Queens Hotel

Spent part of this rather dull and wet day in Oban, mainly 'shopping f0r work' and recycling loads of old leaflets and magazines. Lunched at Poppies Garden Centre north of Oban, with beautiful views out to sea. Pleased to see a page of their menu entitled 'Menu for the Smaller Appetite' - it's often difficult to get through the huge baked potatoes they serve so a smaller, cheaper version is a great idea.

We called in at the rather striking Queens Hotel on the Corran Esplanade as my wife Sheila was wondering if it would be a good place for her 60th birthday dinner; the new chef has a very inventive menu and apparently goes foraging for some of his ingredients - we noticed ground elder and sweet cicely among the garnishes! We'll let you know!