Rain lashed down, pelting our roof like hailstones on concrete. The wind was no better, howling like a pack of wolves galloping through the sand dunes behind us.
It was the kind of weather you might think of encountering when camping in Scotland. And that’s exactly what we were doing. My husband and I had taken our caravan, Hetty, to Gairloch for a few days.
We fired up the barbecue the previous night and decided it wasn’t worth the effort of trying to shelter from the elements again, holding on to an umbrella while cooking. So we battened down the hatches and decided to treat ourselves to a nice meal out.
We had been driving around the region earlier in the day and stumbled across Shieldaig Lodge, a traditional hotel and restaurant that looks out on to Loch Gairloch.
It is a beautiful setting and certainly made an impression. We booked in for a meal the same evening, desperate for some fine food in comfortable surroundings. It was also nice to get out of our waterproof clothing and walking boots and put on something a bit smarter.
On arrival, we were greeted by a suit of armour standing guard at the entrance, pieced together as if there were a person inside. Just inside the doorway to the right was a small sitting room. It looked snug and appeared to have a well-stocked bar of gins and whiskies.
We were shown to our table and I picked the seat facing the window, looking out to the loch. The dining room is quite small and intimate, with comfortable leather chairs making it feel as though we were in someone’s living room.
We selected a bottle of Rioja from the wine menu and it wasn’t long before the waiter brought out some warm cheese and herb scones to whet our appetite. They were delicious, with a delicate herb flavour and certainly no need to smother with butter.
The wind outside picked up and through the rain I could see little boats on the loch, bobbing and swaying. Feeling smug that we were in the Lodge rather than our caravan, we raised our glasses in a toast.
The menu looked tempting and was hard to choose from. There was a choice of a la carte or a seafood tasting menu. We chose a la carte, which had four options per course, and they all sounded so tempting. So, we decided to order different meals to each other and try a bit of each.
I chose the lobster and asparagus for my starter, which arrived looking like a work of art with the asparagus spears pointing across my plate, stacked on top of pieces of lobster. I’d expected it to be warm, but it was cold. My husband chose the game terrine, which again looked superb. It was served as a thick slab of different meats pressed together, with a jelly coating. It was quite rich and so the portion size was just right.
The waiter then brought out some crispy bread rolls and butter, which we devoured before he had a chance to deliver our main courses of scallops and celeriac risotto, and duck with seasonal vegetables.
I’m a huge lover of seafood, so you can guess which dish I’d chosen. The scallops were large and plump. I’d been a bit apprehensive about the celeriac risotto but it was smooth with a delicate flavour that really complemented the rest of the dish. It was topped with crispy, salty slices of leek, which were especially nice and brought a lovely flavour to the scallops.
My husband said his duck was cooked beautifully – pink in the middle. It came with some sliced vegetables including roast parsnips, which he doesn’t normally like, but he ate these. Before I knew it, he’d finished without leaving any for me to try.
Our desserts were the highlight of the meal and I would return to Shieldaig Lodge for these alone. I selected the chocolate duo, while my husband had apple and pear crumble. This time, I managed to try a bit of my husband’s dessert before he ate it all. I would never normally choose a fruit crumble but this was very tasty – not too sweet and not too bitter.
To the side was a scoop of elderflower ice cream, which was unusual and especially nice, giving a fresh flavour to the fruit. My chocolate duo was very satisfying – the smooth chocolate truffle was rich, moreish and quite possibly the best dessert I’ve ever eaten.
We were tempted to order seconds, but instead settled the bill and headed back along the winding country roads to our caravan site.
Shieldaig Lodge is in an idyllic setting. I hope that one day we will return, and the sun will shine for us. Or perhaps we will forever be those caravanners searching for fine weather and never quite finding it.
The restaurant
- Shieldaig Lodge
- Badachro, Gairloch, Ross-Shire IV21 2AN
- t: 01445 741333
- w: www.shieldaiglodge.com
The bill
- 2 x 3 courses £78
- Lobster supplement £4
- Bottle of Rioja £29
- Total: £111