Nicky Tam's Bar Bothy

We wandered into this pub after a long day of site seeing and desperate for a pint of ale and some munchies.

It was a busy day, however, the service was impeccable and we were delighted by the quality of the food (wasn't expecting it to be anything to write home about). All in all, we found the meal to be excellent and wait staff friendly and attentive.

We hope to visit again if ever in Sterling again.

We were greeted and welcomed very warmly by the pub's proprietor, William. We were shown to our table in the Lucky Corner, which is rumored to be haunted. Apparently, there are two spirits that like to sit there and play cards (we sat down and wondered if these ghosts would show up and join us for lunch). I told William that Allan had approached us on the street and repeated what he had said to us. The proprietor confirmed that the food is indeed fresh, but more than that, he had hired a few professional chefs in order to offer the best food possible to his clients. On that particular day, Scott was on duty (a chef with 22 years of experience). My husband and I rubbed our hands together gleefully. THIS was the place where we would have our first taste of haggis!

We shared the Haggis with mashed turnips and potatoes. Although this was the appetizer and not the full meal, it was more than enough for two. I won't get into the details of what is inside haggis because I want you to try it when you go to Scotland, but I will tell you this: it's REALLY tasty. Savory and quite spicy with a wonderful texture. It was served with a silky whiskey gravy that was divine (thanks, Scott, for making our first haggis experience such a good one!). For our main course we each had the Haddock and Chips. A big fillet of fresh fish hand dipped in a homemade beer batter and friend to a crisp- no greasy oily texture- nice and light. Served with real potato wedges (not commercial frozen fries), peas and garnish salad. We were both stuffed and pleased- not only were we treated with exceptional hospitality, the food was fabulous. Oh, and the bill was surprisingly cheap, too!