Braised Beef in Red Wine

With more time on my hands because of the lockdown and the winter nights drawing in, my slow cooker has been getting a lot of use. I received my slow cooker years ago as a wedding gift, it sat in a box for about 5 years before one day I decided to give it a…

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Fonab Castle Hotel & Spa, Pitlochry

I’m always on the hunt for a wee night or weekend away from city life, somewhere comfortable, with good food and preferably a spa (though the latter is not a deal breaker)! It’s just nice to get away from the norm, particularly in these more challenging times we find ourselves in. So, a friend and…

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Apple Cinnamon Bread and Butter Pudding

As we are now in Autumn, and the weather gets colder it’s the perfect time of year to turn to the more comforting robust foods. Salad for me certainly belongs in summer, it’s now the time for hearty soups and stews, as well as comforting sweet brunch treats, perfect for lazy autumn weekends. I’ve seen…

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Tigh-an-truish, Isle of Seil

Trying to make the best of this semi-lockdown situation, we found ourselves on another road trip. This time to the Isle of Seil (more on that in another post!). The Isle of Seil is about 25 minutes south of Oban, on Scotland’s West Coast. It’s also famous for its ‘Bridge across the Atlantic’, a small…

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Haar at Home

I previously wrote about the fantastic meal we had at the beginning of the year at Haar in St.Andrews, it seems like a lifetime ago now with all that has been going on! During lockdown, particularly early on, I took the opportunity to use the free time I now had to do more cooking from…

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The Fife Arms, Braemar

After a lovely weekend up on the Moray Coast (more on that later!) we stopped off in Braemar on the way back home. I haven’t been in Braemar in years (about 15 to be precise, when I was doing research for my Masters’ dissertation!) and in general it hasn’t changed, except for one place –…

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Garrison West, Fort William

Since lockdown has eased and we are allowed to travel a bit more freely around our own countries (though I could really do with some sunshine!) we have been taking short breaks and the odd random day trip. Our first random trip seen us take an overnight stop in Fort William before heading out onto…

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Seared Peach and Prosciutto Salad

This is a really quick and simple salad, great for a lunch or to be served as part of a wider spread. With peaches in season right now in the UK, it’s a great time to enjoy them, even better with a crisp cold glass of white wine. Seared Peach and Proscuitto Salad (Serves 2…

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Whiteadder Reservoir & Priestlaw

Typically, once lock-down rules were slightly relaxed the grey grim usual weather of a Scottish summer appeared. However, it didn’t stop us venturing out for a welcome walk in the hills and some fresh air! We headed out of Edinburgh into the Lammermuir Hills on the edge of the Scottish Borders, a part of the…

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The Witchery by the Castle, Edinburgh

The Witchery by the Castle is a bit of an Edinburgh institution and has remained one of my favourite restaurants in the City, particularly the Secret Garden. I have been many times over the years, but my latest visit was the first weekend of freedom, when bars and restaurants were finally allowed to re-open. As…

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