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With its breathtaking, craggy mountain panorama, meandering roads and constantly shifting weather, the Isle of Skye has always drawn adventure seekers. Over the last decade, though, the most expansive island in the Inner Hebrides has been pulling in visitors for additional factors – its dynamic food and drink scene. Leading the way are emerging Sgitheanach (people from Skye) with a worldly view but a devotion to homegrown, sustainable ingredients. Additionally, it stems from an active community eager to create rewarding, year-round jobs that keep young people on the island.

A Dedication to Local Produce

Calum Montgomery is raised on Skye, and he’s fervently focused on featuring the island’s produce on his menus. “When visitors arrive on Skye I want them to cherish the scenery, but also the quality of our produce,” he says. “Shellfish like mussels, lobster, scallops and crab from our waters are second to none.” He honors tradition: “It holds great significance for me to use the same produce as my forebears. My grandfather was a fisherman who caught lobster and we’re enjoying seafood from the exact same sea lochs, with the identical reverence for ingredients.”

The chef's Skye Tasting menu lists the distances his produce has travelled. Patrons can feast on fat scallops dived by hand in local waters (direct from the source), and caught using traditional methods lobster from Portree (a short distance) with produce, foraged herbs and blossoms from the garden from the restaurant's plot and beach (hyper-local). The relationship to ingredients and growers is key. “Recently I took a young chef out with a shellfish forager so he could learn what they do. We shucked scallops freshly harvested and consumed them uncooked with a hint of lemon juice. ‘This is the finest scallop I’ve ever eaten,’ he said. This is exactly what we want to bring to the restaurant.”

Gastronomic Pioneers

Traveling towards the south, in the presence of the towering Cuillin mountains, another gastronomic advocate for Skye, a passionate local chef, runs a popular café. Recently Coghill promoted the nation's food at a prestigious international gastronomic gathering, serving shellfish buns with Scotch-flavored spread, and traditional Scottish fusion. She initially launched her café elsewhere. Moving back to Skye in recent years, a series of pop-ups demonstrated there was a demand here too.

While enjoying a specialty drink and exquisite citrus-marinated fish, she shares: “It was an achievement that I opened elsewhere, but I was unable to accomplish what I can do here. Getting quality produce was a huge mission, but here the seafood come right from the ocean to my restaurant. My shellfish supplier only speaks to me in the native language.” Her passion for Skye’s offerings, community and landscape is clear across her vibrant, imaginative dishes, all imbued with local flavours, with a hint of Gaelic. “My relationship to Gaelic culture and dialect is so important,” she says. Patrons can use educational materials on the tables to pick up a basic terms while they eat.

Many of us had jobs off the island. We witnessed the ingredients arrive miles from where it was caught, and it’s just not as good

Honoring Heritage with Creativity

Long-running dining establishments are not resting on their laurels. A boutique hotel run by a prominent islander in her historic residence has for many years been a gastronomic attraction. The proprietor's parent publishes well-loved books on traditional recipes.

The chefs regularly introduces new ideas, with a energetic young team under the guidance of an talented kitchen leader. When they’re away from the stoves the chefs nurture seasonings and flavorings in the hotel growing space, and gather for edible weeds in the landscaped areas and sea herbs like sea aster and scurvygrass from the water's edge of a adjacent body of water. In the harvest season they pursue deer trails to find fungi in the forest.

Patrons can sample local scallops, leafy vegetables and nuts in a flavorful dashi; premium white fish with local asparagus, and house-smoked lobster. The hotel’s nature expert leads tours for experiences including ingredient hunting and fishing. “Guests are very interested for immersive activities from our guests,” says the manager. “Visitors desire to come and truly understand the island and the landscape.”

Supporting the Community

The whisky industry is also contributing to support young people on Skye, in careers that last beyond the summer period. An production head at a local distillery notes: “Aquaculture was a big employer in the past, but now most of the jobs are automated. Real estate values have gone up so much it’s challenging for new generations to remain. The spirits sector has become a vitally significant employer.”

“Opportunities in distilling, training provided” was the announcement that a young Skye native saw in her community newspaper, leading to a position at the whisky producer. “I just took a punt,” she says, “It was surprising I’d get a production job, but it was a dream of mine.” The distiller had an interest in whisky, but no prior experience. “To be able to receive hands-on instruction and learn online was transformative.” Now she is a senior distiller, guiding apprentices, and has recently created her personal blend using a specialty malt, which is aging in casks at the time of writing. In larger producers, that’s an privilege usually granted to long-serving employees. The tasting room and cafe provide jobs for numerous locals from around the surrounding area. “We integrate with the community because we welcomed the community here,” says a {tour guide manager|visitor experience lead|hospital