Ordinary, Scones

White Dove

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How, you may ask, did we end up here at the White Dove? As usual, the answer is not straightforward.Logo of the White Dove

 The garage that looks after our car, Peugeot Ecosse, is very good to us. Normally, we arrange things to land on a Monday morning because then they can drop us off at the Hippodrome cinema and pick us up again when the film is finished and the car is fixed. The “Hippodrome thing”, however, only works on a Monday morning. Today isn’t a Monday, and our car is booked for a service. What to do?

The answer was to drop us off in Linlithgow, where we could have breakfast and maybe take a walk around Linlithgow Loch. It’s a beautiful day. They would phone us in a couple of hours when they were finished with the car. 

Excitement

After some breakfast, we just sat in the sun, dreamily watching the bustle of  Linlithgow life.  It was busy! There was a man delivering eggs from the back

A picture at the White Dove
We think Jackie is the name of the artist rather than the cow

of a van to what seemed to be every business in the town. Presently, however, our reverie was disturbed by a honeymooning couple from Andorra. We know, not something that happens every day. They were overjoyed to be here and wondered if we could photograph them together on the steps of the Burgh Halls. They were a lovely couple, and it reminded us that something we would barely give a second glance to can be a source of great excitement for others.

A few yards from where we sat was Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, and a few yards in the other direction was the White Dove. We chose the White Dove. We thought we could manage a scone before the garage came to retrieve us. Internal view of the White Dove

Jam?

We ordered some coffee and a fruit scone to share. However, when it arrived, it was accompanied by the announcement “No jam!” “What, no jam?”  we replied “Yes, no jam!” A scone at the White DoveIn all of our scone-eating days, this was a first. Ironically, there were plenty jam selling emporiums within spitting distance of the White Dove. Obviously, that hadn’t occurred to them, so we didn’t think there was any point enquiring about cream. To add to our disillusionment, the two men at the next table were talking very loudly as if they were at opposite ends of the café rather than across a small table. Unfortunately, they weren’t talking about anything remotely interesting.Flowers at the White Dove

Kindness

The motto of Linlithgow is “be kind to strangers“. When we look around the world, we don’t see a lot of kindness, never mind to strangers. The war crime being conducted with impunity in Gaza is ample evidence. Our faith was restored, however, at the sight of our car coming to collect us. That’s us and our car all set for another year … yeagh!

EH49 7HU           tel: 01506 238898              White Dove FB

///existence.cross.smoker

Ordinary, Scones

Smiddy

5 Comments

We visit the Smiddy quite often so we have posted from here several times. It’s at a junction in the road, which means that if we are going west or north (our usual practice) we have to pass it. No hardship is involved, however. It’s a great farm shop that stocks lots of produce from local farms. It also has a large café area, which is always busy. Internal view of the Smiddy Farm Shop

Today we were heading to nearby Doune but stopped off to get Pat’s favourite milk. It comes from the Wee Isle Dairy on the Isle of Gigha. and has that extra creaminess, which is excellent on her cornflakes. Their coffee is Henry’s, our favourite, so we decided to have a cup.Afternoon tea at the Smiddy

Then, we noticed the afternoon tea, which seemed reasonably priced at £12.95. We felt duty-bound to investigate. One afternoon tea to share was the order.Afternoon tea at the Smiddy

You could choose which sandwiches to have, and the scones came nicely warmed. Loads of jam and cream as well as a couple of little cakes.  Not topscones but perfect for us!

Smoke signals

What’s happened since our last post from the Ship Inn.?  Well, we’re no expert on Conclaves, but a new American Pope seems to have been elected with almost miraculous speed. Slight panic to begin with, but then we realised that it wasn’t the Orange One.  The Conclave is conducted in complete secrecy by a handful of dubiously holy men. Communication is via smoke signals. Hopefully Pope Leo XIV can drag his church into the 21st century.

Will he, won’t he?Logo for the Blair Drummond Smiddy Farm Shop, Butchery and Café

Volodymyr Zelensky has arranged to meet Putin in Istanbul on Thursday.  Considering how far both sides are apart, it will be interesting to see if Putin even bothers to turn up. Maybe they should change the venue to the Smiddy, where they could participate in a suitably pared-back budget afternoon tea?

FK9 4UY            tel: 01786 235024          Smiddy

///keen.collected.bugs

Scones, topweird

Ship Inn

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Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
David Balfour and Alan Breck on the run

Today, we decided to cross the River Forth to the Kingdom of Fife. The village of Culross was having a local market and we thought it would be worth a look. Always nice to be in such a picturesque village but after the market we decided to drive a little further along the coast and ended up here at the Ship Inn at Limekilns. It’s on the Promenade, but amazingly, we were able to park directly outside. All terribly civilised.  Certainly a lot more civilised than David Balfour’s arrival here in 1752. Internal view of the Ship Inn

Escape

Having been falsely accused of murdering Colin “the Red Fox” Campbell, he had been chased all over the Highlands by the dastardly redcoats. It wasn’t until he reached the Ship Inn that he finally made his escape in a rowing boat. Phew! There’s no record of whether he had time for a scone, but who knows?Signs at the Ship Inn

There was no sign of scones anywhere, so we didn’t really expect to get a scone here either. We just ordered a couple of coffees. When the coffees arrived, however, we tentatively asked and were surprised to be told that the kitchen made scones every day. Today, it was caramel scones. What? There was no choice, so a caramel scone to share was the order. We sat outside in the Spring sunshine, where we could watch the Limekilns world go by.

These scones were made simply by adding little cubes of caramel to the mix. Pat had her half with butter and reported very favourably on a lovely crunchy exterior. I went all in with butter and jam and perhaps predictably found the combination a tad on the sweet side. Still, it was our first ever caramel scone, so we gave it a topweird award.

Beer pumps at the Ship Inn
Interesting mix of beers, including Neck Oil IPA and Hell lager

If the scones were a bit weird, then so was the whole village. It turned out that we had arrived in the middle of the Limekilns Scarecrow Festival. It’s to raise funds for a new playpark.

Scarecrows at Limekilns
As we viewed this exhibit, a couple approached us to complain bitterly that it was costing £165,000 for the playpark. How could it cost so much? Nowadays, by the way time you’ve paid consultants, architects, planning, health & safety, it adds up.

They were very kind and explained how the whole scarecrow festival worked. They even gave us a map showing where to find them all.Scarecrow location map in Limekilns

Baat City Roller scarecrows at Limekilns
Another exhibit in honour of 1970s Scottish pop sensations, the Bay City Rollers. Use the QR code if you would like to donate to the playpark.
Unintended consequences

Sitting here on the Promenade watching the eider ducks in the water we could reflect on the Donald’s first 100 days in office. His approval ratings have dropped through the floor at home, though he still seems to have the support of his evangelical followers. In places like Canada, however, he has magically managed to unite the entire country behind Mark Carney with his daft pronouncements. You really couldn’t make it up! Perhaps it’s appropriate to celebrate the first 100 days with a weird scone.

KY11 3HJ                tel: 01383 872247                Ship Inn

///egging.confused.resurgent

 

 

Scones

Walkin’ Cafe

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We’ve never been in Spittalfield before and knew nothing about it. Having said that, it is obvious for all to see that it’s a charming little place built around a lovely village Green’.  The Walkin’ Cafe is opposite a little car park on the main road.

The Walkin Cafe in 1933
The Walkin’ Cafe in 1933
Close knit

When we entered, we were told to take a seat anywhere. We sat beside an elderly couple, and when we asked if they were local, the response from him was “been in Spittalfield 87 years”. Logo of the Walkin CafeAfter a quick inspection of the speaker, we interpreted this as “all my life”.  When we asked if she was from Spittalfield as well, she replied “no, no, no, I’m from Glendelvine“. Glendelvine is an even smaller village, just a few hundred yards further along the road. From this brief encounter, we understood that Spittalfield and its surroundings form a very close-knit community. We also found out that Spittalfield is a former weaving village dating back to 1766.Internal view of the Walkin Cafe

As its name suggests, the cafe caters to hordes of walkers and cyclists who come here to enjoy the beautiful quiet countryside. There are pheasants and red squirrels everywhere!

We asked for tea and a couple of sultana scones. The young girl who was looking after us was a delight. A scone at the Walkin CafeLater, however, she came and explained that the sultana scones had gone, but they did have blueberry scones. No problem!  It was all nicely presented with plenty of butter, a large pot of cream and a choice of strawberry or rhubarb jams. Blueberry scones are not our favourite, though these were very nice. Not topscones but a great attempt.

Conclaves and card games

Our Spittalfield man was obviously in better shape than Pope Francis who has died. His lavish lying-in-state with everyone taking selfies seems strangely at odds with what the church should be about. Sign at the Walkin CafeNowadays, like all churches, the Catholic church, rather than leading, simply seems to respond to public opinion.  Let’s hope that if a new Pope has to be found that he (it will definitely be a he) will be ahead of the curve rather than behind it.

Trump claims to have negotiated a deal that will see the end to fighting in Ukraine. A two-year-old could easily have negotiated this deal. It gives everything to the illegal aggressor and virtually nothing to the innocent victim. More worryingly, it indicates that the US, which equates everything to a card game, has lost any sense of right and wrong.  Not good for the rest of the world, but excellent for Putin, who plays Trump like a fiddle.

PH1 4JT           tel: 07824 398378            Walkin’ Cafe

///dividing.fabric.column

Scones

Meikleour Arms

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Finding the Meikleour Arms is easy. All you have to do is find the tallest hedge in the world. When you reach the end of the hedge, turn sharp left, and you are there.

The Meikleour Hedge
The men who planted the Meikleour Hedge in 1745 left their work to fight at the battle of Culloden, hiding their tools under the hedge and never returning to claim them.

Meikleour village is small but beautiful with lots of olde-world charm, and the Meikleour Arms, built in 1820, is at its heart.External view of the Meikleour Arms

We have passed it many times, but this is the first time we’ve stopped to explore. Would they have scones, and if so, would they be as wonderful as this place?A scone at the Meikleour Arms

Turns out they did, and they were—excellent service in beautiful surroundings and one of the best scones we have had in ages.

Servants bells the Meikleour Arms
Days of old
Garden at the Meikleour Arms
Fabulous trees

With Trump and his daily political gymnastics, we have given up on current affairs for the moment. All too depressing. 

Crest of the Meikleour Arms

By comparison, the Easter bunny makes much more sense. Hope he finds you wherever you are.

PH2 6EB              tel: 01250 883206               Meikleour Arms

///jammy.formally.kept

Scones

Register Club

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Pat with Johnnie Walker
Pat and Johnnie on the rooftop

We didn’t set out for the Register Club today. On the contrary, our destination of choice was the Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh. In the last few months we have had rather a lot of experiences with Johnnie. Our first encounter was at the Glenkinchie Distillery. The second was at the Dowans Hotel in Aberlour, where he lived, and the third was at Piershill House in Troon, where his descendants lived. Weirdly, all of these encounters were purely coincidental. We had no idea of these Johnnie Walker connections until we arrived at these locations. Today, we thought we should try the official “EXPERIENCE” in Edinburgh. It’s housed in what used to be Binns Department Store on Princes Street. Spread over four floors, it’s big, and it only sells whisky?

Johnny Walker Experience
One of the event areas on the 4th floor of the Johnnie Walker Experience; Fabulous views over the city towards Edinburgh Castle
Too jazzy

In the ground floor shop, there are lots of people taking pictures of bottles of whisky with different coloured labels. It is a triumph of marketing over substance. I consider myself a reasonably experienced whisky officianado but I doubt I could tell the difference in any of these. It’s all very well done, if a little too jazzy for our taste. However, one thing you won’t get at the Johnnie Walker Experience is a scone … boo! So, you find us at the Register Club.Internal view of the Register Club

It started life as the Royal Bank of Scotland, when banks concerned themselves with flaunting their wealth. No expense was spared. The exotic wood panelling was sourced from countries around the globe. Now, the Register club occupies what used to be the board room on the 4th floor.

Stairwell at the Register ClubView from the 4th floor down to reception

Reception at the Register Club
Reception at Cheval Edinburgh Grand Hotel
Service

On arrival, we were warmly welcomed and shown to a secluded little window seat. Our server explained that when ordering a scone it comes with a partner. In other words, they come as a pair … one fruit and one plain. However, if we wanted to share and have one scone each, we could choose which kind. We decided to have two fruit scones. This level of service bode well.Scones at the Register Club

Two fruit scones duly arrived, lovely and warm and dusted with icing sugar.  There were also pots of jam and clotted cream and a little pat of individually wrapped butter. These scones were just the right size, just the right amount of fruit, just the right crunchiness and just the right soft centre. Perfect topscones.

Oh joy

Logo of the Register ClubIt’s been a day of delicious cocktails, topscones and warm hospitality in a beautiful city on a lovely day. What could make it even better? Well, the news that Trump, in the tradition of all megalomaniac dictators, might run for a third term … maybe a fourth … and probably even a fifth. Only in America! We brimmeth over with unbridled joy!

 

EH2 2AD               tel: 0131 230 0570                Register Club

///corner.crops.jacket

Ordinary, Scones

The Grove

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You never know with scones; sometimes, they turn up unexpectedly. Just when you least expect them, there they are! Our visit to the Grove was typical.

sign for the Grove

A funeral is often followed by what is commonly referred to as a “funeral tea”. In days gone by, in the Highlands, it would normally be held in the deceased’s house. Friends and neighbours would rally round to provide refreshments for attendees, many of whom had travelled long distances. More recently, however, such events tend to be held in places like the Grove, here in Lenzie.  That’s why we are here.Internal view of the Grove

It’s a purvey!

Lenzie is on the outskirts of Glasgow. In this part of the country it is slightly different. The “funeral tea” is generally referred to as “a purvey”.  At any gathering of mourners after a service, you could often hear kind words said about the deceased followed by a comment on the purvey, usually on the quality and quantity.Internal view of the Grove

A purvey can be anything from a full-blown lunch or supper to a simple selection of sandwiches and cakes. Normally there’s liquid refreshments available for those who want it. On occasion, this can lead to a rather sombre event ending up anything but.  Today’s purvey was a two-course lunch. Afterwards, tea and coffee were served, and you could help yourself from a table of cakes – and scones!

Spooning

We can’t say if scones commonly form part of such purveys – thankfully, we haven’t been to enough of them. A scone at the GroveBut since they were there, they had to be sampled. The jam and cream were supplied in large bowls. You just had to help yourself with a large spoon. Flaws in presentation are entirely down to our lack of spooning finesse. It may be churlish to criticise a ‘free’ scone but ignoring the pathetic presentation, “perfectly adequate” might best describe our scones. Not topscones but perfectly adequate.  Great purvey, though!

Rooftop terrace at the Grove
Rooftop terrace
Odder

Lenzie is a well-to-do, pretty little town where nothing of particular note ever happens. Boring? Not a bit of it! It’s a blessing when you consider the effects of the earthquake in Myanmar. How many little towns throughout the world would give their eye teeth for nothing to happen?  While  Western countries divert ‘overseas aid’ finances to the production of armaments, it does make you wonder. Because we humans seem to prefer expending our valuable and finite resources killing rather than helping each other. It’s odd! It’s even odder when you’ve just come from a funeral.

G66 5JB           tel: 0141 777 7611           The Grove

///hawks.tripled.drips

Ordinary, Scones

Rumblin’ Tum

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Nowadays, Ardrishaig, on the shores of Loch Gilp, has a population of about 1200, but before the opening of the Crinan Canal in 1809, it was just a tiny fishing village. The nine-mile-long canal joins Loch Gilp to the Sound of Jura and cuts off a long, hazardous journey around the Mull of Kintyre. Ardrishaig is at the eastern end, and Crinan is at the other.Internal view of the Rumblin' Tum in Ardrishaig

Over the years, we have sailed through the canal several times. It’s a lovely experience. However, the charms of the canal were best eulogised in the comedy TV series “The Vital Spark”. Dan McPhail, chief engineer aboard the Vital Spark puffer, famously sang:

Oh! The Crinan Canal for me,
I don’t like the wild raging sea,
It would be too terrific to cross the Pacific,
Or sail to Japan or Fiji.
A life on the Spanish Main,
I think it would drive me insane,
The big foaming breakers would give me the shakers,
The Crinan Canal for me.

Internal view of the Rumblin' Tum in ArdrishaigFrom the title picture, readers can see that when we pulled into the car park in Ardrishaig, it wasn’t the Rumbling Tum that took our attention but the Ritz. Tea at the Ritz? We were excited.External view of the Rumblin' Tum in

We were crestfallen, however, to find that the Ritz wasn’t even a café but had converted to some sort of bric-a-brac shop. Argh! All thoughts of finely cut cucumber sandwiches under extravagant chandeliers were dashed as if on the jagged rocks of the nearby loch. Our rather raw emotions were somewhat salved, however, when we realised that, almost next door, there was the Rumblin’ Tum.  “Tea at the Ritz” would have to be “Tea at the Rumblin Tum“. Not quite so splendiferous perhaps, but of course this is Ardrishaig, not Piccadilly.Logo of the Rumblin' Tum in Ardrishaig

Squidged

We got a warm, friendly welcome and were soon sitting down to our fruit scones. A scone at the Rumblin' Tum in ArdrishaigThere was no shortage of fruit, but unfortunately, a little too long in the oven had baked them hard. The jam came in a long sachet affair that we had to squidge out directly onto the scone. It didn’t do anything to improve the overall situation.  No topscone for the Rumblin’ Tum, but they do have lots of other things on offer.

Emboldened?
Sometimes, the ornamentation says more about the owners than anything else

Far from the west coast of Scotland, news that President Erdoğan of Turkey has just thrown his chief political rival, Ekrem İmamoğlu, into jail is disturbing. Over the past twenty years, Erdoğan has been systematically dismantling the secular legacy of the country’s founding father, Atatürk. This latest move is deeply unpopular and hopefully can be reversed. The thought occurs to us, however, that the bully boys of the world, for some reason, are feeling emboldened.

 

PA30 8DX          tel: 01546 606039             Rumblin Tum

///tribes.eagle.scooters

Scones, Top

Pierhouse Hotel

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The Pierhouse Hotel is in a lovely spot on the coast of Appin between Oban and Fort William. It’s at the end of a few miles of single-track road so the only way out is the way you went in. However, there is an alternative! It’s the little ferry to the Isle of Lismore but it doesn’t take cars!

Internal view of the Pierhouse Hotel, Appin
The dining room but everyone is sitting outside

On a day like today, however, it is difficult to imagine a more idyllic location to while away a few hours. Also, the Pierhouse has just been awarded Scotland’s Chef of the Year. Cloudless skies, not a breath of wind, and Chef of the Year—what’s not to like? Can you believe that we reviewed this place back in 2015? It seemed perfect then and today it’s as if nothing has changed.

Artist impression of the Pierhouse Hotel, Appin
An artist’s impression of the Pierhouse Hotel

In glorious Spring sunshine, we took our seats on the deck overlooking Loch Linnhe and waited for our coffee and scones to arrive. There were lots of other folk doing the same so we were fortunate to get a table. Some, like us, were just on a day out, others were hotel guests and yet others were killing time waiting for the ferry. A scone at the Pierhouse Hotel, Appin 

Accident?

Our scone soon arrived and to say that the presentation was a little surprising would be an understatement. The scone just sat on the plate but by its side, there was what looked like a very generous quenelle of clotted cream covered in a red preserve. Either that or our Chef of the Year had had a serious accident in the kitchen. Anyway, it was great! The scone was perfect. And the cream and jam presentation meant that you could scoop both up at the same time … brilliant—another easy topscone.Internal view of the Pierhouse Hotel, Appin

Halcyon days

Given that it’s been a decade since our last review of the Pierhouse it’s tempting to look back at what must have been halcyon times compared to now.

The Appin ferry
The Lismore ferry on a mirror-like Loch Linnhe, We once spent a lovely few days on the island staying with the Abbot of Lismore and his wife

In 2015 David Cameron swept to power in the UK. Obama was US President and for the first time, Trump announced he would run for the Republican nomination. Things weren’t perfect but no one had yet envisaged a global pandemic, that Russia would invade Ukraine or that Israel could so graphically demonstrate man’s inhumanity to man. In all of these ten years, this little ferry has quietly gone about its business several times a day every day. It’s always hard to leave this place.

PA38 4DE           tel: 01631 730302              Pierhouse Hotel

///thumb.calms.fats

Scones, topweird

Callendar Coffee House

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Some folk say nothing ever changes while others famously say that change is the only constant. When it comes to Falkirk’s café scene we would tend to think the former is true but then we realise there has been a change. Today’s scone comes from Callendar Coffee House, which was called the Riggs Coffee House the last time we looked. Mind you that was about eight years ago. It raises some questions: is it just a change of name or a complete change of management? Would the scones have changed as well?Internal view of the Callendar Coffee House, Falkirk

Well, yes they had because we had a cheese and bacon scone. That’s a first! It does, however, follow a kind of pattern of late. On our recent travels on the Isle of Arran, we had a “very cheesy cheese scone at the Old Pier Tearoom in Lamlash. A scone at the Callendar Coffee House, FalkirkThat was followed by a cheese scone with extra cheese on the side at Janie’s café in Brodick. Now it’s cheese and bacon … what is happening with cheese scones? It has to be said that although a wee bit on the weird side it was delightful. Nice and cheesy with the bacon giving extra texture and a hint of saltiness. The combination worked very well.

Television first

Callendar Coffee House is located directly on the corner of High Street and Lint Riggs. This rather grand building used to be the Temperance Hotel and on the High Street side, you can find this very modest plaque. John Logie Baird plaqueIt is high up on the wall and seemingly placed so that no one will ever notice it. It does, however, commemorate what was probably the first public demonstration of television. Okay, the broadcast was only from one room to another but still. Why does Falkirk not make more of this momentous moment in history? After all, television went on the become quite popular,

Wimps

Popular is not a word we could associate with Elon Musk these days. But we’re fed up moaning about him so let’s celebrate the return of the astronauts stranded in space for nine months. Being stranded on Arran for one extra night was a bit testing for us so hats off to them. Maybe when they take a look around they might want to get on the next rocket back up to the space station. And now the whole of Heathrow Airport has been knocked out by a power outage. We were upset by a single cancelled ferry … okay, we are wimps!

FK1 1EY          tel: 01324 627028          Callendar Coffee

///smart.cares.goat

by Bill and Pat Paterson and is about finding good scones throughout the world, with a little bit of politics