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Against the backdrop of its dramatic, jagged mountain vista, meandering roads and unpredictable weather, the Isle of Skye has traditionally attracted lovers of the wild. Over the last decade, though, the biggest island in the Inner Hebrides has been attracting visitors for additional factors – its dynamic food and drink scene. Pioneering this movement are up-and-coming Sgitheanach (Skye natives) with a worldly view but a dedication to local, environmentally conscious ingredients. This is also driven by an active community keen to create quality, all-season jobs that keep young people on the island.

A Dedication to Local Produce

Calum Montgomery is raised on Skye, and he’s fervently focused on featuring the island’s larder 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. “Our mussels, lobster, scallops and crab are the best available.” Montgomery is mindful of the past: “It holds great significance for me to use the very same produce as my predecessors. My grandfather was a fisherman who caught lobster and we’re experiencing shellfish from the identical coastal area, with the same respect for ingredients.”

Montgomery’s Island Flavors menu lists the travel distance his ingredients has travelled. Guests can sample plump scallops hand-dived in Loch Greshornish (no distance), and trapped in creels lobster from the island's capital (just a brief journey) with greens, gathered seasonings and culinary blooms from the on-site garden and beach (locally sourced). The relationship to local bounty and growers is crucial. “Recently I accompanied a apprentice out with a scallop diver so he could appreciate what they do. We shucked scallops directly from the sea and consumed them uncooked with a hint of lemon juice. ‘This is the finest scallop I’ve ever eaten,’ he said. It is this experience that we want to bring to the restaurant.”

Food Champions

Driving in a southerly direction, in the presence of the towering Cuillin mountains, an additional food representative for Skye, an innovative restaurateur, operates a well-loved café. This year Coghill represented Scotland at a celebrated international culinary festival, offering shellfish buns with whisky butter, and haggis quesadillas. Her venture began her café elsewhere. Moving back to Skye during the pandemic, a short-term residencies demonstrated there was a demand here too.

While enjoying a specialty drink and exquisite blood orange-cured trout, Coghill explains: “I take great pride that I opened elsewhere, but I found it challenging to achieve what I can do here. Sourcing fresh ingredients was a huge mission, but here the scallops come straight from the sea to my restaurant. My shellfish supplier only speaks to me in the traditional tongue.” Her passion for Skye’s produce, community and landscape is clear across her bright, imaginative dishes, all filled with regional tastes, with a twist of local culture. “The link to Gaelic culture and tongue is deeply meaningful,” she says. Patrons can use educational materials on the tables to discover a basic terms while they enjoy their meal.

A lot of us had jobs off the island. We observed the produce turn up a long way from where it was harvested, and it’s simply inferior

Blending Old and New

Long-running food destinations are not resting on their laurels. A boutique hotel operated by a prominent islander in her historic residence has for many years been a culinary hotspot. The owner's mother publishes celebrated books on Scottish cookery.

The culinary team regularly introduces new ideas, with a vibrant emerging talent under the guidance of an experienced head chef. When they’re away from the stoves the chefs grow culinary plants in the hotel glasshouse, and forage for wild greens in the grounds and coastal plants like coastal greens and shoreline herbs from the water's edge of a adjacent body of water. In the harvest season they pursue woodland routes to find wild mushrooms in the woodland.

Guests can feast on Skye scallops, pak choi and peanuts in a delicious dashi; Atlantic cod with local asparagus, and restaurant-cured shellfish. The hotel’s nature expert accompanies visitors for excursions including foraging and fishing. “There’s a huge appetite for hands-on opportunities from our visitors,” says the hotel representative. “Visitors desire to come and truly understand the island and the terrain.”

Supporting the Community

The spirits production is also helping to support local youth on Skye, in jobs that continue outside the peak tourism months. An production head at a regional spirits maker shares: “The fish farm was a major source of jobs in the past, but now most of the jobs are handled by machines. House prices have increased so much it’s harder for young people to remain. The whisky industry has become a really important employer.”

“Jobs available for aspiring distillers” was the advertisement that a recently graduated island resident spotted in her local paper, securing her employment at the distillery. “I just took a punt,” she says, “It was surprising I’d get a role in manufacturing, but it was a dream of mine.” The employee had an curiosity about whisky, but no formal training. “Having the opportunity to train onsite and learn online was amazing.” Now she is a experienced production lead, helping to train new distillers, and has crafted her personal blend using a specialty malt, which is maturing in barrels at the time of writing. In other distilleries, that’s an recognition usually granted to seasoned veterans. The visitor centre and coffee shop employ many people from around the surrounding area. “We meld into the community because we attracted the community here,” says a {tour guide manager|visitor experience lead|hospital