Somewhere along the Isle of Skye’s single-track road that winds toward Colbost, you begin to question whether you’ve made the wrong turn. With the Duirnish hills in front of you, the gray loch water to your left, and virtually nothing else, the scene changes from dramatic to nearly otherworldly. There are no signs indicating restaurants. There isn’t a collection of structures that indicates civilization is nearby. It’s the kind of emptiness that causes you to tighten your grip on the steering wheel.
Then a low whitewashed croft house with smoke curling from its chimneys appears, nestled into the shoreline as if it had always been there. The Three Chimneys are located here. It has existed since 1985. Additionally, it has had a Michelin star for the past ten years, which is still truly remarkable given how far away it is.
Fourteen years after the restaurant received three AA Rosettes, which it had maintained continuously since 2000, Three Chimneys Skye was awarded a Michelin star in 2014. In a sense, timing is important. By the time Michelin arrived, this establishment had established a reputation based more on word-of-mouth and unwavering quality. People were traveling from all over the world specifically to eat at these restaurants long before Instagram made them popular travel destinations. In 2010, a New York food critic named it one of his top five restaurants worldwide. You don’t create that kind of endorsement.
Reading about the restaurant and its philosophy reveals how aggressively local the entire business is. The group maintains long-term connections with those who cultivate, fish, farm, and forage on Skye. The idea that each dish on the table has a story and that the story belongs to the island rather than to any one chef or idea has an almost philosophical quality. Produce foraged by hand, game from the hills, and shellfish collected from nearby waters. It all tastes better knowing it came from right here, as Judy Murray, who visited and reportedly fell deeply in love with the crab tagliatelle, skillfully put it.
The actual location defies the opulence you might expect from a Michelin-starred restaurant. The house is an original croft. Walls that are sufficiently thick to block out the wind. This is the type of room where, in the winter, the fire probably works really well. The experience of sitting close enough to the process to feel involved is offered at the kitchen table, which seems appropriate. The Michelin inspectors might have reacted to this intimacy, this intentional smallness. Conviction, not spectacle.
There’s a feeling that establishments like The Three Chimneys exist in part in opposition to the ways that fine dining has become popular elsewhere, such as the flagship restaurants in the city center, the celebrity chef empires, and the trend-driven tasting menus. That’s not really a game that a croft on Skye can play. There must be another reason. And it turns out that doing something else has been sufficient for the past forty years. More than sufficient.
Reading reviews and guest posts reveals a recurring theme of surprise that is difficult to ignore. Somehow, people who come expecting to be impressed are moved. That’s a whole other matter. There are outstanding eateries everywhere. Restaurants that have the distinct, unique flavor of a community and a landscape and feel like they truly belong there are far more uncommon.
It’s arguable whether the Three Chimneys Skye’s Michelin star designation fully encapsulates the restaurant. Excellence is measured by stars, not by soul. Both appear to be present here. Furthermore, the distinction probably doesn’t seem all that significant on a rainy, gray afternoon on the shores of Loch Dunvegan, with the sea breeze blowing in and something extraordinary arriving at the table.
FAQs
1. When did The Three Chimneys receive its Michelin star?
The restaurant was awarded its Michelin star in 2014.
2. Where exactly is The Three Chimneys located?
It sits on the shores of Loch Dunvegan in Colbost, Skye.
3. How long has The Three Chimneys been open?
It has operated continuously since 1985 — four decades and counting.
4. What kind of food does The Three Chimneys serve?
Hyper-local Modern British cuisine built around Skye shellfish, game, and foraged produce.
5. How much does dining at The Three Chimneys cost?
The four-course lunch menu starts at £95 per person.
