The Scottish Parliament congratulate The Captains Galley for being crowned the UK's best Seafood Restaurant. 

Rob Gibson:

That the Parliament congratulates the Scrabster-based Captain’s Galley restaurant, its owners, Jim and Mary Cowie, and its staff for earning the crown of UK’s Best Seafood Restaurant of the Year Award at the 2009 Seafood Awards in London; hails the Cowies for their commitment to local produce, with all of the seafood on their menu coming from sustainable sources within a 50-mile radius; notes that the restaurant already holds a Press and Journal Highland restaurant of the year title, won a top prize in the Taste of Scotland category at the Scottish Thistle Awards and that in 2007 Mr Cowie was nam ed UK Seafood Chef of the Year; applauds the aims of the Seafood Awards, organised by Seafish, which are designed to encourage enterprise, innovation and best practice across all areas of the seafood industry, and finally wishes the Captain’s Galley and all other entrants good luck in the upcoming 2009 Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards.

In 2001 Jim and Mary Cowie sympathetically renovated the old Scrabster Ice House and Salmon bothy which dates back to the early 1800s, and opened their seafood restaurant in October 2002. Working with local tradesmen they restored the buildings to their former glory and saved one of Caithness's most interesting buildings from falling into ruin. The Captains Galley now serves its customers the freshest selection of local seafood, prepared simply, in a unique environment.

Using only the best of Highland produce, the menu offers around 20 different species of seafood each week and upwards of ten each night. The menu changes every day after Jim's routine visit to the pier, where he picks the freshest and best quality seafood from either the Scrabster fish market, or directly from the fishing boats. The Galley's Ethical policy, which forms part of its overall environmental policy, determines that whenever possible all the produce is sourced within a 50 mile radius of the restaurant. All the seafood must be in season, and a non-pressure stock species, caught in sea areas of Scotland where the stocks are sustainable. 

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Jim and Mary Cowie look forward to welcoming you to the Galley