BY JACKIE MACKENZIE
A world-famous Skye restaurant has turned its kitchen into a classroom to help local schoolchildren hone their cooking skills and connect with the top produce on their doorsteps.
The Three Chimneys at Colbost now plans to continue its Kitchen Classroom Experience for Dunvegan Primary School pupils in 2026, following a successful recent pilot scheme.
Led by head chef Paul Green and his team, groups of 9 to 12 year-olds from the school will visit The Three Chimneys next year to find out what it takes to run an award-winning restaurant.
As part of the hands-on experience, the youngsters will get the chance to handle a range of local ingredients showcased on the menu, as well as front-of-house service.
The junior chefs will also have fun finding their way around the professional working kitchen, as well as learning about the provenance and seasonality of ingredients on The Three Chimneys’ menu.
The latest school group to visit whipped up Cullen Skink soup, The Three Chimneys’ signature Parker house rolls and the classic Three Chimneys marmalade pudding.
Marion MacGregor, class teacher from Dunvegan Primary School, said: “We’re delighted to have been involved in this project. It’s been amazing for the children to see the link between locally grown food and its uses. The children have been really excited at the prospect of being involved in the preparation, cooking and serving of this meal for community members they know.
“It gives them a real behind the scenes look and first-hand experience of hospitality, a major sector on the island, which many of them will be involved in in their teenage years and beyond.”
Eli Varvey, P6, Dunvegan Primary School, said: “I had the best day ever being a chef. I was making marmalade pudding, and it involved a lot of mixing and moving about. My favourite thing was tasting the food and the excitement of it all. Overall, it was a wonderful time – thank you Three Chimneys.
Cailean Bandall, P5, Dunvegan Primary School, said: “I had the best day ever. I was a chef, and I made bread and got to eat it so thank you so much. Five stars.”
The Three Chimneys’ work with Dunvegan Primary School is part of its ongoing commitment to annual fundraising and support for local communities and charities on the island.
Every year, The Three Chimneys’ team vote to select a local community group or charity to support with funds raised through voluntary guest donations. This year, their chosen community partners are Dunvegan Primary and Carbost Primary near The Three Chimneys at Talisker on the shores of Loch Harport.
Kieran Walker, general manager of The Three Chimneys, said: “Our continued partnership with Dunvegan Primary School really has been a recipe for success.
“Creating a fun, hands-on space for budding young chefs to learn about cooking and local Skye produce is such a rewarding experience for everyone involved, and we hope it will continue to thrive in 2026.
“We’re confident that our kitchen classroom open days will go some way to inspiring the next generation of hospitality professionals on the island and connecting them with their local environment.”