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With its dramatic, jagged mountain skyline, winding roads and constantly shifting weather, the Isle of Skye has long appealed to lovers of the wild. Over the last decade, however, the largest island in the Inner Hebrides has been attracting visitors for different motivations – its thriving food and drink scene. At the forefront are emerging Sgitheanach (local residents) with a worldly view but a commitment to homegrown, environmentally conscious ingredients. This is also driven by an active community determined to create quality, permanent jobs that keep young people on the island.

An Enthusiasm for Local Produce

A Skye-born restaurateur is a native of the island, and he’s fervently focused on highlighting the island’s produce on his menus. “For those traveling to the island I want them to value the scenery, but also the excellence of our offerings,” he says. “Our mussels, lobster, scallops and crab are unsurpassed.” He honors tradition: “It means everything to me to use the same products as my forebears. My grandfather was a lobster fisherman and we’re enjoying crustaceans from the exact same sea lochs, with the same respect for ingredients.”

Montgomery’s A Taste of Skye menu lists the distances his products has travelled. Visitors can enjoy succulent scallops dived by hand in Loch Greshornish (direct from the source), and trapped in creels lobster from the island's capital (12 miles) with vegetables, foraged herbs and blossoms from the garden from the restaurant's plot and beach (hyper-local). This link to ingredients and producers is essential. “A short while ago I accompanied a junior cook out with a shellfish forager so he could learn what they do. We opened scallops freshly harvested and enjoyed them freshly shucked with a squeeze of lemon. ‘I've never tasted a better scallop I’ve ever eaten,’ he said. This is exactly what we want to deliver to the restaurant.”

Food Champions

Journeying in a southerly direction, in the majesty of the imposing Cuillin mountains, a further culinary ambassador for Skye, a passionate local chef, runs a popular café. Recently she showcased Scottish cuisine at a celebrated international food event, offering shellfish buns with spirit-infused butter, and innovative local dishes. She initially launched her café in another location. Returning home to Skye in recent years, a short-term residencies revealed there was a market here too.

While enjoying a specialty drink and mouthwatering blood orange-cured trout, Coghill notes: “It was an achievement that I established in a major city, but I was unable to accomplish what I can do here. Sourcing fresh ingredients was a significant effort, but here the shellfish come directly from the water to my kitchen. My creel fisherman only speaks to me in the native language.” Her love for Skye’s offerings, locals and landscape is apparent across her colourful, creative dishes, all imbued with local flavours, with a twist of traditional heritage. “The link to Gaelic culture and language is deeply meaningful,” she says. Guests can use little lesson cards on the tables to pick up a basic terms while they eat.

Several locals worked elsewhere. We observed the goods arrive miles from where it was harvested, and it’s simply inferior

Innovation and Tradition

The island's established dining establishments are constantly innovating. A luxury lodge operated by a prominent islander in her historic residence has for many years been a foodie destination. The proprietor's parent authors popular books on traditional recipes.

The culinary team persistently creates, with a vibrant emerging talent led by an talented kitchen leader. When they’re taking a break from cooking the chefs cultivate culinary plants in the hotel growing space, and collect for native plants in the gardens and coastal plants like seaside vegetation and shoreline herbs from the coast of a nearby loch. In the harvest season they track woodland routes to find mushrooms in the forest.

Visitors can enjoy Skye scallops, pak choi and legumes in a delicious stock; premium white fish with local asparagus, and chef-prepared lobster. The hotel’s nature expert accompanies visitors for experiences including foraging and angling. “Guests are very interested for hands-on opportunities from our visitors,” says the establishment's owner. “People want to come and truly understand the island and the landscape.”

Beyond the Kitchen

The whisky industry is also helping to keep local youth on Skye, in careers that continue outside the busy season. An operations manager at a local distillery notes: “Seafood farming was a big employer in the past, but now most of the jobs are handled by machines. Property costs have gone up so much it’s challenging for new generations to live here. The spirits sector has become a really important employer.”

“Distillers wanted, no experience necessary” was the announcement that a young Skye native spotted in her local paper, landing her a job at the spirits facility. “I took a chance,” she says, “I never thought I’d get a role in manufacturing, but it was a personal goal.” The employee had an interest in whisky, but no prior experience. “The chance to receive hands-on instruction and take online courses was incredible.” Currently she is a senior distiller, helping to train trainees, and has recently created her signature spirit using a specialty malt, which is maturing in barrels during the visit. In larger producers, that’s an privilege usually granted to long-serving employees. The visitor centre and cafe provide jobs for many people from around the surrounding area. “We meld into the community because we brought the community here,” says a {tour guide manager|visitor experience lead|hospital