Scotland’s rural food scene: seafood from Harris and Ullapool

Scotland’s islands are shaped and defined by the sea, with fishing remaining the backbone of many island economies. In the past, island communities would have struggled to eke out an existence from the often unproductive soils had it not been for the bounty from the sea beyond their shores. The ocean provided – and still does – a natural larder for islanders for thousands of years, long before we coined the terms ‘surf and turf’ or ‘catch of the day’.

Today, our islands are the unsung champions of food and drink, with lively food scenes as diverse as the daily catches brought ashore by their fishermen. From Skye’s Michelin star-rated Loch Bay Seafood Restaurant to the numerous small food trailers, restaurants and fishmongers dotted across Scotland’s islands, our islands – and their seafood – are a joy to discover.

My love affair with seafood began as a child. As the daughter of a fisherman, eating seafood was not a choice but a requirement. And, there is nothing more satisfying than enjoying that sea to plate experience, safe in the knowledge that your food has only travelled as far as your line – and that it’s the freshest possible catch.

Scotland’s fishermen are proud of their catches, and rightly so: Scotland has some of the most productive waters in the world and is renowned for its wide range of species and an emphasis on landing top-quality fish.

Scotland’s seafood is among the freshest you will ever have the pleasure of savouring, and this blog will take us to the west coast of Scotland, where I had some amazing seafood experiences in some very unassuming places.

We begin the journey in Ullapool, a small town in Ross and Cromarty that, despite its small size, was buzzing with visitors when we arrived to take the ferry across to Stornoway on Lewis.

Ullapool itself was built around the fishing industry and designed by renowned civil engineer Thomas Telford. The town sits tucked under the hill on the quiet shores of Loch Broom and is the largest town for miles around.

Today Ullapool is still an important fishing port. As we wandered around waiting for the ferry, we watched boats coming and going while industrious fishermen in their brightly coloured boots and oilskins worked tirelessly, making ready to set off for sea once again.

Ullapool’s best-kept secret is undoubtedly The Seafood Shack that sits tucked away behind the harbour – except that it’s clearly no secret as, on both occasions we were in Ullapool, it was queuing out the door, with throngs of patient diners waiting to be served the best fish around.

The Seafood Shack was opened in 2016 by dynamic duo Kirsty Scobie and Fenella Renwick. With a passion for good honest seafood, they wanted to celebrate the local seafood caught and landed in Ullapool. Today, their trailer serves up to 300 customers a day and employs eight staff.

I was keen to visit. So, on our return from the Hebrides, we decided to stand in line and wait with the hordes of others who were eager to experience Ullapool’s incredible seafood.

Between us, we ordered the haddock wrap, fish soup, smoked trout pate and langoustines. The menu is not overly extensive or unnecessarily complicated – usually, there are five or six options to choose from, depending on what the boats have landed that morning.

Diners can choose to take their food away or eat it at one of the wooden benches outside the trailer. We were lucky enough to get a table, and the sun was shining, which was a bonus.

What The Seafood Shack proves is that seafood doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need a vast kitchen or a swanky West End restaurant. Good, honest food is more than enough – and it’s the best I’ve ever had.

We’re not alone in rating The Seafood Shack highly; their list of awards is impressive, including the BBC Food & Farming’s ‘Best Streetfood or Takeaway’.

Kirsty and Fenella have published a book, The Seafood Shack: Food & Tales from Ullapool, which is a beautiful publication packed with easy-to-follow recipes.

Continuing our food adventure, we visited Harris – the southern part of the island of Lewis – famed for its stunning beaches, dramatic scenery, walking and, of course, its world-famous tweed and gin.

Our first seafood experience on Harris was another trailer, this time, a roadside trailer overlooking Loch Seaforth near Bowglass on the A859, seven miles north of Tarbert. Taste n’ Sea serves hot and cold cuisine using locally sourced ingredients.

Owners Alistair and Irene Morrison run the popular enterprise, and their reputation for fresh, seafood-focused, no-nonsense food means that they sell out quickly. Irene does the cooking, and Alistair is the fisherman behind the enterprise, stocking the food truck from his catch and other local fishermen in the area.

Their signature ‘Seafood Box’ is a bestseller, so it is worth going early.

Carrying on our seafood journey through Harris, we visited the North Harbour Bistro on the island of Scalpay, an island off the east coast of Harris.

Scalpay is connected to mainland Harris by a single-track road bridge that opened in 1997 and spans 300 metres across the narrow Sound of Scalpay. The island is only 2.5 square miles and has a population of about 300, mainly depending on the fishing concentrated around North Harbour, which the restaurant overlooks.

North Harbour Bistro is an award-winning, no fuss bistro set within an unassuming building which, if appearances were anything to go by, you’d be inclined to look past. But, with rave reviews ringing in our ears, we booked a table to visit.

The experience was everything we had hoped for – the food was incredible. Each dish was beautifully presented, imaginatively paired and everything you would expect from a restaurant overlooking the pier where the catch is landed.

Perhaps the greatest thing about the seafood scene we experienced in Ullapool and Harris was that it was just so down to earth and honest. It was just delicious food with no airs and graces behind the menus.

The Seafood Shack, Taste n’ Sea and North Harbour Bistro all had one thing in common – they were all passionate about and proud of their fishing heritage, and they used the freshest ingredients available to them right on their doorsteps. The simple menus were carefully chosen, and the food was memorable enough to write about.

We may not have encountered starched white linens, sommeliers and taster menus – but I’ll bet you the food we had along the way was every bit as good as any urban Michelin-rated dining experience.