Three Chimneys, Isle of Skye
On our visit to Skye and the west coast of Scotland, the high roads and the low roads were awash. Lashed by rain that went on for days. Streams turned into torrents and torrents into waterfalls. It was a week of darkening skies, rain, sunshine and rainbows – beautiful and gothic.
Serious walking was out so we ate like kings – what else was there do in that sort of weather? We tucked into herrings in oatmeal and just-caught langoustine at the Plockton Hotel. There was simple but superb grilled halibut and new potatoes at the one-room Loch Bay restaurant at Stein on the Isle of Skye, followed up by almond cake with citrus syrup. Just the job when the wind is ripping off the roof tiles.
But our meal of the week, possibly of the year was at the famous Three Chimneys a lovely whitewashed old croft at the very top end of Skye, all low key, laid back style with rough walls and seagrass floors, but with a sharp professional edge. It’s run by Eddie and Shirley Spear, an exiled Scot, who came here 25 years ago from Croydon and with no restaurant experience, just the ambition to offer exceptional Scottish hospitality which they have been doing ever since.
That was ten years ago. Eddie and Shirley Spear have retired. Chef Michael Smith has left to run his own place, Loch Bay at Stein, but returning in 2023 under chef Scott Davies we can confirm the Three Chimney’s is as good as ever.
The food is sophisticated with Scottish sensibilities. Alder-wood smoked salmon is served with herring ice cream and it’s surprisingly fab. Gigha halibut with brown shrimps, red deer with faggot and the most stunning seafood caught on Skye.
We ate splendidly off the £75 three course lunch menu. Dinner comes in at £110 but when you’ve travelled six hours from Glasgow, twelve hours from London, well, what the hell.
Worth it? Of course it was. The food, the wine the service were spot on. Through the window we could watch the gannets wheeling and diving over a glistening loch and it was easy to believe we were in the loveliest spot in the world.
