Restaurant of the Week: West Highland Hotel, Davies Brae, Mallaig

A view from the West Highland Hotel terrace

The hostelry – once the Victorian Station Hotel – is perched on a hill overlooking the town that is at the end of The Road to the Isles.

There is ample parking – music to the ears of the weary motorist.

Location

Just a few minutes’ walk from the railway station and ferry port.

First impressions

First-class. Owners Gavin and Sine Davis undertook an extensive upgrade of the original building, adding a chic dining terrace, which has an expansive wall of glass offering a spectacular panorama of Skye, Rum and Eigg.

Service

Staff were attentive and knowledgeable about seasonal, locally-sourced produce.

Imaginative and varied with a wonderful seafood offering, such as the cured seafood platter to share (smoked salmon, peppered mackerel, pickled mussels, and soused herring with, garlic mayo and marie rose dips) or the hot seafood platter (steamed mussels, langoustine, haddock goujons, calamari, bisque and garlic bread). Vegetarian options were great, like the heritage tomato and goat’s cheese starter or the herb gnocchi main with wild mushrooms, cauliflower puree and crispy sage.

Taste

Our mains consisted of grilled Mallaig langoustines with garlic butter and dressed salad, along with a portion of salt and pepper calamari accompanied by Asian-style dipping sauce and dressed leaves. The fresh langoustines were uber-delicious. The calamari was the best we had tasted. For desert we chose a baked yoghurt cranachan with Drambuie, honey, rasps and oats, and a sorbet selection. The Cranachan had just the right amount of crunch, while the sorbet was a zingy culmination to a great dining experience.