Stirling
has some decent restaurants, but the area’s best is at the Lake of Mentieth
Hotel (00 44 01877 385 258, www.lake-hotel.com. Dine outside or in the
conservatory restaurant and enjoy epic views out across the eponymous lake (one
of Scotland’s few actual lakes) and crumple of moor-covered hills. The whisky
bar is superb with one of the Glengoyne single malts coming in at £450 a nip!
Their Port Bar serves simpler meals, with an emphasis on fresh, local produce.
In the Trossachs Callander boasts Mhor Fish (00 44 01877 330 213, www.mhor.net, a brilliant all in one chippie, fishmonger and simple seafood restaurant. Blairmains Farmshop, a couple of miles down the road, comes highly recommended for topping up supplies
We can thoroughly recommend the Allanwater Brewhouse for a pint of local ale, or the Sheriffmuir Inn up on the Ochil Hills. The Junk Rooms in Stirling is also worth a visit.