7/24/2019 Skeabost in D Mail - 2

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Page 57Daily Mail, Saturday, October 31, 2015

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ral features and hazards, and thealternative tees providing plentyof variation for an 18-hole game.

I particularly enjoyed the scenicfour holes played by and acrossthe shore of Loch Snizort. Nowthats what you call a waterhazard!

F

ISHING is also available onthe loch and the RiverSnizort, a classic Highlandspate salmon river whichflows through the grounds.

Derek the ghillie will teach

beginners to fly-fish and sells daylicences to experienced anglers.Staying with water, guests cantake a trip on the Solus a Chuain(Light of the Ocean), a 50ft luxuryyacht belonging to Anne and Ken,which sails daily out of Armadalebetween April and Septembertogether with hotel guests fromTorvaig and Duisdale.

Away from the hotel, we madethe short journey to Portree andthe Edinbane Pottery before visit-ing Dunvegan Castle, the ances-tral home of the chiefs of ClanMacLeod for 800 years, and thenthe Talisker distillery at Carbost.

Returning each evening, we atein a dining room that offers alovely view out of large windowstowards the loch. The menu isimpressive, with food sourcedlocally, including vegetables, beefand venison, and seafood from thefishing port of Mallaig.

On the first night, our starterswere an Isle of Uist crab salad anda hand-dived Sconser scallop andlangoustine roulade, followed bymains of Aberdeen Angus steak

and West Coast halibut, all sensa-tional. The second nights Cullenskink and smoked duck breaststarters, with mains of a duo ofduck (confit duck cake withseared duck breast on creamedpuy lentil and pak choi) and Isleof Skye ale-battered cod fillet,scored just as highly.

Thinking of someone else doingall that cooking can be thirstywork, and luckily theres a splen-did wine list or, rather, threewine lists. Wines on the main listare priced from 22, while the Ske-abost Tower Private Collectionruns to such delights as a Tig-

nanello Super Tuscan, Antinori,2008 for a mere 226. Then theresan interesting concept called theSkeabost Rare Choice, featuringten special wines but as the hotelkeeps only one, six-bottle case ofeach wine, you need to seize yourchance before its gone.

After dinner you can retire to thecosy bar with a large selection ofmalts and Scottish gins and abeer library of 18 bottled anddraught ales and lagers. Here,over a nightcap of Talisker,Matthew explained how he andJennifer feel about their charge:You never own Skeabost. Youlook after it for a wee while andhopefully leave your mark on it.

TRAVEL FACTSSkeabost House Hotel (01470532202, info@skeabosthotel.com)offers winter breaks from 55 perperson, per night for B&B.

Christmas breaks from 308pp fortwo nights and two-nightHogmanay breaks from 398pp.

rooms are spacious, left, while the cuisine, above right, is superb

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ChristmasMarkets Berlin4* Leonardo HotelBerlin City SudB&B, three nights,flying from Glasgow,November 24, 2015from 187ppEgypt, El PashaBay4* Sharm ResortHotelAll-inclusive,seven nights,flying fromEdinburgh,January 10, 2016from 357pp

Gran Canaria,Bahia Feliz4* Orquidea HotelAll-inclusive, seven

nights, flying fromEdinburgh,December 7, 2015from 387ppLanzarote,Costa Teguise4* Clubhotel RIULanzaroteAll-inclusive,seven nights,flying fromEdinburgh,December 17, 2015from 427ppAustria,Niederau4* Hotel SonnscheinHalf-board,seven nights,flying from Glasgow,January 16,2016 from 437pp

Deals of the week...In association with

For full details visit our websitewww.barrheadtravel.co.uk

Festive

break:

At the

Leonardo

Hotel inBerlin

Gardening: Be prepared for winter, pages 82 & 84