Restaurant review: Picturesque views and pub grub at The Glencoe Inn and Gathering

By Julia Bryce

July 23 2022, 6:00 am

A range of the dishes sampled. Pictures by Sandy McCook.

Firstly, I’m going to admit that The Glencoe Inn and Gathering wasn’t top of my list when visiting Glencoe a month or so ago.

That’s not because I didn’t want to visit, but more so because my friend Megan was incredibly eager to try out another venue.

So why did I end up at The Gathering?

The Glencoe Inn and Gathering

After being on hold for the third time with her venue of choice I went back to Google and found The Gathering’s menu.

It looked like your typical pub offering and after a hike up the Pap of Glencoe, it actually sounded like the perfect place to kick back and relax.

I got on the phone again to make a reservation. I was informed by a friendly staff member that sadly they didn’t take reservations, but he did advise key times he thought would be quieter.

The climb itself was pretty relentless. The rain held up for the majority of it, and the slippy scramble over loose rocks had us a little on edge. We savoured the pockets of sunshine which helped dry us off as we made our way up and down the summit.

We were ravenous after being out for a few hours and were looking forward to a good feed.

The food

I’d read on The Gathering’s website that they claimed to be the home of “one of the best fish suppers in the Scottish Highlands”. That is a bold statement and one I was happy to put to the test.

At the venue there’s a steak and lobster bistro, Red Shed Pizza (a pizza hut outside near the car park), a fish and chip shop offering and the bar and grill.

We opted for the casual bar and grill.

It had a very informal feel with old church pews used as some of the bench seating and old pictures and magazine covers used as artwork.

Inside the bar and grill area of The Glencoe Inn and Gathering.

It almost had a food hall meets school dinner canteen feel, with the kitchens at the front being open and the service points there, too.

There was a slight industrial meets church feel also, but what really sold this place was the view from all directions.

The landscape was breathtaking and the fog that was settling in hid some of the bigger hills and mountains.

When we arrived it took staff a little time to greet us, which wasn’t a problem as we could see they were busy.

We were sat beside a window and handed a menu. Thirst kicked in so we ordered soft drinks and water straight away.

When we visited there was only a choice of three starters. Tomato and garlic soup, smoked salmon and soda bread and Loch Leven mussels.

None really jumped out, so I suggested we ordered half portions of some of the dishes.

I had my eye on the sticky barbecue pork baby back ribs with a secret sauce (£10 for a half portion) while Megan suggested the cauliflower gratin with Isle of Mull cheddar, brie and rustic olive bread (£5) and added pan-fried smoked pancetta for £2.50.

When our make-shift starters arrived I could only but laugh when I saw the chips on the side of the ribs. I completely forgot to tell our server not to bother with them, but alas we ate them.

There was plenty eating in the ribs and the sauce was delicious. Smokey, sweet with a little kick of spice in there. We both loved this dish, although we did end up leaving some chips. For a half portion, it was an excellent helping.

The cauliflower was boiling so we really had to be careful when tucking in. The stringy melted cheddar cheese went on for days, so you had to carefully maneuver it and the veg into your mouth.

There was a lot of it and it was incredibly rich and the bread on the side was used to soak up some of the sauce.

Our server told us the fish supper and pizzas were the most popular dishes so we ordered those for main.

The venue was filling up as the night hit nearer 6.30pm with families and walkers alike. There was plenty of seating outside the front and back, but the dreich weather was forcing everyone indoors. Even the odd dog lay sleeping under tables.

Fish supper is a firm favourite according to staff.

The Real Man Haddock (£14.50), as it was described on the menu, was a big portion and I liked that it was served on fake newspaper made of baking parchment. It was presented nicely but I don’t know what made it a “real man” haddock.

I was craving chipper chips, but these were chunky, crispy and cooked well. The fish was enjoyable, but nor it or the batter boasted much flavour.

Alongside the chips were minted mushy peas, tartar sauce and a Beach Comber salt and pepper salad with handpicked coastal seaweed leaves, peppery rocket and salty samphire tossed with lemon juice and olive oil. These were all very enjoyable.

As for the pizza, there was a choice of seven from barbecue chicken, ham and pineapple, veggie, seafood, venison etc. Megan opted for the Hot Highland beef version with Scottish pepperoni, smoked Scottish mozzarella, heritage tomato, green pepper, red onion, Tabasco, jalapeno peppers (£13).

It came from the pizza hut outside where it was cooked in a wood-fired oven.

Megan felt it was a little “style over substance” with the chilli kick and flavour lacking.

She also thought it was quite doughy and I didn’t get much flavour either. The Tabasco sauce punch was non-existent and even the jalapenos didn’t really add much.

The cheese was melted though and we both agreed it was a feast for the eyes with the colours on it. Purple from the red onion, red from the pepperoni and green from the peppers.

We decided against the puddings as we’d sickened ourselves with the amount of food we’d ordered so called it a day and headed back to our accommodation.