The Oyster Shed
Isle of Skye, Highlands & Islands
Make no mistake, this is not a café or a restaurant. It's a shed, a big, draughty shed where you queue at the counter for whatever has been landed that day. Paul McGlynn is the man behind the counter, shucking oysters. Until 2011, he was selling two million bivalves a year to restaurants, then his oyster beds were decimated by a bacterial infection that wiped out the business. Now he's started again in this no-frills outfit overlooking his oyster beds on Loch Harport, selling his crop direct to the public, individually or by the dozen or half dozen. He also doles out grilled lobsters with garlic butter, hot-smoked trout, cold-smoked salmon, dressed crab, kippers, scampi and even the odd bowl of venison chilli – all served with chips. Prices are a steal. It has been so successful that even with no bookings and a cramped car park, it's now a Skye destination. Lucky visitors will grab one of the benches and sit outdoors or, in poor weather, stand in the lean-to shack with nothing more than a big old beer barrel to rest on. Tea and coffee come in paper cups, otherwise it’s BYO. Champagne and oysters plus views across Loch Harport? Who needs frills?
Dining Information:
Family friendly, Dog friendly, Credit card required, No reservations
Carbost, Isle of Skye, Highlands & Islands IV47 8SE
