Scotland

[ferdlisky]

I'm planning a trip to Scotland in a couple of months and am hoping for some good dining advice...

I'll definitely go to Edinb. and Glasg., haven't decided where else I'll go. If you have any recommendations for places to eat or stay, could you PM me? Thanks!!!!

[Adam Balic]

"good dining advice". Never dine in a Scottish Restuarant. Well it was very obvious and had to be said. Obviously not true in any way.

I live in Edinburgh, maybe you could PM me your travel details and I will see what I can suggest.

[AdamLawrence]

Should you find yourself up that way, the Three Chimneys on Skye is really lovely. But it's not exactly the sort of place you're going to stumble on, given that it makes the back of beyond look convenient. Should you be in Skye, a less gourmet but really nice place for a big plate of local seafood (especially squat lobster) is Coruisk House in Elgol. Beautiful place, very convenient for the Cuillin ridge.

In Edinburgh, Kalpna has really good vegetarian Indian food. In Glasgow, I hear good things about the Ubiquitous Chip, but haven't been. My best meal in Glasgow was at 78 St Vincents a couple of years ago.

Between the two the Champany Inn in Linlithgow is supposed to have some of the best beef going and a superb wine list - with prices to match.

Three Chimneys

78 St Vincent

Champany Inn

Coruisk House

Adam

[g.johnson]

The Peat Inn, near St. Andrews. Nice place to stay and a very good restaurant.

[mogsob]

In Edinburgh, Dubh Prais served up a memorable meal, complete with a fantastic haggis made with an oat casing. In Glasgow, we had 2 fantastic meals at Stavaigin and Stavaigin 2 (related, but very different -- the latter is more experimental). We also enjoyed a few meals at the Babbity Bowster pub (where we stayed). I would not recommend the B&B in Edinburgh were we stayed -- I would suggest looking for someplace in New Town.

[A Scottish Chef]

I can't speak about Edinburgh as I rarely go there. Last time I did go I was arrested.

The Ubiquitous Chip in Glasgow has been excellent every time I have been. The area around it, Hillhead, is just a wonderful place to be. A beautiful park, botanical gardens and the stunning University are particular highlights. You'll find Hillhead full of little cafe's and bistro's that are great places to sit and waste hours away.

The Ubiquitous Chip

If you wish to try Britains best Indian restuarants (and it's in Glasgow they are to be found) then you won't go wrong in either the Ashoka, Mr Singh's or the palatial vastness of Cafe India. Creme de la Creme is superb and huge as well.

Nick Nairns restaurant and Gordon Ramsay's michelin starred Amaryllis are both in Glasgow and presumably won't be too shabby. I've been to neither, but friends tell me Ramsay's place is particularly worthy of a visit.

If you want one recommendation above all, then get in a car and drive north of Glasgow, up beyond Loch Lomond until you come to the The Drovers Inn at Inverarnan. It's a pub that will live in your memory until your dying day. Imagine walking into a pub the looks like it has been untouched for 4 hundred years and you are close to it's almost tangible link to historic life in Scotland. There is a wee restuarant specialising in local produce nearby in an old church hall (I think), but I can't recall it's name.

Enjoy your visit.

[Adam Balic]

If you want one recommendation above all, then get in a car and drive north of Glasgow, up beyond Loch Lomond until you come to the The Drovers Inn at Inverarnan. It's a pub that will live in your memory until your dying day.  Imagine walking into a pub the looks like it has been untouched for 4 hundred years and you are close to it's almost tangible link to historic life in Scotland. There is a wee restuarant specialising in local produce nearby in an old church hall (I think), but I can't recall it's name.

Enjoy your visit.

Is that the place on the West highland way? Full of stuffed birds and as you said really something else. I was there last May, one of my more twitchery friends pointed out that there were more dead corncrakes in the lobby then there were in all of mainland Scotland. I didn't notice, far to distracted by a drunk chap in kilt, pretending to be a character from "The League of Gentlemen", scaring some Dutch tourists. Very funny. Absolutely, you must go there.

[A Scottish Chef]

Is that the place on the West highland way? Full of stuffed birds and as you said really something else. I was there last May, one of my more twitchery friends pointed out that there were more dead corncrakes in the lobby then there were in all of mainland Scotland. I didn't notice, far to distracted by a drunk chap in kilt, pretending to be a character from "The League of Gentlemen", scaring some Dutch tourists. Very funny. Absolutely, you must go there.

The very place, Adam.

Speaking of chaps in kilts, one of my favourite memories of the place was when one of the Barmen (all kilt wearers) took more than a passing interest in a friend of mine. He didn't find it as funny as we did.

It's only a forty minute drive from the awe of Glencoe itself into the bargain. I think it's high time I went back for a refresher or seven myself

[Adam Balic]

Yes we stopped there on the way back from Glen Coe. Must go back there, although I am really keen to go back to Islay and this time do some hiking in Jura as well. Ah the West coast, so fantastically different to the east coast.

[wgallois]

Nice to see Glencoe getting a mention here - what an amazing place. I can't say that I have happy memories of the quality of the food in the Clachaig Inn or the other pub in the Glen, but any food and drink tastes good in such sensational surroundings.

That said, is there any town in Britain with worse food than Fort William? I guess that I wasn't looking for great food when I went there, but I have memories of grim walks down the main street and struggling to choose between the unappealing looking cafes and restaurants.

[macrosan]

Auchterarder House (near Gleneagles Hotel) in Perthshire. One of the most elegant and extraordinary dining experiences I ever had.

[A Scottish Chef]

That said, is there any town in Britain with worse food than Fort William?

I vote for Dumbarton.

McDonalds is the highlight of food on offer in this miserable, grey town.

[Louisa Chu]

I stayed at nairns a few years ago but did not eat at the restaurant. I think there are only 4 or maybe just a couple more rooms in the townhouse above. Enormous, stylish rooms, each design unique. An electric kettle, good tea, turbino sugar, real cream, oat cakes, china, silver in each room. Fresh, generous breakfast in bed upon request.

The rooms are not mentioned on their site so I can only hope they're still available.

nairns restaurant

Also stayed in a little inn just outside Fort William. Rooms were grim but the restaurant packed and happy. First haggis, fresh and hot. Sat by the window and saw what I thought was a raging river until the owner explained that it was the sea which rushes in and out.

[AdamLawrence]

Nice to see Glencoe getting a mention here - what an amazing place. I can't say that I have happy memories of the quality of the food in the Clachaig Inn or the other pub in the Glen, but any food and drink tastes good in such sensational surroundings.

That said, is there any town in Britain with worse food than Fort William? I guess that I wasn't looking for great food when I went there, but I have memories of grim walks down the main street and struggling to choose between the unappealing looking cafes and restaurants.

Fort William has one good restaurant - the Crannog on the lochside pier. Very good, simple seafood, though quite pricey. Rest of the town is pretty grim, though the chippy on the main street isn't bad. Mind you, when you've been snowed on for twelve hours (in June!) on the hill, most things taste pretty good. Especially beer.

I agree about the Clachaig, although the venison burgers aren't bad. But it's more about convenience and beer. And I am biased, because last summer, when I struggled down off the Aonach Eagach having taken about three hours more than I expected to complete the ridge, they extended their serving time to feed me. And the beer is very, very good. Did I mention the beer?

Adam

[nemuchan]

"good dining advice". Never dine in a Scottish Restuarant.   Well it was very obvious and had to be said. Obviously not true in any way.

I live in Edinburgh, maybe you could PM me your travel details and I will see what I can suggest.

To paraphrase Adam: Never dine in an Edinburgh Restaurant .

An eternal optimist, however, I ventured out to The Apartment earlier this week. Much lauded, much trendy (if you believe what you read), much sought after (packed on a Wednesday and when we booked we were told we could have our table only for 90 minutes). I've eaten far worse but I would describe the fare as 'cafe food'. Nearly everything I saw being eaten comprised brown meat, eg burger, kebab, sausage. Even scallops are coated in breadcrumbs (and cheese?) and grilled well brown.

Perhaps I was looking for the wrong thing and perhaps I'm veering off the 'good dining' topic.

I would second another poster's recommendation of the Peat Inn. At my wife's birthday last year we had the tasting menu there and I felt that every dish reflected thought, care and skill. I seem to remember the wine list being strong on the Rhone - which suits me. Unfortunately in that respect I was driving and had the opportunity only to taste a little of a Paul Jaboulet Aine (sp?) Cornas. Some of the best food I've had in the UK, in a very welcoming atmosphere.

I think The Peat Inn was a strong influence on Nick Nairn's Braeval near Aberfoyle where I had excellent meals on two occasions. It's now closed, however, and I was relatively, only relatively mind, disappointed the one time I ate at Nairns in Glasgow.

My wife has eaten/stayed at One Devonshire Gardens (or is it Place?) on business and was impressed.

[A Scottish Chef]

I can't say that I have happy memories of the quality of the food in the Clachaig Inn or the other pub in the Glen, but any food and drink tastes good in such sensational surroundings.

Sadly, this observation is all too accurate of many dining establishments on the west coast highlands. I can think of a dozen places set in jaw-dropping natural beauty that make you feel the food cannot fail to please. And then it does.

Port Sonachan hotel on Loch Awe (rightfully no hint of modesty in that Loch's name) is one such place. Another glass restaurant overlooking a Loch that just happens to have an ancient castle ruin sited in it's waters. I watched it emerge from mist scattered by the sun over breakfast there one morning. It was humbling to sit in a room of people all whispering in hushed, reverential tones about the wonders unfolding before our eyes. No one seemed to care about the underdone bacon or the dried out black pudding being served.

As the mists cleared you can see right across the loch and the mountains reveal themselves to show off the waterfalls and the remnants of winter snow caps.

My fiancee and I walked around the head of the Loch and down the other side to have lunch at a hotel looking in the opposite direction onto Port Sonachan. We were offered toasties, baked potatoes or filled baguettes. I couldn't believe the poverty of the food being offered in such surroundings. Whilst commenting to her about this she replied,

"I know. No Quorn either...."

Maybe the food is much improved since my last visit (I can't believe it's worse) but in any event, this place is only forty minutes from Inverarnan, too, and I'd add it to my list of destinations just to see the Loch Awe in all it's splendour.

[AdamLawrence]

I agree with ASC's last post, but would say that there are plenty of sources of good food in the Highlands if you are prepared to hunt them out and not just dive into the first place that hoves into view. This can be slightly more difficult than elsewhere because of the larger distances, though.

Some more thoughts: in Tobermory, on Mull, in the cafe on the ferry pier, we watched a chap motoring across the harbour having dived for scallops. A little bit later, those scallops - deep-fried, natch, this is Scotland after all - were on our plates. Yum. In Mallaig, which is a hole, but gives access to Skye which is not, I ate an enormous plateful of huge and beautiful langoustines with good home-made mayo in what was effectively an eat-in chippy (the young lunk of a waiter, bringing the plates over, said 'Who's having the prawns'? - you have to imagine this in a strong West Highlands accent for maximum comedy value). About the only place I've eaten universally badly was Lewis/Harris, but even here there are places that are apparently kicking against the pricks - I hear good things about Scarista House on the west coast of Harris and Bonaventure in Uig, Lewis, a place so isolated it's hard to imagine.

God, I love Scotland.

Adam

[macrosan]

God, I love Scotland.

And I agree with you, my son

[AdamLawrence]

Well, of course we like Scotland, Martin. We play golf

Adam

[macrosan]

1995 at Gleneagles. Prebooked tee-time on the Kings Course, absolutely pissing down with rain, would have cancelled but we were only there for three days and I'd never played Kings before.

Played four holes of total misery. Couldn't hit the ball out of my own shadow (oh if only there had been a shadow), soaked to the skin, cold, not happy. On to the tee at the fifth, a straightforward 160 yard par 3, and I say to my typically gnarled Scottish caddie "What club should I take ?".

He replied in his rich, rolling Scottish accent "The way you're playing, sir, it disnae much matter"

[AdamLawrence]

2002 at Muirfield. Saturday of the Open. The day of the great storm. I've never been so cold and wet in my life. Nor have I ever seen people queuing - and this on the Saturday of the Open - to get into the tented village.

It's at times like that you realise that Scots didn't invent whisky by accident

Adam

[mogsob]

I love Scotland and I hate golf, so there.

And I disagree on the quality of the food in Scotland. We planned well, and ate well as a result. I highly recommend staying at Wolsey Lodges during your trip -- we ate well at all of them. Karen Brown's travel guides are also very good for Scotland -- where possible we stayed in farmhouses where we could eat also. Also, the Good Pub guide was invaluable, and steered us to many excellent pubs where we ate, drank, and slept when a good farmhouse was unavailable.

[Adam Balic]

2002 at Muirfield. Saturday of the Open. The day of the great storm. I've never been so cold and wet in my life. Nor have I ever seen people queuing - and this on the Saturday of the Open - to get into the tented village.

It's at times like that you realise that Scots didn't invent whisky by accident 

Adam

2000 - 2003 - I've never been so cold and wet in my life, either. If I was to be completely honest about Edinburgh, I would say that I rarely go to restaurants here, maybe three times a year. The food, value for money or service often makes me angry, so I just go for the company really, not the food. I would rather buy some of the rapidly disappearing Scottish produce and cook it myself.

I bet that I am the only person in Scotland to have cooked: Arbroath Smokies, Squat lobsters, Finnan Haddies, razor clams all in the last six months.

[A Scottish Chef]

I bet that I am the only person in Scotland to have cooked: Arbroath Smokies, Squat lobsters, Finnan Haddies, razor clams all in the last six months.

The Loch Fyne Oyster bar has a great reputation for it's seafood. Assuming you accept that Inverarnen is a must visit destination, then this restaurant is less than half an hour from the Drovers Inn.

You'll also get to drive through the rest and be thankful, yet one more astonishingly beautiful area in the place that I live.

Adam was wrong. Thankfully.

I'm not quite getting why the west coast seems to do so much better for dining than the east coast, Adam. Any ideas as to why this might be?

[Adam Balic]

I bet that I am the only person in Scotland to have cooked: Arbroath Smokies, Squat lobsters, Finnan Haddies, razor clams all in the last six months.

The Loch Fyne Oyster bar has a great reputation for it's seafood. Assuming you accept that Inverarnen is a must visit destination, then this restaurant is less than half an hour from the Drovers Inn.

You'll also get to drive through the rest and be thankful, yet one more astonishingly beautiful area in the place that I live.

Adam was wrong. Thankfully.

I'm not quite getting why the west coast seems to do so much better for dining than the east coast, Adam. Any ideas as to why this might be?

We tried to go to the LFOB on the way back from Islay. They were quite rude to us and generally treated us poorly because we looked like maybe were weren't rich tourists. Basically, when we asked for a table they told us they were full-up/closing, we went to have a look at the produce in their store, we noticed several groups of people that had come in after us been taken to the tables. When we questioned the staff on this they said "Oh, some tables had come free", which is a polite way of say piss-off. I would never go there again.

And they don't have Squad Lobsters, so I am still No. 1 .

In that area I would go to "The George" in Inverrary, one of the best pubs food, although not a gastro-pub, that I have been to in Scotland.

The West Coast is just better then the East Coast.

Edited February 28, 2003 by Adam Balic (log)