Photo – Kevin McGarry

Last week I was invited along to a gastro night at The Dunstane Hotel to celebrate the arrival of newly appointed chef Paul Hood to their restaurant, Skerries. The Dunstane is a beautiful boutique hotel just a few minutes past Haymarket, whilst Skerries provides a true taste of Orkney in gorgeous surroundings.

I managed to grab a chance to chat to both Paul and a couple of local suppliers to find out a little about the food at the heart of the restaurant. As you’d expect, fresh Scottish produce such as Orkney King Scallops and Highland Wild Venison feature heavily on the menu, which changes regularly to make the most of seasonally available produce. Having tried several of the canapés floating around on the evening I can confirm that the food is as good as it sounds!

As you can imagine, I’m forever on the lookout for great restaurants so finding somewhere with such a strong focus on quality, taste and presentation alongside a really passionate team seriously gets me excited! I’m sure I’ll find an excuse to pop along and try out the full menu soon (the Haggis Croquette is calling my name!) so keep your eyes peeled for a full review!