Now, all this has changed. It's another aspect of the new vibrancy and entrepreneurial edge to the Highland scene. Restaurants are thriving and good eating is easy to track down. (Skye, for example, even has an establishment rated in the top 50 world-wide.)

You'll find sumptuously-styled country houses, with food to match. You'll find honest and down-to-earth home cooking in country pubs. There are buildings converted into restaurants with bags of atmosphere (including more than one former railway station). You can even go on a seafood cruise for the afternoon and cook what you catch. And there are other seafood restaurants where you can taste what fresh really means, the catch having been landed just along the road only a hour or two before it's on your plate.

Check out the accredited establishments, read the reviews, and listen to local recommendations. Prepare yourself for a Highland culinary adventure.