When I was young, family holidays in Ullapool meant dad buying my brother and me simple fishing lines to unwind from their frames and drop from the old wooden pier. If memory serves me right, we caught the odd mackerel and various other tiddlers.  Now that pier has evolved into a grown-up hub for ferries and fishing boats, a pontoon for yachts and a ramp and moorings for the local sailing club. Spanish fleets come for Loch Broom’s seasonal deep-water hake, ling and monkfish while, generally speaking, Scottish ones fish the haddock and monkfish. At the end of a September day, you can still see the wee boats tied up at the old pier after a day’s foray for shellfish. At the Dipping Lugger - an elegant 18th-century former manse on the waterfront near the pier, newly converted into a stylish restaurant with rooms and named after a sailing vessel which uses a lug sail - it quickly becomes clear that bagging the fruits of beautiful Loch Broom is a priority for chef David Smith. A stunning dish of a large meaty scallop topped with a light tempura oyster and bathed in a flavoursome smoked haddock velouté kicks off our meal, instantly assuring diners of chef’s commitment to sourcing hyper-local shellfish and serving it in a way that showcases his talent. The striking crockery is bespoke by Highland Stoneware, using the rock that the Dipping Lugger sits on.  Next up is celeriac gnocchi - three super-earthy wee dumplings - with a creamy truffle espuma and truffle shavings. This surprising dish is deeply delicious and served as a buffer before the next shellfish offering: a dinky beremeal pastry Loch Broom crab tart. This pretty wee triumph of culinary technique boasts a disc of jellied crab bisque with pickled cucumber and caviar, though perhaps the delicate flavour of the white crab could be elevated by a touch of brown. A tender cut of local venison is accompanied by three forms of mushroom: braised foraged Chanterelles, a purée and an espuma. A sliver of local black pudding and a deep-fried cylinder of salsify from the kitchen garden complete the lip-smacking dish. The icing on the cake for me, though, is the Morangie Brie on a homemade HobNob biscuit, topped with a slick of (garden) greengage purée and served with a cold glass of Lost Orchards cider from Dundee. The delicate flavour of the cheese balances well with the pale, softly effervescent apple of the cider, though I reckon the savoury-sweetness of the biscuit could also stand up to a Blue Murder from the same Highland Fine Cheesemakers.  A beautiful Black Isle yogurt parfait coated with snappy white chocolate and served with a tart sorrel sorbet completes our meal. The double highlights of breakfast the next day are the Loch Broom smoked halibut, served simply on local stone, and chef’s own “butteries” - a 50/50 blend of Scottish butter and lard with Blackthorn salt from Ayrshire, prompting co-owner and front of house Robert Hicks to describe them as Scottish croissants.  I enjoyed the honesty of chef Smith’s cooking. He came to the Dipping Lugger from Ullinish Lodge on Skye, and is a protégé of the redoubtable Charles Lockley, who gained a Michelin Star for Boath House near Nairn. Smith works with just one sous-chef, which makes the quality of his work all the more breathtaking. His restaurant was full on the weekday evening we were there. Our nearest companions were English and Scottish, and I’m told European visitors make up a significant volume of his clientele. Which suggests that even in dear old Ullapool there’s room for the growing global gastronomy movement. The Dipping Lugger, Ullapool, Wester Ross, IV26 2UR - hello@thedippinglugger.com 01854 613344