Against the backdrop of its striking, craggy mountain skyline, curving roads and unpredictable weather, the Isle of Skye has traditionally attracted nature enthusiasts. In recent years, however, the largest island in the Inner Hebrides has been pulling in visitors for other reasons – its vibrant food and drink scene. At the forefront are up-and-coming Sgitheanach (people from Skye) with a international perspective but a devotion to regional, environmentally conscious ingredients. This is also driven by an engaged community determined to create quality, permanent jobs that keep young people on the island.
An Enthusiasm for Local Produce
Calum Montgomery is raised on Skye, and he’s passionate about showcasing the island’s bounty on his menus. “For those traveling to the island I want them to cherish the natural beauty, but also the excellence of our produce,” he says. “Shellfish like mussels, lobster, scallops and crab from our waters are unsurpassed.” Montgomery is mindful of the past: “It means everything to me to use the very same products as my predecessors. My granddad was a fisherman who caught lobster and we’re enjoying seafood from the identical coastal area, with the equal appreciation for ingredients.”
Montgomery’s Skye Tasting menu displays the distances his products has travelled. Patrons can feast on succulent scallops dived by hand in local waters (direct from the source), and trapped in creels lobster from the island's capital (12 miles) with greens, foraged herbs and blossoms from the garden from the kitchen garden and coastline (zero miles). That connection to produce and producers is crucial. “A short while ago I accompanied a apprentice out with a diver harvesting scallops so he could learn what they do. We shucked scallops directly from the sea and ate them raw with a squeeze of lemon. ‘That’s the best scallop I’ve ever eaten,’ he said. That’s what we want to offer to the restaurant.”
Gastronomic Pioneers
Driving towards the south, in the presence of the mighty Cuillin mountains, a further food representative for Skye, an innovative restaurateur, operates a popular café. This year the chef showcased Scottish cuisine at a renowned international food event, serving seafood sandwiches with spirit-infused butter, and haggis quesadillas. Her venture began her café elsewhere. Coming back to Skye in recent years, a short-term residencies demonstrated there was a market here too.
Over a unique beverage and mouthwatering citrus-marinated fish, the chef explains: “I’m really proud that I started in an urban setting, but I found it challenging to achieve what I can do here. Getting fresh ingredients was a major challenge, but here the scallops come right from the ocean to my door. My creel fisherman only speaks to me in Gaelic.” Her passion for Skye’s ingredients, community and environment is apparent across her vibrant, imaginative dishes, all imbued with homegrown elements, with a hint of local culture. “The link to the island's heritage and language is incredibly significant,” she says. Visitors can use little lesson cards on the tables to learn a few words while they enjoy their meal.
Several locals were employed in other places. We’d see the produce be delivered miles from where it was harvested, and it’s simply inferior
Honoring Heritage with Creativity
Long-running dining establishments are continuing to evolve. A luxury lodge operated by a prominent islander in her family’s ancestral home has traditionally been a gastronomic attraction. The family matriarch publishes well-loved books on Scottish cookery.
The chefs continues to innovate, with a energetic emerging talent under the guidance of an talented kitchen leader. When they’re taking a break from cooking the chefs nurture herbs and spices in the hotel glasshouse, and gather for edible weeds in the landscaped areas and coastal plants like seaside vegetation and shoreline herbs from the shoreline of a nearby loch. In the fall they track deer trails to find wild mushrooms in the woods.
Patrons can sample Skye scallops, Asian greens and nuts in a delicious stock; Shetland cod with Scottish asparagus, and house-smoked lobster. The hotel’s nature expert takes guests out for activities including wild food gathering and fishing. “Guests are very interested for experiences from our visitors,” says the establishment's owner. “Visitors desire to come and deeply experience the island and the natural environment.”
Beyond the Kitchen
The whisky industry is also helping to retain young people on Skye, in jobs that last beyond the summer period. An operations manager at a regional spirits maker notes: “Seafood farming was a major source of jobs in the past, but now the majority of positions are mechanized. Real estate values have risen so much it’s challenging for young people to stay. The spirits sector has become a really important employer.”
“Opportunities in distilling, training provided” was the advertisement that a young Skye native saw in her community newspaper, landing her a job at the spirits facility. “I took a chance,” she says, “I didn't expect I’d get a role in manufacturing, but it was a dream of mine.” She had an curiosity about whisky, but no prior experience. “The chance to learn on the job and study digitally was incredible.” Now she is a key team member, helping to train new distillers, and has developed her signature spirit using a distinctive ingredient, which is maturing in barrels during the visit. In different facilities, that’s an honor usually granted to long-serving employees. The visitor centre and bistro hire numerous locals from around the local peninsula. “We meld into the community because we brought the community here,” says a {tour guide manager|visitor experience lead|hospital
