Taking home the Highlands’ first four AA Rosette for a restaurant has been a dream come true for Calum Montgomery of Edinbane Lodge.
The talented chef patron, who represented Scotland on TV show The Great British Menu earlier this year, attended an awards dinner in London last night where he received the accolade.
Set on the Old Dunvegan Road, Edinbane Lodge is the only restaurant across the entire Highlands to attract this level of award. It is just one of six restaurants in Scotland to receive it and there are now only 54 venues within the UK that boast it.
Four Rosettes is denoted by the AA as “among the top restaurants in the UK, where the cooking demands national recognition. These restaurants exhibit intense ambition, a passion for excellence, superb technical skills, and remarkable consistency. They will combine appreciation of culinary traditions with a passionate desire for further exploration and improvement”.
Edinbane Lodge success
The accolade pushes Edinbane Lodge in among an elite 2% of restaurants in the UK.
32-year-old Calum and his family bought the 16th Century derelict hunting lodge in 2017 and, following a complete renovation, opened the restaurant in August 2018 and the four bedrooms in May 2019.
Within one year of opening Edinbane Lodge had been awarded five AA Gold Stars for its accommodation and three AA Rosettes for its food.
Keeping the accolade under wraps from his team has been one of the hardest things for Calum, who attended the awards with them last night.
He said: “I’m both delighted and humbled to have received this accolade. It means so much to bring this award to my native island home for the first time – and of course, to even be mentioned in the same category as some of the UK’s most renowned restaurants is such an honour.
“I’m so proud of our team and it’s a testament to how much hard work and passion every member of staff puts in each day.”
What’s on offer?
The casual fine dining restaurant with rooms offers a four, six and 10-course tasting menu which celebrates the Isle of Skye’s larder.
They vary from £55 to £115, with an option to add wine pairings for an additional charge. The menu is a memorable culinary adventure and focuses on the seasonal ingredients that grow in abundance on Skye.
Dishes change regularly dependent on availability, which could include hand-dived Isle of Rona scallops, oyster beignets with Edinbane scurvygrass, Waternish crab and lobster mousse, and Torvaig beef with pickled carrots and chanterelles, to name a few.
Calum, who was born and raised in Portree on Skye, sources ingredients from a community of family and friends, who share the same values and commitment to the produce and make the most of the island’s crofts, seas and artisan production.
He has worked in kitchens since he was 14 and trained at the City of Glasgow under the watchful eye of MasterChef: The Professionals Winner Gary Maclean.
The award coincides with the publication of the 2023 AA Rosette guidebook.
Conversation