Following the

primrose path Four years ago George and Claire Primrose swapped their fast-living lifestyle to turn a remote Scottish inn into a gastronome's paradise.

Alice Whitehead hears how they did it The Kilberry Inn really lives up to the definition "destination pub".

Located 13 miles from the nearest large town, it can only be reached by travelling the length of a long and winding single-track road.

It's most definitely a pub you would plan to go to, rather than happen upon, because, as the locals say: "if you don't like the beer ­ it's a long walk home!"

It was four years ago that self-confessed "city folk" George and Claire Primrose abandoned the rat race to set up as innkeepers in this remote former croft, between Lochgilphead and Tarbert, in Argyll, west Scotland.

"We always dreamed of having our own pub," says George Primrose, a former project manager at British Aerospace.

"We'd been to many pubs south of the border with fantastic food, but couldn't find the same quality in Scotland.

We felt there was a gap in the market for a pub with proper home cooking."

Their original "but 'n' ben" cottage has all the tourist-attracting components, with its quarried stone walls, beams, log fires and stunning views ­ in this case across Loch Caolisport to Gigha and the Paps of Jura.

But it is their epicurean talent that is attracting everyone from wealthy landowners to New York journalists and politicians.

Within two years they have collected a Best Bar Food award from Taste of Scotland, been highly commended by the Scottish Chef Association and recommended in the Good Pub, Good Britain and Michelin Guides.

However, its location means the Kilberry has had to become very much a "Swiss army knife" inn ­ multitasking its functions as a bar, restaurant and hotel.

And George can testify that its success on all accounts has been down to hard work.

"When you decide to set up this kind of business you tend to leap before you look," he says.

"If you think about it too much you might find it too hard a prospect to cope with!"

He continues: "Checking we had enough capital was vital.

We invested all our savings, and even mortgaged our house to pay for the inn.

Plus, we needed to know that it was a viable project before we both jumped ship."

Fortunately for the Primroses, the inn already had a good reputation.

"This in itself was a challenge though," says George.

"It was crucial that we lived up to this reputation and improved on its success.

The inn's remoteness meant we couldn't afford to alienate regulars, but at the same time we wanted to make our own mark."

Claire's experience as a industrial caterer has stood them in good stead ­ and she is single-handedly responsible for all the cooking.

Rather than letting this limit the menu, however, they have an ever-changing blackboard menu and they offer lunch as well as more elaborate evening meals.

All the produce, right down to their malt whiskies, is locally sourced from the farming estates that surround them.

Only their milk and cream has to come from town ­ via the school bus that drives their way once a week.

"Sadly, I think an increasing number of pubs are going down the convenience route these days and providing food that looks like home cooking but is actually ready-made," says George.

"The locally-sourced produce and home cooking is our signature."

With their ongoing success it has been tempting to expand the business.

Currently they have only 24 covers ­ even in the busy season.

But George feels that by expanding they may lose that special quality that actually brings the customers in.

"It would be easy to go overboard on the menu, and add lots of dishes, or build an extension and add more tables," says George.

"But we need to limit ourselves to within our capabilities.

There's normally only the two of us and there's already lots of work!

I'd prefer to offer 16 people a great meal with great service, than 24 people a mediocre meal and rushed service."

Apart from a employing two helpers during the busy season, for seven months of the year the Primroses single-handedly run the business.

While Claire cooks, George is out front "being the gopher".

"Running the inn is our life now," says George.

"We've put 110% into this job.

Although we're only open from April to October, we do not sit on our laurels the rest of the time.

We run the local post office, and during winter plan the year ahead, devise the menu, source the produce and visit other pubs around the country to get inspiration."

The Primroses' website (www.kilberryinn.com) declares that: "Every now and then, if you are lucky, you'll come across a place like the Kilberry Inn, somewhere to remember, somewhere to tell your friends about and somewhere, if you are very lucky, to come back to."

And this certainly seems to be true for all the new and old customers to the inn.

So, do they need to improve on their successful recipe?

"At the moment we are a three-star property, but this year our big aim is to get that fourth star," says George.

"Then we will be the only four-star inn on the West Coast of Scotland."

Menu Starters from £2.95 Butternut Squash Soup & Spicy Cream Warm Goats Cheese Salad with Tomato and Balsamic Dressing Sherry Herring Salad Kilmory Smoked Salmon Main Courses from £7.95 Wild Mushroom Risotto & Parmesan Shavings Medallions of Pork in a Prune & Armagnac Sauce Pan Fried Salmon with Lime & Parsley Butter Noisettes of Lamb with Garlic & Rosemary Jus Puddings from £3.95 Lemon Meringue Pie Crème Brûleé Sticky Toffee Pudding with Arran Ice Cream Selection of Gigha Fruit Cheeses & Oatcakes Factfile Covers: max 26 Turnover: 40% of total done in May and August Staff numbers: maximum of four during busy season Average price two-course lunch per head: £10 Average price two-course evening meal per head: £25 Other facilities: Two double, and one twin, en-suite bedrooms