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.

Sit back, and enjoy much more!

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

The Three Chimneys Restaurant celebrated its 22nd birthday under the ownership of Scottish Chef, Shirley Spear and her husband Eddie in April 2007. 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’s 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.

The Three Chimneys re-opened for business in 1985 at Easter weekend, always a very busy time in Skye. Last-minute bookings flowed-in from nowhere throughout the day they were due to open and amid complete chaos and uncertainty Eddie and Shirley launched themselves on an unsuspecting public. With a full house it was a nightmare experience all-round!

The Spears had to learn quickly and by the end of their first weekend, decided to open for lunch as well as dinner. In those days, every telephone call came into the kitchen and Shirley dealt with many of the bookings and enquiries herself. Her very first lunch booking was made by Derek Cooper, esteemed food writer and broadcaster. Shirley recognised his voice on the telephone. Filled with nervousness, she prepared and served his meal. He had Neep Bree with Wholemeal Bread followed by Hot Crab Tart - and loved it! Afterwards, she and Derek discussed enthusiastically her views on serving Scottish dishes and pride in using fresh local produce.

The Spears never looked back. They grew in confidence and ability, winning the Scottish Restaurant of the Year Award in 1990. A whole string of accolades and complimentary reviews has followed since. Over the years, Shirley has become well-known in Scotland for her pride in all things Scottish and has fought hard to have the Scottish food and restaurant scene recognised for its enormous importance in the country’s Tourism Industry.

Eddie and Shirley remain at the helm of The Three Chimneys and their 5-star accommodation in The House Over-By which they opened in 1999. With Eddie approaching his 60th birthday and Shirley her 55th, the couple have taken more of an overall management role lately rather than being hands-on at the stoves and front-of-house daily. They now have Jeanette Neil, a Skye lass, as their Restaurant Manager and Head Chef, Michael Smith, to lead the kitchen team. Appointing Michael was a major step for Shirley, who was anxious and concerned to maintain the high standards she had set over earlier years. After meeting Michael she had no doubt in her mind that he was the man for the job, to carry forward the tradition and standards set by The Three Chimneys in serving great Scottish food, using the abundant supply of raw ingredients available locally from the Isle of Skye and The Highlands.

Michael Smith was born and brought-up in Inverness. He is a fine, imaginative and spontaneous Chef, well-experienced in training staff and running large operations. Now, he is delighted to be in charge of a much smaller kitchen, serious about using the best fresh produce he has ever had the pleasure to cook with. He and Shirley are on exactly the same wavelength where it concerns the importance of sustaining the cultural heritage of Scottish cooking, considered for too long to be insignificant in the wider World picture. The future of The Three Chimneys is set for a positive future with Michael at the helm in the kitchen and a young, enthusiastic team behind him.

Michael and his French wife Laurence, are of a similar age to Eddie and Shirley when they moved to Skye 22 years ago. The couple have a 2-year-old son, Oscar and a 9-year-old daughter, Margot, who attends the same local primary school that the Spear children joined all those years ago. They have settled in Skye and have bought a traditional cottage near the restaurant. Laurence has recently returned to work part-time as one of the Reception team.

Eddie and Shirley’s son Steven Spear is now 28 and forging his own career in the Hospitality Industry as Restaurant Manager at Edinburgh’s Michelin-starred Restaurant Martin Wishart. Daughter Lindsay, with a university acting degree under her belt, has also been a skilled member of The Three Chimneys front-of-house team in her time. She is now working in Edinburgh. Older daughter Sarah, with two children of her own, lives in Skye and works fulltime at The Three Chimneys as Senior Receptionist.