A brand new food festival is set to take place in Mallaig showcasing the very best food and drink found along Scotland’s iconic ‘Road to the Isles’.

Free to attend, Taste the Wild takes place on Saturday, September 10, opening from 11am and taking revellers through until the small hours of the evening.

With seafood at the heart of Scotland’s west highland coastline, it’s naturally at the heart of the festival. Chaired by Shirley Spear OBE, ‘The Big Fish Debate’ will set pulses racing in the afternoon as a panel of experts discuss issues surrounding the supply chain of fish from Scottish waters.

Less intense but just as energetic, The World Prawn Peeling Championships will follow the debate. Challenging visitors and locals to see who can peel half a pint of prawns in the fastest time, a world title will be at stake at this inaugural event.

Sarah Winnington-Ingram, chair of the Road to the Isles Marketing Group, said: “This will be a great day out and a real community event but the underlying message is that we have great cuisine in this area and superb local produce. It is well-known for its spectacular scenery but we want to make sure people know about the food!”

Gourmet stallholders and local producers such as Great Glen Charcuterie and Glenfinnan Brewery will be lined up along the pier side throughout the day, offering festival-goers a chance to sample some of Scotland’s world-renowned produce.

Cookery demonstrations from a selection of Scotland’s top chefs will take place in the fishmarket in Mallaig Harbour. Jak O’Donnell of the highly-acclaimed The Sister’s Restaurant in Glasgow, Duncan Gibson of the award-winning Glenfinnan House Hotel, Harry Marshall from the West Highland Hotel and Sarah Winnington-Ingram of the beautiful Arisaig House are amongst those headlining. Demonstrations include filleting fish, live venison butchery and the smoking of salmon and mussels.

Topping the evening off in style, a dinner and ceilidh will be held in Mallaig and Morar Community Centre. The dinner will have four courses, with each course created by one of the chefs that demonstrated during the day.

The festival will suit all ages, with children’s activities running all day long, wine tastings for the adults and fishing and foraging trips for the adventurous types.

The ‘Road to the Isles’ runs from Fort William to the thriving port town of Mallaig. Dotted with white sand beaches, dramatic coastlines and traditional hospitality venues, the road follows the West Highland Railway Line, voted one of the world’s best for the stunning scenery it offers. This route has become a world-wide attraction, best known as the route the Hogwarts Express took in the Harry Potter movies. With more than 100 different accommodation options on offer between Fort William and Mallaig it will make a great weekend away.

For more information on the festival, visit www.westhighlandfoodfestival.com