Isle of Eriska Hotel, Spa and Island

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the 2011 edition.

At a luxury hotel this swish you need a really good restaurant to round things off. That is where Fort William born Robert MacPherson comes in. He has been the steady but innovative chef at the helm since 1987 and his cooking seldom disappoints. As the hotel sits on its own island seafood fittingly features strongly, sourced both from suppliers in Oban and Fort William. Local produce shines through with not many places in Scotland being able to say that they source their mushrooms from Mull not to mention some of their best cheese. The quartet of dining spaces each have their own charms with the light Conservatory and the Morning Room appealing slightly more than the Butler’s Pantry and the Business Room. Bright starters include Loch Linnhe brown crab ravioli with Ginger, mango emulsion and avocado puree. Choose between the likes of Kinlochlaich Farm pork loin, belly and cheek or roasted Oban turbot on the decadent main menu. The expansive wine list is backed up by grand settings for both aperitifs and a digestifs in this equally grand country house hotel.