Enjoying the sumptuous food in the gorgeous surroundings of the Isle of Eriska Hotel, there was only one thing that brought a frown to my otherwise satisfied smile.
Why on earth does this restaurant not have a Michelin star?
The standards were certainly high enough.
I felt pleased and actually rather vindicated when, only weeks after my stay, Eriska was granted its first ever Michelin star.
The coveted famous stars are awarded to a select-few establishments for excellence.
And excellence is what the Buchanan-Smith family has achieved at Eriska.
The five-star hotel and spa, a 300-acre haven of tranquility and luxury, has been in the family for 40 years this year.
To celebrate the anniversary, head chef Ross Stovold has created a simply divine eight-course tasting menu with specially selected wines.
I went along for a stay in one of the spa suites to sample the food and the island experience.
To say that considerable thought had been put into the tasting menu would be under-exaggerating in the extreme.
Ross Stovold joined the team at Eriska last summer and has a very natural approach to his cuisine. He clearly believes in cooking in a way that develops and enhances the flavours of the ingredients through as little manipulation as possible. This means he is very well suited to the Isle of Eriska where there is such a diverse natural larder. The island produces a much wider variety of raw ingredients than the rest of the UK; from sea vegetables and berries, to wildhips, mushrooms and naturally growing herbs.
The restaurant offers an exquisite dining experience, with a relaxed atmosphere and waiting staff who are faultlessly professional, yet friendly and approachable, delighted to talk you through every course.
Our waiter was knowledgeable down to every fine detail, from the source of our west coast scallops, to that of our every wine.
We cooed our way through the eight melt-in-the-mouth courses which celebrated the best of which local produce can offer.
We started with Loch Creran salmon with slow cooked rapeseed served on a cracker made from salmon stock; followed by hand-dived Isle of Mull scallop with Eriska sea water cured yolk, ham fat and baked leek; wild Aberdeenshire venison tartare served with onion mayonnaise, vinegar and grilled young onion; Loch Nevis langoustine served with fermented red cabbage and black pudding puree; wild Mallaig halibut with Eriska’s own seaweed braised potatoes; and Scotch beef 60 day old sirloin from Perthshire with barbecued turnip, watercress from Eriska and onion gravy.
The sweet courses included buttermilk mousse made from Eriska’s own butter served with Eriska’s poached rhubarb, tarragon and toasted oats; baked Eriska – chocolate sponge base with whisky ice cream using local whisky and pickled raspberry sorbet.
The food was absolute perfection.
Eriska island was purchased by the Buchanan-Smith family in 1973, when the late Robin and his wife Sheena made a brave decision to rescue the hotel from a dilapidated state, setting about a programme of improvement works before re-opening for business.
Since then there has been a continuous cycle of refurbishment and enhancement, which has resulted in a hotel which combines the ultimate in sophistication of five-star luxury, with the warm welcome of a friendly family home.
Eriska is situated in Argyll on the west coast of Scotland. It is accessed by a quaint iron and wooden bridge from the village of Benderloch, near Oban on the mainland.
It is only two hours from Glasgow, yet a world away.
The island includes the Baronial-style “Big House”, which is the main hotel building where the restaurant can be found, plus its associated accommodation including spa-suites and hilltop reserves, and spa and leisure facilities including a swimming pool.
Part of the charm of Eriska is the ability it offers to explore the estate and enjoy the island as if it were your own.
From the formal ground to the western seaboard to the rugged hillside, the whole estate has a charm and is genuinely interesting and exciting to explore whether you are a nature and wildlife devotee or simply keen to walk and wander the many paths and trails in search of peace and tranquility.
The spa-suite which was my home for the weekend offered more privacy and seclusion than the main hotel, but not at the expense of service or style, as the suites also offer the same 24-hour room service.
The private hot-tub in the garden of the suite was the cherry on top as far as I was concerned.
And the suite was situated perfectly between the main building of the hotel swimming pool, ideal for an early morning swim and jacuzzi before breakfast.
- To book a stay at the Isle of Eriska, phone 0163 172 0371 or email office@eriska-hotel.co.uk
- Isle of Eriska is offering the rate of £166.50 per person per night (based on two people sharing) for dinner, bed and breakfast from now until December 1 and from February 1 until March 31.