Fare going: a feast for all the senses
Rosemary Gallagher rustles up a delicious menu of food and drink destinations to tingle your tastebuds this autumn season
Scotland is world-famous for its whisky, but there is a lot more to the country’s produce than just its National Drink. And, with a chill returning to the air following an unusually long, hot summer, now is an ideal time to plan a foodie staycation, or discover new destinations for a night out to tingle the taste buds.
There is a wealth of culinary related activities to sample across Scotland, from beer and whisky festivals to luxurious rural restaurants with rooms.
Here are some suggestions to explore what’s on offer if you’re after a tasty city break and or rural getaway in the coming weeks and months.
Edinburgh’s Cold Town House’s craft beer festival returns to the city’s Grassmarket next Saturday, 4 October in a celebration of Scotland’s independent craft beer scene.
Following the success of its festivals over the past two years, Cold Town House is gearing up to welcome back hundreds of crafty fans from across the country in the heart of the Capital.
Ten Scottish craft breweries will be showcasing their finest seasonal drinks. This year’s line-up features some new faces, including Falkirk’s Not That California Brewing Company, Thistly Cross from East Lothian, Harviestoun Brewery and Williams Brothers from Clackmannanshire, plus Edinburgh’s Walkie Talky Brewing. Edinburgh’s Closet Brewing and Moonwake Brewing will also be returning for the October event.
Guests will get the chance to get a close-up view of Cold Town’s microbrewery and enjoy some of their street food and Neapolitan pizzas, while enjoying live music courtesy of Jono Connelly and the Brass Rats.
Tickets are £15 per person and include entry to the event, a bespoke festival cup and tote bag.
Ruth Reid, brand and marketing manager at Cold Town Brewery, says: “We’ve gone bigger and better with more tickets on sale and amped up the live music with a five-piece brass band for this autumn’s Grassmarket Craft Beer Festival.
Elsewhere in the Capital, the Edinburgh Edition of Scottish National Whisky Festival will be at The Biscuit Factory in Leith on Saturday, 25 October from 12 to 4pm.
Visitors can sample hundreds of whiskies from distillers and independent bottlers, indulge in cocktails from world-class mixologists, enjoy live music and seminars, and take home a bottle of something special from the festival whisky shop.
Edinburgh Cocktail Week runs from 3-12 October this year. It will offer cocktails at more than 100 bars across the city with a dedicated Cocktail Village in Festival Square.
Looking ahead to the festive season, The Rutland, The Huxley, Kyloe, and Heads and Tales – all part of Edinburgh-based Signature Group – have recently unveiled their plans for party time.
The Rutland in the city’s West End is described as the “ultimate festive destination”. It is home to a collection of boutique hotel rooms, luxury apartments, eateries and bars.
Edinburgh’s gourmet steak restaurant, Kyloe, will be offering its Christmas menus from 17 November to 24 December. A festive film club and Hogmanay celebrations are also planned.
For a subterranean cocktail experience, head down to Heads and Tales, which will be transformed into Santa’s grotto from November.
Meanwhile, The Huxley will be serving up a mixture of Scottish classics and Americana-style soul food.
Moving further north, Dornoch Whisky Festival takes place from 24 to 26 October. Marking ten years of the event, the festival will be held at various venues in town, offering a range of whisky flights and tastings, food pairings, a comedy night and much more.
Staying in that part of the country – and also taking part in the Whisky Festival – the five-star Links House at Royal Dornoch has created a sumptuous gourmet experience for up to 12 guests per night to celebrate culinary artistry, storytelling, and the very best of seasonal Highland produce from now through to December.
Its supper club series of events is designed to “add warmth and indulgence to autumn and winter evenings on the world-famous North Coast 500”.
Five themed events will form part of the “Anteroom” experience. Each month, head chef Theo Creton and Master of the House, Fraser Carruth, will host a series of supper clubs inspired by the people, produce and location of Links House.
The private Anteroom will provide an intimate setting for hotel guests and non-residents to enjoy five-course tasting menus showcasing seasonal ingredients and Highland traditions.
Menu highlights will include wild Ardgay venison, Portmahomack lobster, and freshly picked herbs from the hotel’s kitchen garden.
Events include the Joseph Perrier Anteroom Experience on 10 and 12 October; a night of Whisky & Storytelling as part of the Dornoch Whisky Festival on 25 October, hosted by Stephen Rankin, director of prestige at Gordon & MacPhail; Game for the Table with Eric Nimmons of Seafield Game on 28 and 29 November, and The Great Swap on 19 and 20 December, when Theo Creton and Fraser Carruth will swap roles for the night.
For those wanting to explore more of Scotland’s stunning coastline and islands, the Wee Hotel Company has launched its “Wee Winter Breaks” concept on the Isle of Skye and Argyll coast for autumn and winter this year.
The boutique hotel collection includes the world-famous Three Chimneys at Colbost on Skye; the second Three Chimneys at Talisker on the shores of Loch Harport, and The Pierhouse Hotel at Port Appin on the Argyll coast.
Visitors and their four-legged friends are attracted to these venues which place an emphasis on authenticity, the magic of Scottish food and ingredients, plus, of course, a warm welcome.
From wild swimming experiences at Loch Linnhe, oyster tours at Loch Creran, foraging to gather wild ingredients, and an immersive dining experience at Talisker Distillery, The Wee Hotel Company has crafted a mouthwatering collection of food and travel experiences.
The dark winter skies on the Isle of Skye and the Argyll coast offer some of Scotland’s finest star-gazing opportunities, as well as the chance for some lucky visitors to witness the Northern Lights. Guests also have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of – but not a munch of – local wildlife, including sea otters, seals, deer, hares, oystercatchers, guillemots, and sea eagles.
As the cold winter nights draw in, the teams at The Three Chimneys and The Pierhouse are ready to stoke up the fires, prepare heart-warming menus and plump up the pillows for travellers in search of a seasonally snug winter getaway.
The Three Chimneys on Skye offers a choice of six guest rooms in its House Over-By as well as its award-winning restaurant. While the Talisker Three Chimneys tempts with an immersive dining experience taking inspiration for the menus from Talisker Distillery’s unique location on the Minginish peninsula, and the local air filled with the salt and spray of the sea.
According to this year’s National Hotels of the Year Scotland Awards, The Pierhouse Hotel and Seafood Restaurant is home to Scotland’s Chef of the Year and is Romantic Restaurant of the Year on the shores of Loch Linnhe, offering breathtaking views to the islands of Lismore and Mull.
Another Scottish experience not to be missed is a visit to Royal Deeside, where guests can stay at the Darroch Learg Hotel & Restaurant on the outskirts of Ballater.
This ten-bedroom destination boasts views across the River Dee to the hills around Glen Muick, with a variety of walking routes nearby in the Cairngorms National Park.
Darroch Learg’s kitchen is led by David Mutter, who has been inducted into the prestigious Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, and Neil Hudson who pride themselves on serving up the best local seasonal produce.
David says: “The food we cook at Darroch Learg reflects the hotel and Ballater. It’s classic, seasonal food with an emphasis on top ingredients from Scotland, prepared with care and professionalism. The menu is changed on a daily basis, dependent on Scotland’s larder that day.”
The restaurant is open to both residents and non-residents from Wednesday to Sunday for dinner, Friday to Sunday for afternoon tea and Sunday for lunch. It is only open to hotel residents on Monday evenings and is closed on Tuesday evenings.
In Highland Perthshire the Old Manse of Blair five-star restaurant with rooms in Blair Atholl promises a “Scottish estate to plate” experience.
Owners Anne and Archie Macdonald have lovingly restored this listed building to create a 23-bedroom boutique hotel where guests can enjoy Scottish cuisine courtesy of executive chef Scott Davies.
Visitors are told to expect showstopping, locally foraged dishes, including a seasonal tasting menu.
And the Caledonian Sleeper connects London with an overnight service direct to Blair Atholl rail station, which is just a few minutes’ drive from The Old Manse of Blair.
It’s fair to say lovers of food, drink and the finer things in life will have plenty to discover across Scotland to brighten up even the darkest of autumn days and nights.
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