On the Isle of Skye, a lush life tied to the land
By Anthony Flint, Globe Correspondent | December 23, 2007
SLEAT, Isle of Skye, Scotland - Gazing out the window at Kinloch Lodge, one happily returns to the matter of dinner, savoring every bite of venison and every sip of Talisker single-malt whiskey, with something approaching gratitude. Because outside, a light rain falls in feathery curtains on a rugged landscape; clouds gather over the whitecaps of Loch Na Dal; and the temperature drops, right on time for mid-August in Scotland.
But the proprietor, Lady Claire Macdonald, author of 17 books on cooking and the country's version of Julia Child, would argue that it's not just the contrast with the growing chill outside that deepens our culinary appreciation. Tastes come alive because virtually everything consumed in this former shooting lodge is local and seasonal, from the lamb to the cod to the mushrooms in the soup. Staying here is a lesson in what's missed when food comes from far away.
"We must eat seasonally. Seasonal keeps the cook on anticipatory toes," she says in the prim and comfortable sitting room, the portraits of Macdonald ancestors adorning the walls. In the spring she works on a bright chicken salad; in the fall, it's braised game and stews.
"And we have a great loathing for food miles," she says, referring to the time- and energy-consuming distance that most grocery-store food travels - asparagus and apples from South America, for example, maddening to see on the shelves when local stuff is there for the taking. Starting long before concern about carbon footprints and the popularity of Whole Foods Market in this country, Macdonald has been harvesting everything that can be had from the island, the Highlands, the sea or the lochs and rivers, and often right from the garden in back.
The local and seasonal theme is carried on in her cooking demonstrations, which are offered as part of weekend packages at Kinloch Lodge.
The inn, which Macdonald and her husband, Godfrey, the lord of Clan Macdonald, have been running for 34 years, is an oasis of comfort on the austere Isle of Skye. It is located about 12 miles from the bridge that connects Skye to the mainland, and a short drive to Armadale for the ferry to Mallaig. The government has been steadily improving the roads in the region, which for decades have been single tracks with little spots to pull over to let oncoming traffic pass. Kinloch Lodge is a fine place to base explorations of the Isle of Skye; most of the sights are to the north and west.
At $500 a night for two people (plus $300 for dinner), Kinloch Lodge is a splurge. But given the expense for Americans traveling anywhere in Europe these days because of the weak dollar, the fine food and royal treatment represent a relatively good value. Marketing itself as a "sanctuary for the world-weary in Europe's last great wilderness," Kinloch Lodge is drawing an affluent clientele, and is fully booked in peak months August and September. Recently a family has rented the entire 14-room compound for the Christmas-New Year's week.
The Macdonald clan ancestors in their kilts in the portraits throughout the main building are, in a sense, the origins of the enterprise. Lord Godfrey inherited the clan's lands and holdings, and also crushing debt. Various assets were sold off, and Kinloch Lodge, the shooting lodge for Clan Macdonald's Armadale Castle on 60 acres of hillside and moors, was converted into luxury accommodations. There are two buildings and landscaped grounds, and renovations are forthcoming.
Walking and hiking around the lodge are popular activities because many calories need to be burned off. Our dinner included quail ravioli, seared Isle of Skye scallops, and a mushroom, white truffle cream, and sherry soup; fillet of Highland venison and pan-fried Highland lamb; triple ginger pudding for dessert; and a 2004 Blue Cutting Road cabernet and merlot blend from O'Leary Walker Winemakers in South Australia (generally speaking, grapes are not successfully grown in the Hebrides). Manager Tom Eveling has developed an extensive wine list, and takes suggestions from guests for additions.
In the evening, it is irresistible to repair to the living room to taste a dram or two of single-malt whiskey, arranged with explanations on a menu on a writing table near the fireplace. Afterward, guests sleep in Egyptian cotton sheets with the sounds of sheep bleating outside. The only challenge is mustering an appetite for the delicious breakfast in the morning: blood pudding, kippers, bacon, boiled eggs with buttered soldiers (strips of toast), porridge, and smoked salmon.
"Food should never be serious. It must be fun," Lady Macdonald says, explaining that she is happy to make mistakes in her demonstrations so that others don't have to. There is also is a well-stocked store of jellies and chutneys, as well as tools of the trade like a razor-sharp onion mincer. "It's got to be good to earn a space in the drawer," she says.
Food is not the only focus here. There is seal-spotting, fly-fishing, walking around Dunvegan Castle, the theatrical Cuillin mountains, the fishing village of Portree, the dramatic land sculpture of the Old Man of Storr, and the Faery Glen, a magical area of vibrant green conical hills and purple thistle not far from the village of Uig.
Then again, a picnic lunch is entirely appropriate for all such excursions. Kinloch Lodge will provide one, and it's a safe bet it will be the finest meal ever to come in a box.
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