Tullibardine: Distilling the recipe for a fantastic feast

Feb 8 2008 By Lady Who Lunches

EVERY New Year, I’m tempted to join in with chums making their painfully predictable resolutions and, equally true to tradition, all the good intentions invariably “gang aft a-gley” before the Burns season moves into full swing.

But this time round, I’m determined to dispense with the couch potato image, put wistful thoughts of spoiling myself at the new Gleneagles spa on hold and take to the Perthshire hills.

Who knows, my very first Munro might be just over the horizon?

Will altitude sickness pose problems if I ever haul myself up to the top of Schiehallion?

Truth to tell, I felt a tad giddy after conquering Kinnoull Hill.

Put it down to elation rather than exhaustion.

Other Half cajoled me to greater efforts with a copy of Muriel Gray’s hilarious “The First Fifty: Munro Bagging Without a Beard”. Only 50 to go before I’m on her tail.

I’m no Gaelic scholar but could the translation of Meall Dearg really be “hill of the brown underpants?”

That’s maybe one I’ll leave ‘til later.

Friends who take to the hills live by the mantra: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear.”

So the January sales saw me lured off the beaten track to favourite shopping haunts and it’s been Goretex rather than Gucci, and Fair City shops specialising in the Great Outdoors.

As the man from the Fast Show once didn’t say, “This season I will be mostly wearing Berghaus.” Just don’t blab to Trinny and Suzanne.

The latest stop-off was in Blackford, looking for that little something to wear under acres of fleeces and man-made fibres.

The chunky boots have yet to be broken in, but they rose to the challenge of scaling the stairs to the 1488 cafe restaurant at Tullibardine Distillery.

Resisting the temptation to sample some of the local product at the giftshop door – the distillery has been in full swing since coming out of mothballs five years ago – we quickly scanned the menu, salads and daily specials, with the accent on fresh local produce. No dubiety, traditional Sunday roast for him – generous slices, carrots, peas, boiled potatoes, an enormous Yorkshire pud and an ocean of gravy – while I plumped for a gorgeous Mediterranean style quiche. No complaints from either party.

Over a particularly robust cappuccino, we took in the contemporary decor, floral touches at the table, chuckling over the Sunday papers at a “Wheesht, Angels at Work” exhortation in the bold and vivid distillery-themed mural inspired by youngsters from the local primary school.

Next time we might try one of the local beers – King James stopped off after his coronation at Scone to sample the Blackford brew in 1488.

We did make off with their vintage ‘65 Tullibardine single malt.

Other Half suggested a bottle to toast bagging that first Munro.

A grand idea, but it’s already been a fine winter warmer accompanying Muriel en route to her First Fifty!

Cost: £17.70 (for two with coffees)

Food: Fresh salads, daily specials and snacks

Service: Self-service, with back-up

Decor: Wooden floors, photo montage, artwork and bold mural

Verdict: A “dram” good find off the A9!