Getting the flavour of…

Gourmet cuisine in the Highlands

“Wild fine dining” is a growing trend in Scotland, and one of the stars of the scene is Tim Kensett, says Antonia Quirke in The Times. Formerly of the River Café, he is now based in Glen Lonan, near Oban, where he cooks locally sourced ingredients on an open fire, or on embers. Like other chefs working in Scotland’s wilderness areas, he works outside but serves the food inside, on account of the weather and the midges. In his case, guests sit in a “snug” stone bothy with no electricity, but with hundreds of candles, and sheepskin rugs to wrap yourself in. Kensett’s eight-course meals are pleasingly “delicate”, and include plenty of foraged vegetables, herbs and flowers. You can stay in one of the Inverlonan Estate’s three “immaculately cosy” self-catering bothies beside Loch Nell, or at Glencruitten House, Home Farm (a pleasant holiday let dating to 1667), or No17 The Promenade, in Oban.

See inverlonan.com for more information.

A luxury train across Southeast Asia

Wending its way through the jungles of the Malay Peninsula, the Eastern & Oriental Express (left) is a treat for lovers of “luxury retro rail travel”, says Tim Moore in the FT. Following a pandemic-induced hiatus, it is back in operation this year, with three-night itineraries between Singapore and Penang in northern Malaysia. This service began in 1993, but the track it runs on was laid more than a century ago, and the train’s green-and-cream carriages are “a study in period opulence”. The atmosphere onboard is “convivial”, and the Asian-fusion cuisine in the dining car is “sublime”. Daily excursions include a trip to the caves of the Taman Negara National Park and, after dark, you can sit in the train’s open observation car, enjoying the moonlight and the warm breeze. The trip costs from £3,042pp incl. meals (belmond.com).

Blissful simplicity in Istria

With no great sights to stress you out, but “fairy-tale” views to enjoy wherever you go, the Croatian port of Rovinj is ideal for a relaxing short break, says Claire Irvin in The Sunday Times. It sits on the Istrian peninsula, 70 miles by sea from Venice (its ruler for five centuries from 1283), and not far from the handsome city of Pula (long the main naval base of the Austro-Hungarian empire). Surrounded on three sides by “cornflower-blue” seas, it is an exquisite warren of cobbled streets and “bustling piazzas”, and has a café-lined harbour packed with traditional fishing boats. There are glorious swimming spots on the nearby island of Veliki Brijun, and just across the bay sits a stylish new hotel, the Grand Park, with a Michelin-starred restaurant and great views back to the town.