On the week Scotland opened up to the rest of the UK, many hospitality venues were still yet to open during the week saving themselves for the weekend or maybe even the Bank Holiday the week after. This mean a relative paucity of places to eat at and many meals instead cooked at home after buying from the local fishmonger or supermarket.
Unfortunately on this afternoon after a nice sunny, windy, cloudy and snowing hike partially up Devil's Staircase, we drove back east along the A82 to head back to our accommodation but the road was blocked and backed up. An accident had occured with severe injuries and there was no way to get through. Like many others, we turned around with no particular destination in mind. A detour around would take an extra 2h. Luckily for us Kingshouse Hotel was open and accepting visitors and not just their guests.
It's a beautiful setting across a highway, but with the mountains in the background and some unafraid deer. The seating areas outside (the only places you were allowed to drink alcohol under Scotland's rules) made for a lovely (albeit chilly) spot to watch.
Inside was nice and warm with a fireplace adding homeliness.
- Cullen skink (traditional soup of smoked haddock, potato & cream, crusty bread, butter) £8 - warm, delicious, hearty;
- Estate venison cobbler (with braised red cabbage & apple) £16 - very tender venison (interesting that we had just watched their brethren outside) with a pastry lid that was crispy but didn't have the lovely thick chewiness of proper pie pastry. Still very tasty.
Sad circumstances brought us here and we felt grateful for our lives.
