When creating an itinerary for our 8-day cruise up the coast of Scotland, The Old Forge Pub and Seafood Restaurant in Inverie Knoydart was #1 on the top ten places to stop en route.There are no roads in and out. One must hike 18 km over Scotland’s many munros to get there. Alternatively, you can take a 7-mile ferry ride on the MV Western Isles from Mallaig. Or you can sail 100+ nautical miles from Oban past Rum, Egg, Muck and Canna through the sea of the Hebrides. That’s how we got there.
No matter the choice of transport, once you arrive, the warm, friendly atmosphere inside embraces you. The night we were there (having reserved our table well in advance), every other table was reserved. The bar was stocked with carefully selected ales and malts – both local and not.
The menu changes daily based on availability and freshness. Whether you order the fresh Loch Nevis langoustine, hand-dived Arisaig scallops, Loch Nan Uamh rope mussels, Mallaig smoked salmon, Isle of Rum waters lobsters, or Skye oysters, all are simply cooked using fresh locally grown herbs, market garden salad leaves, homemade dressings along with the correct tools to eat them with!
The proud owner, Jean-Pierre Robinet, bought The Old Forge in 2012 after discovering it on a previous deer-hunting expedition. For him, it checked all the boxes (including the REMOTE box) and he quickly settled in, bringing his Belgian charm and creativity to every dish.
As pub’s go, this is a real gem…hard to get to…but well worth the journey.
Slàinte!