The Dunvegan

An Argentinian fire restaurant overlooking the steely waters of Loch Dunvegan is intriguing and unexpected, but sadly not a well-kept secret if you’re after lunch on a rainy Saturday. Though booking is essential for dinner, at lunch it’s first come, first served. On arrival, the car park may be heart-sinkingly full and the restaurant heaving (12.30-2pm can seem a small window), but it's worth hanging around for a table. The interior is rustic chic – think windows strung with fairy lights, mismatched furniture, bright paintwork, pot plants, cacti in teacups and jars of wildflowers. Owners Tim and Blair Hunter-Davies bought the place in 2019, with family links to Patagonia triggering the cooking-with-fire concept. The inspiration might be from a far-flung continent, but the produce is unequivocally local – farmers and fishermen are even name-checked on the menu. In the evening three- and five-course 'fire dining menus' are built around the asado grill and wood-fired oven, kicking off with ‘pan a la parrilla’ (charcoal-fired bread with seaweed butter) and hot-smoked mussels with garlic, cream and a splash of Torabhaig whisky. Next up might be ‘Hebridean kofta’ – a pairing of Highland hogget with barbecued celeriac, Rora Dairy yoghurt tzatziki and wild garlic aïoli. By contrast, lunch is more pared-back. Local langoustines sell out quickly, but for the full Argentinian experience try the 'steak churrasco with frites' – a skewer of six-week aged, grass-fed Highland rump (the outside crisp and charred, the flavour subtly smoky), with a homemade chimichurri rub, hand-cut chips and salad from a local croft. Dessert? Slim pickings at lunch, but evening brings wood-fired burnt Basque cheesecake. There’s a nod to Argentina on the well-priced wine list, although ales from the Isle of Skye Brewery and some decent Scottish malts bring it all back home.