Beautifully written, wonderfully illustrated … It’s a love letter to the Highlands, to Ghillie’s home in the depths of the Cairngorms National Park, and to the amazing natural larder given to us by the land and the sea."

Also when we arrived, we were first through the door. An hour and a half later the restaurant is heaving and almost full so booking is totally advisable – even for a Tuesday! I trusted them completely and the food was impeccable. The flavour was amazing and the portion sizes were plenty. We were able to box up our leftovers to take with us which was a bonus.Most famous food gurus live a high life of Michelin-starred restaurants, champagne-drenched parties and the very best of urban living. Allow us to introduce an exception to that rule: the intrepid and rather remarkable Ghillie Basan” Not wanting to fill up with a basket of poppadom before the main event, we opted to share one Masala poppadom. Loaded with onion, tomato, coriander, spices and scattered with vermicelli, this was a starter in its own right. Delicious, tangy and warming.

Another visit to Spices and Spirits within just a few days and no surprise at all. This time an evening meal with my bestie (weekend buffet totally outstanding too) and an early visit as soon as the restaurant opened, so a... great chance to chat and catch up. On this culinary journey through the Highlands of Scotland, award-winning food writer Ghillie Basan meets a host of artisan food producers, farmers, crofters, fishermen and distillers.With her Cordon Bleu training and university degree in Social Anthropology, Ghillie has travelled extensively to research and write over 40 books on different culinary cultures. She is often dubbed the ‘Original Spice Girl’ in media circles and it is spices that she specializes in. With her flavour expertise, Ghillie has created global food pairings for whisky brands and it is this knowledge and skill that she brings to all her food and whisky experiences.

Ghillie’s food and immense body of knowledge cross the frontiers of culinary cultures and traditions. As with her life, the recipes are exciting but always rooted at the source. This stunning book is no exception – Ghillie’s courage, sense of adventure and pioneering spirit is movingly captured in the beautiful photos, her compelling words and delicious recipes." the night was efficient, polite and professional. The menu is very varied and has plenty of unusual dishes that you don't see on the "usual" curry house menus. Don't come here toOne of the best, if not the best thing we did in Scotland was the Whisky Food Safari with Ghillie Basan. Ghillie is so great and makes you feel like an immediate lifelong friend. If anyone is ever in Scotland, I’d put this on your must do list!”