Old Mill Inn, The

At this gateway to the Highlands you will find a wide and attractive menu, making it more than just somewhere to eat and move on, a place to stay and savour real Scottishness in superb surroundings. As you might have guessed The Old Mill Inn is a converted corn mill right in the heart of Pitlochry, handy for the theatre and some excellent fishing, and recently included in Les Routiers Guide. This is Highland Perthshire at its best.

Food is served daily from 10 am to 10 pm. The menu is one of those that leaves you reeling, which might seem appropriate in the land of the Highland Fling. Little distinction is made between lunch and dinner, let alone that fine Scottish institution, High Tea.

Amongst the starters can be found Pitlochry haggis, local black pudding in a rosti stack, Perthshire smoked salmon, and the wonderfully named pot stickers, which turn out to be a selection of Chinese wontons filled with prawns, hoisin duck and vegetables, deep-fried of course. Nor are the Italians forgotten and Sicilian mafiosos sizing up Scotland, never mind the Brits, will rejoice to find antipasto Scozia Nostra of cured Italian meats and local smoked salmon a hot favourite. A good array of pizzas is always available.

An awesome selection of snacks is served until 5 pm, with Bollywood Bites - no, just think about it, a Cumberland sausage bap and four different triple decker club stackers, give a whole new meaning to the word snack.

For main courses choice goes international, and that's before you go anywhere near the array of local beef. Three Dunkeld lamb chops, from Letter Farm, fillet of Shetland salmon, Derwentwater duck well topped with Cumberland sauce, a curry banquet with a choice of chicken korma or lamb rogan josh, a fillet of poached salmon on a bed of stir fried Thai vegetables, or a fillet of red snapper served with boiled rice, naan bread, chutney and poppadum, all aimed to please the diversity of nations that finds its way to this Highland hostelry. Those of a Mexican disposition are not overlooked either, with a rousing chilli con carne to be had, served on a bed of rice with chips and nachos.

Which brings us to the focal point of any self-respecting Scottish restaurant, the beef, for which we have to thank the MacDonald brothers of Pitlochry, whose Aberdeen Angus steaks have full traceability. A signature sirloin comes topped with sun-dried tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese; the New York strip is a simple 12 oz sirloin topped with garlic butter, whilst the Carpetbagger is filled with game pate.

When I tell you there are no less that 12 different steak options you will begin to get the measure of the problem. This place ought to be called 'Choices'. All arrive on the table with either chips or new potatoes and the vegetables of the season.

Just when you thought the agony of choosing was all over you are confronted with round about 11 puddings, starting with apple pie, through peach schnapper to chocolate puddle pudding.

A fully supportive wine list largely avoids Australia and New Zealand, with France, South America, Italy and South Africa well to the fore. Prices are sensible.

For fuller details of Theatre breaks, events, and a hint of their wonderful selection of malt whiskies - 160 at the last count - go to their Website, not only a window for The Old Mill Inn but also for Pitlochry and the Highlands.