hungry traveller.
SKYE HIGHS
Planning a trip for spring? A Burns Night dram (on Saturday 25 January this year) might point you in the direction of Scotland – and there are few foodier destinations than the Hebridean Isle of Skye. Karen Barnes eats her way around the island, taking in the majestic views – and the glorious whisky
The dramatic headland of Neist Point in the north of the island
Karen Barnes is a food, travel and lifestyle writer and our beloved former editor of delicious. Sign up for her Substack, KB’s Joyous Things, and follow her on Instagram @editorkarenb
Welcome to a land of folklore, where legend has it giants once trod and fought. Of scenery it’s impossible not to be beguiled by. Of innumerable good things to eat and drink: Skye has a thriving food scene, with cool on-trend cafés, seafood shacks, high-end restaurants and a vibrant coffee culture.
The larder is rich, with spectacular beef, venison, lamb and seafood on the menu. And the whisky… ah, the whisky. The islanders’ love for it runs deep, harking back to traditions of sitting round the table sharing a glass or three, the peat fire smouldering in the hearth while stories old and tall are told. You’re never far from the whiff of peat smoke or a smoky dram on Skye – it’s part of the fabric of the place. Don’t be surprised to see four seasons in a day, views changing through an artist’s palette of stormy greys, pin-sharp blues, earthy browns and smudged purples, made vibrant by Turneresque shafts of sunlight when you least expect the clouds to part.