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Reservations for meals

Hello!

We’re a week out from our trip, wondering what meals and locations are best suited for reservations. How far in advance I might need them.

Not looking for any upscale meals, just your average restaurants. Likely will only eat in a couple times. Curious of the locations we will be in, where I should worry about reservations if at all. I prefer not to be held to schedules for flex, but I also don’t want to miss a meal lol!

Edinburgh
Glasgow
Taynuilt
Portree
Inverness
Aberdeen

If you’ve got any recommendations open to them as well, my wife is worried everything will be fried and/or pub food, but I have no doubt they’ll be many options at least in the cities.

Posted by
1059 posts

If you want a sit down meal in Portree (or really anywhere on Skye) you will need to make reservations. You may even have left it too late a week out for some of the more popular places.

Best wishes
Jacqui (Skyegirl)

Posted by
285 posts

Thanks @skyegirl, is there an app which restaurants in Scotland use, or must you go to each restaurants website or....yikes...call?

Any recommendations? We're in Portree for 3 nights. Do you need lunch reservations as well?

Got dinner sorted 2/3 nights so far. Stein, and West Pier Hotel. Both used OpenTable, which is nice.

Posted by
1059 posts

Hi Dan,
Skye is not sophisticated enough for Aps! You'll be best calling as they are all short staffed and might not get to emails. In Portree itself Scoreybreac is very good. Portree Hotel is perfectly acceptable. Cullin Hills hotel is usually OK. For lunch you're best off just seeing where you happen to be. If you like seafood, then the Oyster Shed (it really is a shed) in Carbost above Talisker distillery is brilliant for lunch and is open all day until about 5pm.

The top restaurants on Skye are not in Portree. They are Lochbay, Edinbane Lodge, Three Chimneys and then probably Kinloch Lodge.

Hope that helps.

Posted by
26833 posts

I'd worry less about Glasgow than the other places. It's a big city with a lot of food sources and comparatively few tourists. Work on the others first.

Posted by
98 posts

Our current and recent experience, ...
In Edinburgh (currently) no issues but we have not sought upscale meals.
Glasgow - no issues
Taynuilt (did not visit/do not know)
Portree - Our hotel (Portree Hotel) offered same-day reservations for all "residents," which we availed ourselves of. We were encouraged if we wished to dine anywhere else in town to book reservations (and it seemed the best way to do so was to drop by in person well in advance of the visit)
Inverness - no issues, but we did book ahead for MacGregor's because we hoped to enjoy some music
Aberdeen - (did not visit/do not know)

Posted by
285 posts

Great, thank you for the report! I think we will try and get takeaway or eat outside as often as we can, I’ve got friends that brought back Covid as a souvenir last week so we’re still gonna be cautious!

Cheers!