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Dunfermline Press, 4th December, 2014 YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE

Slow down for Dunkeldswelcoming Arms

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BEFORE our family visit to the Atholl ArmsHotel, I hadnt stayed in Dunkeld since theummer I left school when a pal persuade d meo head north on a cy cling holiday.

We didnt have bikes a slight drawbackbut on borrowed wheels we eventually rolled

nto the Perthshire town and inadvertentlyitched our tent in a graveyard.

Smoking cigars to try and fend off cloudsf midges didnt work and we retreated for atless sleep on two benches outside the public

oilets in the square.We were short on luxury. This was a much

icer stay.The Atholl Arms is the rst building you

ee as you drive or cycle over the bridgento the town, a beautiful historic building thatates from 1833 and stands looking out overhe rushing Tay.

Queen Victoria dined in the hotel as a prin-ess on one of her many visits to Balmoralnd the suite bearing her name commandsiews of Birnam Hill, famously mentioned inhakespeares Macbeth.We didnt meet such grand visitors on our

tay but did happen upon a permanent guestnd talking point in the foyer, a large metal g -re, a bit like the Tin Man from Wizard of Ozut with bagpipes.

On a cold and wet day, relaxing on the comfyofas with the chance to have a cup of some-hing warm, or glass of something cold, nexto a roaring re in the lounge was a ne start.

And our two-year-old son dug through the toyox to uncover two new companions, Victorhe train (one of Thomas the Tank Enginesriends) and a taxi, which accompanied usretty much everywhere.

Dont tell him but we did return them whenwe left.

We had a room with a lovely view of theiver all 17 bedrooms are en-suite with free

wi and settled in before dumping the bags

and heading out to explore.This triangle of Perthshire, with Pitlochry

and Aberfeldy, is an area we really enjoy andDunkeld is a nice little town with what I canonly imagine is a cut-throat war for tea-and-scone customers, given the plethora of pleasantwee cafes.

The real treat at the hotel is the slow fooddinner on the rst Thursday of every month intheir Riverside Restaurant.

I wasnt familiar with the concept, slow din -ing for me is probably a meal that lasts morethan 10 minutes, but I could certainly get usedto it.

The of cial version is that slow diningis promoted as an alternative to fast food, itstrives to preserve traditional and regional cui-sine and champions local produce.

It consisted of seven separate courses nothuge gargantuan portions but certainly enoughto appreciate an array of splendid dishes.

We started with a roasted squash soup sogood weve been talking about it since an d try-ing and failing to recreate at home.

Next was Shetland crab ravioli, herb-crust-ed lamb shoulder, a red berry granita (I had tolook that word up) to cleanse the palate before

paupiette (dictionary again) of plaice, smokedsalmon mousse and wilted kale.

Dessert was a red wine and vanilla poached pear my wife said it was amazing or a selec-tion of Scottish cheeses which were great.

Coffee, tea and meringues in the lounge, and pushing Victor and the taxi round the loungecarpet a few times in a race, rounded off a neculinary experience and enjoyable day.

There was still time to pop into their Inn@The Atholl, an adjoining bar, where with a pintin hand I watched the TV as my favourite foot-

ball team failed to win.Other than that major mishap, which I sup-

pose I cant level at the hotel, we enjoyed verygood service throughout and a very relaxingstay, which we completed with an exemplary

breakfast the next morning.And Ive learned a valuable lesson. If you

want to enjoy a stay in Dunkeld, book a nicehotel like this one rather than smoke cigars ina graveyard and sleep on a bench.

l The Atholl Arms was rated best in the re-

gion for informal dining in the 2014 Scottish Hotel Awards.

The Slow Food Dinner costs 28 and is served on the rst Thursday of each month.

Go to http://www.athollarmshotel.com, call01350 727 219 or email enquiries@athollarm -

shotel.com to nd out more.

By Ally McRoberts

mcroberts@dunfermlinepress.co.uk