If you are heading to the Highlands in the near future, be sure to put a trip to The Dipping Lugger, a new restaurant with rooms, on your must-visit list as it officially opens its doors.
The venue, which overlooks the shores of Loch Broom in Ullapool, will boast three rooms with en suites, an 18-cover restaurant plus an intimate two table tasting room.
It is the brainchild of Helen Chalmers and Robert Hicks who own Highland Liquor Company who make their range of gins in a distillery discretely tucked away in the village.
The food experience
The dining room will be overseen by head chef David Smith, formerly of Boath House, Nairn and Ullinish Country Lodge Hotel, Isle of Skye.
His menus are set to showcase the fantastic produce the Highlands are famous for, including Ullapool’s seafood.
A seven-course dinner menu and four-course lunch menu will both be on offer with dishes including Loch Broom oysters, spiced carrot and roe deer available.
Dinner is served Thursday to Sunday at 7.30pm and is priced at £75 per person and lunch is served Friday to Sunday for 1pm and is priced at £35 per person. An optional wine pairing can be added to both for an extra charge.
The restaurant also features “The Tasting Room” which is an intimate two table dining room that doubles as a gin sampling room, where guests can enjoy a dram of Seven Crofts gin from Highland Liquor Company.
For those staying overnight, guests can also enjoy a nightcap in their own “Sweet Shop” which is a dedicated treasure trove of sweet and liquid treats in the first-floor honesty bar.
The restaurant is housed in what was previously the parish manse, dating back to 1789.
It was partly rebuilt by Thomas Telford in 1829 and has been restored into a luxury retreat and restaurant by owners Robert Hicks and Helen Chalmers with grant support from Highlands & Islands Enterprise.
Robert, whose background is in hospitality, has worked at the two Michelin starred Altnaharrie Inn, Gleneagles, Gidleigh Park and London’s Four Seasons.
The Dipping Lugger’s interiors have been designed by British interior designer, Eve Cullen-Cornes.
For more information on The Dipping Lugger visit their website.