We have so much more to tell you! Below is some background information about The Three Chimneys and The House Over-By which you might find interesting to browse through.

In this section you will also find information about Shirley’s book, "The Three Chimneys" which has become a best-seller since first published in 2002. Find out about the Hot Marmalade Pudding Club launched in celebration of our 21st anniversary. We also post information about any current employment opportunities in the Jobs section.

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About The Three Chimneys, Isle of Skye - A brief potted history.

The Three Chimneys Restaurant will celebrate its 26th birthday under the ownership of Scottish Chef, Shirley Spear and her husband Eddie in October 2010. In 1984, the couple exchanged their life in Croydon, South London, for a life as restaurateurs in one of the remotest areas of the UK. Shirley, an exiled Scot, working in London, had met and married Eddie there. By 1984, with two very young children and an older step-daughter about to leave school, the couple decided to make the break from city life. Although they had absolutely no training or experience in the restaurant business, they had dreams of owning their own small bistro specialising in rustic Scottish dishes. The couple had an enthusiastic interest in food and wine and Shirley had loved cooking since she was a small child. They set about finding the perfect location and fell in love with the crofter’s cottage beside the sea on the Isle of Skye that was ­ and still is ­ The Three Chimneys.

Shirley had experienced the magic of Skye ten years earlier while on holiday in the Highlands. She had enjoyed her evening meal at The Three Chimneys so much she decided to remain on the island for another night in order to re-live the experience. The restaurant was very rustic in those early days, serving mainly as a tearoom for the small Black House Museum next door. Only one room of the cottage was used as a dining area and the original kitchen within the tiny house, produced simple, but delicious evening meals, featuring fresh mackerel and lobster from Loch Dunvegan. When the Spears began their search in Scotland for suitable premises they could afford, they discovered that The Three Chimneys was on the market. Amazed at this co-incidence and convinced it was a stroke of fate, the couple travelled to Skye to view the property.

Eddie, born and bred in Croydon, had never visited the island before. His experience upon his arrival on a bleak, wet day in early March did little to encourage him that beginning a new life in such a "hostile" environment was the right choice. The following day he and Shirley drove to the far North West corner of the island. Here, the weather was completely different ­ frosty and cold, but with bright sunshine and blue skies. Those who have visited the restaurant in Colbost over the past two decades will know what stunning views there are to behold from the front door. The Three Chimneys is but a stone’ throw from the water’s edge on the shore of Loch Dunvegan, a wide sea loch opening out into The Minch, with the Outer Hebrides silhouetted on the western horizon.

Since Shirley had enjoyed those holiday meals at The Three Chimneys, another couple had taken over the premises and extended the restaurant. This included building an extension running the full width of the building to house a commercial kitchen. The original kitchen within the cottage was now another dining area. The prospect of running a successful business was even better than they had imagined!

To cut a long story short, Eddie and Shirley Spear sold their house and with the proceeds, put a down payment on the restaurant of their dreams and moved to the Isle of Skye in October 1984 with their two youngest children; son Steven who was 5 years old and about to join the small, local primary school and daughter Lindsay Ann who had just past her third birthday. They spent the first winter refurbishing the premises, planning and practising brand new skills. Shirley was to be in charge of the kitchen, while Eddie would run front-of-house and generally manage the business. Little did they know what experiences lay before them! Both admit that if they knew then, what they know now, they would never have attempted their new way of life.

For further information, please contact Shirley Spear at The Three Chimneys, Isle of Skye.  Telephone: 01470 511258