Gary Goldie to Host Private Foraging Classes

Scotland's Chef of the Year  will now be sharing his foraging skill and knowledge with visitors and guests. During a two-hour foraging session, Gary will help guests to identify, taste and collect potential ingredients, answer foraging and cookery questions and provide a short cookery demonstration and tasting session. Later that day, guests will have the opportunity to sample more of their foraged finds during the gourmet evening meal.

A two-hour foraging class costs £90 per person. A two night Foraging Mini-Break, including dinner, bed and breakfast, costs from £398 per person. For further information or to book a class, please contact us on 01866 833 333 or email info@ardanaiseig.com.

Another stunning Ardanaiseig wedding - 'Nicky and Fergus' by Lisa Devlin

Take a look at Lisa's fantastic photograpy blog for more images..

And this is what the happy couple had to say about their special day:
Just a wee email to say 'thank you all so much' for what has to be one of the best weekends of our lives! We had the most amazing time, and to thanks to each and every one of you for making it so special.... the food was out of this world, your staff were so friendly and accommodating... and the wine was perfectly chilled! Everything was organised to perfection, and the kids had an amazing time at their party too. Neve keeps asking when we're getting married again! Take care Anita, it was a real pleasure to meet you..... and hopefully we'll come back for our anniversary! (Nicky Baron-Russell, July 2011)

Congratulations Nicky and Fergus, from everybody at Ardanaiseig. 

Dates announced for Mushroom Foray 2011

This Autumn, Dick Peebles will once again be joining Chef-de-Cuisine Gary Goldie to host a mushroom foraging extravaganza at Ardanaiseig.

FRIDAY 30th SEPTEMBER

1.00pm                       Arrive mid-afternoon to afternoon tea served in the drawing room

7.00pm                       Champagne and canapé reception and an introductory briefing by Dick Peebles

7.15pm                       5 course gourmet dinner

SATURDAY 1^st OCTOBER

8.00 – 9.00am             Full Scottish breakfast served in the restaurant

9.30am                       Depart Ardanaiseig to forage for mushrooms at a carefully selected site.  A gourmet packed lunch will be served mid-afternoon.

4.00pm approx            Arrive back at Ardanaiseig

4.30pm                       Fry-off and tasting; Gary will cook a selection of the day’s finds.

7.00pm                       6 course mushroom banquet

SUNDAY 2nd OCTOBER

8.00pm – 9.30am          Full Scottish breakfast served in the restaurant.

11.00am                      Check out. Feel free to roam the gardens and grounds.

Tickets always sell quickly so make sure you book early.

Gary Goldie's Foraging insights are now on Twitter and YouTube

http://twitter.com/#!/GaryGoldie

Gary loves to tweet. For daily foraging finds, recipe ideas and cookery insights, follow Gary's feed. 

And here is a quick video taster of what he gets up to...

It's official. Ardanaiseig is Scotland's Best Intimate Wedding Venue...

...so say the voters of the Scottish Hotel Awards. The idylic setting, gourmet dining and first class service all contributed to this latest accolade.

And here's what some of our customers think:

Friends and family are all saying it was the best wedding they have been too. Amazing weather and such a perfect location.  Guests said they were speechless during dinner with so many surprise courses...the steak was amazing ..the best they have ever had!!  Thanks again Anita, it was the best day ever and I will look forward to a return visit. (Clare & Stewart, May 2011)

We had a wonderful wedding. We rented the whole hotel and were married in the amphitheatre. We arranged a boat trip and a band and fireworks and a hall full of candles. The moment I walked  down the stairs on my young sons arm and looked up and saw the staff lined up waiting for me was amazing – Peter then drove us down to the dock in his car!!  I wanted to say thank you once again for being more than just the staff of a hotel but for being a real part of our day. Hopefully one day we will re visit – we now live in Canada . I still tell people about this wonderful hotel we had the pleasure of enjoying  if they are coming to Scotland . Just today I told some people they should visit. (Joy McLean, April 2011)

Its been amazing.  I am absolutely thrilled about how well the wedding went.  Excellent, friendly service, superb location.  Wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world. A massive thanks to all staff. A dream come true.  We will be back.  (Claire & Stewart, April 2011)

You made Claire and Stewart's dream come true. A fairytale wedding. (Mother of the Bride, April 2011)

Excellent Service, beautiful hotel, perfect venue for a wedding. We will be back. (Wedding Guest, April 2011)

One word to describe the whole  occasion: Perfect. Thank you. (Best Man, April 2011)

Just want to say thank you for giving us a perfect wedding on Saturday. Each one of our guests told us how amazing they thought the venue was and how beautiful the food was (Abby Kaprol, March 2011)

I'm sure you must receive an email every Monday or Tuesday after a wedding at your beautiful hotel expressing how wonderful everything was and how the bride, groom and the guests had a fantastic time. After a while I would imagine that things get a little monotonous on hearing the same old thank you's.. Well, I'm sorry but you are in for another one.. Anitas thorough planning and attention to detail was outstanding and meant the day was full of smiley happy people, having fun and enjoying themselves. This was exactly the aim of our wedding - it was a huge success.  You both organised everything in the run up to and, for the day, so well and for that we are very grateful. Your staff are courteous, helpful and willing to assist in any way. The food was exceptional, we didn't hear a single mutter of distaste on any of the courses, which is unheard off at any wedding that we've ever been to. The rooms were all spotless and as luxurious as ever. All in all, please don't change a thing. We will be back for anniversaries without doubt, and will encourage people to consider Ardanaiseig for a venue with the hope of being able to spend more time in your little space of idyllic wilderness.  Thank you once again, we had the best day! (Brian and Tracey)

Thank you for making our wedding day so special. Our stay was absolutely perfect..and the food to die for. (Deborah Apps)

We have been commended for choosing Ardanaiseig my so many of our guests. Special thanks are due to Anita..her organisational ability is tremendous. (Iain & Maria, Parents of the Bride)

Thank you for making our wedding so special and memorable, not only for us, but also for all our friends and family. Your service was impeccable, professional at all times, warm and kind.  We'd like to say a particular thank you to Peter, who pulled everything together marvellously, Anita, who worked her socks off before the event, Gary, who ensured we had a feast everybody will be raving about for years and the wonderful, sweet reception and waiting staff. We will all be talking about this weekend for years to come and you have all played a huge part in making that possible (Eric & Liz)

I wanted to let you know how truly wonderful our wedding was and thank you and your staff for all the hard work. Your attention to detail was marked, the staff were really friendly and dealt promptly and efficiently with all our wide ranging requests. The location was spectacular and the food some of the best we have eaten. From the minute we met Anita we felt taken care of.  Where else could I sit on a balcony with such a spectacular view, watching my bridesmaid swimming in the loch and my husband-to-be fishing for trout? (Shaz Morton)

Thank you for making our wedding weekend so special. You were all fantastic - we could not have asked for any more.  The food was out of this world....We had a perfect day and will treasure the memories forever. We will most definitely be back to see you again (David & Steph)

Thank you for all your efforts on our wedding weekend - it passed faultlessly and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. Please thank all the staff, especially Gary who produced excellent food (as always) and the barman and waitresses who bustled around keeping everybody fed and watered. (John & Debbie)

Thank you so much for organising our wedding. We had a fantastic time and truly appreciated all the work you, Gary, Peter and the whole team put in to organising such a wonderful day.  All our guests loved the venue and my brother is still talking about the Haddock ravioli.... (Gillian & Mark)

A big thank you for all your help in organising and holding our wedding. We had a truly fantastic day...and so did everybody else. (Ali & Wayne)

To all the wonderful staff, may I thank you for the wonderful weekend you gave us....The hotel, grounds, service, meals and rooms were all fantastic. (Mr McBride, Father of the Bride)

It was wonderful working with you in the months running up to our wedding. Right from the first meeting you were highly efficient, extremely prompt in responding and nothing was too much trouble. Our wedding was fabulous and the rooms, public areas and location wonderful. The food was some of the best we have collectively eaten. The hotel staff were highly attentive and we loved the relaxed atmosphere.  Our wedding was more than I could have wished for - perfect.(Shaz Kerr)

Thank you for making our wedding day and our stay here so memorable and so lovely.  You are all so professional and your efficiency and helpful, courteous manner has really enhanced our stay (Paul & Kelly)

Gary Goldie named Chef of the Year 2011

Last night, our very own Gary Goldie was named Scotland’s Chef of the Year. Gary  has spent the last thirteen years at Ardanaiseig honing his skills to become a world class chef with an international reputation for excellence. A former Medaille D’Or winner, and recent recipient of a 3^rd AA rosette, Gary’s latest accolade is testament to his boundless talent and hard-earned popularity with customers and industry peers.

Gary says "I am delighted to have received this award and would like to thank everybody in the kitchen at Ardanaiseig, particularly my Sous Chef Cornel Uys and Pastry Chef Kenny Whittle.  Cooking is my passion. I think about ingredients and menus almost every minute of the day.  When I am not in the kitchen, I am foraging for fresh ingredients or travelling to some of the best restaurants in the world. Although I often use international techniques in my cooking, I believe strongly in using fresh local ingredients wherever possible. Scotland’s countryside has so much great food to offer and I never tire of what’s out there and experimenting with how it can be prepared” 

We are all extremely proud of Gary and would like to thank our wonderful customers and industry colleagues for their votes and support.