March lunch at Newtonmore's Letterbox Restaurant

 Letterbox Restaurant, Main Street, Newtonmore 

View from restaurant onto Main Street, Newtonmore

 Netta – my special guest

We profited from the restarting of weekday meals at the Letterbox – an early sign of spring – by enjoying lunch there today, which was made even better with the 20% lunchtime discount during March.

During the winter the Letterbox is just open for dinner at the weekends but now we are in March the restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner. Unlike many restaurants all the food is freshly prepared on the premises, so no question of heating up pre-prepared dishes. 

CRM and I both took a glass of very agreeable 2015 South African Sauvignon Blanc. 

The Letterbox is definitely recommended for either lunch (cash only) or dinner (cards accepted).  

   

 Tagliatelle with mushroom, pesto and cream sauce

 Tagliatelle with salmon and Parma ham

Haggis in filo pastry and vegetables

Desserts: 

 The chef going through the dessert menu with Netta

 Apple and plum pie

 Choux bun with cream, strawberries and chocolate sauce

Mother's Day @Blair Atholl

Today we celebrated Mother's Day with an afternoon tea @the Atholl Arms in Blair Atholl this afternoon. It was a very enjoyable occasion in the baronial dining room.  

 Netta @93 heading 94 – the great grandmother

 

 Rowan: Netta's great grandaughter

The group of ten minus snapper 

The five women
Chris, Susie, Netta, Anne and Carole

 Netta and her daughter Anne

 Checking out a Mother's Day card

 Carole

 Douglas & Netta

The Laird of Atholl in baronial splendour..... 

Susie

Netta, Anne & Carole on Blair Atholl station 

Corrour – excellent family meal in the wilderness to celebrate Netta's 91st

 Corrour Station House @1338 feet above sea level

On Saturday we had a family celebration to mark Netta's 91st birthday on Wednesday 20th May at Corrour Station House. Railway buffs will be familar with Corrour in the middle of the desolate Rannoch Moor, which apart from a rough, private road, is only accessible by rail. Corrour is on the Glasgow to Mallaig via Fort William line and 17 miles from the nearest metalled public road. 

Despite being in the middle of nowhere there is a Youth Hostel at Corrour and the very good Corrour Station House restaurant, which also has four rooms run by Ollie Bennett and Lizzie MacKenzie. 

    

 The bleak moorland looking westwards 

 The line northwards towards Spean Bridge and Fort William 

Corrour Station and the Station House to the left 

Tulloch Station looking north-west

Towards Corrour and Rannoch Moor

Early Saturday evening we caught the southbound train from Tulloch Station just after 6pm. Tulloch is about a 15-minute journey to Corrour sharply uphill all the way. 

Understandably the Corrour Station House is well set up to serve three courses and then get guests onto the last train at around 21.30 northwards to Tulloch and stations to Mallaig. 

We had an extremely good meal – no need to make allowances for the restaurant's isolation. 

11-strong family group 

Home smoked trout  

Loin of venison 

A very clever dessert – chocolate and rhubarb cake

Two bottles from the short but well-chosen wine list: 

Picpoul de Pinet and an Argentinian Malbec

 Restaurant view westwards .... and eastwards below 

 Ollie Bennett and Lizzie MacKenzie with Netta