The Book Shelf

THE BOOK SHELF A Taste of the Highlands

By Ghillie Basan

As Covid closed-in once again in the Autumn of 2021, Ghillie Basan found herself one of a number of people appointed by Scotland: Food and Drink as an ambassador to inspire food tourism growth. Now, as the country shakes off restrictions, she is keen to kick start initiatives and help with the road to recovery. Ghillie is an author of more than 45 books, a broadcaster and food anthropologist. She hosts cookery workshops and whisky and food pairing experiences for staycationers and international visitors alike. And she is bringing the Highland’s natural produce to the attention of the world at a vital moment. She is determined that producers, farmers, crofters, fishermen and women, and distillers will all be part of our recovery and will benefit from it.

In her book, A Taste of the Highlands, Basan writes from the heart as she takes readers on an uplifting culinary journey through the Highlands, meeting true food adventurers and entrepreneurs along the way. Thirty years ago she followed her dreams to a small croft in the Cairngorms National Park but when she first arrived, there was a paucity of local food produce. Meat and fish was shipped south or abroad and the supermarket / online shopping boom had yet to arrive. So she grew her own vegetables and acquired wild produce – rabbits, pheasants, wood pigeons, wild garlic and nettles – reviving habits of Highland living that had been forgotten.

Today local people and visitors to the area want local produce. And producers are responding, exploring ways of preserving tradition, whilst revisiting and reinventing Scotland’s food and drink heritage.

In A Taste of the Highlands, this fine writer introduces us to new food friends and their produce, illustrating her commentary and stories with their recipes and her own. Picking out just a few here from a book that is a sheer joy to read and explore, we find: • Tomatin 12 year old whisky,

‘creamy and fruity with a buttery

finish’, perfect for adding to prunes as a topping for porridge; • The wheat flour, rye flour, spelt and peasemeal ground at Golspie

Mill using a one man (Michael

Shaw) operated water-powered system – her book contains a recipe using his peasemeal for

Pancakes with Crowdie, Rowan

Raisins and Birch Syrup. • Fenella and Kirsty, owners of

Ullapool’s Sea Food Shack, purchasing local seafood from local creel boats for the likes of their Lobster Macaroni Cheese (and yes, Ghillie includes this cracking recipe); • The Oyster Lady of Loch Crenan who set up the Caledonian

Oyster Company - and offers tips for shucking fresh oysters; • Edinvale Farm, which sits high above the Moray Firth and was founded by Michael and Susan

Gibson. They went on to buy Macbeth’s Butcher and Game

Dealer in Forres as an outlet for their high-end farm meat and their reputation spread right across the Highlands and abroad.

Now their son Jock is in charge and the business continues to thrive. • The honesty box system of the

Highlands – with Ghillie paying particular attention to the Little

Swallow Food Cupboard in

Shieldaig on the coast of Wester

Ross. Owned and filled by Peter

Fenton with homemade jams, chutneys, marmalades, cakes and savoury pasties each with their own tale of the making.

Having read this, you are probably already planning your own culinary adventure but I urge you to dive into the pages of this book first and even from your armchair start ordering the food of the Highlands. Live local. Eat local. Celebrate Scotland’s larder.

A Taste of the Highlands by Ghillie Basan. Published by Birlinn, £25 hbk

Read more about Ghillie Basan at https://www.spiritandspice.co.uk/