The Explorers’ Table will return to The Lovat in the Scottish Highlands this November, combining a specially created dinner with first-hand stories from the world of polar exploration.
Taking place at the hotel’s Station Road restaurant on Saturday 28 November 2026, the intimate experience will bring together renowned polar explorer and Ice Warrior founder Jim McNeill with The Lovat’s co-owner and head chef, Sean Kelly.
Kelly will serve a menu inspired by Arctic and cold-climate ingredients, including produce associated with the wild northern landscapes closer to home. Each course has been designed to complement McNeill’s stories and encourage conversation about food, survival and adventure in some of the most inhospitable environments on Earth.
Over dinner, McNeill will explore the role food has played in sustaining polar expeditions through months of darkness and sub-zero temperatures. The evening will cover everything from historic provisions such as pemmican, a mixture of dried meat and berries developed to release energy slowly, to modern expedition fuel and the morale-boosting importance of a hot meal or cup of tea at -40°C.
The event will also examine the story of Scottish polar explorer William Speirs Bruce and the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902 to 1904. McNeill previously retraced Bruce’s journey for the BBC Scotland series The Last Explorers, giving him a personal perspective on one of the country’s less widely recognised pioneers.
“Food has always played a vital role on expedition, not simply as fuel, but in maintaining morale and bringing people together in the most challenging circumstances,” said McNeill. “The Explorers’ Table gives us the chance to bring those stories to life while celebrating Scotland’s remarkable legacy of discovery and considering what these extraordinary environments can teach us today.”
Rather than reproducing conventional expedition rations, Kelly’s menu will use food as a starting point for wider discussions about how explorers sustained themselves in the past, the way people eat today and the fragility of the environments supplying that food.
“For me, the most exciting part of The Explorers’ Table is being able to tell part of that story through the food,” said Kelly. “Each course has been created to complement Jim’s stories and hopefully spark conversation around the table.”
The Explorers’ Table takes place at Station Road at The Lovat in Fort Augustus on Saturday 28 November 2026, from 6pm to 9.30pm. Tickets cost £75 per person and include dinner, a welcome drink and a selection of postcards and posters featuring McNeill’s Arctic photography.
Overnight stays are also available for guests wishing to extend their visit to the Highlands. Bookings can be made through The Lovat’s website or by calling 01456 459250.