The Hot Scots Power 40: Lady Claire Macdonald
Ranking: 30
Lady Claire Macdonald is a cook, writer and founder of Kinloch Lodge, the Isle of Skye hotel. She is credited with being one of the first ambassadors for Scottish food.
Lady Claire Macdonald - Career guide
A 17th century hunting lodge, Kinloch Lodge was converted in 1972 into a 15- bedroom hotel run by the Lord Godfrey Macdonald (High Chief of the Clan Donald), and Claire Macdonald. It has since been named as one of the top 25 small hotels in Conde Nast Traveller magazine.
In 2008, after 35 years running the kitchen, Claire appointed Roux -trained chef Marcello Tully to create a new direction for the food at Kinloch Lodge, a move which saw it win a Michelin star in 2010.
Claire and Godfrey handed over the day-to-day running of the hotel to their daughter, Isabella Macdonald and her husband Tom Eveling in 2009. They have undertaken some refurbishment and added a spa but Claire is still very much part of the fabric of Kinloch, and now uses it to host residential cookery courses.
The candidly self-taught cook and author of 17 cookery books and a memoir, Claire is credited with being one of the first in Scotland to promote the health and economic benefits of local produce. She also opened the door for many leading chefs to promote national produce.
Lady Claire Macdonald - What we think
Claire is a patron of Scottish Food Fortnight and The Association of Scottish Farmers' Markets. It comes as no surprise that she was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to Scottish food by the National Farmers' Union and the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland in 2011.
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