I didn’t exactly break into a sweat on our approach to Maryculter House hotel, but my ankles started twitching as memories flooded back.
This was the scene of my first encounter with the Gay Gordons – at my son’s wedding ceilidh.
Memories were fresh: a maze of different dances and patterns requiring the stamina of an Olympic athlete seemed impossible to grasp, but by the time we reached what might have been the Virginia Reel, but I cannot be sure, I thought I had cracked it.
Sadly, pride comes before a fall, and I managed to lose my dancing partner 30 seconds in. It was a pity because my sister-in-law had come all the way from Spain.
She got lost in the whirling melee and now a startled woman I had not even been introduced to was staring back at me, as my reluctant new partner. Happy memories.
This was my first visit since then and what a delightful return: there is something special about this place.
The phrase “stepping back in time” does work here: the date chiselled above the reception entrance says 1227. The mediaeval history is mesmerising: it was a base for the legendary Knights Templar, who protected pilgrims travelling to the Holy Lane.
We all know about the Crusades, but it is hard to comprehend this stunning historical fact on our doorsteps.
There is also the amazing great hall in the oldest part of the building, which is now a guests’ lounge: it is like walking into a castle, with Knights Templar heraldic shields in stained-glass windows high above.
It is also notable for being the former house and ancestral home of famous survivors of the Titanic disaster – Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon and his wife.
It is fascinating, but so was the food on offer when we visited one Sunday lunchtime. It proved to be excellent value for money; maybe not an obvious lunchtime destination for some, but it should be on your list.
We had booked a table in the Poacher’s Pocket dining room. It boasts lovely views, with the River Dee running close by and the golf course at Peterculter on the other side of the river, as well as its own salmon fishing beat.
The room was decorated in country style, with fishing reels and hooks on the walls, along with hunting scenes and old maps of salmon fishing along the Dee.
The perfect setting for a country lunch. The normal lunch menu was boosted by a sizeable specials’ list, too, so we had plenty of choice.
We started with prawn and crayfish salad for my wife and for me, fish cake on a Cullen Skink sauce.
Now, as a lover of the king of soups, and fishcakes, this was bliss. And it was a first as I had never seen this combination before. A nice fluffy fish cake with all the ingredients of Cullen Skink lapping up around it – flavours of smoked fish, potatoes and delicious sauce. A great dish and I hope to see it again soon.
For mains – oven baked lamb chump, with creamed mash and mint sauce, was heading my wife’s way. It was a classic and done to perfection.
For me, the Catch of the Day, on the specials’ menu, was the star of the day: chunks of monkfish tail wrapped in Parma ham was a wonderful combination of brilliant white, fleshy fish and meat juices for added flavour, with a white wine sauce. Vegetables and heritage potatoes rounded it off.
We finished off with apple crumble, with vanilla ice cream, and lemon tart with orange sorbet.
The service and atmosphere had been good and it was time to stretch our legs by visiting some of the other impressive granite-walled rooms downstairs.
There were quirky characteristics: at one point, we felt ourselves walking uphill along the carpeted corridor towards the great hall.
We ventured outside to explore the remains of the original Knights Templar chapel and walled burial ground.
Maryculter House hotel is a gem for diners, with competitive prices considering the quality of food. I will sing its praises. In fact, I might start a crusade.
- MARYCULTER HOUSE HOTEL, SOUTH DEESIDE ROAD, ABERDEEN. PHONE 01224 732124.