Things get up close and personal in the kitchen at this fine-dining haven on the shores of Loch Dunvegan

I have never been in a restaurant kitchen before. I had imagined them to be crazy places, filled with shouting and cursing and flashes of fire – but the kitchen at The Three Chimneys is nothing like that. At the celebrated fine-dining restaurant with rooms, perched on the shores of Loch Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, it’s a smooth operation behind the scenes. Book dinner at ‘The Kitchen Table’ and you’ll experience an incredible eight-course tasting menu showcasing the very best of what Skye has to offer.

The table is communal, seating up to eight guests – and tonight my husband Jimmy and I share it with a couple from Brisbane, Australia with ancestral links to the island. Soon we are all chatting away, sharing life stories even before the first course arrives. There is delicately smoked sea trout with caviar, fresh crab from the loch, and oyster paired with pickled apple. There are langoustines and tender lamb with taste-bud-thrilling miso and black garlic. The wine flight is an adventure, taking us through France, Morocco and Germany, as well as to notable English vineyards of Sussex and Kent.

There’s no stiff formality here. Service is attentive and relaxed, perfectly in tune with the buzzy kitchen vibe. Team members, including several chefs, pop over to describe what we’re about to eat next. Four hours spin by in a whirl of taste sensations and non-stop chatter. It’s fascinating to watch the team at work, and our friendly server encourages us to hop off our stools and take a look around the kitchen in between courses. We see scallops being seared and the pastry chef creating beautiful tiny tarts. When Jimmy wonders aloud what goes into the delicious crab ketchup, he is handed the actual recipe, printed out especially for him, as we leave.

Aside from the cooking – and everything is wonderful – the combination of the friendly ambience and the working kitchen setting make it a fun and truly unforgettable experience. But then Skye is unique and quite magical, as we discover next morning as we head out to explore, finding ourselves at the island’s most westerly point. The craggy cliffs of Neist Point are breathtaking.

Dunvegan Castle, with its stunning walled gardens and dramatic waterside setting is another must-see. Briefly, we consider a seal-watching trip by small power boat (they run half-hourly from the castle’s boathouse, weather permitting). But suddenly the blue sky turns pewter grey, the heavens open and we’re racing for cover into the steamy warmth of the glasshouse. They say you experience four seasons in one day on Skye, and as we meander along single-track roads in dazzling sunshine, soft rain and a sudden startling hailstorm, we can certainly vouch for that. But then, the wildness of unpredictable weather is part of the island’s untamed charm. 

Chimneys’ main restaurant, an incredible fine dining experience in the cosy setting of the 100-year-old cottage. Highlights include a creamy and smoky asparagus tart, tender nori-wrapped venison, and crispy potatoes frisked up with Skye sea salt, seaweed and garlic aïoli. From there it’s a minute’s walk to our luxe double room in The House Over-By, the restaurant’s accommodation. Our generous room has a vast and sumptuous bed, a fabulous shower and luxurious products scented with fir needles and cedar. We relax in waffle robes in the cosy lounge area, taking in the heart-stopping view as dusk falls over shimmering Loch Dunvegan. No wonder our new friends travelled all the way from Brisbane to experience this special place. This little corner of Skye is like nowhere else on Earth.