Taking Mac & Wild back to its Highland roots, founders Andy Waugh and Calum Mackinnon have taken over the site at the Falls of Shin visitor centre, once known as the ‘Harrods of the North’. The latest venture sees Mac & Wild venture back to the heart and soul of the Highlands, where their story first began, continuing to showcase the best of Scottish produce and suppliers.
Each supplier to the new restaurant will be handpicked to support the local community, while guaranteeing extreme traceability and provenance of all the meat, fish and vegetables on offer. As in their London restaurants, Mac & Wild at Falls of Shin will predominantly serve meat sourced and butchered with care by Andy’s family’s game-butchering business, Ardgay Game, which has been in existence for over 30 years and is located just six miles away from the new site.
Located on the River Shin, The Falls of Shin is one of Northern Scotland’s wonders and most popular tourist attractions, where in the summer months’ visitors can witness salmon leaping from the falls and roam the rocky banks of the River Shin. The visitor centre, previously owned by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, will now offer visitors and locals true Scottish fayre.
Mac & Wild at Falls of Shin will feature a 50-cover restaurant, a pavilion with outside seating, a gift shop, and an exciting schedule of Mac & Wild experiences. Throughout the year, Mac & Wild will host foraging walks and talks, haggis-making masterclasses, whisky masterclasses and meet the maker masterclasses, where guests can meet Mac & Wild’s producers and suppliers, while learning about the provenance of the produce.
Later in the year Mac & Wild plan to introduce additional workshops and immersive experiences; with the likes of sheep shearing sessions and curing classes on the agenda.
“Falls of Shin is an incredibly exciting project for us at Mac & Wild and offers us the opportunity to work even more closely with our producers and the ingredients growing on the doorstep,” says Andy Waugh, co-founder of Mac & Wild. “At Falls of Shin the seasons will dictate what is available to us at the restaurant and we will continually pickle, ferment, dehydrate and cure ingredients to make the most of the best produce while it is in season.”
Photograph courtesy of Ben Harries
