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North Highland Larder THE GUIDE TO THE FOOD & DRINK OF THE NORTH HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND

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www.mey-selections.com; buy online via www.campbellsmeat.com

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Introduction GUIDES

The North Highland Larder Part of The Larder series of food and drink publications thelarder.net Editor Donald Reid Deputy Editor Claire Ritchie Editorial assistance Keith Smith Writing & research John Cooke, Sylvie Docherty, Hannah Ewan, Sandy Neil, David Pollock, Tom Sampson, Keith Smith Design & Production Simon Armin Advertising & Sponsorship Chris Knox, Nicky Carter, Sheri Friers Map Map © Ashworth Maps and Interpretation Ltd 2013. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown Copyright and database right 2013.

Cover Cover image courtesy of Isle of Ewe Smokehouse © John Paul of John Paul Photography, Inverness.

Publishers Robin Hodge, Simon Dessain Larder Director Peter Brown ©2013 The List Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of The List Ltd. Published by The List Ltd 14 High Street Edinburgh EH1 1TE Tel: 0131 550 3050 list.co.uk Extensive efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, however the publishers can accept no responsibility for any errors it may contain.

he North Highlands of Scotland – the area of mainland north of Inverness and Skye – are characterised not only by spectacular scenery, rich cultural history and unique natural heritage, but also by a compelling larder of food and drink.

The territories of Caithness, Sutherland and Ross-shire, together with sea-facing coastlines to the north, east and west, encompass both fertile farmland and marginal crofting, deep-water fish ports and tiny inlets that are the hunting ground for creel fishermen and scallop divers. Game, wild trout and foraged foods can be found across the vast, sparsely populated landscape, while in the knots of population are plenty of enterprising food and drink businesses from cheesemakers and chocolatiers to craft breweries and whisky distilleries.

This guide aims to tell the story of the food and drink of the North Highlands in all its diversity and practical detail. It tells you about the food grown, reared, landed and produced in the North Highlands, and just as importantly where to find it, from local farm shops to Michelin-starred restaurants. Independently selected to reflect the contemporary food culture of the North Highlands, this is above all a guide to help you find, appreciate and enjoy great local food.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This guide has been developed by The List working with the North Highland Initiative, Highland Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The editors would like to thank David Whiteford and Tom Campbell for their support of the project, as well as Claire Farquhar for her assistance and local wisdom.

FEEDBACK To correct or update any information contained in the North Highland Larder, or to provide comments or feedback, contact eat@list.co.uk, or write to the Editor, North Highland Larder, c/o The List, 14 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TE The North Highland Larder 3

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Contents

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What’s in the North Highland Larder?

There’s a lot packed into these 48 pages. Here are a few of the highlights

Say Cheese

A Crofter’s Tale

Meet the people behind Highland Fine Cheese. See page 18.

Discover more about Scotland’s crofting renaissance and how food produced on crofts is making its mark. See page 8.

Smokey Joe

Where to Eat

Take a tour of some North Highland smokehouses on page 12.

From afternoon tea and pub lunches to Michelinstarred dinner for two. From page 36.

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Contents

> FOREWORD

To Market

Where to Buy

Find out about the region’s farmers’ and community markets on page 46.

From butchers and bakers to farm shops and delis. Listings start on page 28.

From the North Highlands

Chef’s Choices

A comprehensive round-up of the food grown, farmed, made and landed in the region. See page 26.

Some top North Highland chefs select their favourite local produce. See panels from page 31.

Introduction

3

Features

6

Map

24

Where to Buy

28

Where to Eat

36

Farmers’ Markets & Food Festivals

45

Index

47

As Chair of His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, The Duke of Rothesay’s North Highland Initiative, it is a great pleasure to be introducing the first ever publication of the North Highland Larder. It showcases an astounding variety of produce and offers a superb introduction to the great tastes of our region.

Since 2005 the Initiative has supported food and farming in the most northerly counties of Caithness, Sutherland and Rossshire, helping to meet a real demand for provenance by consumers. The North Highlands is a place of majestic landscapes but it’s also a fragile and remote part of the world and people work hard to make a living.

In this publication, I am particularly pleased to see quality, sustainably produced local produce feature, and I’m proud that this produce is increasingly available throughout the UK and abroad.

David Whiteford Chairman, North Highland Initiative

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Salmon & Shellfish

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Seafood Specials John Cooke explores the background to some of the fish and shellfish that travel from the North Highlands to the top kitchens in Britain and Europe

almo Salar (the Atlantic salmon) is an extraordinary creature.

Capable of living in both fresh and sea waters, and able to navigate across thousands of miles with pin-point accuracy back to the very gravel bed in which it spawned, it’s a fish that has fed man since the days of the Picts, and just one example of the rich seafood heritage of the North Highlands.

However, stocks of wild salmon are now limited and strictly controlled, while the farmed salmon raised in local lochs and bays have become an important employer and international export.

Of course, modern aquaculture is not without its critics, with some believing it has no place, except as an on-land closed system. Clearly, with consumers becoming increasingly ethically astute in their purchasing, no salmon farmer worth their salt ignores the sustainability

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and environmental impacts of working in some of the most pristine waters on earth.

Loch Duart salmon is a case in point.

Employing around 55 people, with a history going back to 1999, they hit the headlines when their salmon was served at the royal wedding of Kate and William in 2011.

Producing 5,600 tonnes of fish a year, it is no boutique operation, but then is easily dwarfed by the larger Norwegianowned operations elsewhere that churn out the bulk of Scotland’s 160,000 tonnes of fish annually.

On the important subject of sustainability, Loch Duart’s Sales Director Andy Bing points to the eight separate sets of regulations from different bodies that Loch Duart aspires to meet. Among the many practices and disciplines which he believes make a significant contribution is leaving a

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Salmon & Shellfish fish farm fallow for a year, after the two years it takes to raise a fish to harvest size. Theoretically, this allows the debris from the fish and its feeding to dissipate and the ocean floor to recover. Working with the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Loch Duart has modified this practice where and when it has proved not to work.

‘I think aquaculture realises that to have a long-term future, we have to continually look for improvements in sustainability,’ he asserts, speaking from Loch Duart’s Badcall Salmon House HQ near Scourie, a building ironically built by the Duke of Northumberland as part of a 19th-century wild salmon netting station.

For another North Highlands fish supplier, Keltic Seafare, the challenge is a different one: bringing the wild harvest from the ocean floor off the northwest coast of Scotland to the tables of some of the world’s most revered restaurants in London, Paris or Madrid, in under 24 hours.

This 20-year-old company was begun by a renowned scallop diver and a sales partner, at first focussing on scallops alone, but now taking in creel-caught lobster, langoustine and crab.

The race to table begins with a fleet of a dozen vans trawling up and down the coast, awaiting the post-noon landing of

up to 75 small boats bringing their catch ashore at harbours and quays both huge and tiny. It’s a complicated logistical operation, heavily weather dependent.

Consolidated on Skye, the catch is brought to Dingwall for packing and rapid despatch to destinations far and wide. Passengers on the overnight sleeper train to London might be interested to know that they are sharing transport with hundreds of wriggling langoustine and briny lobsters.

The good news (though local seafood lovers prefer to keep it secret) is that it’s possible to intercept some of the world’s finest shellfish by visiting Keltic Seafare’s new building in Dingwall. Place your order in person and, a day later, you could be eating exactly what they savour at places like the Savoy Grill or Gordon Ramsay’s Petrus. Incidentally, if you’re not in the area, and a Michelin-starred meal is out of your price range, then a mail-order delivery can be organised via the Keltic Seafare website.

Another rather more earthy string to the Keltic Seafare bow is the addition of wild girolles and chanterelles, picked by local foragers, usually in June and July.

These are much in demand by local chefs early in the season – and possibly with those locals and visitors with a taste for the exceptional too.

■ lochduart.com, kelticseafare.com

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Crofting

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Marked for Success

With Highland crofting experiencing something of a renaissance, John Cooke investigates a scheme intended to promote and protect the provenance of crofters’ produce he image of the hard-pressed crofter working his small plot of land while holding down a number of other jobs is a familiar one.

Typically, the produce from that land is the ‘store lamb’, raised on the croft and then sent down south to be fattened (and made profitable) before going to market.

But with the introduction of the Scottish Crofting Produce Mark, that traditional route is being augmented by those eager to explore fully the benefits of such a remarkable means of food production. Certainly, the guarantee of provenance that the mark provides feeds straight into the public’s growing desire to know exactly where the food on their plate comes from.

Launched in 2009, the Scottish

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Crofting Produce Mark can be found on beef, pork, lamb, mutton, potatoes, vegetables and soft fruits, eggs and dairy produce, honey and preserves, as well as non-food items such as wool, knitwear and tweed.

The mark signifies that the produce in question comes from a croft, or similar small agricultural holding, in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, with the producer a member of the Scottish Crofting Federation. Importantly, it ensures that the marked product meets certain laid-down standards of quality, animal health and welfare, hygiene and total traceability.

Undoubtedly there is plenty of potential for the mark. The Scottish Crofting Federation is, notably, the

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Crofting

largest independent association of smallscale food producers in the UK. Of course, there are challenges in getting food to market in a sustainable and efficient manner, across a landscape that is some of the least populated in the whole of Europe. The need for conveniently situated abattoirs, to drive down food miles and maximise animal welfare, is a case in point. For example, adjusted for population, Austria has around 77 times more abattoirs than Scotland, with nearly two-thirds of these on Austrian farms.

Russell Smith, who crofts 76 hectares just outside Bonar Bridge with his wife Evelyn, recognises the problems of small-scale food processing, having shifted from raising poultry for food to breeds for showing when the former proved uneconomic. Besides also raising a flock of 140 breeding Cheviots, he is to be found at the Dornoch farmers’ market once or twice a month with cartons of fresh eggs, proudly carrying the Scottish Crofting Produce Mark. He also gives visitors close-up views of a working croft with a holiday cottage and a mini-caravan park with a stunning view over Loch Migdale.

Russell makes a powerful point: ‘You must remember that buying a croftermarked product is unique, in that you are not just buying something produced in a way that is traditional and less intensive, truly caring for the land. You are also supporting a system that keeps people in remote areas, people with a stake in

the community. Care homes stay open, schools stay viable; a whole society can live on.’

On their 44-hectare croft at Reidchalmai, near Golspie, Robin and Penny Calvert are also finding fresh ways to make crofting pay. Instead of raising lambs that would ultimately head south, Robin’s strategy was to cut his flock in half and, with the time gained, grow them on himself, to reap the benefits. Key to this has been a home-built cutting room and chiller to hang, cut, slice and pack those sheep, as well as poultry, pigs and locally sourced game. He also makes sausages, hot-smokes lamb, and bakes a tasty ‘crofter’s pie’, all available via his website, or at local farmers’ markets.

The Scottish Crofting Federation is bullish about the future of crofting, petitioning the Scottish Government to create 10,000 new crofts by 2020.

That is some ambition, given that there are at present just over 18,000 crofts, according to the Crofting Commission.

For the Federation, crofting is ‘the model best placed to deliver the Government’s emerging policy goals for agricultural and rural development’.

Politics aside (and crofting has been wryly described as ‘a parcel of land surrounded by a sea of legislation’), that should mean an increasing amount of locally produced food, with clear provenance, coming to market – good news for locals and visitors alike.

■ crofting.org

> AVOIDING ICEBERGS

Knockfarrel Produce is run by Jo Hunt and Lorna Walker from a 40-acre, certified organic croft on the western edge of the Black Isle.

When a consortium of 17 small producers including Knockfarrel were unsuccessful in winning a Highland Council catering tender in 2008, the resulting outcry saw the council change their sourcing policies.

In 2012 Knockfarrel and the Natural Vegetable Company won a joint contract to supply salad leaves to 117 Highland schools and 34 care homes.

The feedback has been impressive. ‘Now, I really believe that the chefs want this produce,’ says Hunt.

‘We were originally asked to send lettuces similar to icebergs – but we also chucked in some others.

This year, the Council just asked us to choose the varieties that grow well, and they’ll use them: they’re tastier, and kids eat more of them.’ (Hannah Ewan) ■ knockfarrel.com

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Loch & Sea Fish

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Fishing for Food Exploring the lochs and rocks of the Highlands for fish for the table can be as memorable as the feast itself, as Tom Sampson explains

nyone who has ever been forced off a singletrack road north of Lairg by a thundering 40-tonne pantechnicon full of the harvested fruits of our northern seas should stop and wonder why our glorious seafood is so sought after in the smartest restaurants in Paris and Madrid. Given a little thought and ingenuity you can – and should – be enjoying this bountiful harvest in situ.

The cry is often heard that you can’t buy fresh fish in the North. It’s true that if you’re looking for boutiquestyle fishmongers you may go hungry, but get yourself to the dockside in any of the small fishing ports dotted round the coast and you will find fishermen only too happy to sell their catch fresh off the boat – and the price might come as a pleasant surprise. Just don’t expect them to take a credit card.

For the more adventurous the best option is to get out and secure your own catch. Bring your own tackle and off you go. First step: ask! Not just for permission, but for advice on the best spots to target. There will almost

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always be someone who knows someone who really does know where to fish or dive. If sea fishing is your bag there will be a multitude of shore marks to fish with every chance of mackerel, pollack, bass or even the ugly but delicious gurnard. If your pockets are deeper you can charter local boats who will organise trips ranging from a couple of hours to all-day adventures far out into the Minches to seek out fruits of the deep such as skate and halibut.

The north of Scotland is a fly fisher’s paradise and, although salmon fishing is expensive and not normally available to the casual visitor, almost every loch and burn will hold a stock of wild brown trout. It is a commonly held myth that brown trout fishing in Scotland is free, so you should always seek permission.

Often you’ll find there’s no charge, or only a small fee payable to a local angling association. There can be few culinary experiences to beat wild trout fried on a fire, fresh out of a remote loch – perhaps even washed down with a small glass of our national drink.

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Smokehouses

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Smoke Signals Sylvie Docherty tours the artisan smokehouses of the North Highlands

he handful of cottage-industry smokehouses found in the far north of the mainland continue to use traditional smoking and curing methods, drawing from the vast harvest Scotland has to offer and attracting visitors and locals alike. Owners tell how the distinct geographical locations of their smokeries add to the unique flavour of their products. While all are fairly small and generally family-run businesses, their product ranges vary widely. Ask nicely, it seems, and they’ll smoke just about whatever you want.

Right at the northern tip of the mainland sits Caithness Smokehouse. Proprietors John and Christine Inglis chose to set up next to the major fishing port of Scrabster, ensuring that produce is as fresh and as locally sourced as can be. Simple,

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traditional methods are used in their large range of smoked products, which include hot- and cold-smoked salmon, hake, haddock, as well as seafood, venison, bacon, goose, cheese – and even butter, eggs and oatmeal for oatcakes. Although they don’t see as many tourists as they used to, John feels the smoking industry is still held in high regard, and reckons ‘people will still pay money for quality goods’. The majority of their produce is delivered to Inverness, with roughly 30 per cent of sales coming via their online ordering facility. Word of mouth has spread their reputation south of the border, and their butter is to be featured on tables at Wimbledon and The Ashes in 2013.

Isle of Ewe Smokehouse is situated on the north shore of Loch Ewe, with the Torridon mountains to the south and the Outer Hebrides to the west. The business is run by husband and wife team Paula and Alistair Gordon, who describe their products as being imbued ‘slowly with aromatic wood smoke and a west

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Smokehouses

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coast breeze’, resulting in a distinctive flavour. The smokehouse incorporates a deli which sells their smoked goods as well as a range of condiments and oatcakes to complement them. Products include smoked fish (mainly salmon and hake – both sustainable), cheese, scallops and garlic. Paula feels people are interested in smaller artisans because they want to know where their food comes from. ‘Food is a big thing on people’s agenda,’ she explains, ‘and visitors want to see the people that make the food as well as talk to them and eat the lovely produce.’

Relatively close by is Ullapool Smokehouse, a small business run

by Iain Boyd and Andy Reeve. Their popular stall at the town’s Saturday market is supplemented by mail-order sales, and they also supply to a number of local hotels and restaurants. The pair take pride in doing all the work themselves – from smoking and slicing to packing, dispatching and selling – with over 60 years’ experience between

them in the salmon, herring and smoking business. Their locally sourced salmon, from Wester Ross Fisheries, is RSPCA certified, and the fish is smoked using traditional methods, including their special ingredient of a malt whisky cure.

Keen to stand out from the rest of the pack, this smokehouse also offers maplecure hot-smoked salmon, sea-grown rainbow trout, kippers and smoked cheese.

Over on the east coast of Sutherland, Helmsdale Smokehouse is a family business run by Alexander and Fiona Cowrie. They will smoke any kind of fish caught in the nearby River Helmsdale, as well as crab when it’s in season. Although they now sell only directly to regular customers, they have a good number of these who come back time and time again, and who can even request a particular type of fish to be caught for them and smoked to order.

■ ullapoolsmokehouse.com, smokedbyewe.com, caithnesssmokehouse.com. Further details can The North Highland Larder 13

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Shellfish

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Home and Dry In a remote corner of Wester Ross, Sandy Neil discovers a tiny coastal economy that punches above its weight hat would you do with your own island?

Well, Ian and Jess McWhinney, the ‘King’ and ‘Queen’ of Dry Island in Loch Gairloch, Wester Ross, gave their four acres, house and pier its own name (Islonia), currency (the crab), flag (a crab in a Saltire) and legislation such as ‘all visitors must smile’.

One half of the island’s industry, skipper Ian, hauls up dripping baskets of langoustine, crab, lobster and squats from the depths of Loch Gairloch and Loch Torridon’s crystal-clear waters – and even runs ‘Shellfish Safaris’ – in his traditional creel boat.

The other half, Jess, sells Ian’s catch, alongside Wester Ross smoked salmon, hand-dived scallops and peat-smoked mackerel at the couple’s fish stall five miles away on Gairloch pier, as well as at farmers’ markets in Inverness, Gairloch and Poolewe, and through their website.

Moreover, it’s a green economy. Ian’s freshest pink langoustine leave a tiny carbon ‘claw print’, he says, far lower than seafood companies shipping prawns 12,000 miles over nine weeks from Scotland’s west coast to Thailand, where they’re ‘hand-peeled by workers

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earning twenty-five pence an hour, and shipped back to Scotland, breaded and packaged as premium “Scottish Island” scampi for British supermarkets.’

And that’s not all that bothers Ian. ‘Ninety per cent of Scottish shellfish is exported,’ he continues, ‘and the chances are the prawns in your Spanish paella come from here.’ After Ian and Jess saw their shellfish flown live all over Europe, and a crab from Wester Ross in Madeira selling for 25 euro (Ian was getting one euro a kilo for brown crabs), they decided to sell shellfish direct to locals and holidaymakers.

So now, thanks to Ian and Jess, not all of Scotland’s shellfish is sent abroad, and visitors can enjoy the bounty straight from the sea, with views across to Skye and the Outer Hebrides. Although the pair began trading five years ago, Ian’s ancestors, the Mackenzies, have caught and cured fish in Badachro Bay, Gairloch (literally ‘short loch’) since the 15th century. Maybe one day, when their ‘royal weans’ Iona and Isla are on the throne, Islonia will become an independent country. ‘We still have to pay tax, unfortunately!’ Jess jokes.

■ dryislandshellfish.co.uk

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Rapeseed Oil

Oiling the Wheels Cullisse Rapeseed Oil is the brainchild of Robert Mackenzie. Sylvie Docherty investigates

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he Cullisse brand was founded by Robert Mackenzie in 2011 following a trip to Kenya, during which he became involved in a charity called Farm Africa and was inspired by their cold-pressing techniques. On his return to Scotland the newly qualified solicitor chose to go back to the family farm, also called Cullisse, in Easter Ross. His dad, Ken, and brother Peter do the day-to-day farming of the rape seed while Robert takes care of the pressing, bottling and labelling, and the entire operation is carried out on the Cullisse farm. The simple, stylish bottles – designed by a third-year student of Edinburgh College of Art – are now stocked by shops across the UK, and have attracted some high-profile customers including Yotam Ottolenghi, Nigel Slater and Heston Blumenthal.

Promoted for its health benefits, rapeseed oil contains 50 per cent less saturated fat than

olive oil and has nine times the Omega 3, 6 and 9 content. It is cold pressed in a similar way to virgin olive oil, but has a more versatile nature when it comes to cooking. It can be heated to 230°C, but works as well for salad dressings and dips as it does for roasting potatoes. As to the oil’s flavour, Robert evocatively describes it as ‘subtle tones of nuttiness and summer grassiness, hints of garden peas fresh from the pod, and creamy butter undertones’. Looking to diversify the brand, Robert has introduced his Mixed Pepper & Spicy Marinade – an aromatic oil flavoured with cracked peppercorns, star anise, cloves and smoked sea salt – and further additions are in the works.

Keen to give something back to the organisation that initially inspired the Cullisse enterprise, Robert donates 20 pence from each purchase of his rapeseed oil to Farm Africa.

■ cullisse.com

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Salad Crops

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By Leaves We Live From garden hobby to celebrity-chef-supplying business, Saladworx is a success story to confound the marketing gurus, as Hannah Ewan finds out ntil 2011, when the company was already seven years old, Saladworx didn’t even have a name.

Run by husband and wife Michelle Bowley and David Herbert as a sideline until 2010, it was only when they won high-profile clients such as Albert Roux and Skibo Castle, and a prestigious Highlands & Islands Food & Drink award, that they realised their hobby had turned into a successful business behind their backs.

Bowley started growing salad leaves and edible flowers for her young children after finding it hard to source fresh, local produce in the Dornoch area, where their business is now run from the 50-acre family farm.

In 2004 a neighbour encouraged her to take the surplus to their local shop, and it sold well enough to start supplying other shops and restaurants. In the first few years production doubled annually, and has expanded by 150 per cent for the 2013 season.

‘We had these local, prestigious clients, but didn’t realise what we were doing,’ says Bowley. ‘We never marketed except for asking people if they wanted our produce. We had no website, and no paperwork to send out to people – if I was asked for information on our

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salads I had to rush something up that night.’

In 2012 they took the obvious step into artisan salad dressings. The impetus was the same as what prompted them to grow 100 different varieties of leaves and flowers, explains Bowley: ‘When our children were young I was buying dressings from anywhere, and found fault with all of them.’ Their own products use ingredients that are as local and chemical-free as possible: both the Highland Premium Hand-Made and citrus-sea ranges use Scottish cold-pressed rapeseed oil, Arran mustard, Scottish heather honey, and of course their own herbs and flowers.

Success may have crept up on them, but running their own business has still been a vertical learning curve, Bowley admits. ‘We came at it backwards. We’ve done everything because we needed to, rather than because we were told we should.

‘If we had known what we would have to do at the beginning, I think it would have put us off. We did it because we enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to anyone.’

■ saladworx.co.uk

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Grains

Not so Run of the Mill Hannah Ewan talks to the Kiwi miller operating one of Scotland’s last surviving commercial watermills

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ntil the early 20th century, every parish would have relied on its own waterpowered mill. Now, only a handful are even partially operational in Scotland, often turned into tourist destinations to engage visitors with living history.

Golspie Mill in Sutherland is one of the last fully operational, commercial watermills, grinding peasemeal, rye, bread and plain flour. The original mill was opened nearby around 1815, and was joined by the current mill in 1863. Back then, oats and bere (an ancient type of barley) were the order of the day, but today’s limited bere production means it all heads to Barony Mill in Orkney, and Golspie’s oats are milled over in Kelso. The new mill became the only mill in 1922, and fell out of use altogether in 1953, until a renovation project was completed nearly forty years later.

‘The last miller, Fergus Morrison, is the real hero of this story,’ says Michael Shaw, who has been Golspie’s resident operator since 2001. Morrison and his wife Eleanor spent a decade restoring Barony Mill, and then turned their sights to Golspie, ensuring that the mill’s innards remain fundamentally the same today as at their first grinding.

When Shaw, a New Zealander, married his Scottish wife Becky, he thought he’d take on the milling job for a couple of years. Twelve years later and he’s considering adding a Golspiebranded bakery line to the flours and peasemeal.

Running the mill is a full-time, labour-intensive job, as he explains: ‘There’s only enough water to grind a ton of wheat a week, in stints of two or three hours a day. The rest of the time is spent cleaning and maintaining the mechanics and roasting the peas, while the mill pond refills.’

Much of Golspie’s flour is sent to artisan bakeries across Scotland, and the rest is packaged up for speciality food shops – this is no mainstream, mass-produced product. Every grain is organic, and Shaw is limited in the most fundamental sense as to how much he can grind: when the water’s gone, it’s gone. Rising global grain prices have also been a problem, as they are over double what they were twelve years ago.

Shaw does, however, see one potential bonus to running machinery that operates on water: ‘When the apocalypse comes and there’s no electricity, I’ll be a very important person!’

■ golspiemill.co.uk

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Cheese

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A Fine Art

The act of turning milk into cheese is a delicate balance of science, tradition and craftsmanship, as Sandy Neil discovers

ll the world’s myriad cheeses – soft, hard, orange, blue, holey, wrinkled, smelly – spring from one miracle ingredient: milk. But magically turning milk into cheese is far from easy-peasy.

For a start, cheese is a living organism, requiring vigilance and care to sustain conditions for bacteria and fungi to flourish. Secondly, how the cheese behaves and tastes is largely determined before the animal is even milked.

One variable is species. Sheep’s milk is sweeter than cows’ milk, with undertones of roast lamb and lanolin in a mature sheep’s cheese like Lanark Blue from the Scottish Borders. Good goats’ milk, say in Ailsa Craig cheese, tastes like it has absorbed herbaceous oils of tarragon or thyme on a background of

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dry, crisp white wine.

Rory Stone of Highland Fine Cheeses, which was established exactly 50 years ago in 1963, makes six cheeses from cows’ milk, but the breed and feed also affect individual flavour. The richest cow milks come from Jersey and Guernsey breeds, pale yellow with fatty globules for smoother, fuller cream, butter or cheese.

The Dutch breed the world’s highest production dairy cow, the black and white Holstein, producing a lifetime average of 26,000 litres of milk. Often, like dairy herds supplying Highland Fine Cheeses, Holsteins are cross-bred with fertile Friesians, because a cow only produces milk after it’s given birth: so, more calves, more milk.

Seasonally, you may detect high, fruity flavours in milk from September to

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Cheese

> RIGHT ROYAL PRODUCE

May, when cattle feed on silage (pickled grass), balanced scientifically with soya, wheat or lupins for protein, and treacle and oats for carbohydrate. From May to September, cows feed on fields of grass, clovers and meadow flowers, and their milk takes on sweet, caramel, herb and floral tones, so these warm, wet months are the best time for making cheese.

Cheesemaking is, essentially, the art of preserving milk. First, fresh milk is pasteurised to 72°C to kill any ‘bad’ bacteria, before ‘good’ bacteria (or a ‘starter culture’) are introduced. The starter speedily multiplies and sours the milk, converting milk sugars (or lactose) into lactic acid, helping to preserve and harden the cheese. Eventually these organisms mature or ripen the cheese too, breaking down the milk’s natural fats and proteins to create new flavours, smells and textures.

The yoghurty milk then flows into cheese vats, where rennet (an enzyme derived from calves’ stomachs, or from thistles or figs for vegetarians) is added, coagulating the milk into solid curd and liquid whey. When this stiff milk is put into muslin or a pillow case and squeezed, it becomes ‘fresh’, ‘curd’ or ‘cottage’ cheese – low in fat because it still contains watery whey.

Using the traditional, ancient recipes of a Highland croft, Rory tightens the curds more with heat, ‘scrambling them

like eggs’ as he puts it, into a light, lemony Skinny Crowdie – to which he then adds double cream, and rolls into logs tossed in toasted pinhead oatmeal for nutty, buttery Caboc, or with crushed black peppercorns for bitey Black Crowdie (‘Gruth Dhu’ in Gaelic).

Curds destined for soft cheese like brie and Camembert are left simply to drain naturally in moulds and turned periodically, while curds for hard cheese like cheddar are physically pressed with a sieve-like ‘pitch’, cut into blocks, turned and piled to get every last morsel of whey and moisture out.

Hard cheese blocks are dry salted, while soft ones are submerged in brine baths.

Finally, mould is introduced to the soft cheeses in high humidity. Mould, like bacteria, breaks down the curd into, for example, a gorgeously ripe and runny Highland Brie, where white mould ripens the cheese from the outside in, for a week or so. For blue mould in their mellow, aromatic Strathdon Blue or the ‘spicy, steely and sweet’ Blue Monday, the cheese is pricked with a skewer allowing the fungal hyphae to grow inside out, for maybe a month. Hard cheeses may wait up to two years to mature, in giant car-wheel-size truckles, wrapped in wax and stacked from floor to ceiling in refrigerated warehouses. Now, where’s an oatcake?

Mey Selections was established as the trading brand of the North Highland Initiative (NHI), launched by The Duke of Rothesay, in 2005. One of the key aims of the Initiative is to foster closer connections between farmers, producers and consumers.

Around £80m of North Highland beef and lamb has been sold through Sainsbury’s since 2005, returning in excess of £1m of premium payments to farmers. In addition, NHI has recently secured an agreement with Campbells Prime Meats, one of Scotland’s leading suppliers, to list the Mey Selections brand as one of a premium range of products for the restaurant and hospitality sector.

This will see a significant expansion of the brand and range of products, with the Mey Selections brand offering a stamp of quality based on provenance.

■ mey-selections.com

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Beer

> BREWING UP A STORM

list.co.uk

GUIDES

In the Black

With craft beer becoming increasingly popular across Scotland, David Pollock meets the team behind one of the country’s longest-running independent breweries With a first-class degree in brewing from Heriot-Watt University (and plenty experience refining his process in student halls and shared flats) Craig Middleton followed up stints at Colorado’s famed Odell Brewing Co and the Cairngorm Brewery by combining forces with his parents, Chap and Jenni, to launch the Cromarty Brewing Company in 2011.

Their first beer, Happy Chappy, soon got them noticed and six others – including AKA IPA, which featured on many of 2012’s ‘best new beer’ lists – successfully established them as part of the new breed of exciting young Scottish brewers.

Some rcent enhancements to their brewing capacity, a new onsite shop selling direct to the public, plus an online store from summer 2013, means that their reputation is only likely to grow.

(Keith Smith) ■ cromartybrewing. co.uk

f the many craft breweries to have sprung up in Scotland of late, Black Isle is one of the oldest, most successful and most versatile. Started in 1998 by brewer David Gladwin, it was formed for the most pure of motives. ‘He’d been living on the Black Isle for a while and he was struggling to get a decent pint,’ says David’s brother and partner in the business, Michael, ‘so he decided to start Black Isle Brewery so he could do just that.’

Gladwin explains that the pair had no history of brewing, just a love of good food and drink inherited from their parents and a bit of experience with their dad’s home brew kit when they were younger. In the early days of the company David hired a brewer from Yorkshire to come up and give him some on-the-job training, and also did a course in brewing, and from there he’s been entirely self-taught.

When they started out, says Gladwin, there were around 300 breweries in the UK and now there are roughly 1,100, yet Black Isle’s market now extends across the UK, Europe

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and Japan, with inroads expected into North America shortly. ‘Very long hours,’ is what he puts their success down to. ‘We’re a family business; we started out just selling locally, and then we used to get up at four o’clock in the morning every Saturday, load the van and drive down to Castle Terrace market in Edinburgh and stand there selling beer for four or five hours, then head back up the road. We had many years of long Saturdays.’

Gladwin attributes the company’s success quite simply to their stringent organic production process, as well as the famously good-quality malting barley grown on the Black Isle. Despite their growing prosperity, he doesn’t ever see a time when these ideals might be compromised. ‘We have a beautiful bit of ground that we’ve been very fortunate to secure and we’ve spent years nurturing it and turning it into an organic farm,’ he says. ‘We don’t really want to stick a great big industrial brewery in the middle of it. We want to enjoy what we do; we want to enjoy making great beer.’

■ blackislebrewery.com

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Whisky

Same Old Story?

> HOLD STILL

For a long time the northernmost whisky distillery on the UK mainland, Old Pulteney has strong connections with the area’s fishing heritage, as David Pollock discovers haracter, taste and rarity are all factors in defining a whisky from an enthusiast’s point of view, but one other feature might appeal to the smokehead of a romantic persuasion (and aren’t they all?). If a whisky has a story behind it – a bit of history about its location or method of production – then that makes it all the more alluring. In which case, Wick’s Old Pulteney is surely one of the more exciting names on the market.

Sadly it recently gave up its long-held title as the UK mainland’s northernmost whisky distillery when Thurso’s Wolfburn opened earlier in 2013, but Old Pulteney’s heritage stands it in good stead. When it was built in 1826 by the Henderson family it was actually in the village of Pulteney on the south side of the River Wick, opposite Wick itself on the north, although both areas are now part of the same town. With only old drovers’ roads heading away from the villages, the whisky was carried off to market by boat, contributing to part of a heritage which now sees Old Pulteney describe itself as a ‘maritime malt’.

‘It grew up with the fishing industry,’ says distillery manager Malcolm Waring of the whisky. ‘Wick at one point was the principal herring port in Europe; there were something like eleven thousand migrant workers who used to come in and fish for the season, and there were around eleven hundred fishing boats. The distillery grew up with that, this explosion as herring fishing took hold, and it was Pulteney

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whisky that was drunk when these guys returned from the sea.’

But does the location actually have any effect on the character of the whisky? ‘You get that salty brininess in it,’ Malcolm says. ‘The casks breathe where they are and they’re taking that in. We use traditional ways of distilling, everything is done by hand, and our stills are quite small and squat, which produces a big, heavy, powerful spirit.

If you put that into good-quality casks it produces a nice creamy, citrusy whisky.

You’ve got traces of butterscotch, coconut and vanilla, although the twelveyear-old is slightly briny.’ We’d hope for nothing less.

■ oldpulteney.com

Wolfburn whisky won’t be available for purchase until 2016, but simply by setting up in the town of Thurso the brand has already given itself one unique selling point – a few miles north-west of Wick, home to Old Pulteney, it’s now the UK mainland’s most northerly distillery.

‘The idea was to re-invent the old Wolfburn distillery, which was founded in 1821,’ says business development manager Daniel Smith. ‘The ruins of the original distillery are on what’s now farm land and the new one’s 350 metres away in a business park.’

The distillery still draws its water from the burn that gave the original its name. It’s too early to describe the character of the spirit, but Smith says ‘we’re aiming to achieve a very smooth single malt. Much of the early release will be matured in small volumes. We’re hoping the final result will be a world-class whisky.’

(David Pollock) ■ wolfburn.com

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Chocolate list.co.uk

GUIDES

Sweet Dreams

From their base in Balnakeil craft village, set in an abandoned RAF base left over from the Cold War, James Findlay and Paul Maden export their lavish chocolates all over the world. Keith Smith discovers how they are challenged – and inspired – by the setting

he rugged, desolate beauty of the north-west tip of Scotland – often referred to as one of Europe’s last great wildernesses – means it is home to many wonderful and unusual sights, but Cocoa Mountain, a gourmet chocolate business, along with a ‘chocolate bar’ inspired by Viennese coffee houses, is possibly one of the most unexpected.

‘We fell in love with the area while visiting,’ explains James. ‘The dramatic mountains and stunning beaches have inspired many of our chocolate creations.’

‘Balnakeil is famed for its artistic community and we felt that we could tap into that spirit,’ adds Paul.

While the setting might endow them with an abundance of ideas, it also provides plenty of trials.

As James admits, running a luxury food business from Sutherland, one of the UK’s remotest regions, isn’t without its difficulties. ‘Distance to market is a real challenge here,’ he says, ‘as is travelling to attend trade events and food fairs – it always means a very early start.’

In the same way this isolated location appealed to James and Paul, they also recognised it would attract a distinct kind of visitor: a discerning traveller,

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enticed by the area’s wild, undisturbed splendour and in turn appreciative of quality foodstuffs, and so they complement their mail-order enterprise with a café serving luxury drinks.

And as well as providing creative stimulus, and a stream of judicious tourists, the local area provides another crucial element in the Cocoa Mountain success story.

‘Although we use chocolate from all over the world, the majority of the other ingredients – things like raspberries, strawberries, cream, crème fraiche, butter and whisky – all come from the Highlands,’ says Paul.

But with demand outstripping their production capacity, they’ve outgrown their current space, and the hunt is on for a new site. It won’t be the end of their love affair with the area, though. Cocoa Mountain remains firmly rooted here, with plans to transform the existing premises into a training centre offering specialist chocolate-making courses. ‘We certainly won’t just be packing up and moving on,’ insists Paul.

‘Balnakeil will remain Cocoa Mountain’s creative home and our source of inspiration.’

■ cocoamountain.co.uk

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Bread

Rise and Shine Sandy Neill meets the folk behind A-Bun-Dance, a thriving bakery in Easter Ross whose products are a far cry from the traditional bannock

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hen Robert Burns called Scotland the ‘Land o’ Cakes’, our national bard wasn’t talking about a country of black bun, jammy sponge and Ecclefechan butter tart, but a land o’ bannock: the staple breid o’ Lowlanders and Highlanders alike, baked on a flat iron girdle hanging above the croft’s reeking peat fire.

But today the bread a Highlander tucks into at the table is as likely to be a ciabatta, roggen brot, Polski schleb or, help ma boab, a blueberry Danish pastry, thanks to the bounty of A-Bun-Dance, a continental bakehouse in Invergordon, Easter Ross.

Master baker Paul Kelly, with his apprentice and nephew James, make the bread every night, while his partner Elanor Gordon delivers it fresh during the day to shops and cafés within a 30-mile radius, travelling with their toddler Finn in the van as far north as Golspie to as far south as Drumnadrochit.

Paul picked up his art, and inspiration, for European bakery from Manchester’s Barbakan Delicatessen, where he kneaded, proved, and knocked for 13 years, baking bread for Manchester United and other prestigious Mancunians. ‘Our

breads are made using traditional hand-crafting skills and traditional baking methods, with original continental recipes,’ says Paul.

‘All the breads are as they are meant to be,’ adds Elanor, listing their chewy bagels, porridge oat bread, Polish poppy seed ‘makoweic’ and German rye ‘Inverlander’. ‘We won Best New Business in the Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards in 2009, the year after we started. Considering we started in a recession, we’re doing alright.’

Running their own business, and especially a bakery delivering fresh bread every day around the Highlands, is busy work. ‘There’s no getting round it,’ Elanor says, ‘Manchester is a manic city, and maybe our work now isn’t any less full-on, but we enjoy the rural life. Picking from the garden or on a walk inspires a new bread.’

You can sample the fruits of their labours at The Larder in Alness, as well as nearby restaurants Crannag Bistro, Reids Highland Fare and Luigi’s.

Or get in touch to place a minimum order, which Elanor can deliver within 40 miles of Invergordon.

■ a-bun-dance.co.uk

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The North Highlands

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North Highland Food Round-up

list.co.uk

GUIDES

A North Highland Menu Looking to discover a taste of the North Highlands? This round-up by Claire Ritchie and Donald Reid introduces you to what’s grown, reared, made and landed in the region Further details on many of the businesses shown in bold can be found listed in the Where to Buy section of this guide.

FRUIT & VEG arm shops and gate sales are commonplace throughout the region, with many farms and crofts selling fruit, vegetables, potatoes and preserves via honesty boxes. A number of farms also have popular shops, such as

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Puffin Croft Farm Shop and Tomich Farm Shop, while Storehouse of Foulis also incorporates a well-run and

busy café. The region is blessed with bountiful soft fruits in the summer – look for Black Isle Berries, Caithness Summer Fruits and Knockrash Growers at local markets. Saladworx has made a huge success out of growing edible leaves (see p.14), and the new Knockfarrel box scheme (see p.9) allows customers to personalise their own weekly delivery. Local farmers’ markets (see p.46) will commonly offer fruit and vegetables in season as well as locally made jams, preserves, chutneys and oils: look out for stalls from companies such as Bumblebee Kitchen Garden, Cullisse Highland Rapeseed Oil and Barracks Preserves. At Highland Wildwoods, shiitake

mushrooms are grown by traditional methods on hardwood logs.

BEEF, LAMB, GAME AND OTHER MEAT any farms and crofts supply bulk meat orders to fill freezers, as well as attending at farmers’ markets. You can order a whole lamb from Highland Croft Produce, while Reidchalmai Croft and Caithness Pork sell their wares at farmers’ markets. Half lambs and half pigs, plus a variety of eggs, are available to buy direct from Easter Balmungie Farm. Bridleway Produce offers free-range pork from traditionally reared rare-breed pigs. Bogallan Beef sells cuts from prize-winning Highland cattle at local markets. Mey Selections

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North Highland Food Round-up

beef and lamb are available to buy from Harrold Bros, Wick. Free-range, locally produced wild boar comes from Highland Wild Boar. Fresh (and some pickled) quail, duck, goose and turkey eggs are sold from Drumbhan Croft (achuecroftcottage.co.uk). Wild game can be found on restaurant menus across the North Highlands, with the Wild Game Company, Ardgay Game and Tarradale Game supplying much of it.

FISH ast quantities of the seafood landed in North Highland ports such as Scrabster, Lochinver and Kinlochbervie are either shipped directly to all parts of the UK and Europe, or processed locally before heading elsewhere. But there are a few fishmongers and other seafood specialists in the region where you can pick up locally landed catch, including creel-caught shellfish. Fish vans are still a feature in many towns and villages – ask locally for information on these – while most local farmers’ markets have a seafood stall. Fish and shellfish are big business in the north of Scotland, with the likes of Keltic Seafare (see p.6), and the Freedom Food-approved Wester Ross Salmon and Loch Duart supplying top-end restaurants across Europe, while Alness-based Aquascot, who supply fish exclusively to Waitrose, and other fish processors, are important employers in the area. For a round-up of the local smokehouses, see p.12.

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BREAD, CAKES AND CHOCOLATE here’s a strong tradition of baking in the North Highlands, with Cromarty Bakery, Avoch Bakery and the wonderfully named A-Bun-Dance supplying local shops, restaurants and cafés with their daily bread. Ullapool Bakery produces a wide variety of baked goods, from spicy

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stem ginger shortbread and chilli cheese oatcakes, to ten-seed sourdough and tomato focaccia (ullapoolbakery.co.uk).

Up in Thurso, Reids of Caithness has won a number of Gold Taste Awards for their shortbread. In Forss, Caithness Biscuits produce some fine shortbread and oatcakes (caithnessbiscuits.co.uk).

Handmade truffles are the order of the day at Caithness Chocolates in Wick and Cocoa Mountain in Durness (see p.22), while Highland honey can be had from Brora Bees, Struan Apiaries and Skirza Horticultural Products.

DAIRY aithness Cheese produce a range of flavoured hard cheeses from their croft in Occumster, while Highland Fine Cheeses (see p.18) are the company behind some famous cheeses including Strathdon Blue. It’s not all about the cows up here, however: Bulno Goats in Dunbeath make a range of goats’ cheeses that can be found at local farmers’ markets (bulnogoatscheese.co.uk).

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WHISKY, BEER AND OTHER DRINKS handful of whisky distilleries take advantage of this rugged landscape and briny sea air to produce the sought-after spirit.

There’s Glenmorangie, Dalmore, Teaninich and Balblair in Rossshire, Clynelish in Sutherland, and Glen Ord, the only remaining singlemalt distillery on the Black Isle. Old Pulteney (see p.21) has for a long time been the northernmost distillery on the Scottish mainland, although this mantle will soon be taken up by Wolfburn (see p.21). When it comes to beers, the region punches above its weight in number and scale, with Black Isle Brewery (see feature on p.20), Cromarty Brewing Company (see panel on p.20) and An Teallach Ale Company. On a different note, Berry Good produce fruit-infused vodka and gin.

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Where to Buy

list.co.uk

WHERE TO BUY

Drumbeg Stores (page 36)

In addition to the shops listed below, North Highland produce can be found at local farmers’ markets (see p.46) or obtained directly from producers featured elsewhere in the guide. Entries are grouped into four geographical areas, and within each area entries are sorted alphabetically.

CAITHNESS & NORTHEAST SUTHERLAND Berry Good Tiree Cottage, Watten KW1 5YJ 01955 621623, berry-good.co.uk

GUIDES

Caithness Cheese The Moorings, Occumster, Lybster KW3 6AX 01593 721309, caithnesscheese.co.uk

Caithness Cheese is a family business, owned and run by Highland natives Sandy and Sandra Sutherland and two of their four sons. Twenty years ago the family revived the once-popular Caithness Cheese brand at their croft, perched high on the cliffs above Occumster Bay. They purchased their own small herd of dairy cows and set out to revive and maintain the rich heritage of the creamy, mild cheese.

From these small, optimistic beginnings, the Sutherlands now produce the original plain and mature Caithness cheeses and several eye-catching flavours, which are available to purchase via their website.

Jill Brown uses traditional methods to infuse her vodkas and gins with local berries. As well as the original Straight Strawberry and Really Raspberry varieties, other drinks in the range now include strawberry, raspberry and blackcurrant gin, while collaborations with local businesses have resulted in a blackcurrant gin jelly preserve and blackcurrant gin chocolate. Berry Good products are available to buy via the website and from a variety of outlets in the North Highlands.

Caithness Chocolates

Blackstairs Fish Sales

Caithness Free Range Eggs

9 Lower Dunbar Street, Wick KW1 5AR 01955 603116, blackstairsfish.co.uk Tue–Fri 9am–5pm; Sat 10am–2pm (summer only). Closed Sun/Mon.

Lochquoy Farm, Thurso KW14 8TE 01847 821417, caithnessfreerangeeggs.co.uk Visitors welcome – please call ahead.

This family-run Wick fishmonger covers both the retail and wholesale markets, supplying a number of local hotels and restaurants. Their fresh fish is bought only from Scottish boats, and is sourced daily from Scrabster fish market. The wide range of fish available includes the familiar haddock, cod, salmon, halibut, monkfish, scallops and crab, as well as smoked fish from their own onsite smokehouse. The shop also stocks a variety of groceries and a good range of local produce, including locally milled Golspie oatmeal.

This 100-acre family holding, owned and operated by Mike and Liz Armitage together with son Pete, has been producing eggs for more than a decade, and healthy, happy hens are paramount to their success.

Each of the five laying paddocks boasts specially built housing for the poultry, complete with sizeable foraging areas for each facility. Freshness is undisputed, with their own Lion-assured packing centre on the farm ensuring the eggs reach the shelves quickly and in tip-top condition.

A recent diversification has also seen them move into duck egg production.

Wick 07887 697152, caithnesschocolate.co.uk

Caithness Chocolates was established in 2011 by Wick native Ruth Falconer.

Enticing products in the range include chocolate figures and lollipops, liqueur chocolates and indulgent truffles, using local and sustainable produce wherever possible. Caithness Chocolates are available to buy from a variety of local stockists and via the website.

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Where to Buy

Caithness Smokehouse

Carrot’s Wholefoods

Inkstack, Barrock KW14 8SY 01847 635007, caithness-smokehouse.com Visitors welcome – please call ahead.

Rotterdam Street, Thurso KW14 8AA 01593 741741, highland-futurefood.com Mon–Sat 9am–5.30pm; Sun noon–4pm

Located at Barrock, just a few miles from Dunnet Head, this smokehouse is the most northerly of its kind on the British mainland. See round-up on p.12 for more.

A recent addition to Thurso’s line-up of independent food stores, Carrot’s is a vegan-friendly enterprise. As well as an impressive range of specialist dietary items and brands, expect piles of fresh, wholesome produce direct from their own land – over 80 acres dedicated to pesticideand chemical fertiliser-free farming, with absolutely no animal input whatsoever. A vegan bakery is also in the pipeline, and plans are afoot to eventually transform the first-floor space into a café/restaurant.

Caithness Summer Fruits Roadside Croft, Harpsdale, Halkirk KW12 6UL 01847 831232 Mon–Sat 9am–5pm. Closed Sun.

Fresh berries and currants grown on their croft near Halkirk are available from June until October, while frozen fruit is sold all year round. Some of the croft’s fresh bounty is turned into jams, marmalades and chutneys, which are sold at their regular stall at Wick Saturday market and in a selection of local shops. The farm is open to the public most days, so you can pop in for a punnet of fruit and a jar of jam if you’re passing by.

Castletown Butchers Traill Street, Castletown KW14 8UG 01847 821453, castletownbutchers.co.uk Mon–Fri 8.30am–5pm; Sat 8am–4pm.

Closed Sun.

Having been established for over 30 years, Castletown Butchers now operates under

THE LABELS YOU CAN TRUST For guarantees of farm assurance, taste and quality, it has to be Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork.

Look out for certified Scotch Butchers Club members throughout this guide by looking for the Scotch rosette.

To find your local member, visit www.scotchbutchersclub.org

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Where to Buy

Reids of Caithness

list.co.uk

the watchful eye of Derek MacKay, who took over the running of the shop in 2008.

As well as the traditional butcher’s offering of quality meats – lamb, beef pork and poultry (including burgers and puddings) – sourced from nearby farmers, they also stock dairy and bakery produce from local suppliers, plus fresh fruit and vegetables. A butcher van service runs Monday to Friday to the more remote villages too, ensuring those in outlying areas don’t miss out on treats like sausage of the day, which could be Cajun pork, sage and onion or even IrnBru and sweet chilli.

The Fish Shop by JPL Shellfish 1 Rotterdam Street, Thurso KW14 8AA 01847 895080, jplshellfish.co.uk Tue/Wed 9am–5pm; Thu/Fri 9am– 5.30pm; Sat 10am–1pm. Closed Sun/ Mon.

GUIDES

available, including a number of dairy-free options, all served up on speciality waffle cones or as part of a bespoke sundae.

If that doesn’t satisfy your sweet tooth, there’s a host of quality confectionery too, including items from the Scottish Tablet Company and chocolates by Cocoa Mountain.

Golspie Mill Dunrobin, Golspie KW10 6SF 01408 633278, golspiemill.co.uk Mon–Fri 9am–5pm. Closed Sun/Mon.

Powered by water from the Big Burn, Golspie Mill is back up and running making a range of artisan stoneground flours. See p.17 for more.

Greystones Farm Watten KW1 5UG 01955 602980, greystonesfarms.co.uk Sat noon–4pm. Closed Sun–Fri.

Based in Scrabster Harbour, one of Scotland’s busiest fishing ports, JPL Shellfish have been operating for almost 20 years. With an emphasis on quality, locally sourced produce, the small team supply produce to some of the best restaurants and hotels in the North Highlands, such as Ackergill Tower and Skibo Castle, as well as sending their produce across the UK. They also run two retail outlets, in Wick and Thurso, which are always well stocked with traditional favourites and also regularly offer something new. JPL now also run a retail van which offers a door-todoor service for customers in Caithness.

Greystones Farm is near Wick, on the lowlands beyond the highlands. Rather unusually in these days of big-business farming, all of their pigs, cows and lambs are born, reared and butchered right there on the farm, and are fed on home-grown crops and cereals. The farm shop is open on Saturday afternoons, when locals and visitors can pop in to pick up something for the weekend roast. They also offer mail-order sales of all their products, including freezer packs of pork, beef and lamb, as well as steaks, sausages, burgers and bacon. There’s even a gluten-free range.

Flavours

Harrold Bros

John o’Groats KW1 4YR 01955 611399 Apr–Sep: Mon–Sun 11am–8pm. Oct– Dec & Feb/Mar: Mon–Sun 11am–4pm.

Closed Jan.

1 High Street, Wick KW1 4BP 01955 602923 Mon–Fri 7am–5.30pm; Sat 7am–5pm.

Closed Sun.

Mother and daughter Sandra and Artemis Thain opened this takeaway ice-cream parlour in a former knitwear store in 2012, much to the delight of the Groats locals, who regularly queue out the door for a piece of the action. Stocking the full range of Brora’s famous ‘Capaldi’s by Harry Gow’ ice-creams, Flavours more than lives up to its name, with 25 varieties

Based in the heart of Wick, this familyrun butcher is operated by Neil and his team, who proudly sell locally reared and consistently aged meat to the public and many local restaurants. Welcoming smiles are a certainty at this butcher’s shop, where the award-winning beef, lamb and mutton are nestled between an enticing product range including sweet chilli sausages and curry burgers.

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Where to Buy

Highland Croft Produce Shinness, Lairg IV27 4DN 01549 402630, highlandcroftproduce.co.uk

Working in conjunction with other local crofters, this tiny family croft on the shores of Loch Shin, near Lairg, specialises in high-quality lamb, naturally reared and fed on a diet of herbs, heather and grasses.

All their meat boasts full traceability, and their venison cuts come from free-ranging, rather than farmed herds. Production is seasonal, so it’s best to order well in advance, and you might want to go the whole hog(get) and plump for the ‘whole lamb’ box, which contains a whopping 20 kilos of meat, to keep you going (although half-size versions are also available). The majority of sales are to locals or online, but it is possible to collect in person should you order in advance.

Old Pulteney Pulteney Distillery Visitor Centre, Huddart Street, Wick KW1 5BA 01955 602371, oldpulteney.com May–Sep: Mon–Sat 10am–4pm. Oct– Apr: Mon–Fri 10am–4pm

This distillery continues to make malt whisky using traditional methods nearly two centuries after its opening. See feature on p.21 for more.

Puffin Croft Farm Shop Puff Cross Farm, Canisbay 01955 611775 Mon–Sun 9am–dark

With almost everything on sale here grown, reared or produced on this small croft, whatever’s on display in Gary and Kris Ridley’s small farm shop is a good indication of what’s in season. Vegetables – from courgette to cauliflower and tomatoes to turnip – dominate the offering, but there’s plenty more to keep you going too, including sausages, eggs, bread and preserves. The farm shop’s opening hours are perhaps the ultimate reflection of seasonality though: doors open daily from 9am until it gets dark.

Reids of Caithness High Street, Thurso KW14 8AG

01847 893574, reidsofcaithness.com Mon–Sat 7am–5pm. Closed Sun.

Established in 1963 by Donald Reid, in 2013 this family-run bakery celebrates its Golden Jubilee of producing oatcakes, biscuits and cakes. Now run by brothers Graeme and Gary, the third generation of the Reid family, the bakery has a string of awards under its belt, including a number of Gold Taste Awards for its shortbread.

Having proved such a long-standing success, Reids continues to produce and expand its product ranges, which can also be sampled in the onsite café.

Sinclair Family Butcher 8 Macarthur Street, Wick KW1 5AX 01955 602973 Mon–Sat 7.30am–5.30pm. Closed Sun.

A friendly family-run butchers in the heart of Pulteney, Sinclairs also supply their wares to hotels, ships and local caterers, and offer a speedy delivery service for those customers less able to get to the downtown shop. Members of the Scotch Butchers Club, their beef, lamb and pork can be traced from farm source to shop.

William Mackay & Sons 1 Swanson Street, Thurso KW14 8AP 01847 892053 Mon–Sat 9am–5pm. Closed Sun.

In the heart of Thurso, this butchers with its bright red shop front is a member of the Scotch Butchers Club, a national accreditation scheme for independent butchers. Their meat and produce is sourced from local Highland farms, with a traceable history so customers can be assured of its provenance.

EASTER ROSS & THE BLACK ISLE Ardgay Game Southside Estate, Bonar Bridge IV24 3AQ 01863 766162, ardgaygame.co.uk

Ardgay Game are specialists in organic, wild venison and game sourced from the Highlands. They supply to a number of

CHEF’S CHOICE MIKAEL HELIES ON SALADWORX

One of my favourite local suppliers is Saladworx. I’ve been buying produce from them since moving to the North Highlands some years ago, and it has been a pleasure to watch them grow.

They produce an incredible variety of leaves and edible flowers all year round – it’s so much more than lollo rosso and endive – and they don’t use chemicals or pesticides, which is an amazing feat in a climate like ours.

Over winter we get some hardier leaves that require cooking to bring them to life, but in the summer the taste of the leaves can be like a firework in your mouth, and the colours and textures are wonderful.

The beauty is they can be served so simply, just with a dressing and perhaps some crunchy vegetables for a contrast in textures.

■ Mikael Helies is Head Chef at Dornoch Castle Hotel (see p.40).

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local restaurants and have a retail operation via their website, with nationwide delivery available. A newer operation in the form of the Wild Game Company began life, fittingly, on the Glorious Twelfth in August 2010. Founded by Highland lad Andy Waugh (son of the Ardgay Game owner), the company sells the family produce to London markets where it’s turned into finedining creations at the company’s pop-up restaurants and private events.

Balblair Distillery Edderton, Tain IV19 1LB 01862 821273, balblair.com Tours: Mon–Fri 11am & 2pm.

Balblair has been a distillery since 1790, and that heritage runs through their attitude to whisky. Bottles aren’t stamped with an age expression, rather adhering to the Balblair ‘exclusively vintage’ philosophy.

Distillery manager John MacDonald tastes casks each year to decide when that particular whisky is ripe for bottling.

They are then named for the year they were made, rather than the year they were bottled – current vintages range 1965 to 2001. Tours run twice a day at peak times.

Black Isle Berries Ryefield Farm, Tore IV6 7SB 01463 811276, blackisleberries.co.uk Mon–Sat 9am–5pm. Closed Sun.

Black Isle Berries’ farm shop on the Black Isle stocks their home-grown berries, plums, apples, damsons and – if you can beat the birds to them – cherries, as they come into season throughout the summer.

Some vegetables are grown on the farm too, and in the winter months the shop also supplies frozen fruit. There’s the option to pick your own in the height of summer too – call ahead for details of what’s available.

The farm shop also sells locally produced meat, dairy produce and preserves.

Black Isle Brewery Old Allangrange, Munlochy IV8 8NZ 01463 811871, blackislebrewery.com Mon–Sun 10am–5.30pm

This independent brewery is attracting attention disproportionate to its relatively small size. See p.20 for more.

GUIDES

Corner on the Square High Street, Beauly IV4 7BY 01463 783000, corneronthesquare.co.uk Mon–Thu 8.30am–5.30pm; Fri/Sat 8.30am–8pm; Sun 10am–5pm.

Inspired by memories of a fine grocer’s shop that once inhabited the same building, owner Gary Williamson set about converting this former doctor’s surgery back into a deli in 2003. A decade on, and it’s still going strong, supplying the folk of Beauly with global delicacies alongside produce such as fruit, herby hams and artisan cheeses from much closer to home. There’s even a weekly fresh fish ordering service (available for collection on Fridays), plus an extensive range of wines to wash it all down with. The onsite café is now open late at the weekend too.

Dundonnell Smoked Salmon Greenacres, Dingwall IV15 9TQ 01349 866500, dundonnellsmokedsalmon.co.uk Visitors welcome by arrangement

Having started off in 1982 as a tiny mailorder venture, Dundonnell Smoked Salmon has grown, changed hands and moved from its original location at Loch Broom to the current site near Dingwall. Ron and Claire Palmer now ship their traditional saltcured salmon and trout across the UK and internationally. Organic (and occasionally wild) salmon is also available, along with whisky and piri piri versions, as well as wild hare, venison and game birds and a selection of fresh seafood, squid ink and roes. There’s no shop as such, but visitors are welcome by prior arrangement. Local stockists include John M Munro butchers.

Easter Balmungie Farm Eathie Road, Fortrose IV10 8SL 01381 621006, spanglefish.com/ easterbalmungiefarm

This family-run mixed farm sits on the Black Isle overlooking the Moray Firth with views to the foothills of the Cairngorms. Here the farming ethos is about respecting the environment and conserving the local wildlife, with the result that flocks of endangered wild birds, such as twite and yellowhammer, are a

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common sight on the farm. Rare-breed Tamworth pigs are raised outdoors on home-grown grain, while Shetland sheep roam the hills. Free-range eggs from Scots Dumpy hens are sold at the farm gate, as well as duck and quail eggs. Half lambs and half pigs are available to order, and turnips, garlic and cabbages are sold in season.

George Cockburn & Son 9 Mill Street, Dingwall IV15 9PZ 01349 862315, cockburns-haggis.co.uk Mon–Fri 8am–5.15pm; Sat 8am–1pm.

Closed Sun.

Best known for their award-winning hand-mixed haggis, Cockburn’s has been a fixture on Dingwall’s Mill Street for almost 60 years. Beef, lamb and pork are all matured using traditional methods, and the home-made sausages – not to mention the black pudding – are every bit as good as the product that has brought them so much acclaim. In 1976, they became the country’s first ever Champion Haggis Makers, and such is the strength of their reputation to this day that customers still travel from far and wide to stock up.

Demand is such they now have a dedicated mail-order service.

such as Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cows, and North County Cheviot and Hebridean sheep. Black Isle Turkeys are reared on home-grown and locally produced grain, and are game hung on the farm to produce the old-fashioned flavour of ‘real’ turkey. Various vegetables are also available in season. You can buy all produce (including burgers and sausages) direct from the farm: see the website or phone for the latest prices and availability.

John M Munro West End, Dingwall IV15 9QF 01349 862158, munrodingwall.co.uk Mon–Sat 8am–5pm. Closed Sun.

A 75-year history – and six shops (Alness, Beauly, Fortrose, Muir of Ord and Tain in addition to Dingwall) – means that Munro’s is well-established in the Highlands. It’s more than just a name though; with around 75 staff, plus partnerships with the area’s farmers, the firm is an important part of the community.

A policy of sourcing grass-reared livestock from nearby farms, which is then matured for a minimum of 14 days, means that the quality of their beef is a particular strength, as is the fact that they own and operate their own abattoir, which ensures complete traceability from field to fork.

Glenmorangie Distillery Tain IV19 1PZ 01862 892477, glenmorangie.com Mon–Fri 9am–5pm. Closed Sat/Sun.

Knockfarrel Produce

Situated in Tain, Glenmorangie distillery produces single-malt whisky from its own water source, the Tarlogie Springs. A number of varieties of Glenmorangie are available: the Original variety is ten years old, and other bottlings include an 18- and 25-year-old malt, as well as some aged in port, sherry and sauternes casks.

Jo Hunt and Lorna Walker farm a 40-acre, certified organic croft. Locals can find them at farmers’ markets, sign up to their choose-your-own veg box scheme via the website, or arrange workplace deliveries.

At the moment you can buy Knockfarrel veg, eggs, berries and preserves, and there are plans to add apples, pears and nuts to that list. See p.9 for more.

Ian Mor, Knockfarrel, Dingwall IV15 9TQ 01349 86273, knockfarrel.com

Glenurquhart Farm Glenurquhart Farm, Cromarty IV11 8XX 01381 620332, spanglefish.com/ glenurquhartfarm

This family-run mixed farm is owned by the Aird family, and is run on an environmentally sensitive basis with minimal use of chemicals and no GM feeds. The farm rears traditional breeds

The Larder 5 High Street, Alness IV17 0PT 01349 883347, victoriana-florist.co.uk/ acatalog/The_Larder.html Mon–Fri 9am–5.30pm; Sat 9am–5pm.

Closed Sun.

This Alness farm shop and deli focuses on local and regional foodstuffs, with an

CHEF’S CHOICE JIM COWIE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SEASONALITY

These days, with so much focus on conservation and sustainability, the single biggest contribution anyone can make towards their own health and that of the fish stocks is eating our seafood when it’s in season.

From heavier, slow braises in winter to quicker, lighter salads in summer, there’s a fish for every dish and a dish for every season.

Fish is versatile; it allows you to experiment. Anything you cook with meat, you can cook with seafood. And try a lightly chilled Gamay or Pinot Noir with your favourite seafood dish.

The main thing is to have fun and enjoy the produce – which is easy to do in the Highlands, where we have very clearly defined seasons.

■ Jim Cowie is the proprietor and head chef of The Captain’s Galley, Scrabster (see p.37).

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enviable list of award-winning produce from all over Scotland too. Seasonal herbs, fruit, vegetables and quality meats are sourced from nearby independent growers and producers, and the Larder also caters for those with specific dietary needs. Those who appreciate good baking will enjoy the range of fresh goods from a number of Highland bakeries such as A-Bun-Dance, Ullapool Bakery and Reids of Caithness.

Reids Highland Fare 9 High Street, Invergordon IV18 0AB 01349 854107, reidshighlandfare.co.uk Mon–Fri 7am–2.30pm; Closed Sat/Sun.

As well as keeping the Invergordon locals, and the town’s visitors, fed and watered with their café, bakery and convenience store (all rolled into one), Carl Reid and his wife Andrea also operate as a successful outside caterer and cake-maker. It’s probably the couple’s gourmet pies that have garnered most attention however, earning them a swathe of accolades. The savouries have proved so popular, in fact, that they now run a mail-order service, delivering pies by post all over the UK.

Robertson’s the Larder Tomich Farm Shop, Beauly IV4 7AS 01463 782181, robertsonsfarmshop.co.uk Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun noon–4pm

Also known as Tomich Farm Shop, and situated just north of Beauly, the shop showcases products from the family farm such as raspberries, strawberries, eggs and sausages, alongside a large selection of goods from local producers. All of Scotland’s larder is on display here, with langoustines, scallops, smoked salmon, Stornoway black pudding and fresh local venison as well as artisan cheese and home-grown potatoes.

The Storehouse Restaurant and Farm Shop Foulis Ferry, Evanton IV16 9UX 01349 830038, thestorehouseathome.com Mon–Sat 9am–6pm; Sun 10am–5pm.

In their homely and welcoming café and farm shop, Quintin and Michelle Stevens

GUIDES

sell meat and vegetables direct from their own farm, as well as cheeses, larder staples, wine and spirits, bits and bobs for ‘free-from’ diets, and some non-food gifts.

Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea are served in the self-service restaurant with its enviable views out to the Cromarty Firth.

Summer Isles Foods Fyrish Way, Alness IV17 0PJ 01349 882624, summerislesfoods.co.uk

Founded in the 1970s when Keith Dunbar and his wife Sheila fell in love with the Summer Isles area while on holiday, in August 2012 the company relocated across the country to larger premises in Alness.

Their subtly smoked salmon is still created using the same blend of rum, molasses and smoke from peat and whisky barrel chippings, and the online shop contains a wide selection of smoked fish, meats and cheese for home delivery, as well as an organic range.

The Veg Shop, Newhall Crossroads Ballicherry Farm, Balblair IV7 8LH 01381 610355, farmtowork.co.uk Please call for seasonal opening times.

Ballicherry is a 400-acre farm nestled into the north-facing slopes of the Black Isle.

With Udale Bay RSPB Reserve on their doorstep, thousands of geese, duck and wading birds flock to the area in spring and autumn, and the farm is also home to pine marten, roe deer, buzzards and red kite. They grow wheat, oilseed rape and malting barley as well as the vegetables that are sold in the farm shop from July to December. They also sell free-range eggs and can take orders for their own pork and lamb when it’s available.

WESTER ROSS Dry Island Shellfish / Shellfish Safaris Dry Island, Badachro, Gairloch IV21 2AB 01445 741263, dryislandshellfish.co.uk

Ian McWhinney and his family own Dry Island in Loch Gairloch, offering holiday accommodation, ‘Shellfish Safaris’ and a

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stall selling shellfish straight off the pier.

See feature on p.14 for more.

Food For Thought West Shore Street, Ullapool IV26 2UR 01854 612416 Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; Sat 9am–2pm.

Closed Sun.

This award-winning butcher offers an array of sausages, pies, white and black puddings and haggis, all made on the premises with meat sourced only from the Highlands.

They produce their own dry-cure bacon, too, and in previous years have won accolades for their sliced sausage.

Isle of Ewe Smokehouse Ormiscaig, Aultbea IV22 2JJ 01445 731304, smokedbyewe.com Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; Sat 9am–2pm.

Closed Sun.

This purpose-built, family-run smokehouse and accompanying shop specialises in sustainable salmon and ethically caught seafood. See p.12 for more.

Kenneth Morrison Strath, Gairloch IV21 2BZ 01445 712485 Mon–Sat 7.30am–5.30pm.

A family-run business in the village of Strath, Kenneth Morrison sells a full range of meat, poultry, game and cooked meats, as well as fresh fruit, vegetables, general groceries and even cut flowers. Sausages, burgers, black pudding and pies are produced in house. Head to the welcoming shop, or have your order brought to your door by their mobile shop, which serves the surrounding areas throughout the week.

S & M Mackenzie Main Street, Lochcarron IV54 8YB 01520 722229 Mon–Fri 8am–5.30pm, Sat 8am–1pm.

Closed Sun.

Opened in the summer of 2011, this welcoming village butcher’s shop punches above its weight for a small Highland village. When the previous owners retired, Meg and Stuart Mackenzie took on the high street’s distinctive blue and white

shop and now sell meat as well as useful groceries and vegetables for locals and those further afield – they have a van that takes their produce to more rural places.

CHEF’S CHOICE ANDREW MANSON ON CAITHNESS BEEF

Ullapool Bakery Moorfield Industrial Estate, Ullapool IV26 2SR 01854 613034, ullapoolbakery.co.uk Mon–Fri 9am–noon (later if still baking). Closed Sat/Sun.

Initially starting out with a small range of traditional breads such as ryes and sourdoughs, Alan and Alex Doherty have expanded that offering in the intervening decade. They now produce around 30 different breads, made fresh from scratch each day using stoneground Scottish oatmeal, rye and wheat, including speciality breads like stilton and cranberry or raisin and rosemary. As well as supplying local stores and restaurants, they’re regulars at a number of Highland farmers’ markets.

Ullapool Smokehouse Morefield Estate, Ullapool IV26 2SR 01854 613881, ullapoolsmokehouse.com

This award-winning smokehouse is run

by Iain Boyd and Andy Reeve, who together have more than six decades of experience smoking and working with salmon, trout and herring. See feature on p.12 for more.

Wester Ross Fisheries Ardmair, Ullapool IV26 2TN 01349 866222, realscottishsalmon.co.uk

Founded in 1977 by Robin Bradley and Alan Mann, Wester Ross Fisheries is the oldest independent salmon farm in Scotland, rearing salmon from fry stages through the grower stage to harvesting and primary processing. The farm is now owned by four of the original employees, who joined forces to purchase it when the previous owners retired. They supply salmon to restaurants around the country (and even to some in the States), and both smoked and fresh salmon are available from their online shop.

The owner of Mackays Hotel, Murray Lamont, has been buying champion beasts from the local mart for over twelve years.

Our meat is butchered for us by Harrold Brothers in Wick and, under the Mey Selections brand, all of the animals are bred in Caithness.

Harrolds know the local farmers who supply the stock and this gives us confidence to buy direct from the farm.

The beef we buy is matured for 35 days and the quality of the meat and the trim the butcher supplies us with are excellent – dark burgundy in colour with flaky, creamy-white fat.

By paying this attention to detail and ensuring we buy top-quality ingredients for our menu, our customers will hopefully enjoy their meal and then not only come back to eat, but also recommend us too ■ Andrew Manson is Head Chef at Mackays Hotel, Wick (see p.37).

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NORTHWEST SUTHERLAND The Achiltibuie Garden Achiltibuie IV26 2YG 01854 622202, thehydroponicum.com Apr–Oct: Mon–Fri 11am–4pm. Closed Sat/Sun. Nov–Mar: by arrangement.

Ackergill Tower

At this new incarnation of the original Achiltibuie Hydroponicum, the principles are still the same – utilising hydroponic techniques for indoor growing – as are the links with the community; they still supply fresh produce to local residents and businesses. They also sell re-usable, soil-free growing kits for anyone interested in trying it out for themselves, and visitors are welcome during the growing season to get tips and inspiration for their own hydroponic set-up.

Achiltibuie Stores Achiltibuie IV26 2YG 01854 622496, achiltibuiestores.com May—Sep: Mon–Saturday 9am–6pm.

Closed Sun. Oct—Apr: Mon–Sat 9am—5.30pm. Closed Sun.

Family-run Achiltibuie Stores is the oldest independent grocery shop in the Coigach area, established in 1900 by Gardens of Orkney. The shop caters to all comers, from local trade to visitors, offering a wide range of everyday basics such as fresh bread, milk and tinned goods, but also a surprising range of fresh fish and meat and some organic produce. The helpful owners can arrange to deliver shopping to your door – including to those visiting on holiday – and more details can be found on their website.

Cocoa Mountain 9A Balnakeil Craft Village, Durness IV27 4PT 01971 511233, cocoamountain.co.uk Mar–Oct: Mon–Sun 9am–6pm. Nov– Feb: limited opening Mon—Fri. Call for up to date information.

Hand-crafted gourmet chocolates and truffles are the order of the day at the UK’s remotest chocolatiers. See feature on p.22 for more.

GUIDES

Drumbeg Stores Drumbeg IV27 4NW 01571 833235, drumbegstores.co.uk Mar–Sep: Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; Sat 10am–4pm. Closed Sun. Nov–Mar: Mon & Fri 10.30am–5.30pm; Tue & Thu noon–5.30pm. Closed Wed/Sat/Sun.

In 2010 the Guardian described Drumbeg Stores as ‘magnificent’, and it’s not hard to see why, for this is no ordinary corner shop. Part general store, part specialist deli, part local hangout, the Stores also sell local crafts, books and fishing permits, and can even rent you a Canadian canoe to use on nearby Loch Drumbeg. A good range of Highland beers and spirits is available, including an own-label single-malt whisky.

They operate a free home-delivery service – and if you’re heading to the area on holiday, a food hamper can be pre-arranged to coincide with your arrival. This awardwinning indie is as much a part of the local landscape as the abundant deer.

WHERE TO EAT CAITHNESS & NORTHEAST SUTHERLAND Ackergill Tower Ackergill Tower, Wick KW1 4RG 01955 603556, ackergilltower.com Dinner: single sitting 7.30pm

Ackergill Tower is perched on the very tip of the mainland, just a stone’s throw from John o’Groats. Head chef Paul Wenbourne sources meat, game and seafood from the estates, rivers and coastline of the Highlands, while the garden courtyard provides him with fresh herbs and leaves.

At dinner, the rather grand-sounding Tower Dining Experience is in fact a relaxed, informal evening which kicks off with a canapé reception and follows up with four courses showcasing local seasonal produce, with a different menu every day. The hotel has also built up a strong reputation for its afternoon tea, available one Sunday a month and bookable in advance.

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Caithness Horizons Old Town Hall, Thurso KW14 8AJ 01847 896508, caithnesshorizons.co.uk Apr–Sep: Mon–Sat 10am–6pm; Sun 11am–4pm.

Set within the Caithness Horizons exhibition space that occupies the old Thurso Town Hall, the Gallery Café serves breakfast, lunch and home-baking throughout the day. Regular exhibitions of artistic works by local artists and schoolchildren, along with the venue’s vibrant social media activity ensuring a steady stream of visitors throughout the week, reinforce that the Gallery Café is quite the community hub.

The Captain’s Galley The Harbour, Scrabster KW14 7UJ 01847 894999, captainsgalley.co.uk Tue–Sat 7–9pm. Closed Sun/Mon.

A renovated 200-year-old Scrabster ice house and salmon bothy, Jim and Mary Cowie’s much-lauded restaurant serves fish and shellfish bought straight from the pier: every day Jim selects produce from Scrabster fish market or directly from the fishing boats. This attention to provenance doesn’t mean the chef only has eyes for Scotland, however, as he often puts an Asian or Mediterranean spin on his dishes, which might see langoustines served alongside kimchi, or roast hake brought to life with smoky chorizo.

Cote du Nord The School House, 2 Kirtomy, nr Bettyhill KW14 7TB 01641 521773, cotedunord.co.uk Apr–Oct: Wed & Fri/Sat evenings

Nestled between mountains and the windswept, sparsely populated north coast, this might seem a surprising place to find a French-influenced restaurant.

But with incredible Highland produce right on the doorstep, and only eight seats available each night, Cote du Nord has become something of a destination in itself. The chef (who by day is the local doctor) prepares a tasting menu of up to ten courses based on ingredients available seasonally – mainly fish, shellfish and seafood supplemented by locally produced beef and pork and foraged herbs and plants.

There can’t be many restaurants anywhere that serve homemade bread flavoured with foraged gutweed and home-churned butter.

CHEF’S CHOICE LESLEY CROSFIELD AND COLIN CRAIG ON LANGOUSTINES

Crask Inn Crask, by Lairg IV27 4AB 01549 411241 Advance dinner bookings only.

Set in the remote Sutherland landscape on the lonely single-track road between Lairg and Tongue, the Crask Inn counts as one of Scotland’s more idiosyncratic hospitality experiences. A working croft with a tough climate and little passing trade, it’s a place fondly regarded – despite, or perhaps because of, its lack of glamour and contemporary touches – by cyclists, hillwalkers and groups of fishermen. There’s a convivial bar with a glowing stove, maps on the wall and a couple of Black Isle Brewery taps, simple accommodation is available, there’s room for a few tents on the lawn and food is served by prior booking. In the style of the setting this is hamely fare such as beef stew with dumplings or venison lasagne, with sandwiches for daytime snacks and hearty breakfasts for overnighters.

Forss House Hotel Forss, nr Thurso KW14 7XY 01847 861201, forsshousehotel.co.uk Mon–Sun 7–9pm.

This elegant white-washed Georgian hotel set in 20 acres of woodland and gardens was built as a country home for the Radclyffe family in 1810. The opulent dining room is the setting for a dinner menu packed with names of local suppliers, promising lobster, crab and asparagus, or partridge and salmon, depending on the season, with local berries and apples providing the basis for summer and autumnal puddings respectively.

Provenance is clearly important to the chefs – they’re even willing to cook salmon caught by keen fishers in the nearby river.

Mackays Hotel Union Street, Wick KW1 5ED 01955 602323, mackayshotel.co.uk Mon–Sun 10.30am–9.30pm.

We are lucky to have a shellfish provider with his own boat who brings us langoustines just about every other day. You can’t get fresher than that.

He’s so intrepid, and he seems to have this golden touch, in that the biggest, juiciest prawns always seem to seek him out.

We call them prawns, although really they’re giant langoustines, because when you’re calling a man on a boat, with all the ambient noise – and dodgy mobile reception – you need to use the shortest words possible!

The best thing about getting our produce this way is that it’s so spontaneous. We look out to sea from our restaurant, call our guy on his boat, and in just a couple of hours we can be serving langoustines at dinner.

■ Lesley Crosfield and Colin Craig are chef-proprietors at the Michelin-starred Albannach, Lochinver (see p.43).

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south shore of the River Wick is home to the Lamont family, who have welcomed guests for more than 40 years. The hotel’s restaurant, No. 1 Bistro, specialises in traditional Scottish cuisine, and offers flexible dining throughout the day, from light lunches to a fixed-price five-course table d’hote dinner. Highland produce is centre stage here, and provenance is key, with a menu featuring aged Mey Selections beef, Charity Farm pork, Scrabster haddock and Halkirk soft fruits, with some modern touches from chef Andrew Manson bringing the produce to life.

Melvich Hotel Melvich, by Thurso KW14 7YJ 01641 531206, melvichhotel.co.uk Advance dinner bookings only.

Melvich Hotel has been a favourite with sportsmen since Victorian times, being a stone’s throw from excellent salmon fishing on the Halladale River. Now, with an enviable view overlooking Melvich Bay, the Pentland Firth and the hotel’s own gardens, the restaurant offers a six-course, seasonal set dinner menu, and uses local produce to showcase the best of Highland meat, game and seafood. As well as supporting local suppliers, the hotel has its own polytunnel to grow salad vegetables and herbs.

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The Storehouse John o’Groats 0844 384 3166, naturalretreats.co.uk Mon–Sun 9am–5.30pm.

Working hard to promote and support sustainability in the local economy, the Storehouse is a combination of fully licensed café and co-operative shop selling produce and goods from local businesses including malt whisky, freshly baked bread and speciality cheese. As well as breakfasts, sandwiches and a small selection of pizzas, there’s also some local fodder to be found in the form of the Caithness salmon taster plate, or the Scotsman’s platter – a Highland twist on the ploughman’s, which includes oatcakes, Scottish cheese, local chutney and some seasonal fruit.

The Ulbster Arms Hotel Bridge Street, Halkirk KW12 6XY 01847 831641, ulbsterarmshotel.co.uk Mon–Sun 10am–9pm.

The Royal Marine Hotel

The menu at this hotel restaurant changes each day, reflecting local seasonal produce – and if you’ve been lucky enough on the river, the chef will even cook your catch for dinner. Halibut, scallops, lobster and langoustines are sourced from local fishing boats; Mey Selections beef and lamb feature regularly; and venison and game from the hills are also readily available.

Bar lunches and suppers are also served in the Anglers’ Nook.

Golf Road, Brora KW9 6QS 01408 621252, royalmarinebrora.com

Whaligoe Steps Café

This is a classic Scottish hotel restaurant complete with tartan drapes, white tablecloths and royal blue carpets. Despite the traditional surroundings, though, modern cooking styles are evident on a menu liberally scattered with sous-vide cooking techniques and purée adornments.

Some bold flavour combinations are here too: chicken and duck ballotine with apricot, morel and harissa, or sesamecoated scallops and prawns with pickled saffron-infused cauliflower. More informal dining is available in the bistro or garden room, and the open fire in the lounge, surrounded by sofas and armchairs, invites you to relax with a local malt.

The Square, Whaligoe, Ulbster KW2 6AA 01955 651702, whaligoestepscafe.co.uk Tue–Sun 10.30am–5.30pm. Closed Mon.

This café is a welcome sight for those in need of a breather following a steep climb up the eponymous stairway – but of course you don’t need to have scaled the 365 steps to enjoy the café’s eclectic Mediterranean fare. The café opened in September 2011 and has a simplistic contemporary style with stunning views from its clifftop perch.

The chef’s Maltese and Italian heritage is evident in the regularly changing menu which reflects the best that the area has to offer seasonally. A roster of events including mezze nights, cake-making

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classes and charity ‘pizza & poker’ nights make for a welcoming café with close ties to its local community.

EASTER ROSS & THE BLACK ISLE Allangrange Arms 4 Millbank Road, Munlochy IV8 8NL 01463 819862, allangrangearms.com Opening times TBC

This newly renovated pub (formerly the Munlochy Arms) offers modern, bistrostyle food in elegant surroundings. The bar is well stocked with local beers and malt whisky and offers a bar-snack menu, while the dark-wood dining room, complete with fresh white tablecloths, is the place to visit for a daily-changing menu showcasing local produce and the chef’s flair for presentation. Hand-dived scallops, wild boar sausages, roe deer and venison are often on the menu. The pub has an active social media presence – check out their Facebook page for daily menus, specials and upcoming community events like fundraisers and bake-offs.

The Anderson Union Street, Fortrose IV10 8TD 01381 620236, theanderson.co.uk Mon–Sat 6–11pm; Sun 12.30–11pm.

This restaurant and bar with rooms has been attracting attention since 2005 for its well-sourced, cosmopolitan food, huge whisky collection (over 240 single malts), CAMRA-approved real ale range and the largest list of Belgian beers in Scotland, running to over 120. In the kitchen, Scottish ingredients are given an international makeover, resulting in the likes of a Manhattan seafood chowder loaded with Moray Firth spoots and crab meat, or a venison Puebla featuring roe deer fillet cooked in chocolate and chilli sauce.

The Birch Tree Delny, Invergordon IV18 0NP 01349 853549, the-birch-tree.com Tue 6–10pm; Wed–Sat noon–2.30pm, 6–10pm. Closed Sun/Mon.

The food philosophy at the Birch Tree is based on seasonal, sustainable ingredients sourced from equally committed local producers and suppliers – many of which are name-checked on the website. The produce is the star here, and fine-dining formalities are thin on the ground. The menu changes regularly according to seasonality and availability, but sample dishes like Strathdon Blue soufflé, featherblade of Black Isle beef with tarragon mash, and locally reared pork belly with black pudding and apple puree give an idea of the importance of provenance to the owner. There’s a touch of French influence at play here, too, in food that is colourful, eye-catching and beautifully presented.

Crannag Bistro Dornoch Road, Bonar Bridge IV24 3EB 01863 766111, crannag.com Tue–Sat 6–9pm. Closed Sun/Mon.

Run by Ian and Kathy Smith, this bistro serves easy-going food such as Dornoch Firth mussels or a Bonar Burger, all made with local ingredients. Takeaway pizzas and fish and chips are also available across the road at the Smiths’ other enterprise, the Caledonian Curry Company, as are ready meals to save cooking of an evening.

Crofters Bistro 1 Marine Terrace, Rosemarkie IV10 8UL 01381 620844, croftersbistro.co.uk Mon–Sat 11am–3pm, 5.30–8.30pm; Sun 12.30–3pm, 5.30–8.30pm.

Reopened in 2013 under new management, busy Crofters Bistro sits on the edge of Rosemarkie Bay with uninterrupted views out to sea. The rustic dining room makes a relaxed setting for bistro classics along the lines of fish and chips, mussels, steaks and burgers. The menu changes frequently, however, and specials might offer some more surprising options like devilled kidneys, potted crab and braised venison, with produce locally sourced as far as possible. The seafront location offers the added bonus that there are often dolphins, seals and a lone otter spotted at play in the bay.

CHEF’S CHOICE CHRIS DUCKHAM ON LOCALLY FORAGED LEAVES

I love foraging for leaves that will bring a twist to some of our dishes, something our customers might not be expecting.

I pick the nettles that grow abundantly around the chicken shed in spring, when the leaves are still small, then simply douse them in flour and deep fry them to produce lovely crispy leaves. I serve these with my peatbaked potatoes and a sprinkling of Crowdie cheese as a simple dish halfway through the set menu.

Another wild plant I like to cook with is wood sorrel, which comes into flower in early summer. Its refreshing lemon scent makes it ideal as a palate cleanser – I mix it with juiced cucumber to make a sorbet, which I serve with a gin and tonic froth as a refresher between the cheese course and dessert.

■ Chris Duckham is Head Chef at Cote du Nord, Bettyhill (see p.37) as well as being the local GP.

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The Captain’s Galley (page 37)

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GUIDES

Dornoch Castle Hotel

Luigi

Castle Street, Dornoch IV25 3SD 01862 810216, dornochcastlehotel.com Mon–Sun 6.30–9.30pm.

Castle Street, Dornoch IV25 3SN 01862 810893, luigidornoch.com Summer: Mon–Sun 10am–9pm. Winter: Mon–Sun 10am–5pm.

Dornoch Castle was built in the 15th century and once belonged to the Earl of Sutherland, but it passed into private ownership early in the 20th century and has been operating as a hotel since 1947.

There are dining options to suit most, whether you’re after a special candlelit dinner overlooking formal walled gardens, or a more informal meal in front of a roaring log fire. Provenance is stated on the menu, with leaves from Saladworx, Dornoch Firth mussels and game from Muir of Ord featuring regularly.

A modern, friendly restaurant in the coastal town of Dornoch, by day Luigi is a café serving home baking, coffees, soups and sandwiches. On summer evenings, however, Luigi becomes a contemporary restaurant with a pan-European menu and an emphasis on Scottish seafood and locally sourced produce. Starters might be hot-smoked salmon ravioli with dill butter, or a salad of baked goat’s cheese with figs, while main courses take in sea bream served with lemon and sage risotto or a spicy prawn linguine, alongside steaks and shellfish dishes. The setting is bright and contemporary, with clean lines and fresh flowers, bringing a welcome splash of colour to the area’s dining options.

Greens Market Restaurant Market Street, Tain IV19 1AR 01862 893874 Tue–Thu 10am–5pm; Fri/Sat 10am– 10pm. Closed Sun/Mon.

Just off the High Street in Tain, Greens Market is a bright, stylish restaurant with three large windows providing a view onto Market Street and flooding the room with natural light. Open throughout the day for coffees, home baking and snacks, with lunch and weekend dinner menus putting local ingredients centre stage.

The menu changes regularly, but expect bistro-style dishes along the lines of prawn linguine, three-bean casserole, fish cakes, rump of Highland lamb and beerbattered cod.

Kinkell House Hotel Easter Kinkell, Conon Bridge IV7 8HY 01349 861270, kinkellhousehotel.com Mon–Sat noon–2pm, 6–9pm; Sun noon–2pm.

Kinkell House Hotel is a converted farmhouse, situated on the Black Isle with stunning views of Ben Wyvis. The awardwinning restaurant serves seasonal local produce, seafood and meat including venison liver and 28-day matured beef on a daily changing menu. There are beautiful views from the dining room, and at the right time of year your dinner might be accompanied by a stunning sunset.

The Storehouse Restaurant and Farm Shop Foulis Ferry, Evanton IV16 9UX 01349 830038, thestorehouseathome.com Mon–Sat 9am–6pm; Sun 10am–5pm.

In their homely and welcoming café and farm shop, Quintin and Michelle Stevens sell meat and vegetables direct from their own farm, as well as cheeses, larder staples, wine and spirits, bits and bobs for ‘free-from’ diets, and some non-food gifts. Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea are served in the self-service restaurant with its enviable views out to the Cromarty Firth. The restaurant incorporates fresh local produce into its daily changing menu, which begins with hearty Scottish breakfasts and moves on to lunchtime soups, quiches and baked potatoes, while home-baked goodies are served at any time. Sofas and newspapers are on hand to make a pit stop more comfortable, while free wifi could encourage a longer stay, and outside seating is an attractive lunch option on those sunny summer days.

Sutor Creek Café 1 Bank Street, Cromarty IV11 8YN 01381 600855, sutorcreek.co.uk

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Where to Eat

Jul–Sep: Mon–Sun 11am–9pm. Oct– Jun: Mon/Tue 11am–4pm; Wed–Sun 11am–9pm.

Boasting one of the few proper wood-fired ovens in the Highlands, this bright and quirky harbourside café majors on artisan pizzas and shellfish landed just yards from the kitchen door. Daily blackboard specials are on display every lunch and evening with options including local venison burgers, Shetland mussels and imaginative toppings along the lines of haggis, neeps and black pudding for their home-made pizzas. On Saturday nights the oven is also put to good use slow-roasting Black Isle pork and lamb overnight in preparation for Sunday lunch the following day.

WESTER ROSS Applecross Inn Shore Street, Applecross IV54 8LR 01520 744262, applecross.uk.cominn Mon–Sun noon–9pm.

There are not many inns in Scotland worth blowing a gasket on your car over. The family-run Applecross Inn in ultra-remote Wester Ross is one of them. If your car somehow makes it over the notorious, but spellbindingly beautiful, Bealach Na Ba, then the rewards are manifest. Take a pew outside on a sunny day or cosy up inside with distant views of the Skye Cuillin for company. Settle down to a heaving plate of Applecross prawns (langoustines) or whole local lobster. Meat lovers can sample fresh Applecross Estate venison and everyone can finish off with some fine cheeses from the West Highland Dairy. They’ve also got rooms here, if you want stay over. Your car will be in need of the rest. Your soul will probably be as rejuvenated the next day too.

selection of hot and cold food, homemade cakes and ice-creams throughout the day.

In clement weather you can take your lunch outside and watch for otters in the loch, but on colder days it might be preferable to curl up with a locally brewed beer by the log-burning stove.

Badachro Inn Badachro, Gairloch IV21 2AA 01445 741255, badachroinn.com Mon–Sun noon–3pm & 6–9pm.

Nestled on the south side of Loch Gairloch, this place serves simple food using local ingredients and majoring in freshly caught seafood straight off the boat. With beautiful views even after the sun has set – lights twinkling on the water adding an air of romance to the whole setting – it’s no wonder the place gets so busy that booking up to a few days in advance can be necessary. Although there are plenty of wines on offer, whisky and beer dominate the bar, the most local of which comes from An Teallach brewery.

The Ceilidh Place 4 West Argyle Street, Ullapool IV26 2TY 01854 612103, theceilidhplace.com Mon–Sun 9am–10pm

At the beating cultural heart of Ullapool, the Ceilidh Place is a rendezvous for travellers, musicians, philosophers and anyone else drawn to good conversation, good food and good living. Food is served all day, from breakfast, scones and coffee to soups and salads, afternoon tea, ‘chittery bites’, supper dishes and even an afterthe-kitchen’s-closed plate of something.

Conscious of their carbon footprint, they take pride in getting fish from the pier, tatties from the lochside and herbs from the garden, although they’ve yet to crack the bananas.

Aroma Café

Kishorn Seafood Bar

The Perfume Studio, Mellon Charles, Loch Ewe IV22 2JL 01445 731618, perfume-studio.com Tue–Sun 10am–5pm. Closed Mon.

Kishorn, Strathcarron IV54 8XA 01520 733240, kishornseafoodbar.co.uk Mar–Nov: Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm. Jul–Sep: Mon–Sat 10am–9pm; Sun noon–5pm.

The bright and airy Aroma Café boasts spectacular views across Loch Ewe towards the Torridon mountains, serving a

> JOHN O’GROATS MILL

The setting may be an unassuming blinkand-you-miss-it cabin by the side of the

The North Highland Initiative and The Prince’s Regeneration Trust are working to to restore John o’Groats corn mill to working order and turn it into a tourist attraction.

So far, they have secured a £230,000 building regeneration grant from Historic Scotland. Chief Executive of the North Highland Initiative, Tom Campbell, explains: ‘We hope people can come and see the restored mill working, and enjoy their built cultural heritage. We hope to grind meal that can then be used to make the scones and cakes sold in an onsite café, and that we can revitalise some traditional rural skills.’

Originally built in 1750, it stopped production in 2001.

It’s the last mill in Caithness to retain its working machinery, and the hope is that the mill could be re-opened to the public within three years.

(Hannah Ewan) ■ princesregeneration.org

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Where to Eat

The Albannach

list.co.uk

lost, lonely road around Loch Carron, but the seafood here is as spectacular as any of the epic scenery of Wester Ross.

Sourcing is key. They don’t need to trot out the names of wholesalers as they are often on first-name terms with the characters who caught the plump langoustines, chunky king scallops and baseball-size oysters. Seafood platters, heaving with lobster, squat lobster tails, mussels, crab, langoustines and scallops, are perhaps the best value in Scotland, while the unusual signature dish of scallops with a croissant and garlic butter is a delicious snack if you are in a hurry passing by.

Maggie’s Tea Room Camusnagaul, Dundonnell IV23 2QT 01854 633326, camusnagaul.com Apr–Oct: Mon–Sun 10am–5pm.

Situated in the quiet, picturesque area of Little Loch Broom at Camusnagaul, Maggie’s is part of a busy rural community based on farming, fishing and tourism, making it popular with walkers, beach combers and locals alike. The conservatory café leads out to a quiet deck with sweeping views across the loch. Light lunches feature locally smoked Aultbea salmon, fresh local salads and Orkney sweet pickled herrings. Dinner can also be booked by arrangement.

Na Mara Strath, Gairloch IV21 2BZ 01445 712397, namararestaurant.co.uk Mar–Jun and Sep/Oct: open 6 days (closed Wed). Jul/Aug: Mon-Sun 3pmlate. Nov/Dec: open Thu—Sun. Closed Jan/Feb. (Please phone or email for exact opening times.)

In the spread-out Highland village of Gairloch, with its complex coastline that is both rocky and sandy by turn, sits Na Mara Restaurant. Here the emphasis is on produce sourced as locally as possible, including beef and game, and local seafood suppliers bring in scallops, mussels and creel-caught prawns, depending on the daily catch. The menu offers Beauly wild boar burger, Highland estate venison, Isle of Ewe smoked salmon and hand-dived scallops from the Western Isles.

GUIDES

Nanny’s Shop Shieldaig, Strathcarron IV54 8XN nannysshop.co.uk Easter–Oct: Mon–Sat 10am–5pm.

Closed Sun.

This little shop was run by Nanny Grant since 1950, and before that by her father, who built it in 1918. It seemed like the end of an era when Nanny died in 2007, and villagers assumed that the charming corrugated-iron building would become yet another holiday home. Now, however, the shop has been reopend by Lynn Frost and Lisa O’Brien, and Nanny’s name continues. As well as stocking local produce, including Capaldi’s ice-cream and Loch Torridon langoustines and smoked salmon, there’s home-made soup on the menu, along with toast and ‘jelly pieces’, and they have included a takeaway service for coffee and home baking.

The Old Inn Flowerdale Glen, Gairloch IV21 2BD 01445 712006, theoldinn.net Mon–Sun 5–9.30pm.

With its own micro-brewery onsite, it’s fortunate that the Old Inn has rooms for those wishing to try the fruits of a project that began in 2009 with a 100-litre brewing plant and resulted in their first ale – an IPA called The Erradale. Head chef Chris Bentley serves restaurant and bar menus strong on Highland game and west coast seafood – think chilli crab claws or grilled squat lobsters with garlic bread. Live folk music is staged every Friday in the summer months, and regularly in winter too.

Pool House Poolewe, Ross-shire IV22 2LD 01445 781272, pool-house.co.uk Advance dinner bookings only

In true country-house tradition, the nautical-themed dining room is at the heart of this hotel, and a set five-course dinner is prepared for those guests who have made reservations in advance. Situated just a few feet from where the river meets the sea, each table enjoys a view of Loch Ewe and the opportunity to spot seals, otters and a wide variety of birds. Chef John Moir’s award-winning French style of cooking

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makes the most of the readily available local game, fish and seafood – some of which he catches himself. Fresh fruit, herbs and vegetables come from the Pool House garden, while their own chickens and ducks supply free-range eggs.

The Potting Shed Café & Restaurant Applecross Walled Garden, Applecross IV54 8ND 01520 744440, applecrossgarden.co.uk Mon–Sun 10am–8.30pm.

The Potting Shed café and restaurant is hidden away in the walled gardens of Applecross House. The owners describe themselves as a bunch of ‘bumpkins’ who take nothing seriously, except when it comes to food. Fruit and vegetables are grown right there in the garden and shellfish is brought back in their boat. Freerange eggs and wild mushrooms are also locally sourced, making for an altogether unpretentious, relaxing foodie treat.

Seaforth Bar and Restaurant Quay Street, Ullapool IV26 2UE 01854 612122, theseaforth.com Mon–Sun noon–9.30pm.

Conveniently positioned by the harbour, the Seaforth is a popular gathering place for mariners and landlubbers alike. The current owners are Ullapool natives with a commitment to supporting and promoting the village and its local food, as well as local musicians who regularly play here.

With an unsurprising emphasis on local seafood, the expansive bar serves meals throughout the day.

Summer Isles Hotel Achiltibuie IV26 2YQ 01854 622282, summerisleshotel.com Apr–Oct: Mon–Sun noon–8.30pm.

The intimate dining room at Summer Isles Hotel must have witnessed some proposals over the years. With its flickering candles, crisp white table cloths and that sea view, the setting is perfect for romantic dinners a deux – and that’s before even thinking about the food. Head Chef Alan White has been at the helm since 2011.

Fish and shellfish are bought direct from

local fishermen, and there’s even some foraging done on local beaches and fields for interesting herbs and salad leaves. For those without the budget or appetite for the full dinner in the main dining room, there’s a bar menu available too, the shellfish platter being a particular highlight.

The Torridon Inn Annat, Achnasheen IV22 2EY 01445 791242, thetorridon.com Mon–Sun 7–8.45pm.

Head chef Bruno Birkbeck turns the Torridon’s remote locale into an advantage, bringing out the best of the local produce, with seafood from Loch Torridon itself and red meats from an award-winning butcher in nearby Gairloch. Apples, blackberries, raspberries, potatoes and carrots come from the hotel’s own two-acre kitchen garden. Birkbeck then conjures up magical creations, such as pan-seared Kyle of Lochalsh hand-dived scallops laced with a pea puree, smoked pancetta and a pea espuma; or roast saddle of Applecross venison, spiced with a black pudding ravioli, creamed cabbage, beetroot, parsnip puree and a juniper jus.

NORTHWEST SUTHERLAND The Albannach Baddidarroch, Lochinver IV27 4LP 01571 844407, thealbannach.co.uk Tue–Sun 8–10pm. Closed Mon.

Run by self-taught chef-proprietors Lesley Crosfield and Colin Craig, The Albannach was first awarded a Michelin star in 2009 and has retained the accolade every year since. The dark-wood dining room, complete with rugs, log fire and stunning sea and mountain views, is the setting for a five-course dinner showcasing local, freerange and wild Highland produce. Fish and shellfish are caught and landed in Ullapool and Lochinver or dived for by friends; organic vegetables and free-range eggs are produced by local crofters; a free-range farm in Morayshire supplies the beef and lamb, while most game, aside from barnreared fowl, is wild and seasonal.

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Where to Eat

Dornoch Castle Hotel (page 40)

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GUIDES

Chez Roux

Mackays

Inver Lodge Hotel, Lochinver IV27 4LU 01571 844496, inverlodgehotel.co.uk Mon–Sun noon–2pm, 7–9.30pm.

Durness IV27 4PN 01971 511202, visitdurness.com Apr–Sep: Mon–Sun noon–3.30pm, 7–8pm.

Perched above the fishing village of Lochinver, in the unique landscape of Assynt, Inver Lodge Hotel is the setting for one of Albert Roux’s three Scottish restaurants. The restaurant focuses on French country-style cooking, taking advantage of the meat, fish and game found in this area and across the Highlands.

Roux’s signature soufflé Suissesse is a highlight of the starters, while mains like monkfish pithivier and braised pork belly with choucroute underline the French influence in this corner of Sutherland.

Set within a 150-year-old hotel, Mackays Restaurant focuses on local Highland produce, much of which is farmed on the proprietors’ own land. Set out in neutral shades, with wood panelling and slate floors, the smart restaurant offers a daily changing menu of local produce, understandably with an emphasis on seafood and Highland meat, and turns out some creative touches. With few other dining options available locally, tables can be at a premium, particularly on summer weekends, so booking is recommended.

Kylesku Hotel Kylesku, Lairg IV27 4HW 01971 502231, kyleskuhotel.co.uk Apr–Sep: Mon–Sun noon–9pm.

Mar/Oct: Mon–Sun noon–2.30pm, 5.30–8.30pm.

An inn has been servicing the needs of weary travellers here since the 17th century, and it’s easy to see why it makes such an attractive haven. And not only because the Kylesku is the only option for miles, but also thanks to the setting and the views from the restaurant. All of the crabs, lobsters and langoustines are creel caught and the scallops are hand dived.

The mussels come straight out of Loch Glendhu, the beef and lamb are from the Highlands and the venison is culled wild.

Overscaig House Hotel Loch Shin, by Lairg IV27 4NY 01549 431203, overscaighotel.co.uk Mon–Sat 10.30am–2.30pm.

Overlooking Loch Shin, in the heart of Sutherland, sits Overscaig House. Making a great base for hill-walkers, history buffs and twitchers, the hotel is equally suited to those seeking a couple of nights’ relaxation with a malt and a good book by the woodburning stove. Menus make a feature of local North Highland venison, Aberdeen Angus beef, fish from Kinlochbervie and west-coast shellfish. To round things off there’s homemade ice-cream or a selection of local cheeses.

Shorehouse Restaurant The Lochinver Larder Main Street, Lochinver IV27 4JY 01571 844356, lochinverlarder.co.uk Summer: Mon–Sun 10am–8.30pm.

Winter: Mon–Sun 10am–4pm.

Famous for its eclectic array of homemade pies, the Lochinver Larder has garnered a good many fans over the years – so much so that pies can now be sent by post to anywhere in mainland Britain. Venison is the most popular filling, but the options run from chestnut mushroom and red wine through smoked haddock to chicken curry – and there are a number of sweet pies too.

The pastry-shy can opt for fish or steak instead, and there’s always a veggie option.

Tigh-na-Mara, Scourie IV27 4SS 01971 502251 Mon–Sat noon–6.50pm. Closed Sun.

Perched on the coast overlooking Handa Island, the tiny, family-run Shorehouse serves up fresh shellfish from their own boat to those in the know and the occasional unsuspecting passer-by.

Beautiful views from the conservatory dining room and a warm, friendly welcome from the hosts accompany the seafood, which is cooked simply and served with salad and buttered potatoes. Child friendly and open for coffee and cakes throughout the day, it makes for a handy pitstop on the way to and/or from Handa.

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Events

North Highland Food & Drink Events HIGHLAND GAMES & GATHERINGS The strong tradition of Highland Games continues each summer, with events held throughout the North Highlands. Featuring competitions in piping and drumming, dancing and Scottish heavy athletics, the games also include entertainment and exhibits of Highland food, farming and culture. And let’s not forget the caber toss.

Assynt (Lochinver) Highland Games

COUNTY SHOWS These annual displays of farming machinery, pedigree animals and prize cabbages take place throughout the Highlands all summer, with local produce and crafts tents, catering vans and, in some cases, chefs’ demos. Important livestock sales also take place regularly throughout the year at Dingwall Mart (dingwallmart.co.uk).

Black Isle Show

August, assyntgames.co.uk

Muir of Ord, August, blackisleshow.info

Dornoch Gathering

Caithness County Show,

August, dornochhighlandgathering.com

Wick, July, caithnessshow.co.uk

Sutherland Show, Durness Gathering July, durnesshighlandgathering.co.uk

Dornoch, July, sutherlandshow.com

FESTIVALS

Gairloch Gathering

B-Fest, Wick

June, highland-gathering.com

B-Fest is a family-friendly music festival taking place in Wick in August.

Halkirk Highland Games

bfest-wick.co.uk

September, halkirkgames.co.uk

Loopallu, Ullapool Helmsdale Highland Games August, helmsdalegames.info

Invercharron Highland Games September, invercharrongames.co.uk

Invergordon Gathering August, invergordonhighlandgathering.co.uk

Now in its ninth year, this wee music festival punches above its weight, more than doubling the size of the village when September comes. The likes of Franz Ferdinand, Scouting for Girls and Paolo Nutini have all played the festival over the years. loopallu.co.uk

Wild Food Weekend Lochcarron Highland Games July, lochcarrongames.org.uk

Strathpeffer Gathering August, strathpeffervillage.org.uk

Tain Gathering

> ABOUT THE NORTH HIGHLAND INITIATIVE

A gourmet weekend in Gairloch in September focusing on the best of the North Highlands’ larder, from venison and fish to bread, honey and beer. Look out for cookery demos, tastings and even a foraging expedition. visitwester-ross.com

The Duke of Rothesay, as The Prince of Wales is known in Scotland, launched the North Highland Initiative (NHI) in August 2005 to promote and develop the economy and to support the rural communities of the North Highlands. The Duke has a longstanding relationship with the area through the Castle of Mey, one of the residences of his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

The NHI aims to bring together the farming community, local businesses and the tourism industry and create a strong regional identity for the area.

The Mey Selections brand was the NHI’s first venture (for more on this, see p.19). The second phase is a tourism marketing strategy focusing on ‘where the crowds don’t go’.

The third phase of the project aims to breath new life into the area’s built heritage.

■ north-highlands.co.uk

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Farmers’ Markets

North Highland Farmers’ Markets Farmers’ Markets are an important aspect of North Highland life – the strong rural communities know the benefit of supporting their local producers, and many of today’s success stories started out with a stall at their local market. Check individual websites for latest news and events

Applecross Producers Market

Ferintosh Community Market

Mey Market

Village Hall

Findon Hall, Culbokie

Every second Friday, 10am–1pm

Third Saturday of the month, 10am–noon

Every Tuesday (May–Sep), 10.30am–3pm

achnasheenandgarve.com

transitionblackisle.org

Cromarty Community Market

GALE Community Markets

North Kessock Community Market

Aultbea: Community Hall

Community Hall

Second Saturday of the month, 11am–2pm

First Friday of the month Gairloch: Community Hall

Last Saturday of the month (except Dec), 10am–noon

transitionblackisle.org

Every Monday

transitionblackisle.org

Dingwall

Poolewe: St Maelrubhas Church Hall

High Street

Every Thursday

Strathpeffer Food & Craft Market

Second Saturday of the month, 9am–3pm

galeactionforum.co.uk

Community Centre

dingwall.org.uk

Kinlochewe

Third Tuesday of the month, 9.30am–12.30pm

Village Hall

achnasheenandgarve.com

Mey Hall

meyhall.co.uk

Dornoch

Every Thursday, 10.30am–12.30pm

Dornoch Social Club

achnasheenandgarve.com

Third Saturday of the month (Mar–Dec), 9am–12.30pm

Lochcarron

dornochfarmersmarket.co.uk

Village Hall

Every Saturday (Apr–Oct), 9am–5pm

Last Friday of the month (Apr–Dec), 11am–3pm

Wick

lochcarron.org.uk

Market Square

Every second Wednesday, 10am–4pm

Loch Torridon

First Saturday of the month, 9am–4.30pm

elkcal.co.uk

Third and fourth Friday of the month

Elphin Food & Craft Market

Ullapool Seaforth Lane car park

Community Hall Village Hall

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Index

Index A-Bun-Dance 23, 27 Achiltibuie Garden, The 36 Achiltibuie Stores 36 Ackergill Tower 36 Albannach, The 37, 43 Allangrange Arms 39 An Teallach Ale Company 27, 41 Anderson, The 39 Applecross Inn 41 Aquascot 27 Ardgay Game 27, 31 Aroma Café 41 Avoch Bakery 27 Badachro Inn 41 Balblair Distillery 27, 32 Barracks Preserves 26 Berry Good 27, 28 Birch Tree, The 39 Black Isle Berries 32 Black Isle Brewery 20, 27, 32, 37 Blackstairs Fish Sales 28 Bogallan Beef 26 Bridleway Produce 26 Brora Bees 27 Bulno Goats 27 Bumblebee Kitchen Garden 26 Caithness beef 35 Caithness Berries 26 Caithness Biscuits 27 Caithness Cheese 27, 28 Caithness Chocolates 27, 28 Caithness Free Range Eggs 28 Caithness Horizons 37 Caithness Pork 26 Caithness Smokehouse 12, 29 Caithness Summer Fruits 26, 29 Campbell’s Prime Meats 19 Capaldi’s 42 Captain’s Galley, The 33, 37 Carrot’s Wholefoods 29 Castletown Butchers 29 Ceilidh Place, The 41 Chez Roux 44 Clynelish Distillery 27 Cockburn, George & Son 33 Cocoa Mountain 22, 27, 30, 36 Corner on the Square 32 Cote du Nord 37, 39 County Shows 45 Cowie, Jim 33, 37 Craig, Colin 37, 43 Crannag Bistro 39 Crask Inn 37 Crofters Bistro 39

Crofting 8, 9 Cromarty Bakery 27 Cromarty Brewing Company 20, 27 Crosfield, Lesley 37, 43 Cullisse Highland Rapeseed Oil 15 Dalmore Distillery 27 Dingwall Mart 45 Dornoch Castle Hotel 31, 40 Drumbeg Stores 36 Drumbhan Croft 27 Dry Island Shellfish 14, 34 Duckham, Chris 39 Dundonnell Smoked Salmon 32 Easter Balmungie Farm 26, 32 Farmers’ markets 27, 46 Festivals 45 Fish Shop, The 30 Flavours 30 Food for Thought 35 Forss House Hotel 37 George Cockburn & Son 33 Gillies Fine Foods 26 Glen Ord Distillery 27 Glenmorangie Distillery 27, 33 Glenurquhart Farm 33 Golspie Mill 17, 30 Greens Market Restaurant 40 Greystones Farm 30 Harrold Bros 30, 35 Helies, Mikael 31 Helmsdale Smokehouse 13 Highland Croft Produce 26, 31 Highland Fine Cheeses 18, 27 Highland Games & Gatherings 45 Highland Wild Boar 26 Highland Wildwoods 26 Huna Mill 41 Isle of Ewe Smokehouse 12, 35, 42 John M Munro 33 John O’Groats Mill 41 JPL Shellfish 30 Keltic Seafare 7, 27 Kenneth Morrison 35 Kinkell House Hotel 40 Kishorn Seafood Bar 41 Knockfarrel Produce 9, 26, 33 Knockrash Growers 26 Kylesku Hotel 44 Larder, The (Alness) 33 Loch Duart 6, 7, 27 Lochinver Larder, The 44 Luigi 40 Mackay, William, & Sons 31 Mackay’s (Durness) 44 Mackays Hotel (Wick) 35, 37 Mackenzie, S&M 35 Maggie’s Tea Room 42

Manson, Andrew 35, 38 Markets 46 Melvich Hotel 38 Mey Selections 19, 35, 38, 45 Morrison, Kenneth 35 Munro, John M 33 Na Mara 42 Nanny’s Shop 42 Natural Vegetable Company 9, 33 North Highland Initiative 5, 19, 41, 45 Old Inn, The 42 Old Pulteney Distillery 21, 27, 31 Overscaig House Hotel 44 Pool House 42 Potting Shed Café & Restaurant 43 Puffin Croft Farm Shop 26, 31 Rapeseed oil 15 Reidchalmai Croft 9, 26 Reids Highland Fare 34 Reids of Caithness 27, 31 Robertson’s the Larder 34 Royal Marine Hotel, The 38 S&M Mackenzie 35 Saladworx 16, 26, 31, 40 Scottish Crofting Produce Mark 8 Seaforth Bar and Restaurant 43 Shellfish Safaris 14, 34 Shorehouse Restaurant 44 Sinclair Family Butcher 31 Skirza Horticultural Products 27 Smokehouses 12 Storehouse Restaurant and Farm Shop, The (Foulis) 26, 34, 40 Storehouse, The (John O’Groats) 38 Struan Apiaries 27 Summer Isles Foods 34 Summer Isles Hotel 43 Sutor Creek Café 40 Tarradale Game 27 Teaninich Distillery 27 Tomich Farm Shop 26, 34 Torridon Inn, The 43 Ulbster Arms Hotel, The 38 Ullapool Bakery 27, 35 Ullapool Smokehouse 13, 35 Veg Shop, The (Newhall Crossroads) 34 West Highland Dairy 41 Wester Ross Fisheries 13, 27, 35 Whaligoe Steps Café 38 Wild Game Company 27, 31 William Mackay & Sons 31 Wolfburn Distillery 21, 27 The North Highland Larder 47

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North Highland Larder

Name section

list.co.uk

GUIDES

THE GUIDE TO THE FOOD & DRINK OF THE NORTH HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND

The North Highlands of Scotland are defined not only by their spectacular scenery, rich cultural history and unique natural heritage, but also by an appealing larder of food and drink. The area encompasses fertile farmland and marginal crofts, vast estates, deepwater fishing ports and tiny inlets that are the hunting ground for creel fishermen and scallop divers. In the knots of population are many enterprising food and drink businesses from cheesemakers and chocolatiers to craft breweries and whisky distilleries.

This inspiring and practical guide to the food and drink of the North Highlands includes: ■ The stories behind the region’s great produce ■ Detailed listings of the best food shops, markets and producers ■ Profiles of the people producing the region’s food: fishermen, crofters, cheesemakers, brewers and growers ■ Highland chefs on their favourite local food ■ An independent guide to the best places to eat

the

Larder

Fife Larder SECOND EDITION

GUIDES

THE GUIDE TO FIFE’S FOOD & DRINK

THE GUIDE TO SCOTLAND’S FOOD AND DRINK

Aberdeenshire

Larder THE GUIDE TO THE FOOD & DRINK OF ABERDEENSHIRE

SECOND EDITION

thelarder.net 48 The North Highland Larder

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