedly the best-known Skye whisky, there are a number of other local producers making names for themselves, such as the Isle of Raasay (Raasay is a separate island, between Skye and the Scottish mainland) and Torabhaig distilleries. Skye – and island whiskies generally – are characterised by the flavour of peat smoke. Peat, cut with a spade into blocks and dried, was the primary domestic fuel source on Skye for centuries. Beer Using the same basic building blocks as whisky – malted barley and fresh mountain spring water – there is a burgeoning craft beer scene emerging on Skye. At the forefront of this is Cuillen Brewery, based in Sligachan at the foot of the Cuillen mountains. It brews a range of traditional and experimental beers influenced by the distinctive character of the island. Think: seaweed IPA and oat stout matured in whisky barrels. Black pudding A relative newcomer, Isle of Skye black pudding is peppery, with sweet spices like mace and clove in more modest proportions than some of its counterparts, particularly those from England. Preserving the seasons Few places in the UK feel the seasons more keenly than the Scottish islands, with large fluctuations in rainfall and daylight hours through the year. As a result, there's a rich tradition of smoking fresh produce in order to preserve it. Methods vary from place to place, with techniques passed on from one generation to the next. Even the substance burned varies according to what's available locally at any given time of year, from juniper and birch, to peat. Heather Every March or April, the unique smell and sight of burning heather is everywhere on Skye. This process is known locally by the Gaelic word "falasgair", and is said to yield a patchwork of heather moors that provide ideal habitats for grouse, game and all manner of native wildlife. This helps sustain the island’s natural larder. Heather can also be used to smoke venison and infuse milk, such as for the restaurant's burnt heather ice cream. Skye heather honey is also excellent, but because of the inhospitable climate, crops are often small. Where to eat in the Isle of Skye Edinbane Lodge Since taking over what was a derelict former hunting lodge in 2017, Skye chef Calum Montgomery has transformed Edinbane Lodge into one of the most talked-about destination dining spots in the highlands. His "Taste of Skye" menu has provenance at its heart (there aren't many chefs who can claim the scallops being served were in the water an hour or two prior), while innovation and technical excellence underscore its execution. edinbanelodge.com Stein Inn Purportedly the oldest inn on Skye, the Stein Inn is an excellent example of highland hospitality. Take in a Hebridean sunset with a local beer next to the shore, before settling down to a medley of local seafood in an armchair by a glowing log fire. The pub also boasts a collection of 120 Scottish whiskies. thesteininn.co.uk MV Seaflower Hop across the Sound of Raasay (you may even spot a few dolphins and humpback whales) to the almost uninhabited Isle of Rona on the MV Seaflower, a 40-foot catamaran boat. Once there, tuck into a seafood lunch on deck while moored at Rona’s picture-perfect natural harbour. Don’t be surprised if you see the local seals watching on with envy. seaflowerskye.com Lean to Coffee This former croft, a few miles from the Skye Bridge, has walls and a ceiling, but no windows or door. So, while you might stay dry, you may be slightly windswept when your food arrives. But, when coupled with the rugged beauty of the views beyond the walls, it's the ideal place to enjoy excellent coffee and outrageously good sourdough toasties. leantocoffee.square.site Café Cùil Skye native Clare Coghill returned to the island from Hackney, London – where Cafe Cùil opened in its original form – and set up shop in 2022. In that short time, Cùil’s brunches have become the stuff of local legend: the Lochalsh beef brisket rarebit has emerged as the signature dish. cafecuil.com Where to stay on the Isle of Skye Edinbane Lodge Edinbane Lodge’s six rooms are spacious and luxurious, tastefully decorated with a subtle highland theme. Calum Montgomery’s breakfast menu – laden with local produce and served on gorgeous crockery from the pottery next door – should be enough to rouse you from your deeply comfortable bed. Doubles from £249, check availability at booking.com or edinbanelodge.com The Bracken Hide The Bracken Hide offers 27 sleek en-suite cabins dotted around the hillside just outside Skye’s largest settlement, Portree. Touches of luxury include underfloor heating and expansive windows from which to enjoy panoramic views across Portree harbour. Hides (sleeps two) from £149, check availability at booking.com or perlehotels.com/brackenhide More cuisine guides Fez cuisine: 10 things we love Puglian cuisine: 10 things we love Andalusian cuisine: 10 things we love Jamaican cuisine: 10 things we love Georgian cuisine: 10 things we love Colombian cuisine: 10 things we love The Algarve's cuisine: 10 things we love Thai cuisine: 10 things we love South Korean cuisine: 10 things we love Nashville cuisine: 10 things we love Norwegian cuisine: 10 things we love Tuscan cuisine: 10 things we love Cork cuisine: 10 things we love Northern Ireland cuisine: 10 things we love Finland cuisine: 10 things we love
You don't have to leave the UK for a skiing holiday – head to Scotland instead and tuck into venison stew, hot chocolate and steaming bowls of cullen skink after a day on the mountain slopes, then curl up in a cosy chalet, gastro pub or family-friendly cottage
Looking for the best Scotland ski resorts? The Scottish mountains are beckoning. For more ski inspiration, check out our picks of the best ski destinations in Europe. True, the snow in Scotland hasn't always been as reliable as the Alps, but Scotland's ski resorts have been ploughing money into state-of-the-art snow-making technology in recent years. There are five main Scottish ski areas to choose from, two in the west (Glencoe and the Nevis Range) and three in the east in the Cairngorms National Park (Cairngorm Mountain, Glenshee and The Lecht). There are a few advantages to strapping on your skis in Scotland. Flexibility is one. If weather reports forecast a big dump of snow, you can hop on the sleeper and arrive at the slopes the next morning or pile into the car with your gear and drive north. Another is the range of outdoor activities on offer from winter (wonderland) walking to ice-climbing and sledging. And in terms of après-ski, fondue and tartiflette might not be on the menu but there are plenty of foodie highlights around: from cosy cafés dishing up bowls of steaming cullen skink to gastropubs serving hearty venison stews in front of an open fire and holiday cottages offering hampers stocked with local smoked salmon, homemade oatcakes and shortbread. This year might well be the time to swap the glühwein for a warming dram… The Scottish ski season, snow conditions allowing, stretches from December through to Easter (some ski areas open officially 19 December). Best of Scotland's ski resorts Glenshee Ski Centre – Scotland's largest ski resort Glenshee is the largest ski area in Scotland with 40km of pisted runs (a good mix of green, blue, red and black) spread over 2,000 acres, the most comprehensive network of lifts in the country (22 including three chairlifts), a ski and board school, and three cafés. The season kicks off on 19 December – guaranteed thanks to Snow Factory snowmaking machines. You can even stay in a chocolate box chalet nearby. Glenbeag Chalets is a cluster of five traditional log cabins straight out of a skiing brochure. At an altitude of 1,100ft above sea level and surrounded by spectacular scenery, each has a natural turf roof, interiors of exposed wood, a traditional sauna and hot tub for a long steamy soak to ease aching muscles after a day on the slopes. The chalets are just six miles from Glenshee ski centre and a 20-minute drive from Braemar, where you'll find one of the most luxurious gourmet hotels in the Highlands, The Fife Arms. In the hotel's Flying Stag bar tuck into a Highland beef and bone marrow burger, with Tain Fat Cow cheese and hand cut chips, Scottish fish and chips, or haggis, neeps and tatties with Royal Lochnagar whisky sauce and skirlie. Chalets sleep from two to five, from £327 for a two-night shortbreak, glenbeag.co.uk, check availability at booking.com. The Lecht – family skiing in Scotland The Lecht is the smallest of Scotland's ski centres, on the eastern edge of the Cairngorms National Park, and it's one of the best for beginners (Magic carpet moving walkways rather than lifts for the nursery slopes) and a good family-friendly option. It has 20km of pistes, a day lodge and café for a warming hot chocolate and an on-site snowsports school. A good base for your stay is the Dell of Abernethy (BBC Springwatch and Autumnwatch set up camp here for three seasons), just a half-hour drive away. This lodge and cluster of cottages is family-friendly and food-focussed. You can book a range of 'Grocer' options from a welcome hamper stocked with hand-picked local produce to oven-ready dishes (think homemade venison, juniper and gremolata pie followed by homey blackcurrant and apple crumble) and DIY meal kits with fool-proof instructions. Try the hot smoked salmon and leek risotto or shakshouka. They also have a carefully curated cellar list showcasing local Inshriach gin alongside the wines and organic beers from the Highlands' Black Isle Brewery. Cottages sleep from two to nine: Little Dell sleeps two from £500 for a four-night short break, East Dell sleeps five from £130 per night, thedellofabernethy.co.uk, check availability at booking.com. Nevis Range Mountain Experience – off-piste Scottish skiing The new kid on the block (it opened in 1989), Nevis Range is seven miles from Fort William on the west coast – and on the bucket list of many off-piste and back-country skiers. It's also home to the UK's only gondola, which swings up the north face of Aonach Mor with breathtaking views over the Great Glen's snow-capped peaks and Ben Nevis, the UK's highest mountain. Just a few minutes' drive from the slopes, the Inverlochy Castle Hotel is a grand baronial pad with an Albert and Michel Roux Jr restaurant. Rooms might blow the budget, but look out for special offers (such as a winter two nights for the price of one: £375 for two nights b&b) or swing by for dinner. Think wild Scottish rabbit cannelloni, cured loin, girolles and lardo or west coast langoustine with pickled mussels, sea herbs, verjus pearls and seaweed dashi. Another good place to stay is the Lime Tree on the waterfront in Fort William (art gallery, boutique hotel and restaurant in one) which dishes up gin-cured smoked salmon with cheese and chive mousse, beetroot ketchup and pickled vegetables alongside vegetarian haggis, neeps and tatties. Doubles at Lime Tree from £85 b&b, limetreefortwilliam.co.uk, check availability at booking.com. Doubles at Inverlochy Castle Hotel from £375 for two nights b&b, inverlochycastlehotel.com, check availability at booking.com. Aviemore – Alpine skiing vibes in the Scottish mountains Aviemore in the Cairngorms National Park is as close as Scotland gets to an Alpine ski resort with its smattering of outdoors shops, cosy cafés and hotel resorts. It also has a bus to the slopes. You can't ski from your door, but Cairngorm Mountain is just 20 minutes' drive away through fairy tale forests of towering pines. The ski area has 30km of slopes and the UK's highest funicular up to a panoramic restaurant and ski station. There are also 11 lifts and tows to take skiers to the slopes, mountain cafés, back country touring and ski and snowboard lessons on site. After a day on the slopes, bed down in the latest addition to Hidden Highland Retreats' portfolio of chic cottages, The Garden Flat in 18th-century Inverdruie House. It's a 10-minute walk from Aviemore, (the Caledonian Sleeper pulls into the train station at 7.30am) and the Old Bridge Inn for gastropub fare and a roaring fire. This cute botanical-themed bolthole comes with a gourmet welcome hamper stocked with produce from the Rothiemurchus estate farm shop nearby and secure storage for your skis. Cottages sleep four from £750 per week, £500 for a three-night short break, check availability at hiddenhighlandretreats.com. Glencoe Mountain Resort – Scottish skiing with on-site pods Scotland's first ski area, Glencoe, opened in 1956 and is the only one with accommodation on site (a handful of cosy wooden pods), so you can ski straight from your door. Hunkered into the wild, windswept grandeur of Rannoch Moor, the mountain resort dishes up dramatic Highland scenery at every turn. It brags the longest and steepest ski run in Scotland and as well as skiing and snowboarding, offers avalanche training and (free) sledging. If you're not bunking down in a pod, nip over the road to the recently revamped Kingshouse Hotel. A pitstop for weary travellers since the 1750s, the historic hotel relaunched with a striking wood and stone extension in 2019. There's a restaurant with panoramic views, the menu featuring light bites such as local Loch Leven oysters with shallot vinegar and smoked haddock rarebit with toasted sourdough and rocket salad, or belt-busting mains such as the Scottie Dog haggis hot dog with Isle of Mull cheddar sauce, Arran mustard and crisp onions in a brioche bun. Then sit back and relax in front of a roaring fire in the bar with a local malt whisky. Doubles from £120 b&b, check availability at kingshousehotel.co.uk. Photograph credits VisitScotland More travel guides Best country house hotels in the UK Best health and wellness retreats Best hotels in London Best UK boutique hotels Best hotels in the Cotswolds Best Cornwall hotels Best hotels in the Lake District Best London hotel bars to visit Best romantic hotels in the UK European hidden gems: hotels off the beaten track Best Paris hotels Best Spanish hotels Best Italian hotels Best restaurants with rooms in the UK Best Amsterdam hotels
From a whisky bar with rooms on the banks of the River Spey to beachfront barbecues at an Elie inn and ethically culled wild venison at a Highlands wilderness reserve, we’ve found the best foodie sleepovers in Scotland
Looking for Scottish holidays? Want to find foodie holiday cottages in Scotland? How about hotels in Scotland for food-lovers? Read about our staycation ideas below. Now discover the best restaurants with rooms in the UK and the best honeymoons for foodies. Scottish holidays for foodies Isle of Skye Skye, the largest island in the Inner Hebrides, boasts a rich natural larder of ingredients and historic traditions of preservation using local techniques. Chef Calum Montgomery champions these at Edinbane Lodge, a converted 16th-century hunting lodge whose restaurant is dedicated to the island’s crofts, seas and artisan producers. It serves up dishes including Carbost-landed monkfish with Edinbane wild garlic and scallop roe, seaweed and chanterelle crackers. Broadford’s Deli Gasta transforms the island’s ingredients into gourmet sandwiches like The Monarch: Great Glen venison salami, plum and apple chutney, and Scottish cheddar. And the menu at the secluded Stein Inn focusses on sustainable seafood from the Lochbay shores, with a choice of more than 130 different Scottish whiskies. Glamping and gin, Cairngorms Inshriach is a 200-acre mini Highland estate in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. It’s home to a rustic gin distillery where owner Walter Micklethwait concocts small-batch Speyside gins in an award-winning shed (Channel 4's Shed of the Year, 2015). The estate's elegant country house is perfect for a large family gathering (sleeping up to 18, with or without a chef), but for a back-to-nature experience there's a cluster of quirky glamping options peppered throughout the tangled woodland. The four off-grid beds for two include a yurt hunkered into the hillside with views over the River Spey to the mountains beyond. The bonkers Beer Moth is a converted 1950s fire truck, now kitted out with a Victorian double bed and wood burner. The quaint shepherd's hut is old-school romantic and cradled by juniper bushes (the key ingredient in gin – most of the botanicals are foraged from the estate), but for those who want something a little more contemporary, there's the Bothy Project, partly funded by the Royal Scottish Academy, and an artists' residence for half the year with a bare-bones bush shower and compost loo.* canopyandstars.co.uk Gourmet hotel and cookery school, Perthshire The story began with an escape to the country. Ex-banker-turned-chef Chris Rowley and his wife Rachel dabbled with the supper club concept in Edinburgh before taking the plunge and moving to rural Perthshire. Their first venture, Ballintaggart Farm – a rustic restaurant with rooms and cookery school – was an instant hit. It's no longer a working farm, but much of the produce is grown in the kitchen garden and orchard. Alongside cookery classes, they also run five-course seasonal feasts that showcase the local larder. Then, in 2018, the duo turned a once-tired Victorian hotel, The Grandtully, into a sleek gourmet getaway with Chris's brother and bar impresario Andrew, who mixes negronis in the wood-panelled bar. In the restaurant, the daily changing menu features small plates such as Murthly Estate venison carpaccio, fermented salsify and rocket, while more filling dishes include Loch Etive sea trout, sea kale and lemon aioli.* ballintaggart.com Beach barbecue, Fife You can flip flop from your room to the sand in seconds at The Ship Inn in the seaside village of Elie. The wee Kingdom of Fife, just a pebble's throw from Edinburgh, is famously foodie. Curving around the coast there's legendary fish and chips in Anstruther; the poshest farm shop in Scotland in St Andrews, complete with café, steak barn and butchery classes; and just inland, Fife's latest gourmet hotspot, Kinneuchar Inn. The Ship, meanwhile, is well-known for its beach cricket during the summer season and barbecues in the beachfront beer garden. As well as its signature burgers in a brioche bun and Belhaven Best battered haddock and chunky chips, the seasonal menu champions local shellfish and seafood. shipinn.scot Gastronomic pitstop, Loch Fyne Inver, an award-winning outpost on the shores of Loch Fyne, is the ultimate west coast pilgrimage for foodies. After stints at Noma and Fäviken, chef Pam Brunton and partner Rob Latimer took a punt that Scotland was ready for their version of ‘new Nordic’ cuisine. Inver is a visionary restaurant in an old whitewashed croft house, where traditional Caledonian dishes are reimagined and elevated not just to another level, but a whole new stratosphere. Using local wild and farmed ingredients, innovative dishes include smoked cod’s roe, green gooseberry and pink beetroot, alongside chilled courgette and smoked almond soup with rosemary honey. You can also expect home-baked sourdough bread and cultured butter, which you can buy at Inver’s shop along with homemade preserves and beer brewed with help from Fyne Ales. If you’re staying over, splash out on one of the luxury bothies. Breakfast delivered to your door in a wicker basket is a gourmet treat, with homemade bircher muesli or granola, fruit compote and yogurt, freshly baked pastries and bread, eggs and freshly squeezed orange juice.* inverrestaurant.co.uk Foraging, Galloway Galloway Wild Food's mycophile and wild food guru Mark Williams takes guests on a three-hour tramp through the woods in search of ceps and chanterelles, as well as edible roots and shoots from the forest floor. He also offers coastal and hedgerow foraging, and three-day sea kayaking wild food adventures off the west coast. Based in Gatehouse of Fleet in Dumfries and Galloway, the natural larder here is overflowing with the likes of reedmace and wild radish, samphire and sweet cicely. Accommodation tips on the website include nearby glamping spots, local inns and guesthouses such as the recently renovated Woodlyn b&b in the village.* gallowaywildfoods.com; woodlyn-guesthouse.co.uk A road trip along the Malt Whisky Trail Take a stunning road trip along Speyside's Malt Whisky Trail, which winds its way from Morayshire's coast through undulating hills peppered with more than 50 distilleries. The trail links nine of the distilleries, including Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet (stop off for tours and tastings) and the Speyside Cooperage, which makes whisky barrels. A perfect pitstop along the way is the village of Aberlour on the banks of the River Spey, home to the Aberlour distillery, Walkers Shortbread, and the Mash Tun – a whisky bar with rooms. Expect more than 100 single malts and blends, including the exclusive Glenfarclas Family Casks, a collection of 52 single cask whiskies, one for each consecutive year from 1952 to 2003. The price of a dram? From £3.50 to a wallet-busting £1,500. After a nightcap, stumble up to bed in one of the distillery-themed rooms (the Glenlivet Room has sweeping views over the River Spey and a romantic roll-top tub).* maltwhiskytrail.com; mashtun-aberlour.com Farm stay and no-dig organic vegetable growing workshop, Perthshire Guardswell Farm's 150 acres of grassland cradles a rural getaway where you can switch off, soak up the silence and learn about the land. The family-run enterprise offers an eclectic range of courses and foodie events throughout the year, from spoon carving to no-dig organic vegetable growing with pioneering horticulturalist Charles Dowding. Sleep in the Pinterest-pretty clutch of cabins, cottages or farmhouse (sleeps 10) scattered across the farm, including The Pendicle – a larch-clad bolthole with a wildflower-sown roof, wood-burning stove, fire pit and jaw-dropping views from the decking over a field of Hebridean sheep. Or opt for The Infield, an off-grid hilltop hideaway with a stargazing window above the bed.* guardswell.co.uk Champagne picnics and a farmhouse for foodies, Cairngorms At the end of a private road through the forest on the Rothiemurchus Estate, Achnahatnich House is an off-the-beaten-track hideaway in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. Built in 1900 and once home to tenant farmers, this tastefully renovated three-bedroom house now has a Scandi-chic vibe, its white wood-panelling and soft dove grey palette offset by the odd splash of mustard and Delftware blue. The large open-plan kitchen is the perfect place to whip up a feast, but if you don't fancy cooking you can pre-order a range of freshly cooked meals to be stocked in the fridge (a whole week's worth if you like) from the Rothiemurchus farm shop, made with produce from the estate – think hearty beef stroganoff and venison casserole. You'll also find a complimentary welcome hamper stocked with food from the farm shop and, if you're feeling adventurous, you can book a range of food-focused activities, from champagne picnics by the river to foraging and cooking experiences.* hiddenhighlandretreats.com Gin-tasting experience, Edinburgh Edinburgh has a long history of distilling, dating back to the first gin craze in the 1700s. Dutch ‘genever’ was imported through the port of Leith and the city soon had a taste for the juniper-based spirit. Today, Edinburgh Gin has two distilleries in the capital. One in the old biscuit factory in Leith, the other hidden beneath the pavement in Edinburgh's West End. You can take a tour and tasting here, meeting the makers and the two custom-made copper stills (Flora and Caledonia), learning about the history, production and different botanicals. Then wind your way back to boutique hotel, The Dunstane Houses, for more gin-fuelled experiences. In the Ba' Bar (the Orkney-born owners named the bar after the Orcadian football game) you can sign up for Scottish gin-tasting, Edinburgh gin-tasting, or Orkney gin-tasting – or just relax with a signature cocktail, such as the Dunstane '98: Brockmans gin, cherry bitters and champagne.* edinburghgin.com; thedunstane.com Sutherland staycation with a chef Sumptuous seclusion on a wilderness reserve in the Scottish Highlands is the ultimate staycation. And it comes with a chef. You can seek shelter at Alladale in Sutherland, and never leave the pewter-tinged lochs, brooding glens and heather-sprung moorland of the 23,000-acre estate. There are three lodges sleeping between four and 14. Two cottages – Ghillie's Rest (sleeps four) and Eagle's Crag (sleeps 10) – are kitted out with well-stocked kitchens and freshly prepared meals ready to cook. Breakfast kits feature ready-to-pour pancake mix, all the ingredients for a full Scottish, fruit, granola and yogurt. Alladale Lodge's chef, Natasha Buttigieg, whips up gourmet meals using organic produce from the vegetable beds and state-of-the-art aquaponics garden (the three large greenhouses powered by the estate's hydro-generator ensure zero-waste and zero emissions), along with ethically culled wild venison, local game and trout.* alladale.com Family fun at Gleneagles, Perthshire No longer aimed so squarely at the huntin’, fishin’, golfin’ brigade, 5-star Gleneagles still offers a luxury experience but also fun for the whole family. De-tartaned bedrooms are softer and prettier (not least the Royal Lochnagar suite, pictured). Two Michelin stars and Andrew Fairlie aside, the resort’s restaurants and bars are much improved – with menus that cater to the brunch and burger crowd as well as finer diners. With 850 acres to explore – and a vast programme of supervised activities – Gleneagles has always been popular with families. There is Little Glen, a supervised play space for kids up to nine, and The Den, whose video games, air hockey and cinema room should keep older children and teens happy. Doubles from £495 per night, check availability at booking.com Glen Dye Cabins and Cottages, Kincardineshire - for glamping in style Check rates and availability at glendyecabinsandcottages.com Glen Dye Cabins and Cottages sits within a 30,000-acre estate in Kincardineshire. Choose from Steading Cottage, with its own woodland hot tub, North Lodge, with a romantic riverside summerhouse, or The Sawmill, with its converted Airstream trailer and private outdoor shower. With interiors designed by the estate’s owners, Pedlars founders Charlie and Caroline Gladstone, and Big Green Eggs to cook on, this is seriously decadent glamping. For eating out there’s Spider on a Bicycle café in Aboyne or Buchanan Bistro in Banchory. Check rates and availability at glendyecabinsandcottages.com Saorsa 1875 – for a vegan Perthshire break Perching on the edge of pretty Pitlochry, in Perthshire, 11-bedroom Saorsa 1875 is the UK's first totally vegan hotel. Thanks to its exciting young Italian chef it’s a place for 'plant-curious' travellers, as well as vegans. ‘Saorsa’ is Gaelic for freedom, and 1875 is the year this stately residence was built. From the outside it's grand gothic, but step across the threshold and it’s a very different story. The dark, rock ’n’ roll, entrance hall is lit by a fluorescent Saorsa 1875 sign (owner Jack McLaren-Stewart's background is in cocktail bars), and there's no traditional reception – just a contemporary glass desk for check-in. The vegan and eco-conscious philosophy is evident in all aspects of the hotel, from the cleaning products to the bedding. Even the energy comes from Ecotricity, a green energy company certified by The Vegan Society. The plant-based five-course tasting menus change every day, and are served at a large communal table. The aim of head chef Luca Sordi and the McLaren-Stewarts is to show that vegan food is not about abstinence, or what is missing from the plate. Instead, plant-based dishes can be the height of indulgence. In the morning, the breakfast buffet is all fresh fruit, homemade granola, bowls of berries, seeds and nuts, vegan croissants, peanut butter, homemade preserves and gnarly loaves to toast. Choose beans on toast from the cooked to order menu – black beans soaked overnight, then cooked with tomato paste, smoked paprika, black pepper and bay leaves. The coffee is from local artisan roaster, Glen Lyon, and cappuccinos are made with pea milk from Swedish brand, Sproud. Check rates and availability at saorsahotel.com More hotel guides Best country house hotels in the UK Best health and wellness retreats Best hotels in London Best UK boutique hotels Best hotels in the Cotswolds Best Cornwall hotels Best hotels in the Lake District Best London hotel bars to visit Best romantic hotels in the UK European hidden gems: hotels off the beaten track Best Paris hotels Best Spanish hotels Best Italian hotels Best restaurants with rooms in the UK Best Amsterdam hotels
We meet a Swedish ex-pat baking cinnamon rolls to order, a hotelier who hand-dives for scallops and a chocolatier making ganaches with local gin on a road trip through this Atlantic island chain
Looking for restaurants in the Outer Hebrides? Want to know about foodie producers on these northern Scottish islands? Read about our foodie road trip, then check out where to eat in the Northern Scottish Highlands. It’s not unknown for locals to re-purpose microwaves as letter boxes on North Uist, Kate MacDonald tells me. Midway up the Outer Hebrides – the 130-mile chain of islands off the north-west coast of Scotland that are strung together by single-track road and ferry – the low-lying Atlantic outcrop is hit as harshly by wind and rain as its neighbouring isles. If the microwaves offer letters secure shelter then the heather that thrives here offers similar protection for the island’s wildlife. At least, that has traditionally been one of its purposes. Now, the purple-flowered shrub serves another function. Kate and her partner, Jonny Ingledew, recently set up the North Uist Distillery. When they were researching botanicals for their first release, Downpour gin, the couple worked with a forager to create a botanical library specific to the island. Having spent months playing with finds such as pineapple weed, the couple plumped for sustainability: no rare plants would be destroyed in the gin’s making, instead they would focus on foraged heather, which is both abundant and adds a honeyed note to the gin. Named after its strength of flavour rather than the local climate, Downpour gets its gutsy taste from a high ratio of botanicals (lemon, grapefruit, clove, cardamom and coriander among them); dispersing oils from these are what give the gin its distinctive clouding when tonic is added, a reflection of the shadows that skitter across the wide local skies. The gin is a success but it’s also a side hustle, the consequence of a long wait while the distillery’s first whisky matures. “The island, with its watery lochs, peatlands and barley-growing crofts, provides the ideal ingredients for whisky,” explains Jonny when I meet the couple at Hamersay House, in Lochmaddy, for a lunch of fat seared scallops (hand-dived by the hotel’s owner, Niall) with grilled Stornoway black pudding, samphire hollandaise, chorizo and steamed samphire. That barley isn’t just any barley, either. It’s bere, the oldest grain still in use in the British Isles. “Every whisky used to be made with bere but it’s rare now as most farmers have switched to crops with higher yields and pest resistance (but less flavour). In the Hebrides crofters never stopped growing it, as they use it on smallholdings as animal feed.” Kate and Jonny’s distillery will be the only one in the world to use this type of barley in its core line of whiskies. “Most distillers focus on wood, maturing in different casks to instil flavour, but we believe the grain will give our whisky flavour,” adds Kate. The couple’s new distillery is being built up the road from Hamersay House, beside the Hebridean Smokehouse in Clachan, whose shop sells its own peat-smoked salmon as well as smoked scallops, gravlax, fish pâtés and more. Another must for seafood lovers on North Uist is the Namara Café, at Grimsay. If CS Lewis had been a foodie, Namara is what he might have dreamt up rather than Narnia. You don’t have to step through a wardrobe to find it but the entrance is almost as unlikely. You walk through the Kallin Shellfish shop (past shelves of woolly socks, fishing gear and tide charts) then pop out into a little space complete with binoculars for watching seabirds through the panoramic windows. The café is known for its bacon and scallop rolls but the crab rolls – squishy baps packed with crabmeat picked fresh from Kallin’s creels – are worth the journey alone. As I bite into sweet, pinky white crabmeat, tourists staying in one of the island’s holiday cottages arrive to pick up langoustines and lobster. My own base on the island is Tigharry Schoolhouse, a 19th-century school turned holiday home. Within the soaring open-plan kitchen and dining room, a drinks tray includes a bottle of Downpour while a welcome hamper is tailored to individual guests; alongside breakfast basics you might find some Hebridean Smokehouse salmon or a black pudding from Macleod & Macleod in Stornoway. Modern but full of warmth and character, the largely black and white interiors are brightened by scarlet dining chairs, velvety mid-century armchairs, an island kitchen unit made from colourful reclaimed boards and tactile kilim rugs. The kitchen is what draws foodie guests, though. From electric whisks to baking tins, chef knives to pans in every shape and size, luxuries are here as well as essentials. There’s even a choice of two barbecues (Weber on site plus a portable one for beach picnics). And the schoolhouse’s 1,000-strong library includes such carefully chosen cookbooks as The Forager’s Kitchen, by South Uist wild food expert (and local doctor’s wife) Fiona Bird. It would be easy to hunker down here for days, making forays into the kitchen for salmon-dotted oatcakes. But I’ve pre-ordered a bag of cinnamon buns from Emma Axelsson of Uist Scandi Bakery and need to pick them up from her house in Lochboisdale, on South Uist. Originally from Gothenburg, on the west coast of Sweden, Emma met her partner while studying at Glasgow University and, when he got a job in the Hebrides, she followed him north. “Both my parents were professional bakers so it’s in my blood,” she explains, as I swap a fiver for a trio of warm buns. When she arrived she found sourdough bread and cinnamon buns hard to come by so Emma decided to make them herself, along with Swedish specialities like dammsugare and semlor. I take my sticky haul to nearby Frobost beach and eat them while I walk. From here, I island hop north to Lewis which, together with Harris, forms the largest island in the chain. Few people visit Lewis without stopping off at the serene stones that have been standing at Callanish for at least 5,000 years, though foodies tend to go via the Scallop Shack, at nearby Uig, to pick up scallops from the honesty shop (you can currently pre-order them via facebook.com/UigScallopShack). My own route takes me through Harris, with its sweeps of floury white sand and swirls of electric blue water. In what is surely the world’s most spectacularly located workshop, Chris Loye makes his Flavour chocolates overlooking the coast at Niseaboist. A private chef, he started making chocolates as petits fours then created some hand-tempered chocolates for a Christmas market. When they sold out in two days, Flavour was born. Made with single-origin Columbian chocolate, the range includes raisiny dark chocolate buttons, chocolate cubes flavoured with Scalpay honey and – the best-seller – Harris Gin and pink grapefruit ganaches. I think back to those ganaches later, when I join guide Sandra Fraser for a tour of the Isle of Harris Distillery. Opened in 2015, the Tarbert distillery was established by musicologist Anderson Bakewell to create sustainable employment locally. It wasn’t an obvious concept in this religious region – production still ceases every Sunday – but the vision was as much a community project as a distillery and, from 10 employees the staff has grown to 40. Like North Uist, there are plans for whisky, too – the gin was launched while the first whisky release, The Hearach, was maturing – but the gin has been a runaway success, helped by its moreish blend of nine botanicals (plus sugar kelp) and a distinctive rippled bottle that reflects the surrounding waves and rippling sands. “Look closely and you’ll see it also has the odd smooth ridge as though it’s been washed ashore after years at sea,” adds Sandra. The recommended serve is tonic with a pink grapefruit garnish and I get to try this in an unexpected way in the distillery’s café when baker Mairi MacKenzie delivers a crumbly gin and pink grapefruit bundt cake that not only tastes like the drink but looks like the bottle. My final stop takes tracking down but eventually I spy a bright blue caravan near St Clements Church in Rodel: Sam’s Seafood Shack. Sam, a chef from the Isle of Wight who “likes living by the sea”, sought work that could cope with the seasonal ebb and flow of tourists, but wasn’t a traditional burger van. He decided to focus on fish, from Leverburgh and Stornoway, and to change his menu each day according to what’s been caught. When I visit, the menu includes a tomato-y, paprika-spiked fish soup, homemade fish finger rolls and gorgeously briny seaweed roast potatoes topped with crisp fried kale. In this magical archipelago, where microwaves are postboxes and cocktails morph into cakes, why wouldn’t roasties come sprinkled with seaweedy fairy dust, I muse, as I wolf a box of them. More information Rhiannon travelled (safely, before lockdown) on the Caledonian Sleeper from Euston to Glasgow and on to the Hebrides from there (sleeper.scot). Car hire was provided by Car Hire Hebrides (carhire-hebrides.co.uk) and ferry crossings by Calmac (calmac.co.uk). You can also fly from Glasgow to Stornoway, Benbecula, Tiree and Islay. Visit loganair.co.uk to book. For more info see visitscotland.com and #oliveeatsthehebrides. More travel inspiration... 12 small towns across the UK every foodie should visit The UK's best pubs with rooms UK boutique hotels for food lovers 10 exciting UK city breaks for food lovers Best restaurants with rooms UK spa hotels for food lovers Best romantic UK hotels Best seaside staycations Best country hotels
Northern Scottish Highlands foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Sutherland might be one of the wildest and most remote corners of the British Isles, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find exciting, unexpected places to eat and drink there
Looking for restaurants in the Scottish Highlands? Want to know where to eat in Sutherland? Food and travel writer Clare Hargreaves shares here insider tips for the best restaurants, along with where to find bowls of mussels, mugs of marshmallow-topped hot chocolate and jars of rhubarb jam. Want to enjoy a taste of Scottish botanicals at home? Try one of our favourite Scottish gins here... olive’s must-visits for foodies in Sutherland West Coast Deli, Ullapool – best deli Cradled by mountains, and on the shore of Loch Broom, Ullapool is the northwest coast’s main hub. So before heading to remote Sutherland, our advice is to do a big shop at this well-stocked deli/café. Its impressive range of Scottish cheese includes Errington’s Lanark Blue, made from unpasteurised milk from the farm’s own Lacaune ewes, and both the heather honey and Arran wholegrain mustard dressing come from Saladworx in Dornoch, on Sutherland’s east coast. If the weather is fine, enjoy a cup of Matthew Algie coffee on the terrace outside. westcoastdeli.co.uk Elphin – best weekly market Blink and you could miss this cluster of houses on the scenic route between Ullapool and Lochinver. On Wednesdays, however, Elphin’s village hall buzzes with a food and crafts market. The cured meats on the Highland Charcuterie stall are all sourced from local estates or farms, and many of them are rare-breed – don’t miss the wild highland venison salami, flavoured with local blackcurrants and bog myrtle, and the bite-sized “walking sticks” (a great hiking snack), made from free-range Elphin-reared pork and pepper dulse seaweed. On the same stall you’ll also find local chanterelles, bog myrtle, seaweed and wild garlic, all of which are foraged from the surrounding mountains, woods and shores. Climb the track opposite to Elphin’s tea rooms, for homemade cake (try a slice of lime polenta) and views of the mighty Suilven mountain. facebook.com/Elphin-Market Summer Isles Hotel, Achiltibuie – best for views Choose between the airy dining room or no-frills bar (where the locals drink) at the Summer Isles Hotel. Wherever you eat, the views across to the Summer Isles from this old-timer hotel in beachside Achiltibuie are mesmerising – make sure you stay a while after dinner, for the sunset. As you’d expect, seafood dominates the menu, so get your hands messy with a bowl of mussels or battered haddock and chips in the bar. At the more formal restaurant, feast on dishes such as bourride of hake, mussels and scallops in a smoky broth. summerisleshotel.co.uk Choc-O-Latté, Point of Stoer – best for patisserie Most visitors beat a path to Sutherland’s rocky Point of Stoer to peer at its lighthouse, 200-foot-high Old Man of Stoer sea stack and the chance to spot whales and dolphins. For foodies, there’s another draw, in the shape of Choc-O-Latté. Belgian owners Philip Dendale and Sophie Van Oyenbrugge moved here in 2016 to set up a B&B (called Philosophy, an amalgamation of their names), and now they’ve added a tiny café to the business that revolves around Belgian chocolate. Transport yourself to a Brussels salon de thé with a mug of real hot chocolate (the special comes with added cream and mini marshmallows), a chocolate merveilleux (or ‘marvie’ as the locals call it), or a slab of Sophie’s ganache-topped chocolate cake. It’s all served on vintage china that’s been foraged from local junk shops or been donated by locals, and the view includes sheep-studded fields and Suilven mountain. bnbphilosophy.com The Jammery, Point of Stoer – best for jam The Jammery, housed in a cabin in the hamlet of Culkein, is another good reason to venture onto this wind-blasted promontory. Steve and Amanda Webb, who moved here from Bedfordshire in 2010, bake fresh cakes daily (we loved their cappuccino Victoria sponge) and, occasionally, made-from-scratch bread. The latter can be hard to buy in these parts, so snap up one of their loaves or filled rolls to fuel your coastal hike. The pair are actually best known for their jams made from local ingredients, including plum, raspberry, apple and Culkein-grown rhubarb. There’s also a range of chutneys and jellies, including a rowan jelly that’s perfect with venison, and tablet (the Scottish answer to fudge). On Monday and Wednesday evenings between June and August they also bake pizzas to take away. jammery.co.uk Kylesku Hotel – best for sustainable seafood With its dreamy location at the mouth of three lochs, seafood is naturally the order of the day at this friendly family-run hotel and restaurant. Owners Tanja Lister and Sonia Virechauveix go to great lengths to ensure that all their produce, including seafood, is responsibly sourced. Lunch might include a bowl of mussels from Loch Glendhu, and kedgeree topped with local hand-dived scallops. Or shell your way through a vibrant platter of creel-caught langoustines, crabs and lobsters landed by Kylesku boys Darren and Callum, who work out on the loch or jetty as you eat. Meat is free-range and sourced from local crofts. kyleskuhotel.co.uk Shorehouse restaurant, Tarbet – best seafood restaurant for bird-spotting There can’t be many restaurants with a view of the bay your seafood was caught in plus (if it’s the right season) guillemots and puffins. This modest shack-style eatery perches on rocks above the ferry jetty for Handa Island, an outcrop famous for the sea birds that nest on its ragged red sandstone crags. Shorehouse has been in the same family ever since it opened in 1977, serving seafood caught from their own boat. It’s simply prepared and presented, mainly as salads or sandwiches, and you can’t fault it for freshness. shorehousetarbet.co.uk Mackays, Durness – best breakfast If it isn’t local, homemade and delicious, it isn’t on the breakfast menu at this cabin-style B&B, which sits at the entrance to Durness, on Scotland’s wild north coast. Owner Fiona Mackay cooks eggs (from village hens) as you like them, tattie scones, local sausages and dry-cured bacon for guests every morning. But her organic porridge – topped with fruit, seeds, bee pollen and home-produced honey – is our must-order, as is the compote of garden-grown rhubarb that comes with homemade yogurt and cake. If you can fit it in, there’s homemade sourdough and raspberry jam too, all served with enthusiasm by Spanish-born waiter, Paco Colomina. visitdurness.com Cocoa Mountain, Balnakeil village, near Durness – best for hot chocolate A disused 1950s MOD station just opposite Cape Wrath is an unlikely place to find some of Scotland’s best chocolate. But a Cocoa Mountain beverage is just the thing after a bracing walk along the wind-blasted coast of Britain’s most northwesterly point. The Cold War station has been converted into a community of artists and food producers called Balnakeil village, and Paul Maden and James Findlay, both former academics in Glasgow, set up Cocoa Mountain here in 2006. As well as hot chocolate (which you can also buy in powdered form to take home), the pair make chocolate truffles using as many local ingredients as they can find, from raspberries and strawberries to fresh cream and crème fraîche. The bestseller, though, is their chilli and lemongrass flavour. cocoamountain.co.uk Smoo Lodge, Durness – best for Asian cooking At this newly refurbished beachside B&B, you’re more likely to find kimchi and sushi than black pudding and tatties. Korean ex-fashion designer Kyunghee Hendy-Cho runs it with her photographer husband Merlin Hendy. She cooks authentic Korean dinners such as seafood pancakes and bibimbap, a combination of tender marinated Highland beef, vegetables, sushi rice and gochujang hot red pepper paste. You end on a Scottish note, with a cranachan of local raspberries and toasted oatmeal steeped in honey and single malt whisky. Make Kyunghee’s homemade kimchi part of your breakfast – it’s great fuel for a wilderness walk, swim, or visit to the nearby Smoo caves. smoolodge.co.uk Côte du Nord, Kirtomy, near Bettyhill – best for gourmet dining In Kirtomy, a hamlet halfway between Cape Wrath and Thurso, family doctor Chris Duckham (a MasterChef contestant, back in 1992) devotes his Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings to cooking immaculate feasts. Chris’ 10-course tasting menu, served in the front room of his house, features produce such as lobster, langoustine and garden vegetables, alongside foraged ingredients including bog myrtle, wild thyme and sea lettuce. We loved the tian of crab, avocado and apple, with its crowning tomato purée discs, and the Scotch duck egg deep-fried in pork crumbs. cotedunord.co.uk Clare stayed at Smoo Lodge, formerly an 18th-century sporting lodge, on Durness’ seafront. It has four stylishly comfortable en-suite bedrooms; smoolodge.co.uk Words and images by Clare Hargreaves
Food writer Sophie Pither shares her insider tips for where to eat and drink in the Scottish city while visiting the V&A design museum, from brunch to fish and chips and craft beer
Looking for Dundee restaurants? Here are the best places to eat in Dundee. The opening of the £80-million, ship-like V&A Dundee design museum has drawn worldwide attention to Scotland's fourth largest city. Architect Kengo Kuma’s jaggedly slanting structure, inspired by Scottish cliffs, has brought an excitement and confidence to the city; its serene oak-lined interior offers glimpses of the glinting Tay river through glass slats. The V&A Dundee and the waterfront development around it are set to entice a new city-break crowd and restaurateurs are already feeling the thrill, with new places opening and old ones gearing up. Here are some of the best of them... For more city food recommendations, check out the best restaurants in Glasgow, best restaurants in Edinburgh, best restaurants in York and best restaurants in Perthshire Best places to eat and drink in Dundee Pacamara This dedicated breakfast and brunch spot (open 9am-5pm) is an easy-going kind of place with wooden tables and large shop-front windows to watch the world pass by. The breakfast menu is a winner for those of us who are always disappointed to arrive somewhere for lunch to find they’ve stopped serving eggs benedict at 11.30. Big plates arrive packed with Full Scottish Breakfast classics alongside tasty sourdough toast, fresh juice and rich smooth coffees, for which you can choose your blend. Alternatively, go sweet with waffles or pancakes, or choose a big fat savoury hash-brown stack, with poached egg, spinach and mushrooms. @pacamaradundee The Parlour This relaxed neighbourhood café serves hearty modern food for breakfast and lunch and does the occasional pop-up evening, too. A tasty-looking Libyan food event was on offer when we visited. Breakfast specials could be shakshuka baked Turkish eggs, and lunch might be a hard choice between an Arbroath smokie and spring greens frittata, an excellent panzanella or a bowlful of deli salads. There are also interesting homemade sandwiches and soups, and cakes out on display to tempt you. Facebook Tatha Bar and Kitchen at V&A Dundee First off, it’s pronounced Tayva, which is Gaelic for Tay. This is the main restaurant at the V&A Dundee design museum - the reason for all that new Dundee buzz - which architect Kengo Kuma hopes it will be “a living room for the city”. The restaurant is at the heart of the building on the mezzanine level, with an expansive view over the water. It’s also exposed to the huge atrium, not tucked away in a basement as with so many gallery cafes. Food is a crowd-pleasing daytime mix of seasonal salads and sandwiches, scones and cakes, but it’s also open in the evenings (Thursdays to Sundays from 27 September), via a separate entrance once the gallery itself has closed for the day. Evening dishes go one notch less casual, with main courses such as chargrilled Puddledub farm buffalo steak, or Dundee gin and marmalade cured Perthshire smoked salmon. It’s also hoping to cultivate an after-work drinks scene by offering cocktails, wine, beer and light bites. There’s also a smaller coffee bar on the V&A’s ground floor. vam.ac.uk Gallery 48 This charming small modern-art gallery is also home to a popular tapas restaurant (open daily for lunch and dinner). Dundee has always had an artistic angle, being well served by galleries, and, with the new V&A, this aspect of it should flourish further. You can get straight to the heart of the cultural scene at Gallery 48, a lovely mix of forward-thinking art, workshops and great food. On the menu you’ll find tapas favourites such as white anchovies and Spanish tortilla, plus specialities like Ventresca tuna belly, olive tapenade and artichoke, or salted cod fritters with house aioli. All can be accompanied by a wide choice of Spanish wines, or an impressive selection of local gins. gallery48.co.uk Tail End Everyone loves a classy fish-and-chip joint, where you can enjoy a sit-down supper complete with a mug of tea, bottle of beer or even a cocktail. This one comes with excellent pedigree, as it’s run by Arbroath-based fish merchant G&A Spink (which carefully sources all catches from MSC-registered boats fishing in the North Sea, landed on the east coast). Specials are adapted to the catch, and menu dishes (other than delicious soft-fleshed haddock and chips with homemade tartar sauce) include scallops with haggis, carrot puree and garlic butter, and red Thai seafood curry with coconut rice. The restaurant is in an attractive, purpose-renovated 54-seat cellar-space, completed as a labour of love by the owners. thetailend.co.uk Draffens This 1920s speakeasy-style bar is supposed to be a secret, sort of. For those not in the know, the unmarked door is down an alley called Couttie’s Wynd (between 36 and 38 Nethergate) in the city centre, from where you’ll hear live jazz wafting up from the basement of the long-closed Draffens department store. It serves great cocktails in a stylised Twenties jazz bar, which together with the secret-club vibe make this a fun place to while away the night until the early hours. Draffens The best food and drink shops in Dundee The Cheesery For all your Scottish, British and international cheese needs, head to this specialist cheese shop. All the European classics are available, from top-quality parmesan to tomme de savoie but if you’re looking for something more local, ask for the St Andrews Farmhouse Anster (a creamy, crumbly farmhouse cheese made just south, in Fife, using milk from a single herd of Holstein Friesian cows) or the Gruth Dhu (Black Crowdie), a soft cow’s milk cheese made up in Tain). thecheesery.co.uk Ogilvy Vodka Head 10 miles north of Dundee and you’ll find Ogilvy Vodka, Scotland’s first potato vodka distillery run by husband-and-wife team Graeme and Caroline Jarron. The distillery has been producing vodka since 2014 as a way to make the most of misshapen spuds, and now you can explore it via a field-to-bottle experience. Take a behind-the-scenes look at potato farming (from the way fields are ploughed to how the potatoes are minced) before a walk-through of the cooking, fermenting and distilling process. The 85-minute tour ends with a tasting and, if you fancy stocking up on more, the shop sells all the bottles, from classic to bramble and rhubarb. ogilvyspirits.com Where to stay in Dundee Hotel Indigo Hotel Indigo is housed in a renovated former jute mill with a landmark bell tower and retains industrial touches such as original wooden floors and exposed brickwork. It has also added nods to local history from The Beano to the video game industry. Daisy Tasker (the hotel’s restaurant with Masterchef semi-finalist Stewart Macaulay at its helm), named after a 14-year old weaver who organised social activities for the jute mill works, is worth a visit, with a daily-changing menu serving dishes inspired by Dundee. Expect a contemporary spin on Scottish classics including Schiehallion battered haddock with chips and peas pickled, hake with beetroot and potato purée, and to finish, marmalade set cream and Dundee sticky pudding served with toffee sauce and clotted cream ice cream. Doubles from £79, check availability at ihg.com or booking.com The Newport The Newport restaurant has four smart double-room suites; ask for one of the ones that overlook the water for the best views. thenewportrestaurant.co.uk There are also several central chain hotels near the waterfront and V&A, including SleeperZ (sleeperz.com) and Malmaison (malmaison.com). By Sophie Pither
This rugged island off the west coast of Scotland is well known for its wildlife and mountain scenery. But its produce is just as spectacular – from langoustines and squat lobsters, to succulent Highland beef and homemade whisky marmalade ice cream
Looking for foodie producers on the Isle of Mull? Travel writer Clare Hargreaves takes us on a foodie road trip through Mull, stopping off for fresh local produce, from lobsters to langoustines and cheddar-style cheese. There can’t be many restaurants in Britain where you have to hail a ferry to get there by flashing a red card from the opposite shore. But The Boathouse on Ulva, just off Scotland’s Isle of Mull, is just such a place. I duly wave the card and, soon, I’m being whisked across a steely sea in a tiny launch to the black basalt rocks on which the restaurant’s whitewashed croft perches. As we land, the whiskered head of an otter pops above the water, checking out the new arrivals. Donald, our Captain Birdseye lookalike ferryman, is the father of Emma, who runs The Boathouse along with her sister-in-law Rebecca. The shellfish that the restaurant is famed for is creel-caught off Ulva by Emma’s two brothers who, like her, were raised on the island (current population: six). Want to enjoy a taste of Scottish botanicals at home? Try one of our favourite Scottish gins here... I navigate the Fisherman’s Catch, one of the classiest shellfish platters I’ve eaten, with its salty oysters, fresh langoustines and squat lobsters (they look like fat, curly, peeled prawns). The supporting acts, from home-baked bread and oatcakes to hand-wrapped butters, are terrific, too. Having tried in vain on other Scottish islands to nab local shellfish before the Spanish do, I’m impressed by how The Boathouse and numerous other places on Mull are harnessing their fantastic produce, from shellfish to meat and milk. I also notice that virtually all the businesses are run by women. “Women here have the choice of low-paid, dead-end jobs or setting up their own business, so many decide to go for it,” says Rebecca. Back on Mull’s west coast, I meet other equally enterprising female foodies. There’s Brighton-raised Jeanette Cutlack, who makes her own haggis, which she serves with home-cooked dishes in her front-room restaurant at Ballygown . And Caroline Macphail, a dental nurse who, at weekends, runs a takeaway van looking over Loch na Keal and, behind it, Ben More, the island’s tallest peak. Caroline’s brother catches her lobsters and crabs, as well as the meat for her top-notch venison burgers. “Cyclists can’t believe their luck when they stumble across a food van in the middle of nowhere,” laughs Caroline. More remote still is Tiroran House, a small country house hotel hidden in woods on the other side of Ben More. Pre-prandials offered by tartan-sporting owner Laurence Mackay include Tiroran’s own Whitetail Gin, made with foraged heather and sea kelp, and named after the white-tailed eagles that nest nearby (you can also buy it in Tiroran’s shop-café to take away; whitetailgin.com). I kick off dinner with local Inverlussa mussels, following it with a main course of silkily tender fillet of Highland longhorn beef from Lochbuie. In contrast to many other Scottish islands, where it can be difficult to buy local meat, Mull has it aplenty, thanks to having its own abattoir. Heading to the Ross of Mull, the island’s pinky granite southwestern peninsula, I pop into Ardalanish Weavers, a farm that sells both the meat and the wool (the latter is woven into beautiful tweed) from its Hebridean sheep. Also worth the detour is Crofter’s Kitchen at nearby Kintra, where you help yourself to home-produced bread and veg, leaving the money in an honesty box. I’m hungering for shellfish again, though, so I head for The Creel seafood bar beside the ferry for the isle of Iona. It is run by two more female foodie trailblazers, Nicola Fisher and Siobhan Cameron. Siobhan’s father nets their crabs and lobsters from his fishing boat – visit at lunchtime and you’ll spot him bringing them in. The Isle of Mull scallop and Stornoway black pudding rolls have already been snaffled by the time I arrive, so I plump for a squat lobster salad roll. Why these scrumptious crustaceans are normally discarded escapes me – heaps better than puny imported prawns. Iona, with its famous abbey (established as a monastery by Irish-born St Columba in 563), offers surprisingly decent food for such a tourist hotspot, with both St Columba and Argyll hotels using homegrown organic vegetables, and local seafood and meat in imaginative dishes. The Argyll’s fist-sized teatime scones, which you munch on the lawn running down to the sea, are legendary. I dine back on Mull in an ancient croft that’s been transformed by Canadian-born chef Carla Lamont into the island’s top food ticket, Ninth Wave. Like most of Mull’s female food entrepreneurs, she relies on family – in her case, fisherman partner Jonny – to sustainably source seafood. Carla marries it with unusual flavours and ingredients, many gleaned during worldwide travels, while Jonny delivers it to the tables. Highlights are a signature warm crab soufflé-style cheesecake starter and a sarsaparilla cordial and chocolate cake pudding. Further east, Flora Corbett, one of the dynamic trio behind the Mull & Iona Food Trail, dispenses foodie delights of a humbler kind – ready meals, which she sells in the dinky shed that used to be the Post Office in sleepy Lochbuie. Try her lamb tagine, made with her farmer husband’s lamb. If you’re self-catering, she will deliver direct to your cottage. Next stop is Tobermory, a fishing port on Mull’s north-east coast, whose vibrant houses horseshoe around the bay. It’s known for its whisky distillery, Café Fish restaurant, and the kids’ TV series Balamory, which was largely filmed there. But the star, for me, is the Isle of Mull Ice Cream parlour, where Kyle Morris uses milk from nearby Sgriob-ruadh Farm to make ice creams, including her bestselling Tobermory whisky marmalade. The veggie café at An Tobar arts centre in the upper town is another must-visit. On the road above Tobermory I meet cousins Sally, who runs Tobermory Fish Company, which smokes and sells local seafood, and Helen Swinbanks, chef-owner of the restaurant opposite, Hebridean Lodge. Helen’s food is stellar. I start with beetroot and Caorunn gin home-cured salmon and Tobermory Fish smoked trout, spiked with horseradish and dill, and progress to lamb from nearby Glengorm. The latter comes with a mini slow-braised lamb leg pie so good that it’s a feast in itself, and Helen’s Gaelic coffee knickerbocker glory makes an indulgent finale. A few miles north is Sgriob-ruadh Farm, to where Jeff and Chris Reade moved their dairy cows from Somerset in 1979. First they sold milk, then switched to turning it into an unpasteurised, cheddar-style Isle of Mull Cheese. I meet Chris in the Glass Barn, the farm’s café and farm shop, where granddaughter Lily sells Chris’s cheese scones and sourdough bread, and the farm’s cheese and pork. “Our cows eat draff, the residue of the fermented grains used to make whisky,” says Chris. “It gives the cheese a taste that’s unique to Mull.” Rounding Mull’s rocky northern headland, the fairytale form of Glengorm Castle looming ahead is a sign to stop at its coffee shop and farm shop to sample a beefburger or pie from the estate’s shaggy-haired Highland cattle. Equally satisfying is the carrot cake at the Calgary Café and Gallery, from where you can nip to the hamlet’s shimmering sandy beach. Next stop is Dervaig, which looks like a toy town with its solitary street of single-storey cottages. The queue outside one of them indicates its owner, baker Louise Paterson, is about to ring a bell signaling the opening of her bakery. It’s worth joining the line: sourdough is made from emmer, an ancient strain of wheat, and the cakes would not look out of place in a Parisian patisserie. It’s no surprise to discover that Louise trained at Leiths and ran her own catering business. Be warned though, she bakes just three times a week and you’ll need to put in your order in advance. I finish my tour of Mull as I began – bagging a ferry to a restaurant. This time to The Whitehouse Restaurant across the Sound of Mull on the mainland, where I meet Jane Stuart-Smith. Just over a decade ago, Jane and Sarah Jones, who runs the shop next door, were wrestling with the fact that much of the area’s produce was being exported and locals couldn’t get their hands on it. So they opened a restaurant. In Easter 2010, after a chef failed to return after the winter break, they advertised for a replacement and managed to net Mike Burgoyne (ex Savoy, Claridges and Chez Nico) who has turned it into one of the Highlands’ gastronomic stars. Drawing on his local larder, Mike produces flavours and presentation that are classy without being fussy. In my case a lunch of pressed oak-smoked mackerel and saffron potato terrine, followed by stag loin and offal with beetroot jam and blackberry wine ‘gravy’; the meat is rosy, earthy and tender as butter. It’s so good that I secretly pray I’ll miss the ferry back. HOW TO DO IT Clare stayed at Pennygate Lodge, a boutique B&B in Craignure with doubles from £120. More info: mullandionafood.co.uk and visitscotland.co.uk. Words | Clare Hargreaves Photographs | Clare Hargreaves Follow Clare Hargreaves @larderloutUK, #olivetravels.
The Dunstane Houses, Edinburgh: hotel review
We review the Dunstane Houses, a newly refurbished hotel set between two grand old buildings in Edinburgh where you can sink into sleek copper bathtubs, feast on haggis bonbons with whisky mustard mayo and sip a gin, rhubarb and pepper tonic
Looking for hotels in Edinburgh? Check out our expert review of Edinburgh hotel, The Dunstane Houses. The Dunstane houses is one of Edinburgh's best boutique hotels. Expect vintage pieces with contemporary design, bags of personality and, signature gin cocktails. Orkney-born Shirley and Derek Mowat left the northerly archipelago for London in 1988 but screeched to a halt in the Scottish capital, opening their first guesthouse in Edinburgh’s Trinity neighbourhood. Now their latest venture has just opened in the same city, The Dunstane Houses. Set back off a busy road on the way into – or out of – Edinburgh, Dunstane Houses is a two-for-the-price-of-one boutique hotel made up of Dunstane House, a rambling Victorian mansion designed by architect William Playfair in 1852, and its equally stately sister property, Hampton House, across the road. Both are just a ten-minute stroll from the city's West End. Re-launched this summer, the million pound refurbishment was orchestrated by London-based interior designer Hannah Lohan whose portfolio includes Foxhill Manor and The Fish in the Cotswolds and La Escondida, Terry Venables' boutique hotel in Spain. Lohan mixes vintage pieces with contemporary design and, for Dunstane House, she has seamlessly woven in the Mowats' Orkney heritage, peppering rooms with traditional tweeds and historic black and white photographs of island life (elsewhere, the hotel's Edinburgh and Orkney-themed art collection has been curated by local artist Nicky Brooks, from the Red Door Gallery in the city’s Old Town). The overall impression is the antithesis of an anonymous boutique hotel. Dunstane House has bags of personality and personal touches. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, returning guests are greeted like old friends. It feels like the perfect hybrid: a cosy family-run guesthouse and a sumptuous small hotel. The food at Dunstane Houses With no traditional hotel restaurant the dining options are relaxed. An all-day dining menu (well, 12-9.30pm) is served in the light, airy lounge with its low-slung seating, peppering of tables and deep velvet sofas. The lounge opens into the bar with its darker, more dramatic, décor and cluster of higher tables where you can also grab a bite. The menu, divided into wee bites, bigger bites and sides, champions Scottish produce and also reflects the Mowats' Orkney roots. Signature dishes include Cullen Skink with artisan bread, honey-glazed, crispy Ayrshire Clash Farm pork belly and pan-seared, hand-dived Orkney scallops with cauliflower Mornay and Campbell's black pudding. The crispy Campbells haggis bonbons with Glenkinchie single malt whisky and Arran mustard mayo were cloyingly moreish, rich and delicious, the scallops perfectly cooked, the traditional whisky-slaked Cranachan a wicked medley of whipped cream, malt, honey and raspberries. It's all good, albeit slightly safe. But that's fine. If it's eye-poppingly innovative cuisine you're after you're spoilt for choice in Edinburgh. Michelin-starred restaurants jostle for space with quirky communal rustic dining spots. Bag a table at Norn, down in Leith, or a seat at The Table's single table (there are 10 chairs) for a sparkling set tasting menu. The Edinburgh Food Studio will broaden your culinary horizons while Edinburgh stalwart David Ramsden (of The Dogs) has just opened The Fat Pony (no website) on Bread Street, a bijoux wine bar with around 20 wines by the glass (including organic and biodynamic) and a selection of charcuterie and local cheeses. The wine bar, by all accounts, is having a renaissance in Edinburgh… The drink at Dunstane Houses Talking of drink, the hotel’s Ba’ Bar takes its name from the traditional Orcadian street football game. The dark paintwork and mustard velvet chairs and backlit whisky cabinet give it a cosy vibe. Try one of the signature cocktails such as the refreshing Gin, Rhubarb and Pepper tonic made with rhubarb bitters and grated black pepper – or a Whisky Spice (single malt, chilli sauce, ginger ale and lime). There's a wide range of local craft beers, the 15 or so artisan gins are all Scottish bar one (Sipsmiths if you're interested), including a bottle of the recently launched Old Tom Rhubarb Gin from the Orkney Gin company, while the whisky menu (with tasting notes) is around 60-strong. The bedrooms at Dunstane Houses For now, book one of the 16 newly revamped rooms in Dunstane House – Hannah Lohan hasn’t yet worked her magic over the road, though plans are afoot that she will (there are 35 rooms split between the two properties). Spread over three floors, all with Orkney-inspired names, I was in the Scapa Suite on the first floor, the large sash windows framing views of the Pentland Hills in the distance. The bed was a (very comfy) chunky black four poster with a burnt orange velvet chaise longue at its foot and a glamorous deep copper bathtub set against gold peacock feather wallpaper. The shower room had a geometric-patterned tiled floor and fixtures and fittings from Fired Earth. Other nice touches included a digital Roberts radio, fresh milk in the fridge and a bag of crumbly Scottish tablet. Sneaking a peak at some of the other rooms I glimpsed oversized tweed headboards, Scottish wool throws and Persian rugs. Up in the eaves the cosy double, Auskerry, comes with a telescope for stargazing. The breakfast Breakfast at a low-slung lounge table was, unsurprisingly, relaxed, the bar spread with a giant bowl of luscious-looking strawberries, a picnic hamper of pastries, artisan breads and traditional cereals. The menu is divided into Healthy, Sweet and Hearty. I was tempted by the porridge with whisky and cream but instead opted for the bircher muesli with almond milk, grated apple, blueberries and cinnamon. Other guests were tucking into oak-smoked Orkney kippers but I chose the Full Scottish with Ayrshire back bacon, rare-breed Clash Farm pork sausage, Campbell's haggis and black pudding, tattie scone, grilled tomato and poached eggs from Lintz Hall Farm. Don’t miss Take a tour of the Edinburgh Gin Distillery, just a short walk away in the West End. (Take a look at our favourite British gins here). You can also book a bespoke private tour of Edinburgh or over the Firth of Forth to the Kingdom of Fife in one of owner Derek Mowat’s vintage cars. Double rooms at Dunstane Houses start from £174 b&b. <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=71026X1546147&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fhotel%2Fgb%2Fdunstanehousehotel.en-gb.html%3Faid%3D304142%26label%3Dgen173nr-1FCAEoggJCAlhYSDNYBGhQiAEBmAExwgEDYWJuyAEM2AEB6AEB-AECkgIBeagCBA%26sid%3D33c3fa277f0d08b0b1bd2df681f354b8%26srpvid%3D10ad61764f5e00b0%26checkin%3D2019-05-08%26checkout%3D2019-05-11%26ucfs%3D1%26srpvid%3D10ad61764f5e00b0%26srepoch%3D1540561903%26highlighted_blocks%3D10819606_91909266_0_2_0%26all_sr_blocks%3D10819606_91909266_0_2_0%26room1%3DA%2CA%26hpos%3D1%26hapos%3D1%26dest_type%3Dcity%26dest_id%3D-2595386%26srfid%3D35731d4a33ed3f1ce0dd53e487c0e0421632947fX1%26from%3Dsearchresults%3Bhighlight_room%3D%23hotelTmpl" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">For the best deals on rooms at Dunstane Houses, click here More info: edinburgh.org Words | Lucy Gillmore Photography | Rita Platts While you're visiting Dunstane Houses, make sure you check out our favourite places to eat and drink in Edinburgh, including this lovely coffee shop...
Glenapp Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland: Hotel and Restaurant Review
Luxurious rooms, secret spiral staircases, pretty plates of food, panoramic views of Ailsa Craig and stupendous gardens – read our review of Glenapp Castle here
As well as ivy-clad turrets and excellent food, there’s one thing Glenapp Castle has plenty of: fresh air. It sits in 36 acres of grounds, all detailed for guests in a beautifully illustrated map. We spent hours watching birds in the Victorian walled garden, admiring views of volcanic island Ailsa Craig, sniffing the candy floss scent of Katsura trees – and chasing the path of a gurgling stream through a wooded glen, rich with deer and the tallest fir trees in Britain. One of the most romantic spots is by the azalea pond, which reflects the castle’s sandstone battlements in its waters. For lunch, let the team pack you a bespoke picnic (we chose homemade sandwiches and a flask of hot tea) and enjoy it on a bench right next to the pond – if you ask nicely, they might even whisk you down there in a golf buggy. Staff here are friendly and helpful, to the point where they organised a blazing evening bonfire during our wintery stay, laying out marshmallows and hot chocolate for any hotel guest that wanted to join the party. As such, Glenapp Castle felt like home to us. Despite the grand exterior (it was originally built in 1870 as an imposing family residence for James Hunter, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire), there’s no intimidating reception hall – just a welcoming parlour, with neat piles of wellington boots for guests to borrow, panelled wash rooms, chesterfield sofas and a vintage telephone to use if you need assistance. Up a carpeted staircase and to the left is the drawing room, with stone fireplace and ceiling-high windows that frame a spectacular view of Ailsa Craig (you’ll find granite curling stones from that island propping doors open around the castle). Guest rooms, especially the master suites, are spectacular. Chandeliers, four-poster beds, huge windows framed by thick drapes, a fireplace surrounded by armchairs and a sofa and, in one case, a curved corner door that leads to a private spiral staircase... follow it down to reach a wooden hatch that opens on to the castle’s forecourt (imagine the trysts!). So big are the suites that guests also enjoy their own walk-in wardrobes, and there’s enough seating for at least a dozen people. There are two intimate dining rooms, both with Mull of Kintyre views, and the highlight here is head chef Tyron Ellul’s six-course tasting menu. Start with a trio of tiny appetisers – including a pearly white scallop with crisp tempura shell – before a cup of smooth turnip velouté, spiked with truffle. Little cubes of beetroot and soft arborio rice made a light and vibrant risotto, and a translucent fillet of delicately grilled west coast cod came with a bright red pepper emulsion. Turbot was cooked just as well and was topped with a wilted spring onion, vegetal seaweed butter and a rich chicken and cardamom jus. Dessert, a puffy, golden passion fruit soufflé with matching sorbet, was well worth the wait. The kitchen also does breakfast (continental or a hot plate including Ayrshire bacon, haggis, Stornoway black pudding and potato scone), lunch and afternoon tea. Plenty of fuel for exploring beyond the castle grounds – we took a stroll through the Stinchar Valley, with its oak woodlands and abundance of pheasants, red squirrels, roe deer and otters. For ultimate decadence arrange for someone from Glenapp to meet you half-way with hot soup and crusty bread… they won’t even judge you if you ask for a lift back in their Land Rover Defender (we did!). Double rooms from £295, b&b (glenappcastle.com) Written by Charlotte Morgan, November 2016
Kinloch Lodge, Isle Of Skye, Scotland: Autumnal Cookery Break Review
We head to the Isle of Skye in Scotland to join a new catch-and-cook break hosted by Marcello Tully at Kinloch Lodge
Midge repellent, waterproofs and Wellington boots: not items that usually make it into the suitcase when you're packing for a culinary workshop. However, at Kinloch Lodge on the mist-wreathed shore of the sea loch Loch na Dal, on the Isle of Skye, the new autumnal cookery breaks involve outdoor activities. You don’t have to sing for your supper but you can catch it – and cook it on the banks of a rushing river. Kinloch Lodge, the seat of the Macdonald clan and once an old hunting lodge, is now a luxury hotel as well as the home of the doyenne of Scottish cookery and author of countless cookbooks, Lady Claire Macdonald. These days Lady Claire takes more of a back seat, and Marcello Tully heads up the Michelin-starred kitchen. Salmon and trout fishing in Skye's lochs and rivers, meanwhile, is under the guidance of Mitch Partridge (skyeghillie.co.uk). Mitch takes guests to the River Snizort which flows into Loch Snizort about 45 minutes away, north of Portree, and the River Brittle where you can catch wild brown trout and sea trout near the loch shore against the backdrop of the majestic Cuillin mountains. I'm sticking closer to home, however, tramping with rod in hand down to the burbling burn that flows from behind the lodge into Loch na Dahl, a prime spot, Mitch tells me, for wild brown trout. I've only tried my hand at fly-fishing a couple of times but Mitch is patient as he teaches me how to cast the line and before long I've reeled in my first wriggling trout – to cook on a fire on the pebbly shore river-to-plate style. You can also take your catch back to the hotel kitchen for a filleting and cookery lesson from Marcello. As far as the hotel kitchen is concerned, however, I've bigger fish to fry. The bespoke seasonal cookery classes and 'catch and cook' options take place in a working Michelin-starred hotel kitchen. But you can also opt for a half-day stint helping to prepare a couple of courses to be dished up in the restaurant that day. The night before I'd savoured a five-course tasting menu at the 'chef's table' perched on a stool looking through a large window at the kitchen theatre unfolding before me. Now grabbing an apron, I was in the thick of it. Not that this even vaguely resembled a heated Gordon Ramsey-style scene – it was more artfully choreographed ballet than Hell's Kitchen. Today we were making pea soup – or rather 'soupcon' to be served in tiny shot glasses. All soups start as purees Marcello tells us. The peas are blitzed then passed through a sieve to remove the skins. Then the onions are chopped and lightly fried and the peas added. Tasting is done at every point. First we taste the pure pea puree. Then Marcello adds a splash of cream. We taste it again. Then salt. We taste it. Then Tabasco. Same again. Then sugar. "This is the chef's skill," he explains, "being able to season dishes well and take them to the next level." He doesn't use pepper in his cooking at all – apart from venison and steak. To get the heat he wants he uses Tabasco. "It has so much more flavour than pepper. It has a vinegar-iness, of course, but the salt takes that away." Finally we get to the theatrical part and put the mixture through 'a gun'. The gas inside the canister aerates the liquid when you pull the trigger. And there you have it: a light green shot of soup –with foam on top. We sip it. It's silky and sweet with a hint of spice: a simple pea soup transformed into a sensory experience, Michelin style. Dinner, B&B at Kinloch Lodge costs from £170 per person per night (kinloch-lodge.co.uk). Fishing (available February to October) costs from £250 per day, seasonal cookery courses with Marcello £99 per person for 2.5 hours, including afternoon tea. Or, sign up for Kinloch’s new Gourmet Getaway experience from £850pp including three nights’ dinner, bed & breakfast, two cookery classes and a tour of the island’s culinary hotspots. Written by Lucy Gillmore, August 2016 You might also like The best places to eat & drink on Skye Grilled trout with Asian dressing Sicilian mackerel with cauliflower puree The best field-to-fork breaks Rosemary and walnut shortbread
The Ship Inn, Elie: Pub With Rooms Review
Read our review of The Ship Inn in Elie. One of Scotland’s most famous pubs, right by the sea not far from Edinburgh and known for its fabulous seafood
Imagine Cornwall, only quieter. The Kingdom of Fife is a bucolic county, just over the Forth Bridge from Edinburgh. The fertile farmland here is neatly trimmed, the coast laced with long sweeps of sand and old stone villages tumbling towards the sea. Harbours jostle with jaunty fishing trawlers unloading their creels of langoustine and lobster and lanes are lined with fancy farm shops. There’s local surf 'n' turf and an Italian ice-cream culture to boot (check out Jannettas in St Andrews): in summer Fife feels like a giant picnic hamper. In the heart of it, on the beachfront in the village of Elie, is The Ship Inn. A local institution it’s recently been taken over by new owners, Graham and Rachel Bucknall (of the Bridge Inn, in Ratho), and they’ve revamped the old pub, opening a sprawling restaurant upstairs and six contemporary, seaside-chic bedrooms. In the pub itself, dogs lie in front of a roaring fire, seafaring photos pepper the walls and a beer garden just above the beach is perfect for a sundowner (try a local Eden Mill gin and tonic). This is old-fashioned, make-your-own-fun, bucket-and-spade territory. Go cockling on the shore, build sandcastles, tuck into a barbecue in the beer garden or take a walk along the Fife Coastal Path. Sleep The Ship’s six new bedrooms are done up in fresh, coastal style with a smattering of eclectic junk shop finds (old washstands, sea chests and shoe lasts). Bedside tables are made from stacks of old suitcases topped with glass. Walls are clad with aquamarine tongue and groove and the seaside vibe is accentuated by old wooden oars, rope ladders, glass buoys and framed photos of ancient seafarers. Contemporary comfort comes in the form of roll-top baths, monsoon showers, flat-screen TVs, espresso machines and free Wifi. Perched on the window seat in the 'Admiral' room on the top floor you can gaze down on dog-walkers weaving across the village’s broad, sandy beach through white-shuttered bay windows. Eat Famous for its fish and chips, the inn champions Scottish seafood and local shellfish (the crab, lobster and langoustine are landed at nearby Pittenweem, also home to a thriving community of artists). You can tuck into hearty pub grub, bangers and mash-style, or opt for home-cured salmon with samphire, confit fennel, watermelon and a saffron dressing followed by seared sea bream with cauliflower and samphire, tempura oyster and crispy capers. Do Watch a game of cricket on beach from the beer garden. The inn is the only pub in Britain to have a cricket team with a pitch on the beach (check out the website for tide-dependent fixture list for matches from May to September). This year the cricket festival takes place over the weekend of 12-14 August. Double rooms at The Ship Inn start from £90, including breakfast (shipinn.scot) Written by Lucy Gillmore First published: March 2016 You might also like… Best gastropubs with rooms: the Bridge Inn, Ratho Best gastropubs with rooms: the Sun Inn, Kirkby Lonsdale The best places to eat & drink on Skye Olive’s best Scottish food trips of 2015