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The Explorers’ Table dining experience will return to The Lovat at Fort Augustus in the Scottish Highlands this November.
Taking place on Saturday 28 November 2026, the event will bring together polar explorer and Ice Warrior founder Jim McNeill with The Lovat co-owner and Station Road Head Chef Sean Kelly.
The evening will explore the relationship between food, survival and exploration in some of the world’s most extreme environments.
Kelly will create a specially developed menu at Station Road inspired by Arctic and cold-climate ingredients, including produce associated with northern landscapes closer to home.
McNeill will accompany the dinner with stories from more than four decades of polar exploration.
Guests will hear about the role food and drink have played in maintaining energy and morale during expeditions, ranging from historic provisions such as pemmican, made from dried meat and berries, to modern expedition food.
The event will also explore the story of Scottish polar explorer William Speirs Bruce and the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902–1904.
McNeill previously followed in Bruce’s footsteps for the BBC Scotland series The Last Explorers.
Jim McNeill said: “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. 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 recreating traditional expedition rations, Kelly’s menu will draw inspiration from ingredients associated with cold and wild landscapes.
The food will be used as a starting point for discussions around how explorers sustained themselves historically, contemporary eating habits and the environments from which ingredients are sourced.
Sean Kelly, Head Chef at Station Road, said: “For me, the most exciting part of The Explorers’ Table is being able to tell part of that story through the food. Each course has been created to complement Jim’s stories and hopefully spark conversation around the table.”
The Explorers’ Table will take place at Station Road at The Lovat Loch Ness on Saturday 28 November.
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