#NC500 Day 2 - Over The Sea To Skye
Published On Friday 7 Jul 2023 by Sticky Beak
See Recent Holiday Reviews | See All Recent Reviews
The bed at Inverardran House was certainly very comfy and we both woke up as wide-eyed and bushy-tailed as the Red Squirrels that were already feasting on their nut banquet as we sat down in the breakfast room at 7.30am! We’d pre-ordered our breakfasts the night before – you literally build-your-own from items on the card – and there are cereals, yoghurts, and bread for toast (as well as specialty teas) to help yourself to as well. John clearly doesn’t let any guest leave his house hungry!! Both full breakfasts were piping hot and plentiful and I loved the local black pudding on mine; also worth a mention is the bacon and sausage – both ‘proper’ stuff.
With our tummies full, it was time to bid the lovely John farewell and hit the road! We had a fab drive through the Highlands; it was pretty speedy too, thanks to considerate HGV drivers pulling over to let cars pass. We were eating up the miles in the Highlands, drooling over the unstintingly delicious scenery, and our next stop was to use the facilities at Glengarry Village Hall; please do pay at the honesty box if you use them, your money helps keep amenities like these open for others.
Our journey came briefly to a halt whilst we waited for the Caledonian Canal to let vessels through, but we were soon on our way again to the beautiful Eilean Donan Castle, which featured in the film ‘Highlander’. Having filled our eyes with the stunning Castle we then sailed over the Skye Bridge; not literally, obvs, cos we were in the jalopy, but we were making good time and staying pretty much on schedule time-wise.
We stopped at the Fairy Pools in Glen Brittle, paying the £6 car park charge. Now, this might seem a bit steep, but you can then use the toilets AND it stops selfish plonkers from pulling up on the road willy-nilly and blocking access for other users; plus it maintains facilities in this popular spot. The weather gods were not on our side as we walked through rain and wind to the stunning Fairy Pools, but on the plus side, the recent heavy rain was making the water ferociously fast as it plunged down the gullies.
I did dunk my toes in one of the shallow bits and it wasn’t nearly as cold as I imagined; however, I was saving myself for some more aquatic capers later in the day, so we headed back to the warmth and dryness of the jalopy, before heading off once more.
We were soon pulling up in the car park at the Talisker Distillery (also grabbing a coffee from the Black Sheep Coffee guys across the road!), which is a good size, so we grabbed a spot easily enough. My beloved Daddy Bird used to love his Talisker Whisky and my thoughts were of him as we pulled into the world-famous distillery. We hadn’t managed to get a tour booked here, but I popped into the gift shop to buy some miniatures for us to have later that evening; here’s to you, Daddy.
Our final stop before heading to our accommodation at The Stein Inn was to the Coral Beach at Claigan. You drive up some windy, single track roads and then have to walk about a mile to get to the beach (so-called because it’s made of crushed, bleached skeletons of Red Coralline Seaweed), but it’s well worth it! The waters were lovely and clear, and His Nibs and I spent ages splashing and paddling about; sometimes it’s the simple things that revive the spirits, isn’t it?
Having dried ourselves off, we headed back the way we came and then turned onto the road that took us to Stein village and The Stein Inn: our refuge for the night. As we stepped inside our bijoux room, we gasped at the sight from our window; we were right on the shore of the sea, and with the sun now out, the view was picture-postcard pretty. Space is at a premium at The Stein Inn, which is a pub with just 6 rooms and dining, and there was no wardrobe to hang our clothes up in, so we used the coat-hangers on the hooks on the back of the door! The bed was very low to the floor, something I’m not used to (and the soft mattress did not agree with me!), but I settled onto it to write this blog and made a brew from the facilities in the room. Shower gel and handwash are provided, as are towels, so don’t panic if you forget to pack them, and the shower is lovely and powerful.
Well, the room may be a bit small, but the food certainly isn’t; what a meal!! The lovely Holly (our server for the evening) showed us to our table and swiftly got our drinks sorted: pint of Tennants for The Man (it was the only draught lager available) and a pint of Thistly Cross Traditional Scottish Cider made by cider artist Peter Stuart, for me. We turned our attention to the menu, and there were so many dishes that caught our attention that it took us a good 5 minutes to whittle choices down to a couple! Eventually I settled on the Langoustines to start (£13.95) followed by a whole, small Lobster (£36.50), and The Man went for Wild Pheasant to start (£9) and Wild Local Venison Haunch for his main (£21).
The restaurant is nice and cosy, with a mix of prints on the wall and a feature log burner at one end. Table water came in a turquoise coloured jug/vase in the shape of a fish, and to be honest, this captures the slightly eccentric feel of The Stein Inn. Holly was soon coming over with a steak knife for His Nibs and a claw cracker and meat removal tool for me, and shortly after that she returned with our starters.
Both dishes were nicely presented and stimulated the senses, both with their looks and their aroma. The Man Birds’ Pheasant was beautifully moist and tender, with a surprisingly delicate flavour to it. Chestnuts and Wild Mushrooms waded in with their robust, earthy taste and added a good shot of texture in the mouth. It was the Juniper Berry Jus that got the palate’s attention though; this was really tasty, and its gentle perfume made the other flavours ‘pop’ more. Bitter Radicchio leaves ensured that literally every part of the tongue had been used, the different taste buds all being utilised.
What can I say about the Langoustines? Plump, meaty, sweet and fragrant; these minxes had it all!! Fresh Rosemary and Thyme had been used to infuse their flavour, and the hint of fresh herbs was superb. I squeezed the wedge of fresh Lemon over them to really get my digestive juices flowing and also to bring an element of sharpness to the flavour profile. A bowl of sourdough slices, creamy Natural Yoghurt and Tarragon completed this wonderfully tasty starter (also available as a main in a bigger portion).
The Stein Inn’s Chef serves the Venison haunch medium/rare, so it’s still pleasingly pink but not bloody, and it was spot-on when His Nibs cut into it. Flavour-wise, this was rich, deep and earthy and it hit the satiety spot bang in the Bulls’ Eye – or should that be the Hind’s Eye? A marvellously punchy red wine and prune jus came in a separate pot: perfect for dunking everything but the Skye Salad in! Talking of the salad, this was made up of Mixed Leaves, bitter Radicchio, chopped fresh Mint and slices of succulent Peach; relatively simple to construct, but bold in flavours.
My Lobster was cut perfectly in half, its meat proudly on display, except for those exquisitely sweet pieces hidden inside the claws. I grinned happily as I savoured each morsel, and I have to say that I was exceptionally proud to extract one claw intact; more by luck than skill though, if I’m being totally honest! As with my starter, a separate bowl housed a mix of Yoghurt and Tarragon, accompanied by sourdough and Tenderstem Broccoli (that was lovely and crunchy still).Also in the dish were slices of crisp, tart Plum – yummy. I slathered my Lobster with the generous jug of warm Garlic and Herb Butter, carefully cutting through its richness with a good squirt of fresh Lemon.
This had been an absolutely stunning meal, and we’re both hoping that breakfast will be just as fab in the morning...watch this space! Hot Wings very happily given for dinner at The Stein Inn on the Isle of Skye.
| #NC500 Day 15 - Our Final Day Was Spent In Northumberland Normally I moan like heck about GB's ruddy bed; honest to goodness, it's impossibly soft and I've never managed to get a solid nights' sleep in it ever....until now!! Read The Article | |
| #NC500 Day 14 - Edinburgh to Northumberland Via Holy Island Ooooooh, my poor tootsies had been sore from all the walking in Edinburgh - thank the lord for Palmer's Cocoa Butter Foot Relief and a superbly comfy bed that had afforded Read The Article | |
| #NC500 Day 13 - Blair Atholl to Edinburgh And The Kelpies His Nibs and I both awoke refreshed and ready to get going for another days activity, thanks to the comfy bed at Ptarmigan House. Gordon (Lin's husband) was already sorting Read The Article | |
| #NC500 Day 12 - From Inverness to Blair Atholl Via The Highland Folk Museum Aaaaah, that was better! Shame the traffic started in earnest about 6am though; wouldn't have been so bad if we hadn't got the windows open to help cool the room down. Mind you Read The Article | |
| NC500 Day 11 - From Kinlochewe to Inverness With A Visit To Culloden Oooh, the bed at The Kinlochewe Hotel is a fibber! You sit on it and it tells you that you'll get a nice nights sleep in it, but you don't; instead it suddenly becomes very Read The Article | |
| #NC500 Day 10 - From Gairloch to Kinlochewe (Via Bealach Na Ba - The Applecross Pass) Both of us had had a superb slumber at the Gairloch Hotel, and I'd had a relaxing soak in the large bathtub before bedtime as well, so I was definitely Read The Article | |
| #NC500 Day 9 - From Lochinver To Gairloch Kirsteen (our host at Bonnie Haven) was up bright and early to ensure that we had a selection of cheeses, crackers and Ham on our table when we came down, and directed us Read The Article | |
| #NC500 Day 8 - From Tongue to Lochinver With Caves, Bridges & A Zipwire Blimey, that was the best nights kip so far! If I could take the bed at Tigh-Nan-Ubhal back to the shire with me, I would. For once, when the alarm Read The Article | |
| #NC500 Day 7 - From Scrabster to Tongue With A Detour Back To John O Groats What should've been a straight-forward onward journey to Tongue, actually had a bit of Deja-vu to it! Thanks to us not realising the Castle of Mey and Gardens is Read The Article | |
| #NC500 Day 6 - Helmsdale To Scrabster Via John O Groats Warm Croissants, Blueberry Muffins, a Full Fry-Up (Him), and Avocado, Cherry Tomato, Poached Egg and Mushroom on Toast (me) got The Man Bird and I off to a flying start on what was Read The Article | |