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With its breathtaking, craggy mountain vista, curving roads and constantly shifting weather, the Isle of Skye has traditionally attracted lovers of the wild. In recent years, though, the biggest island in the Inner Hebrides has been pulling in visitors for other reasons – its thriving food and drink scene. Leading the way are emerging Sgitheanach (people from Skye) with a global outlook but a devotion to homegrown, eco-friendly ingredients. This is also driven by an engaged community determined to create rewarding, all-season jobs that encourage young people on the island.

A Dedication to Local Produce

A Skye-born restaurateur is Skye born and bred, and he’s deeply committed to highlighting the island’s larder on his menus. “If someone is coming to Skye I want them to cherish the landscape, but also the superiority of our ingredients,” he says. “The local seafood including mussels, lobster, scallops and crab are unsurpassed.” He reflects on history: “It holds great significance for me to use the identical products as my forebears. My grandpa was a fisherman who caught lobster and we’re savoring crustaceans from the same stretch of water, with the same respect for ingredients.”

Montgomery’s A Taste of Skye menu details the distances his ingredients has travelled. Patrons can enjoy plump scallops harvested manually in a nearby sea loch (no distance), and trapped in creels lobster from the island's capital (just a brief journey) with produce, gathered seasonings and blossoms from the garden from the on-site garden and seashore (zero miles). The relationship to local bounty and producers is key. “Recently I brought a young chef out with a scallop diver so he could appreciate what they do. We prepared scallops directly from the sea and enjoyed them freshly shucked with a dash of citrus. ‘I've never tasted a better scallop I’ve ever eaten,’ he said. This is exactly what we want to offer to the restaurant.”

Culinary Ambassadors

Driving towards the south, in the majesty of the towering Cuillin mountains, another culinary ambassador for Skye, Clare Coghill, runs a well-loved café. In the past year the chef showcased Scottish cuisine at a celebrated international culinary festival, serving seafood sandwiches with whisky butter, and traditional Scottish fusion. She initially launched her café in a different city. Returning home to Skye during the pandemic, a short-term residencies demonstrated there was a audience here too.

Over a specialty drink and exquisite trout cured with blood orange, she shares: “I’m really proud that I started elsewhere, but I was unable to accomplish what I can do here. Procuring local goods was a huge mission, but here the scallops come right from the ocean to my restaurant. My shellfish supplier only speaks to me in the traditional tongue.” Her love for Skye’s offerings, community and environment is evident across her vibrant, innovative dishes, all filled with homegrown elements, with a twist of traditional heritage. “The link to Gaelic culture and tongue is incredibly significant,” she says. Guests can use informative placemats on the tables to pick up a few words while they dine.

A lot of us were employed in other places. We witnessed the ingredients be delivered a long way from where it was harvested, and it’s simply inferior

Innovation and Tradition

The island's established culinary spots are not resting on their laurels. A boutique hotel managed by a local family in her historic residence has long been a foodie destination. The family matriarch writes well-loved books on traditional recipes.

The culinary team persistently creates, with a energetic new generation headed by an experienced head chef. When they’re away from the stoves the chefs grow herbs and spices in the hotel glasshouse, and gather for edible weeds in the gardens and ocean-foraged botanicals like seaside vegetation and shoreline herbs from the water's edge of a nearby loch. In the fall they track woodland routes to find wild mushrooms in the woods.

Guests can enjoy island-harvested shellfish, leafy vegetables and nuts in a delicious dashi; premium white fish with seasonal spears, and restaurant-cured shellfish. The hotel’s activity leader accompanies visitors for excursions including ingredient hunting and angling. “Guests are very interested for hands-on opportunities from our patrons,” says the establishment's owner. “Guests are eager to come and truly understand the island and the terrain.”

Economic Impact

The whisky industry is also helping to retain the younger generation on Skye, in jobs that extend past the busy season. An production head at a local distillery notes: “The fish farm was a significant local employer in the past, but now many roles are mechanized. Property costs have increased so much it’s harder for the youth to stay. The whisky industry has become a really important employer.”

“Distillers wanted, no experience necessary” was the announcement that a young island resident noticed in her regional publication, landing her a job at the spirits facility. “I decided to try,” she says, “I didn't expect I’d get a distillery position, but it was a long-held aspiration.” She had an interest in whisky, but no prior experience. “Having the opportunity to train onsite and learn online was amazing.” Today she is a experienced production lead, guiding apprentices, and has crafted her personal blend using a distinctive ingredient, which is developing in oak when observed. In other distilleries, that’s an privilege usually given to retiring distillers. The tour facility and bistro provide jobs for a significant number from around the local peninsula. “We integrate with the community because we attracted the community here,” says a {tour guide manager|visitor experience lead|hospital