SCOTTISH OUTPOST IN BELGRAVIA

If looking for a suitably pretty yet masculine, traditional yet fun, Scottish restaurant deep in the heart of London then the Boisdale is y’man.

Situated just off the uber-sophisticated Ebury Street, not far from the tourist centres of Victoria rail and coach stations, it is run by the urbane Ranald Macdonald of the clan Macdonalds of Clanranald, of which his father is chief.   Born in Belgravia, his own passions for good food, fine whisky and great jazz are combined at this restaurant.  And despite the smoking ban, he continues to enjoy the best of Havana cigars at regular evening events, with a cigar terrace that provides sanctuary for fellow cigar-lovers.

The restaurant and bars ramble through two Regency buildings, decorated in a style that is Scottish-trad-meets-cosmopolitan-chic. And the menu is a hymn to the finest of Scottish ingredients – from Dunkeld wild smoked salmon, South Uist king scallops and Rossmore oysters through Macsween haggis, Highland venison and Hebridean mutton to the staple of Aberdeen Angus beef.

The Jacobite Room, an oak-panelled dining room above the main restaurant, was the appropriate setting for a special lunch party to celebrate the launch of the Boisdale’s own-label whiskies. Specially selected for the restaurant by Doug McIvor of Berry Bros & Rudd (the world’s oldest wine shippers incidentally), the three fine malts cover the Islay, Highland and Speyside whisky regions, with their distinctive flavours.

The one that may take you by surprise, indeed seem a veritable assault upon your taste buds initially, is the Laphroaig 1990, a  peaty Islay whisky that pretty rapidly  persuades you of its charm. This carries the Boisdale ‘Atlantic Green’ label. A ‘Boisdale Red’ and the ‘Heather Purple’ labels denote the Dalmore 1997 Highland and the Mortlach 1991 Speyside malts respectively.

These are limited editions and available through the Boisdale restaurants or their shop in St James's St. Full details on www.boisdale.co.uk

WHISKY GALORE

It’s a good Summer for the water of life, as the Scots call whisky, with distillers  gearing up for the autumn and Christmas seasons.

From the Famous Grouse comes a special gift for someone who really appreciates their malt – a cask that will yield about 300 bottles, with personalised labels. 10, 12, 15, 18, 21 or 30 year old malts may be chosen and the price for a cask is from £7,000.

A 40year old single malt has been released by Highland Park, made from casks married together from the late 1960s. And such is the stock that the company hold that it is not being launched as a limited edition. In a classic, decanter-style bottle, packed in a solid, oak-stained box, it comes with a 28 page leather-bound booklet detailing the whisky’s heritage, and is available from this summer, at £889. See www.highlandpark.co.uk

The Auchentoshan brand has been given a new look in an oval bottle, with new labels and packaging, that are part of a major programme of investment and promotion now underway.  This includes a revamp of its visitor site, and also a new website that is currently giving visitors the opportunity to win a rare bottle of Auchentoshan 1957 – one of only 144 hand-numbered bottles in the world. www.auchentoshan.co.uk

The luxury blend, Chivas Regal, has introduced a limited edition 25 year old, impressively bottled and individually numbered.  The first ever Chivas Regal blend, also a 25 year old, was shipped to New York nearly a century ago, and the first tasting of this new one took place at a special launch in New York, followed by another presentation at the Walpole event in London this summer (see Style p )  From £140 a bottle. www.chivasregal.com

Commemorating a sell-out concert at Edinburgh Castle this Summer, a special bottling of Runrig Aberlour 12 year old single malt for whisky merchants Duncan Taylor features the castle on the label, with the legend SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS. An earlier special bottling for BEAT THE DRUM  sold out within days.  This one is priced at £35, through www.singlemaltsdirect.com.

For Christmas, The Macallan Fine Oak 30 year old represents one of the top choices for a whisky connoisseur, its smooth taste a result of  triple cask maturation. Priced from £295.79.www.themacallan.com