The Auld Kirk

When the setting is a stylishly converted Victorian village church, you know that this one-off restaurant with rooms will be something out of the ordinary. Original features and character abound in the Spirit Restaurant: high vaulted ceilings, cathedral windows and ornate chandeliers blend seamlessly with modern artwork and black leather to provide an undeniable wow factor. The fine-tuned cooking takes a modern Scottish approach, delivering emphatic flavours and some bold thinking in dishes such as home-smoked mallard teamed with Scottish mature cheddar, grapes, melon and a salad with lemon and marjoram dressing, followed by local Aberdeen Angus beef fillet served with a beef, beer and oyster forcemeat, fondant potato, red cabbage braised with apricot and onion, sautéed leeks, and neep purée. Finish with a classic crème brûlée or Scottish cheeses with oatcakes, and mellow out with the fine array of malts in the Kirk Bar, where the baptismal font and ancient pew ends have been imaginatively recycled.