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Amidst its dramatic, rugged mountain panorama, winding roads and constantly shifting weather, the Isle of Skye has traditionally attracted nature enthusiasts. During the past ten years, though, the largest island in the Inner Hebrides has been attracting visitors for different motivations – its vibrant food and drink scene. Leading the way are emerging Sgitheanach (people from Skye) with a international perspective but a commitment to homegrown, environmentally conscious ingredients. This is also driven by an involved community determined to create good, year-round jobs that retain young people on the island.

A Passion for Local Produce

Calum Montgomery is raised on Skye, and he’s deeply committed to featuring the island’s bounty on his menus. “When visitors arrive on Skye I want them to value the natural beauty, but also the superiority of our produce,” he says. “Shellfish like mussels, lobster, scallops and crab from our waters are second to none.” He reflects on history: “It holds great significance for me to use the very same products as my ancestors. My granddad was a fisherman who caught lobster and we’re experiencing shellfish from the exact same sea lochs, with the same respect for ingredients.”

His A Taste of Skye menu displays the mileage his products has travelled. Patrons can enjoy plump scallops hand-dived in Loch Greshornish (no distance), and caught using traditional methods lobster from a nearby town (just a brief journey) with produce, gathered seasonings and edible flowers from the on-site garden and seashore (zero miles). The relationship to produce and suppliers is essential. “A short while ago I brought a young chef out with a diver harvesting scallops so he could learn what they do. We opened scallops freshly harvested and consumed them uncooked with a hint of lemon juice. ‘I've never tasted a better scallop I’ve ever eaten,’ he said. This is exactly what we want to offer to the restaurant.”

Gastronomic Pioneers

Traveling in a southerly direction, in the majesty of the towering Cuillin mountains, another food representative for Skye, Clare Coghill, operates a popular café. This year Coghill promoted the nation's food at a renowned international gastronomic gathering, offering seafood sandwiches with spirit-infused butter, and haggis quesadillas. She initially launched her café in another location. Coming back to Skye in recent years, a series of pop-ups demonstrated there was a market here too.

Over a specialty drink and delicious blood orange-cured trout, the chef notes: “I take great pride that I opened elsewhere, but I was unable to accomplish what I can do here. Sourcing quality produce was a major challenge, but here the scallops come right from the ocean to my door. My creel fisherman only speaks to me in Gaelic.” Her love for Skye’s ingredients, people and environment is evident across her bright, imaginative dishes, all filled with homegrown elements, with a hint of local culture. “The link to the island's heritage and dialect is so important,” she says. Guests can use little lesson cards on the tables to pick up a basic terms while they dine.

Many of us were employed in other places. We’d see the produce be delivered a long way from where it was caught, and it’s just not as good

Innovation and Tradition

The island's established culinary spots are continuing to evolve. A charming inn run by a local family in her historic residence has for many years been a culinary hotspot. The owner's mother publishes well-loved books on traditional recipes.

The kitchen continues to innovate, with a dynamic new generation headed by an skilled culinary director. When they’re taking a break from cooking the chefs cultivate seasonings and flavorings in the hotel growing space, and collect for wild greens in the landscaped areas and ocean-foraged botanicals like sea aster and scurvygrass from the coast of a adjacent body of water. In the harvest season they follow woodland routes to find mushrooms in the woods.

Visitors can sample island-harvested shellfish, pak choi and nuts in a delicious dashi; Atlantic cod with local asparagus, and chef-prepared lobster. The hotel’s outdoor guide takes guests out for experiences including foraging and catch-and-release trips. “There is significant demand for hands-on opportunities from our guests,” says the manager. “People want to come and deeply experience the island and the natural environment.”

Beyond the Kitchen

The whisky industry is also contributing to keep young people on Skye, in employment that last beyond the summer period. An operations manager at a island whisky producer notes: “The fish farm was a significant local employer in the past, but now most of the jobs are automated. House prices have gone up so much it’s harder for new generations to live here. The spirits sector has become a crucial employer.”

“Jobs available for aspiring distillers” was the announcement that a young local woman saw in her local paper, securing her employment at the distillery. “I took a chance,” she says, “I never thought I’d get a role in manufacturing, but it was a personal goal.” She had an curiosity about whisky, but no relevant qualifications. “To be able to receive hands-on instruction and take online courses was incredible.” Currently she is a key team member, assisting in teaching apprentices, and has recently created her own whisky using a unique grain, which is aging in casks during the visit. In other distilleries, that’s an honor usually reserved for retiring distillers. The tour facility and coffee shop provide jobs for numerous locals from around the local peninsula. “We integrate with the community because we attracted the community here,” says a {tour guide manager|visitor experience lead|hospital