Beneath the tourist centric Scottish Whisky Heritage Centre by the Castle lies this wonderful little bistro, serving mainly lunch: Lunch at a Scotch Whisky restaurant… could anything sound more indulgent or dangerous for that matter? Amber, at first glance, seems terribly touristy, with olde worlde quotes about Whisky adorning the walls, and slightly bland décor. Do not let this put you off because Amber offer a locally sourced Scottish menu that is a gastronomic delight. Their friendly and relaxed staff are happy to explain the more unusual items on the menu and to guide you through the weighty tome that is their Whisky menu… over 350 as I remember, though the memory is hazy, removed by some superb single malt sampling. This Whisky menu is divided into regions, which aptly sums up their attitude to the entire experience – they have carefully selected their ingredients from local suppliers, favouring small independent businesses employing traditional methods.

It’s not all Whisky though, their wine menu is varied and reasonably priced (the only non-Celtic items on the menu) so I opted for a Chenin Blanc which was delicious, but I was soon jealous of my companion’s Fraoch Heather beer which tasted of honey, peat and hops: seriously addictive and very refreshing. For a starter the Scottish Tapas selection was fantastic, and is a great tour of flavours – fresh smoked salmon, a herring roll mop, smoked venison, a nutty vegetarian haggis, and applewood smoked cheddar were all washed down with a Highland Pultney 12 year old Whisky. The toasted walnut bread, Argyll goat’s cheese and beetroot chutney was crumbly and melted in the mouth with a lovely bistro style salad for balance.

Main courses are a fantastic example of Scotland’s finest cuisine, with several fresh fish and beef dishes as well as a couple of vegetarian options which was a welcome surprise. They have a constantly changing specials board that shifts with the seasons, so my companion chose Halibut wrapped in bacon on a bed of celeriac mash, which was an intriguing combination that should not have worked but wonderfully did, though it would have benefited from a few light leafy vegetables. My locally grown courgette stuffed with sundried tomatoes and Mull cheese was a great surprise as I assumed Mull cheese would be a heavy hard cheese, but it turned out to be a light brie with a full but subtle flavour. This was served with an elegant white wine sauce that completed the dish very well.

By desert we were bursting so shared a great Raspberry Cranachen - raspberry fool with oats and Scottish shortbread – a Scottish stalwart. It is a pity that due to its location Amber is unlikely to entice the locals, but it provides a truly authentic Scottish culinary experience that is a fantastic advert for Scotland’s finest.