Jim Cowie is not a "cheffy" chef, despite having a string of awards to his name. He looks more like a fisherman with his white beard, and his no-nonsense approach is a breath of salty sea air. His father was a Scottish trawlerman and he's been buying and selling fish straight from the boats all his life. In 2002, however, he and his wife Mary bought the 19th-century salmon bothy and ice house on the harbour at Scrabster on the north coast of Scotland and turned it into a fish restaurant called the Captain's Galley. With its barrel-vaulted ceiling, original Caithness flagstone floor and wooden tables, it's cosy and rustic.

There are around 20 species of fish on the menu each week and up to 10 a night, all bought that day from fishermen who share the same ethos regarding conserving our dwindling fish stocks. Jim and Mary's environmental policy - only fresh, local and seasonal Scottish fish - is outlined on the menu. And if you want to learn more, Jim is more than happy to be your guide. He knows when the boats are due in after a week at sea and if you want to accompany him on his morning trip to the fish market you'll get the benefit of his insider's knowledge as the auction gets under way. You can choose your own fish from the ice-packed crates and then walk back through the docks to the restaurant to learn how to cook it. If you fancy going aboard one of the trawlers, meeting the captain and hearing first-hand stories of the sea, Jim knows them all. Or how about a morning on a small fishing boat catching lobster and crab around the headland and then taking it back to the restaurant to cook it?

• 01847 894999; captainsgalley.co.uk