How we choose where to stop
These are not reviews pulled from the internet. These are places our driver-guides eat at every week because the food is good, the service is reliable, and the kitchen knows we are coming. A bad recommendation reflects on us and on the whole day, so we only suggest places we trust. If a restaurant drops in quality, it comes off our list. If a new place opens and the chef is consistent, it goes on.
Every route we drive has a shortlist of lunch stops. Some are restaurants where we book a table in advance. Others are quick takeaway stops when the day is tight and you want more time at the sights. What follows is the real list, organised by touring route.
Isle of Skye day tour
The most popular route we run. A full Isle of Skye day tour from Inverness covers a lot of ground, so timing lunch matters.
Lunch: The Old Inn, Carbost. Near Talisker Distillery, hearty food, good portions, and they know us by name. We stop here nearly every Skye tour. The venison stew and fish pie are both solid. Parking is easy and the turnaround is quick enough to keep the day on schedule.
Alternative: Edinbane Inn. A bit further north on the A850. Excellent food — a step above pub lunch — but it needs booking, especially in summer. Worth it if the itinerary allows.
Quick stop: Portree. A harbour takeaway pie or fish and chips from one of the shops along the waterfront. Not fine dining but reliable and fast if you want more time at the Old Man of Storr or the Quiraing.
Dinner (for overnight stays): The Three Chimneys at Colbost — advance booking essential, outstanding seafood, worth the trip on its own. Or Dulse & Brose at the Bosville Hotel in Portree — less formal but excellent, and you can walk back to your hotel.
NC500 route
The NC500 is a multi-day tour, so lunch stops change depending on which section you are covering that day. We have written a full NC500 food and drink tour guide covering the route in detail. Here are the lunch highlights.
East coast: The Dornoch Inn or The Eagle Hotel in Dornoch — both solid for lunch, locally sourced, and we know the kitchens. For something lighter, the Carnegie Courthouse café in Dornoch is a good option.
North coast: Cocoa Mountain in Durness — hot chocolate and truffles in a converted workshop at the end of the road. Small but brilliant. Tongue Hotel for a proper sit-down lunch if you want something more substantial.
West coast: Lochinver Larder — famous venison pies and a driver favourite. We stop here on nearly every NC500 tour and time our arrival for 11:30 before the queue builds. Kylesku Hotel for langoustines from their own creels in the loch outside the window. You can watch the boat come in.
Applecross: Applecross Inn — prawns, langoustines, and a seafood platter that draws people from across the Highlands. Book or arrive early. The Bealach na Bà drive to get there is single-track with hairpin bends and a 626-metre summit, which is part of the experience and another reason to have a private driver.
Inverness and surroundings
For day tours that loop back to Inverness, lunch is usually mid-route. These are places our drivers use regularly.
Café 1, Inverness. Reliable, good menu, central location on Castle Street. A solid choice for a pre-tour or post-tour meal.
Rocpool, Inverness. A step up — modern Scottish cooking, smart but not stuffy. Good for guests who want something more than pub food. For a deeper list, see our best restaurants in Inverness guide.
On the Loch Ness route: The Dores Inn on the south side of Loch Ness, right on the shore — you eat looking across the water. The Loch Ness Inn in Drumnadrochit for solid pub food with good portions.
Culloden area: Culloden Battlefield café — decent food and convenient after the visitor centre. Not the most exciting meal of the trip but it does the job and keeps the day moving.
Speyside and whisky country
On a whisky tour through Speyside, lunch needs to be well-timed between distillery visits. Too heavy and the afternoon tastings suffer. Too light and you are hungry by 3pm.
The Mash Tun, Aberlour. Great food, a serious whisky bar, and right in the heart of Speyside. The chef knows us. This is our default Speyside lunch stop and it rarely disappoints.
The Dowans Hotel, Aberlour. Comfortable, slightly quieter than The Mash Tun. Good alternative if the Mash Tun is full, which happens in summer.
Grantown-on-Spey: The Craig Bar or the Tyree House Hotel for lunch. Both reliable, both know us, both convenient if the route takes you south through Strathspey.
For a treat: The Craigellachie Hotel — the Quaich Bar for whisky (800+ bottles, including things you will not find elsewhere) and the restaurant for dinner. Not a lunch stop usually, but worth noting for overnight whisky tours.
Golf routes
Golf clients have different timing — lunch is usually post-round, and appetite is significant. These are our go-to spots near the courses.
Royal Dornoch area: The Dornoch Castle Hotel is right next to the course. Good lunch, proper portions, and you can be back on the first tee for the afternoon round in minutes. Links House for finer dining — book ahead.
Castle Stuart area: Culloden House Hotel for a pre-round breakfast that sets you up for 18 holes, or Inverness options for a post-round meal.
Nairn: The Classroom — good food, relaxed atmosphere, popular with locals. Cawdor Tavern is worth the 10-minute detour to Cawdor village, especially if you want to combine golf with a look at the castle.
Fort William and Glencoe
The A82 corridor from Inverness through Fort Augustus to Fort William is one of our regular routes. Glencoe is dramatic regardless of weather, and the lunch options are worth knowing.
Lime Tree, Fort William. Art gallery and restaurant. Excellent food, well-sourced, and the art on the walls changes regularly. Our top pick in Fort William.
The Stables at Glencoe. Reliable, right at the start of the Glen. A practical stop that does not waste touring time and the food is consistently good.
On the way: The Commando Bar at the Old Station Restaurant in Spean Bridge — good food and views of the Ben Nevis range. Named after the Commando Memorial nearby, which is worth a five-minute stop on its own.
A note on Highland dining
A few things worth knowing before you travel. Many Highland restaurants close on Monday and Tuesday — especially smaller owner-run places. Summer booking is essential; a restaurant with 30 covers fills fast when the NC500 traffic arrives. Do not expect city speed. Highland kitchens use fresh, local ingredients and it takes longer. That is a feature, not a bug.
If your driver suggests a place, trust them. They have eaten there dozens of times. They know the menu, they know the chef, and they know what the kitchen does well on a Tuesday versus a Saturday. That kind of practical knowledge does not exist on any review site.
Read more about the Wester Ross route and our other touring areas to see how meals fit into a full day on the road.
Let us plan the food as well as the route
Every Venture Highland tour includes restaurant recommendations and booking. Tell us what you like to eat, any dietary requirements and how much time you want to spend at lunch, and your driver-guide will have a shortlist ready before you arrive. We handle the reservations. You just sit down and eat.
Get in touch to start planning, or browse our day tours from Inverness and NC500 private tours to see the routes where these restaurants sit.
Frequently asked questions
Do you book restaurants for clients?
Yes. We handle restaurant reservations as part of the tour planning. Many Highland restaurants are small and fill up quickly, especially in summer. We know which ones need booking and which are walk-in.
Are dietary requirements catered for?
Most Highland restaurants handle vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free well. We flag requirements when booking. Let us know in advance and we will plan accordingly.
Is lunch included in the tour price?
No. Meals are separate from the tour price. This gives you flexibility to choose where and what you eat. We suggest places and handle bookings; you pay the restaurant directly.
What should I budget for lunch?
A good pub lunch or café is £12–18 per person. A sit-down restaurant is £25–45. Seafood platters at coastal restaurants can be £30–50 but are worth it.
Can we do a food-focused tour?
Absolutely. We offer food and drink tours where the eating IS the itinerary. See our NC500 food and drink tour for an example.
