Category: North Ayrshire

The Ormidale in Brodick is a classic pub with a nice bar and a cozy interior. We went here for dinner after a busy day of walking on Arran. So naturally we were very hungry. For starters we ordered the Creelers smoked salmon and haggis nachos. Both were very nice. The haggis nachos were a pleasant surprise, I have to say.

As a main course, I had the Arran venison casserole with mashed potatoes. My boyfriend had the spicy lamb burger. I have to be honest here, the venison casserole was a disappointment: very bland, not at all the taste explosion I had hoped for. The spicy lamb burger also wasn’t very spicy. Perhaps I was expecting a bit too much? The food wasn’t expensive after all, but after the nice starters I would have hoped for an equally nice main course.

Information
Ormidale Hotel
Knowe Road
Brodick KA27 8BQ
Isle of Arran
Scotland
http://www.ormidale-hotel.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/Ormidale-Hotel-151022348262149/

Visited April 2017. You can find my review about Dining at Ormidale Hotel also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, service 4/5, food 3/5.

We had an excellent meal at Fiddlers’ Music Bar & Bistro. The food that Fiddlers’ serves is fusion, with influences from all over the world, but also with a local touch, because they use local produce in all of their dishes. One of the dishes on the menu was balontine of chicken filled with haggis and wrapped in Parma ham. The menu options are rather limited, but even so I found it hard to choose between the different options, everything sounded nice.

When our main dish arrived we weren’t disappointed. My parmesan and herb-crusted haddock fillet was lovely presented and very tasty. Really excellent! The other dishes were equally as good. We loved the food so much that we simply couldn’t resist ordering dessert. The panna cotta was nice, but a little bit of a disappointment after the really outstanding main course. Should have gone for the Arran cheeseboard! I finished off my meal with a rum (the fact that I ordered it straight was kind of confusing to our waiter).

Service was excellent and very friendly!

We sat at a lovely table at the window, my only complaint is that is was rather chilly sitting nearby the window. Wouldn’t have mind some better insulation!

Information
Fiddlers’ Music Bar & Bistro
Shore Road
Brodick
Isle of Arran
KA27 8AJ
Scotland
+44 1770 302579
bookings@fiddlersmusicbar.com
http://fiddlersmusicbar.com/
https://www.facebook.com/fiddlersmusicbar

Visited April 2017. You can find my review about Fiddlers Music Bar & Bistro also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 5/5, service 5/5, food 5/5.

Sadly when we visited, Brodick Castle was closed for renovation, so we only could visit the gardens. The gardens in itself were very lovely though. Really worth a visit. We went in April so there were lots of daffodils blooming. The little pavilion on the inside from walls to ceiling decorated with pineapples was very charming. Loved walking around in the gardens, enjoying the scenery and the sea views. The castle itself is also very beautiful. It’s too bad we didn’t get to visit the interior of the castle.

Tip: there are some nice picnic tables right in front of the castle. An ideal place to stop for lunch and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery.

Information
Brodick Castle, Garden & Country Park
Brodick, Isle of Arran
KA27 8HY
Scotland
+44 1770 302202
BrodickCastle@nts.org.uk
http://www.nts.org.uk/Visit/Brodick-Castle-and-Country-Park/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodick_Castle
https://www.facebook.com/BrodickCastle

Visited April 2017. You can find my review about Brodick Castle, Garden and Country Park also on TripAdvisor.

The Wineport is a friendly pub which serves local pubfood with an emphasis on local produce from Arran. We went here for a quick lunch. I had the creamy garlic mushrooms on toasted homemade bread topped with goat’s cheese, the men in our company really enjoyed the pork & chorizo burger with arran cheese and my female friend had the crab roll with lemon mayo. The food was decent and the service really welcoming. You can also try the local beer, brewed in the Arran Brewery next door.

Wineport Bistro, Cladach Brodick, KA27 8DE, Scotland
http://www.wineport.co.uk/
+44 1770 302101

Visited April 2017. You can find my review about Wineport Bistro also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 5/5, service 5/5, food 4/5.