Kerry O’Neill is the author of a new book, The Coastal Cafe Guide, which covers the whole of the UK, including 23 Scottish destinations. These include Bootleggers Bar and Bistro in Moray, The Old Pier and The Lass O’Gowrie. She tells us more about the publication, see below.
Why coastal cafes?
As an independent publisher, Printslinger started with The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services. While researching that popular guide, we came across myriad memorable places but just couldn’t crowbar them all into The Extra Mile, so we branched out. The Coastal Café is our second title, taking readers on a journey to the cafés and restaurants at the sea-licked edges of this diverse island and The Farm Shop Guide will be our third book, packed with farm shops, cafés, and farm-to-fork eating experiences. We like to call the new guidebook duo Surf’n’Turf.
What do you look for in the perfect coastal cafe?
It would be within a Frisbee’s flip of the ocean. It would have a sea view, a menu crammed with deliciously local produce and perhaps seafood, and be run by friendly local folk who are genuinely pleased to see you. The chatty staff would have fascinating inside info about the surrounding area and its sea pools and sunset spots. The book certainly has many places that fit the bill, from cliff top restaurants right down to harbour and beach-side cabins and shacks. It also features independent places that are just inland at the heart of our coastal communities, to help our readers seek out and celebrate local businesses instead of hitting a high-street chain coffee shop whose profits are whisked away to benefit the multi-national shareholders rather than local people.
What do the places in the guide have on their menus?
The Coastal Café Guide has places to suit every taste and budget. For shellfish lovers, head to Kishorn Seafood Bar in Strathcarron, for squat lobster tails and garlic scallops served with a fresh-baked croissant. For a natter with Shona over a mug of tea and slice of raspberry-topped layer cake, visit Coastal Cuppie in Pennan Harbour (you might recognise its views from the iconic film, Local Hero). In sunny Dunbar, Graze Coffee and Chocolate House is renowned for Lorraine’s gourmet sandwiches and award-winning scones, while in North Berwick, Drift is a show-stopping clifftop container café overlooking Bass Rock. Run by farmers Jo and Stuart, Drift has knock-out sea views to accompany its fresh, seasonal, cooked-from-scratch Scottish dishes.
Tell us about researching the Scottish section of the book
I’ve both cycled and paddled a canoe across Scotland (and have lived and worked in Elie, St Andrews and the Cairngorms) and know what a diverse place it is, from the busy port towns of the East to the Highlands, islands and wilder west coast. Though hundreds of places could have featured in The Coastal Café Guide, we’ve gone for diversity and a culinary cross-section that shows what the country has to offer. The book has everything from smart cafés and bistros like The Perch in Gareloch or the Fig & Olive in Stranraer, to chic, sunny seaside spots like The Beach House in Portobello. Lovers of the remote and rugged will enjoy the fresh mussels and loch views at The Old Post Office in Lochbuie, or the majestic setting of the Boathouse Restaurant in Ardgour. Here, Pete and Jan serve up many quintessentially Scottish ingredients in one remote, loch-side package. The balcony is overlooked by the striking Kingairloch mountains; the often locally grown and caught food offers a true taste of the region; and red deer and sea eagles add to the wild and remote feel.
What were your favourite discoveries?
I have a hospitality background as well as a travel-writing one: I’ve worked at The Bothy in Fort Augustus, the Clubhouse at St Andrew’s Golf Course and at Cairngorm Lodge. So when I find myself idly browsing a place’s jobs board and checking out the cost of local places to rent, those are my favourites. I’m a sucker for succulent meat and for dramatic locations, and so was very drawn to The Dunvegan, over on the Isle of Skye. Here, chefs cook over an Argentinian asado grill, preparing local meat and fish to smoky, fire-fuelled perfection. I also love simple things done well (especially with that all-important sea and island view thrown in) and so love YURTea & Coffee – the pop-up tea tent at Skyeskyns. Come to enjoy coffee and a cake while mulling over which hand-crafted sheepskin rug to take home.
Did you meet any interesting people along the way?
It’s part of the job! Some café and restaurant owners are arguably more excited about our books coming out than we are, and send us WhatsApp and picture updates as we head towards publication. We can’t fit everything into the book and have so much more detail in our heads and our files than you’ll find on the pages. The fine folk at The Dunvegan are doing incredible things to recycle their waste at every step of their food production journey; it would be harder to find a kinder or more enthusiastic host than Peter at Boathouse Restaurant; and Shona used to make tea for tourists in her own home before setting up Coastal Cuppie, as she was genuinely so happy to welcome visitors to her home and to share her love of all things local with them.
Does sea air make you hungrier?
As a Brit, I can’t help linking the sea with eating fish and chips and ice cream. This is all well and good if you are a city-dweller who visits the coast occasionally but, for someone like me who lives about 200m from the sea (in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset), this can be problematic. But joking aside, there’s definitely something about being near the coast that makes you hungrier. Perhaps it’s because we’re usually there doing activities that build up an appetite, like coast-path walking, sea swimming, surfing, paddle-boarding, cycling, and day-tripping. Whatever is making you hungry, rest assured that if you find yourself in one of the regions featured in the book, the perfect place to sate that hunger in low-food-miles, local style is not very far away.
Tell us about the charity partners for the book
People often think that clean beaches and safe, healthy seas are a given: they aren’t. There are hundreds of organisations supported by millions of volunteers, donors and members out there protecting our coasts, our oceans, and the communities they support. For that reason and to help raise awareness and funds for some of these tireless charities, The Coastal Café Guide features a dozen UK-based coast-related organisations. The book has a foreword from the RNLI and opens with their ‘float to live’ safety messages, and we as publishers will donate 1 per cent of our income from sales of this book to Surfers Against Sewage. The National Trust for Scotland is included for its work on conserving coastal natural and built heritage sites; the John Muir Trust is featured for its work to protect vast swathes of coastal terrain such as wild Sandwood Bay; and the guide also highlights the charity, Open Seas, for its work to promote healthier seas and a more sustainable seafood industry.
For 10 per cent off the new book (or any of their other publications) use the code scotcoast at https://theextramile.guide/shop/

1. The Dunvegan, Isle of Skye
At this venue, the chefs cook over an asado, or Argentinian-style barbecue. Main Street, Dunvegan, Skye (01470 521497, www.thedunvegan.com) | Contributed

2. Boathouse Restaurant, Kingairloch Estate
Expect langoustines as big as cats at this restaurant. The Boathouse, Ardgour, Fort William, www.boathouserestaurant.co.uk | Contributed

3. The Perch, Garelochhead
Head here for breakfast, brunch, Sunday lunch and takeaway pizza. The cakes are impressive too. Main Road, Garelochhead, Helensburgh, www.theperch.uk | Contributed

4. Coastal Cuppie, Fraserburgh
This unassuming "shabby chic shack" at Pennan Harbour will service all your coffee and cake needs. | Contributed