I was worried. The last time the Moll took me on a mystery tour, it was for

Sunday lunch at her mothers', and the only mystery was the unidentified slab

of meat on my plate. I needn't have worried, though, as 30 minutes later, we

had parked up outside a country pub in the village of Gargunnock, a few miles

north of Fintry.

We'd certainly strayed from the narrow path, but the country air had worked

its magic on my appetite. The Gargunnock Inn is the dictionary definition of a

country pub - hundreds of years old, low ceilings and a welcome as warm as

you'll find anywhere in Scotland.

While a few locals congregated around the small bar, we strode through to the

larger annexe where lunch was being served. At the centre of the woodpanelled

room is a large bar and a open hatch through to the busy kitchen.

We were welcomed like old friends by, I presume, the owner and settled down

to peruse the menu. As well as a mouth-watering selection of steaks,

sandwiches and pub lunch staples, there was also an attractive specials board.

All of which made choosing an awkward task.

Eventually, the Moll opted for breaded mushrooms stuffed with chilli cream

cheese and served with a barbecue mayonnaise dip. The generous portion met

with the Moll's approval and the unusual stuffing and dip elevated what can

often be a very ordinary dish to a first-class starter. Meanwhile, I was busy

tucking into my king prawn tempura with salad and a chilli dipping sauce.

Again, it was closer to restaurant standard and the deliciously juicy prawns

were coated in an uber- crisp coating with an sweet dipping sauce.

It almost made me wish I'd been a little more adventurous when ordering the

main course. For the second time that day, I worried unnecessarily, as my fish

and chips were among the best I've ever tasted. An enormous slab of pearly

white, fresh haddock was coated in the crispiest batter with moreish mushy

peas, chips and tartare sauce. A simple dish promoted to mount-watering

perfection.

The Moll was equally effusive about her ginger, soy and chilli lamb kebab,

chosen from the list of daily specials. Ultra tender chunks of marinated lamb

were skewered with roast vegetables and served with a light and refreshing

salad.

The portions in the Gargunnock Inn are such that a third course was out of the

question - it would take a serious appetite to manage all three. It's almost an

insult to call this pub food as it bears no resemblance to almost anything you'd

get in a run-of- the-mill boozer.

It's definitely worth a magical mystery tour into the country to find it - as long

as there's no singing, of course.