It was our own foolish fault. My sister and I were really hungry when we arrived at Ballintaggart Farm, a hideaway in Perthshire. During the 90-minute drive from Edinburgh to the heather-covered Highland hills, we browsed our hotel's seasonal dinner menu, scrolled through our Ballintaggart farm shop's Instagram feed and made a list of all the Scottish produce we wanted to try. Swallow it up for the next few days. Cozy knitwear and comfy lounge sets (with loose waistbands) were packed to prepare us for the itinerary of eating, sleeping, walking and repeating we had been so excited about on our pre-Christmas trip to the countryside (this is actually the place). vacation It would have been set in Scotland, especially if it had taken place in the middle of winter with a lot of snow.)
Fortunately, our rumbling stomach didn't have to wait long. We stayed in the two-bedroom Steading (one of three stand-alone buildings that make up the farm) and had exclusive access to Ballintaggart's cookery school kitchen for preparation (essentially, heating) of prepared dinners. master chef-Worthy setting. The ingredients are all domestic or locally sourced and appear as if by magic each day in the resort's industrial-size refrigerator. On our first night, we opted for the farm's three-course dinner for two. We decided to spread some whipped butter on some home-baked sourdough and serve it with an olive chalice (we're Princess Ferrello) and a small portion of Great Glen venison salami. Enjoying a couple of prepared blended Negronis (there's a popsicle and fresh orange for a vibrant garnish). After serving chicken liver pate and crab apple jelly on rye bread, our personal cooking show began. It was smoked celeriac, roasted beetroot and buttery kale topped with Perthshire game venison. We were slowly falling into the most delicious food coma. almost I forgot to take the apple cake out of the oven. But the aroma of the warm butterscotch sauce, a smooth caramel sauce that melted into the accompanying scoop of malted ice cream to make it easy to drink, soon got us back on our feet.
After our first feast, we raided the living room's board game cabinet and settled into a sheepskin-covered sofa for a fireside food-centric Scrabble evening. My sister sensuously spelled ‘sourdough’ before we retired for the night. Ballintaggart is perched on a hill above the River Tay, so there's little to disturb your sleep. Except for the clucking chickens that collect eggs every morning. We had already made friends thanks to the generous welcome basket delivered upon arrival and filled with house-made granola, bread and brownies, blackberry and cinnamon jam, and seasonal fruit. Bacon from a local butcher, butter from a nearby dairy farm and juice from the hotel's orchard completed the fresh ensemble straight from local farms. The views of the rolling valley were enough to tempt us to have breakfast outside, even in late November (the bedroom's French doors open directly onto the panoramic terrace). We looked at the flock and imagined what century it must have been. -A pasture sloping toward the river, surrounded only by stone walls and haystacks. There's little sign of the modern world here, except for smoke billowing from two cabin chimneys in the distance, and the occasional tractor rolling in and out of the barn (unlocks the Outlander fantasy).
With several feasts now under our belts (and keen to make the most of the precious daylight hours) we ventured into Faskally Forest for a walk along the tree-lined trails around the shores of Lake Dunmore. Known as 'Big Tree Country', Perthshire's woodlands feature a pine-scented tangle of towering Douglas firs, wild cherry trees and centuries-old oaks, offering outdoor visitors some very scenic walks. I will do it. Especially if you're feeling fancy (or have wheels), Queen's View near Allean Forest is well worth the climb, with dramatic views of Loch Tummel and the blue-tinged Glencoe Ranges. If it was good enough for Queen Victoria (and Robert the Bruce's wife Isabella) in 1866, it would be more than enough for our less regal waterproof attire ensembles. But now it was time to head back as we were both hungry from the hike and desperately needed our next meal.
But Ballintaggart delivered the goods to our door (literally) and we got to work preparing the Butternut Squash Pitivier with smoked celeriac, salsa verde, roasted vegetables and dauphinoise potatoes tossed in rosemary. My sister, who worked in one of Edinburgh's Michelin-starred restaurants, felt more at home at Ballintaggart's cookery school than I did. She might find the neighboring six-bedroom farmhouse further afield if she had less hands-on work in the kitchen.
With tennis courts on site and Rob Roy Way right on your doorstep, there are endless ways to continue eating and exercising around Ballintaggart. But to be honest, we ended up doing more of the former with a pit stop at Aran Bakery. Lovely farm shops in hotels in Dunkeld and Aberfeldy. For the return trip to Edinburgh, we were ready to hit the road with our large Ballintaggart totes loaded up with handmade oatcakes and jars of various homemade jams and chutneys, but reluctant to leave our fully stocked Scottish food pantry. But just as we seek out dinner each day, it may be difficult to enjoy it with the hotel's constantly rotating schedule of events, including on-site fork-and-go feasts, outings, fermenting and pickling sessions, mini-masterclasses and cooking classes. Fill up Ballintaggart.
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Thanks to a nomadic childhood in the Far East, Chloe Frost-Smith's first travel memories are filled with tuk-tuks, buffalo and rice paddies. She's happiest when she's barefoot or on horseback. Chloe is a country girl at heart and she often daydreams about ranch life in the American West. She currently lives in Edinburgh where she works as a travel writer and editor, traveling the Highlands with her faithful hound Humphrey.