Scottish champions, Mac & Wild offer home-cooked food, immersive experiences and boutique accommodation in the Scottish Highlands.
Following the success of their opening last year, leading London restaurant, Mac & Wild have re-opened for the 2019 summer season at Falls of Shin. An all-new dining and experiential hospitality offering for this year will see Andy and his team take guests on a true off road Highland adventure. Falls of Shin takes Mac & Wild back to their roots, offering visitors the chance to live the Mac & Wild story rather than just hear about it. Complete with a restaurant, café, Scottish Gift Shop and new for 2019 a season long programme of workshops and events including ‘Whisky In the Woods’ tasting experiences and monthly supperclubs cooked on open fire. Additionally, this year guests can enjoy on site ‘Land Rover Camping’ experiences, making it the perfect place to stay and experience the rural Scottish sites, while tucking into Mac & Wild’s proudly Scottish menu based around their founding philosophy of extreme traceability of their game, meat and seafood.
Once dubbed the ‘Harrods of the North’, Falls of Shin is a calming oasis just
off the increasingly popular North-Coast 500, tourist driving route.
Co-founders, Andy Waugh and Calum Mackinnon, originally from Ardgay and
Aberdeen respectively, have created Mac & Wild at Falls of Shin to offer
the opportunity for guests to immerse themselves in nature, whilst enjoying a
refreshingly modern take on traditional Scottish lifestyle.
The latest venture is a real homecoming for Mac & Wild, having showcased the best of what Scotland has to offer in London, Mac & Wild decided it was time to head back to where it all began. Falls of Shin is a labour of love, having notably just been a visitor center up to now, Andy and Calum have breathed new life into the venue, offering visitors access to experiences, food and accommodation that shares and celebrates everything Scotland has to offer.
As with everything at Mac & Wild, extreme traceability is Andy and Calum’s number one priority. Suppliers have been handpicked to support the local community, while guaranteeing extreme sustainability and provenance of all the meat, fish and vegetables on offer. Similar to their London restaurants, Mac & Wild Falls of Shin predominantly serves game sourced and butchered with care by Andy’s family’s game-butchering business, Ardgay Game, which has been in existence for over 30 years and is located just six miles away from the site.
Accommodation
New this year, Mac & Wild Falls of Shin will offer a ‘Land Rover Camping’
experience, allowing guests and visitors to enjoy the beauty and peace of the
secluded Highland setting in a truly unique setting. The fully converted Land
Rovers can comfortably fit two sleeping guests in the large roof tents, erected
in a matter of minutes. The camping experience comes complete with high quality
bedding, complementary toiletries, use of professional camping equipment such
as a mini Green Egg BBQ, and Mac & Wild can provide breakfast, lunch and
dinner alongside packed lunch or cooking boxes. The Land Rovers are stationed
just on the edge of the forest, but within easy access of the main building
ensuring guests can use the facilities and dine in the restaurant if they wish.
Workshops and events
Mac & Wild Fall of Shins celebrates the best of Scotland, through food,
drink, nature and wildlife. This season, the team have made it their mission to
showcase what the Highlands have to offer, past their traditional food &
drink offering. A curated programme of workshops and events has been put
together with the help of local artisans offering visitors the opportunity to
connect with traditional pastimes and practices, many of which sit increasingly
well with the quest for a ‘slower’ approach to modern living. The programme
includes a number of outdoor activities, which are guided by a top team of
experts. Wild Cooking, hosted by Mac & Wild’s co-founder, Andy Waugh,
focuses on where the produce comes from, the importance of sustainability and
how to cook on an open fire. Drink lovers can try their hand at a cocktail
masterclasses using foraged ingredients and natural botanicals, or can take
part in a whisky tasting like no other with Whisky In The Woods, where the team
guides guests through the woods with interactive stops along the way to enjoy
their drams. The haggis masterclass is not to be missed, visitors have the
opportunity to learn all about this iconic Scottish dish, and walk away with their
very own handmade haggis. Children are also catered for, with regular haggis
hunts and sausage making classes available, as well as outdoor mud kitchens,
play park and mini golf to keep them entertained. Perhaps the pinnacle of the
programme however is the Wild Supper club, hosted by Andy himself one a month.
Andy cooks a seven course tasting menu on the open fire, while guests enjoy
some hearty Highland hospitality in the comfort and atmospheric setting of the
newly refurbished ‘Bothy’. In keeping with Bothy Culture, the supper clubs are
all BYOB.
Food
Mac & Wild at Falls of Shin features a 50-cover restaurant as well as the
outdoor Bothy for al fresco seating on warmer days or hosting private events.
This year, the team have upgraded the food offering to include a café offering
during the day – home-made pies, sandwiches, hearty soups, wild bowls of
goodness and a well stocked table of sweet Highland delicacies are all
available. On Friday & Saturday evenings, the restaurant takes on a more
formal affair, offering diners the chance to sample a full a la carte menu that
reflects the progressive nature of Scottish fare established in London.
Sticking to well-loved favourites as well as bringing traditional dishes to the
modern age of sustainability & traceability, the menu includes the award
winning Veni-Moo Burger (voted London’s and UK’s Best Burger 2016 & GQ Best
Burger 2018), Haggis Pops, Butcher Cut steaks and traditional fish & chips.
No Mac & Wild offering would be complete without their signature weekend
Roast & Brunch menu. Guests can enjoy Sunday roasts with all the trimmings,
deep-fried mars bars, and a traditional Full Scottish Breakfast featuring
Portmahomack Bacon, Tattie Scone, Venison Sausage, Black Pudding, Mushrooms,
Lorne Sausage, Eggs and Bone Marrow Beans.
Mac & Wild Falls of Shin: Achany, by Lairg, Sutherland, IV27 4EE
Telephone: 01549 402888