Applecross Inn

Applecross is one of the more remote corners of the British Isles, approached either by sea or a highly scenic drive across the Pass of the Cows. Once there you are liable to feel a certain sense of detachment, a state of mind into which a perfectly cooked meal can be so easily inserted.

Judith Fish (yes, I know, just leave it) and her team await you in this idyllic shoreside pub with a seafood menu that will cause you to contemplate abandoning everything and moving here. £20 for a three course meal with helpings that are truly generous. Perversely perhaps, and because the place is awash with the freshest of fish I would start with the haggis flambéed with Drambuie and graced with cream and oatcakes.

From there it would be an easy route to the Scottish salmon fillet marinated in olive oil, wine lime and coriander, grilled and served with salad and new potatoes. To complete the home-based flavour perhaps some of the local Brie after which the evening could take care of itself with a little assistance from a good West Coast malt.

It is not just the menu and the care taken in cooking but the unmistakable freshness of the produce that is so enticing.