For years, if you wanted a Michelin-starred meal in Scotland, you went to Edinburgh. Maybe Glasgow if you were feeling adventurous. The Highlands? That was for whisky and scenery, not fine dining. Well, not anymore.
At the Michelin Guide ceremony in Dublin on February 9th, two Highland restaurants picked up One Star awards, and both of them deserve every bit of recognition. 1887 at The Torridon in Wester Ross and Killiecrankie House in Perthshire have put rural Scottish cooking on the map in the most emphatic way possible.
1887 at The Torridon
I love everything about this. A restaurant named after the year its hotel was built, sitting in one of the most dramatic landscapes in Scotland, serving “superbly balanced dishes” made from ingredients that were probably growing outside the kitchen window that morning. The Michelin inspectors called it “vibrantly decorated with exceptional Highlands produce.” That’s inspector-speak for “this place is stunning and the food matches.”
They also picked up a Green Star for sustainability, which tells you this isn’t just about pretty plates. They’re doing it right — local sourcing, minimal waste, the whole thing done properly.
Killiecrankie House
Now this is the one that really caught my attention. Chef Tom Tsappis is using Japanese techniques on Scottish produce. Japanese-Scottish fusion in a former manse near the Cairngorms. If you’d told me that combination would win a Michelin star five years ago, I’d have laughed. I’m not laughing now.
The idea of taking the precision and respect for ingredients that defines Japanese cooking and applying it to Highland game, seafood, and vegetables — it makes complete sense when you think about it. Both traditions are obsessed with freshness and letting the ingredient speak for itself.
And There’s More
Four Scottish restaurants also picked up Bib Gourmands — Sebb’s and The Clarence in Glasgow, Mara in Aberdeen, and Angeethi by Sagar Massey in Cardonald. Good food at good prices, which is honestly what most of us need more of.
Scotland’s food scene is spreading out, getting braver, and getting better. The Highlands aren’t just a backdrop anymore — they’re a destination. And I’m absolutely here for it.