Fresh Scottish produce bolsters the Nordic-French menu at Falls by Orry Shand, a new restaurant in Aberdeenshire
Just metres from the Bridge of Feugh, near Banchory in Royal Deeside, sits an unassuming 19th-century cottage. It has a perfectly preened garden, mini grey-blue portico, and a chubby stone chimney that belongs in a Beatrix Potter illustration. But this is no quaint, make-believe home. This is Falls by Orry Shand, Aberdeenshire’s newest fine dining restaurant.
Previously home to Falls of Feugh Restaurant, the building underwent a six-month revamp (worth half-a-million pounds) at the hands of Scottish interior architect Scarinish Studio. What was once an old fashioned tartan-and-timber restaurant is now an uber-stylish and highly considered space that breathes.
“Falls by Orry Shand is an environment shaped by light, materiality and the unhurried rhythm of its Royal Deeside setting,” explains Ross McNally, founder and director of Scarinish Studio. “The interior unfolds as a sequence of calm, tactile spaces where raw beauty is balanced with quiet refinement.”
This is the first independent restaurant from Scotland’s former National Chef of the Year and BBC Great British Menu 2026 banquet winner, Orry Shand. “We’re absolutely delighted to finally get the doors open to Falls, which has been a momentous achievement for the whole team,” says Orry.
Every interior design choice, including the open kitchen, nods to whatever quiet wizardry is happening behind Orry’s pass.
Smart storage in the dining areas show off produce and drinks: a classic Dry Ager is placed between elegant brown cabinetry, a glass-fronted wine closet exhibits Europe’s finest bottles, and backlit inset shelves display dozens of whiskies. “Sangster & Company of Banchory did all of the joinery and bespoke metalwork,” explains Ross.
Furniture is distinctly Scandi: Hans J. Wegner-esque chairs, seats from Copenhagen’s Norr11 and lots of metallic pendant lights from the likes of Pholc and Foscariniand. There’s also a Tom Dixon sofa and a handful of sculptural pieces sourced from Danish object maker Kristina Dam Studio.
“We worked with Bocci in Vancouver on custom hand-blown glass lights in the restaurant,” says Ross. “We love the 101 Copenhagen table, too. Guests will also see a lot from Parla London, as well as a Slovby extendable table, which sits at the heart of the restaurant.”
Small wrought iron radiators and the odd exposed brick wall are reminders that Falls by Orry Shand is, in fact, in rural Scotland. Artist Roddy McNeill, a friend of Ross, has three special commissions hanging in the restaurant — another nice nod to the building’s Scottish roots.
The kitchen itself (kitted out by Gastronorth) is carved into a soft-beige wall to the rear of the restaurant; its dark tiling and glowing cubic sconces hide in plain sight. “We worked with a local architect to make some structural changes to the cottage that remain fundamental to the flow from kitchen to dining room,” says Ross.
Chefs work smartly, executing nightly tasting menus of up to 12 to 15 servings. There’s one catch: you don’t get to see said menu.
This ‘meals with no menus’ format has been in the spotlight for a couple of years now. Aizle in Edinburgh gave menu-free fine dining a go in 2024 while Glasgow’s TRUST by Modu went viral on social media for its ‘blind dining’ experience last summer.
At Falls by Orry Shand, the unexpected doesn’t come in the form of tableside fanfare or naff blindfolds — just bold European cooking that champions Scottish produce and prioritises creativity over convention.
Menu highlights include lobster landed by day boat at Aberdeen harbour; Peterhead monkfish; and Perthshire highland wagyu beef.
“We can’t wait to start welcoming our guests through the doors and hope they have as good a time here as we did making this a really special dining experience,” says Orry.
The restaurant, which boasts views towards the Water of Feugh and surrounding woodland, has a maximum seating capacity of 30 with two sittings available four nights a week, from Wednesday to Saturday at 5:45pm and 8pm.
Guests should allow around three to four hours for the Falls by Orry Shand dining experience. Reserve your table here.
Falls by Orry Shand
Bridge of Feugh
Banchory
AB31 6HX
t: 01330 828 485
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