Mingary Castle - Restaurant with Rooms

The castle location is amazing and we were really looking forward to the meal. Staff were great, very friendly, but there was a lot about the meal that was disappointing. The little venison on pork crackling for example, the crackling was stale and chewy rather than crispy. Then there was a bread course - a filler with no wine. Although the breads and butters were tasty, we were surprised that ‘bread’ was a ‘course’. Next came the courgette flower. The flower was tiny, the butter inside nice but not much of it and the mushroom veloute was disgusting. It wasn’t a veloute, it was thick, very salty, gloop. I believe there was a problem with it as the waitress had to go and get more as it didn’t pour well and ran out. The most disappointing course however was the duck dish. Our duck was really tough, and the pearl barley risotto was just a dry heap of cooked pearl barley. There was nothing ‘risotto’ about it. Inedible. The cheese plate was a joke with one bite of one cheese and dessert looked amazing but was so salty it tasted savoury. We were totally baffled by the lack of wine also, apart from the first glass of fizz, each glass of wine was barely two sips, my husband even asked for a bit more at one point which was reluctantly given but again was barely there. When paying £100 for the wine flight we did expect to have a reasonable glass with each course. I actually said to my husband that perhaps Sundays is the chefs day off. Nonetheless it was a miserable and expensive experience.

Fantastic

WOW! WOW! WOW! Mingary Castle is outstanding, utterly beautiful sat perched on the cliff, and oozes charm & character. Staff are welcoming, friendly, very proud & passionate, & happily explained the history of Mingary castle. Service is very attentive & each course is described in detail with pride. The food is sublime! Each dish has exacting detail you would expect from this level of professional cookery, the Chef uses many seasonal & locally sourced ingredients, & all dishes are intriguing, well balanced & unctuous. Each dish was bursting with flavour, & considered, worthy of any Michelin star! The menu was very well priced, and I would love to visit again, I only wish I lived nearer! Excellent quality, excellent food, well designed menu & such a talented team & Chef!

Had a fantastic lunch at Mingarry Castle . The food was faultless ( one of the best meals of my life !) The setting is stunning and the staff were efficient and friendly. Would highly recommend a visit to this castle in the stunningly beautiful Ardnamurchan Peninsula.

We decided to try Mingary castle for my wife's birthday. I had read that the chel Colin Nicholson was one of the upcoming chefs in Scotland. I wasn't disappointed! We arrived a little early and we were given a tour of the refurbished castle. Absolutely stunning with fantastic views to Mull and the small isles. We had an aperitif in the drawing room before moving to the dining room. The choice was the eight course tasting menu with matching wine. The courses were varied, sour dough bread with locally flavoured butter, oyster with yuzu, local crab on a sourdough crumpet, local beef, cheese fondu, Mingary green apple with a surprise inside. Unfortunately I did not take any pictures.. All of the courses were sublime and the staff explained very well the origin of each course and also why the wine matched. I need to mention Heidi who was a star throughout the evening. I have eaten in some great restaurants including Midsummer house in Cambridge. Mingary castle was up there in every aspect. This is a fantastic restaurant which will go from strenth to strength in the future. Highly reommend.

We have stayed in many Scottish hotels over last decade (I could write a book) & most fit into a mid-range of barely acceptable to pleasant, a few were utterly dire, & even fewer have been exceptional. Mingary is exceptional. Location: it’s remote, but worth the trek. Ardnamurchan is exquisitely beautiful, & one of the last truly wild places left in UK. Oak woodlands, hills, burns, & beaches. The castle is perched on a dramatic shoreline on Sound of Mull, has been restored to a luxurious standard whilst retaining its properly historic atmosphere, & you can feel it whilst standing on the battlements with panoramic views in all directions. Food: seriously good - thoughtful use of local ingredients, good combos, beautifully presented, with changing daily menu. It’s great value for a serious Tasting menu, where you feel both chef & front of house share in a mission to achieve highest standards. Accommodation: highest quality fittings used throughout, so no nasty surprises in bedroom or bathroom. We loved that there was no TV in our grand Georgian suite, but a high speed internet so we could relax using our own devices. (Often missing!) Design element throughout was very high in all areas: carefully chosen antique furniture, expertly crafted oak panelling in all bedrooms & public rooms as part of recent renovation, interesting quality art on walls, including current exhibition by Scottish artist, comfy & welcoming public sitting room & bar, & lovely lighting throughout. At long last a hotel that delivers a serious experience to rival Fife Arms (but, just to add, substantially cheaper!) & without becoming a tartan theme park. Brilliant.