FEATURE: Visitor gives verdict on Dornoch and the town's newly renovated Station Hotel. What did she think?
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Former professional chef Isobel Haldane, who has a keen interest in food and travel writing, made a recent visit to Dornoch 40 years after her first visit. Here she describes her experience and her impressions of the newly renovated and reopened Dornoch Station Hotel, where she stayed for three nights.
About 40 years ago, I arrived in Dornoch clinging to the pillion rail of an insanely fast motorcycle, intent on doing the North Coast 500 (before it even had a name) as fast as possible, missing everything of course, but vaguely aware of a beautiful seaside town and thinking “I could live here”. Forty years on and the arrival is by a rather more sedate Volvo, but the sentiment is the same “I could live here”.
Beautiful it still is, but what I had missed before was the unique and transparent sense of community that exudes from the very heart of this town. Perhaps it was passing the high ranking and high achieving Dornoch Academy (of which the townsfolk are rightly proud) on the way in? Or the abundance of artisan craft shops, independent retailers, cafes and restaurants. I can picture this town at Christmas.
The tree lit up in the beautiful cathedral grounds, artists selling crafts at the Christmas market and the smell of mulled wine and street food in the air. However, I am here in the autumn. The peak golfing season is over for the year and hoteliers are touting their rooms on special offers to attract visitors during a slack period, and there are many hotels to choose from.
For the next three nights I stay at The Dornoch Station Hotel, a newly renovated Edwardian monolith a short walk from the town centre. It was obvious on arrival that the renovations were not yet complete, on the exterior, or the car park area, but as this was a ‘soft opening’ that did not matter to me.
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Stepping into the entrance hall with its wood panelling, traditional rugs, cosy sofas and grand sweeping staircase, was as atmospheric as the rain lashing against the windows and the flags snapping tight against their flagpoles. The aim of restoring this grand old lady to a level of elegance from a bygone era had been achieved. Downstairs at least.
Bold is how I would describe the interior of the bedrooms. A mishmash of patterns and colours, the dark furniture and dark gloss paint made me wonder if I had somehow stepped back in time. A heavy navy bedspread echoed the paintwork and the gloominess of the weather outside. Dressing for dinner I laughed at myself in the full-length mirror, my patterned blouse adding further to the confusion of the room.
Dornoch is blessed with fantastic eateries, from the excellent and informal Milk and Honey and Luigi’s to the offerings of award-winning chef Kevin Barber at Links House Hotel’s restaurant Mara. There is stiff competition, and I was eager to see if The Golden Gorse and Bar Ross at The Dornoch Station Hotel could rise to the challenge.
Golf is everywhere here, and it is right and proper that Bar Ross is named after one of the world’s finest professional golfers and golf course designers. Donald Ross was born in the town in 1872 and started his golfing career at the Royal Dornoch Golf Club, eventually moving to America and designing more than 400 golf courses which, for golf enthusiasts, are instantly recognisable as a Ross design.
The walls of Bar Ross are draped with Royal Dornoch Golf Club tartan in a rather subtle and tasteful style. The menu is informal making the bar an ideal meeting place for lunch or coffee. Dogs are also welcome, and I was amused to see the smartly dressed waiter heading through the bar to deliver a bowl of water to a very important pet.
The Golden Gorse is the hotel’s main restaurant, open for breakfast and dinner. With such dedicated replication of the Edwardian era obviously foremost in the renovations, I had half expected an Escoffier-esque menu with Ile Flottantes or Peche Melba, but the only thing Escoffier about executive Chef Callum Phillip’s kitchen was its exacting standards.
Dish after dish was tried from the concise, innovative and playful menu. Local produce bursting with flavour, successful combinations of ingredients and flawless presentation took me off to a sometimes-forgotten world where chefs get it just right.
With a comfortable bed and a good night’s sleep ahead of me I was looking forward to exploring the town the next day.
Dornoch is a vibrant and bustling town. Locals and visitors rubbing shoulders in the cafes, bookshop and museums. The young shop workers and wait staff, friendly, cheery and welcoming. People planning their day, meeting friends for a catch up and gossip. Everyone seemed happy. Genuinely happy. I understood it – they lived here after all.
After visiting the whisky shop, I popped into the Highland Hospice boutique charity shop before leaving town. I had overheard it being talked about in a café and I was intrigued.
This shop is the epitome of the community spirit of Dornoch. A fantastic combination of vintage and bric-a-brac, jewellery and books, I squeezed my way round, then up to the counter to pay for my purchase, happy to know that my small contribution will be of direct benefit to the community.
Dornoch is the most splendid Highland Royal Burgh, and I was sad to be leaving. As I drove out of the town square, I cast a final glance over the elegant buildings, the castle, and the commanding cathedral and it reminded me once more that, yes, I could live here.
