7 Best Restaurants in Stirling and the Central Highlands, Scotland

This unpretentious and popular place with wooden tables and chairs has a menu that celebrates Scottish food, though well-made burgers and steaks are also permanent features. The food offers some new takes on traditional favorites such as the rolled haddock with salmon, the Cullen skink soup, and haggis in various guises. Unusually, the desserts are house-made, and it shows. A range of Scottish beers and gins are available, too.

Pronounced "bresh", this spot on Perth´s High Street is the perfect place to experience Breton cuisine, namely dishes that originated on the northern coast of France. The decor is muted to focus attention on menu, which includes galettes (savory buckwheat crepes), pizzas, mussels, and a mouthwatering steak selection. There's bouillabaise and boeuf bourgignon too.

The reputation established here by noted chef Willie Deans is now carried on by his son Jamie, who continues to produce new and imaginative fusion dishes using local ingredients. There is a prix-fixe menu (a steal at £27.50) and an à la carte menu that includes sea bream and venison as well as a cheese soufflé starter that has won rave reviews from visitors. The upscale impression created by the plush velvet seating at the entrance is reinforced by the restaurant´s reputation for some fairly spectacular cocktails. Its Sunday brunch menu (£22.50 for two courses, £28.50 for three) is equally as appealing.

The stone-built cottage set in pleasant surroundings aims to merge Scottish and Mediterranean cuisine, continuing the work of its previous Turkish chef--owner. The restaurant has now passed to new owners, but the signature kebabs are still on the menu, as are the tabbouleh salad and halloumi. The menu is long and varied, with these Turkish staples sitting comfortably alongside haggis and fish-and-chips. It is very popular so booking ahead is recommended.

The small and often crowded bar in the Moulin is the best place to try the ales produced in Scotland´s first microbrewery, which you can visit in the afternoon after enjoying the good, hearty pub food to be had here. The restaurant is proudly Scottish in decor and in its menu,  which includes venison, scallops, mussels, and, of course, haggis. You can also stay overnight in one of the hotel's 15 reasonably priced rooms. It is located slightly away from the busy High Street, which can be an advantage.

With an old mill wheel the only reminder of its past, the Old Mill Inn features a range of gastropub-style options, including a fish platter, generous shared platters, and a range of vegetarian options. Its generous portions are served in the large main interior space or in the spectacular beer garden, protected by a huge marquee that features live music during summer weekends. It has some unpretentious rooms with splashes of color and Edwardian-style fabrics if you wish to stay the night.

This lovely spot overlooking the River Tay continues the tradition as a musical meeting place once owned by Scottish singer and composer Dougie MacLean. The restaurant places emphasis on Scottish fare, but there are burgers and pizza in the bar as well as an extremely popular beer garden right by the river. There's live music several nights a week, and open air cinema in the summer. The restaurant also has simple but comfortable rooms to stay the night.