What makes for a great dining experience? Is it the location, the quality of the food, the atmosphere and decor in the restaurant, great service or splendid views?
To me it’s often a combination of all these things. And Muckrach Lodge Hotel is lucky enough to have them all in abundance.
First, there was the glorious trip across country from Inverness to Dulnain Bridge. The hotel is perched at the top of a steep drive off the road and I’d always admired it on my way past on the back road to Aberdeen. I’d visited a few times over the years and was sorry to see it had closed.
So I was delighted to enter a building that had been brought back to life after undergoing an astonishing transformation. The new owners have clearly put an enormous effort into updating the rooms, and the chandeliers were a wonder to behold.
The light and spacious conservatory at the side of the building houses the restaurant with stunning views over the Cairngorms. We were looking across the gardens to outbuildings where there was clearly more refurbishment under way. Later we learned from the waitress that they were creating accommodation with disabled access and also dog-friendly rooms. My spaniel-owning dining companion’s ears pricked up at this news and I suspect she is already planning a return visit en famille.
We had been greeted with a broad smile at reception and the top-notch service was warm, helpful and efficient.
And so to the food. We visited at lunchtime but decided to opt for the dinner menu rather than the lunchtime bar menu, to put the restaurant through its paces. The waitress had let us know as we sat down the soup of the day was butternut squash. This alone was impressive – it never ceases to amaze me how often I have to ask what the soup is, only to be greeted by a blank look from the waiter, as if it was a strange question.
The presence of British asparagus on the menu was already earning them a few brownie points. There is nothing like home-grown asparagus and this is the perfect time of year to enjoy it, particularly accompanying some Wester-Ross salmon and new potatoes. So my choice of main course was more or less made for me. My companion opted for the breast of Gressingham duck with pickled red cabbage, sweet potato puree, confit duck leg and potato terrine, with a red wine jus. The duck was beautifully prepared with the pickled red cabbage being singled out for special praise. The potato terrine was a work of art and just as delicious as it looked.
The meal had started well with soup for me and haggis bon bons for my friend. Both were excellent. The bon bons were suitably spicy with a fabulously creamy cauliflower dip. The soup was smooth and accompanied by a selection of bread from local Moray bakery MacLean’s of Forres. This was a recurring theme with many of the dishes highlighting their local provenance – always a pleasure to see on a menu.
Sticky toffee pudding has become somewhat ubiquitous and I tend to avoid it as the quality can be patchy. But I took the risk and it paid off. This warm, sticky pudding was at the top end in terms of quality – rich and moist. The Black Isle Dairy vanilla ice cream accompanying it was outstanding. My companion had opted for ice cream too.
Using local produce is a great choice in terms of sustainability but it’s important the quality is right. That’s undoubtedly the case with Black Isle Dairy ice cream – in this particular instance, pistachio and strawberry flavours, resting on a layer of berries and crushed strawberry meringues.
We opted to move through to the splendid yet comfortable lounge for our coffee. Sinking into the luxurious easy chairs, we could have stayed all day in this tranquil setting. And in the corner of the room was something I have always coveted – a library ladder on a rail. My lunch companion was more impressed with the toilets which she pronounced were the most luxurious she’d seen in a long time – they had real sparkle.
It’s great to see this delightful hotel open once more and the new owners have clearly put a great deal of enthusiasm and thought into creating a suitably luxurious destination for travellers to the Highlands. Has it paid off? I certainly think so.
And does it pass the test in terms of dining venue? Location, views, atmosphere, decor, food, service… Yes, I would definitely suggest Muckrach Lodge Hotel is a place that ticks all those boxes.
MUCKRACH COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL
DULNAIN BRIDGE, GRANTOWN
ON SPEY.