FEATURES
A taste of the Highlands Laura Wood settles down for a night of fine dining at Dipping Lugger, a new restaurant with rooms in Ullapool
L
et me tell you about the weekend we decided to jump in the car at the last minute and head to Ullapool. A moment of madness? You might think so but there’s quite a lot to like about this unassuming port town on the edge of Loch Broom on the West Highland coast - Northern lights, Corrieshalloch, gorge, the NC500, Munros to bag, Highland stoneware, the Seafood Shack, and beautiful beaches nearby. Plus, it’s all within a pretty lovely fourhour drive from Edinburgh. What Ullapool was lacking, as so many small Scottish towns and villages are, is contemporary design-led accommodation offering quality modern dining. Then, along came The Dipping Lugger last summer and changed all that. Based opposite the ferry terminal and the gateway to the Western Isles, The Dipping Lugger is a destination restaurant with three rooms housed in what was previously the parish manse, dating back to 1789. The building oozes historic charm with all its nooks and crannies, low ceilings and wee doors, but it’s all been lovingly restored by owners Robert Hicks and Helen Chalmers (the dynamic duo who own the award-winning Highland Liquor Company distillery and shop situated a couple of streets behind The Dipping Lugger and well worth a visit). They pulled in the heavyweights to realise their vision and contracted renowned designer Eve CullenCornes for the interiors, head chef David Smith, formerly of Boath House in Nairn, to oversee the kitchen, and front of house is the hospitable Calum Robertson who has years of experience behind him in some of Scotland’s best-known institutions. In doing so, they’ve created a luxury Highland retreat with a good dose of
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