All posts by billpaterson1@me.com

Scones, Top

Café Kisa

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If we were to ask the question, “which town has the most expensive homes in Scotland” it might be some time before you came up with the answer – Auchterarder. Perhaps it makes more sense when you realise that the main hotel in town is the Gleneagles.

It’s a nice little town, maybe more of a village. No modern buildings, so if you half close your eyes, you can almost see it as it used to be. Horses and carts, maybe some hens scratching about in the main street. Nowadays you are more likely to see a Bentley or an Aston Martin and .. dilemma of dilemmas .. quite a few tearooms and coffee shops. How do you choose? You ask! Kisa 06When we enquired in lady’s fashion emporium Bear Necessities as to what was the best place in town for tea and scones there was an immediate and enthusiastic chorus of “Cafe Kisa” from the entire staff. What better recommendation?

The Lang Toun

Expectations were therefore pretty bouyant as we skipped off down the street in eager anticipation. Would our hopes be dashed on the all too familiar rocks of preloaded scones and mediocre service? Not a bit of it, this place is great! It is located near the centre. Although it can be quite difficult to determine where the centre is,  as the town straggles along 1.5 miles of High Street. It’s not known as the ‘Lang Toun’ for nothing.  We were looked after by a lovely young girl called ‘Trainee’ who explained our options, ‘plain’, ‘berry and white chocolate’ or ‘apple and cinnamon’. All freshly baked. Kisa 02Pat went for plain and I, being utterly reckless, went for apple and cinnamon.

Pat took one little nibble at hers and said “topscone”! That’s how easy the decision was. The apple and cinnamon was fab as well and came with their homemade apple and kiwi jam which was absolutely delicious. This is just one of these places where everything comes together nicely. Although busy with a good vibe, it also has a quiet sense of calm  that you tend to get when you know everything is under control. We think they probably take their inspiration from this picture they have in the loo.Kisa 01

Wildebeest

About ten years ago Auchterarder played host to the G8 summit. At these meetings we assume that they discuss global  affairs and how to make things better for all us little citizens of the world. If they do, it’s not working! Currently the world is in a right old mess. A plethora of vicious wars and mass migrations of people reminiscent of these programmes you used to see about wildebeest.

Even in the UK we have 1 in 5 children living in poverty. It is now so bad, Vladamir Putin appears to be the world leader making the most moral and practical sense. That probably says more about the others than it does about him! Nevertheless, we are pretty sure that if all eight leaders were tasked (and we realise that this might be a bit of an ask) with finding the best scone in Auchterarder, a town of many scones, they would all end up here in Café Kisa.

PH3 1AA        tel: 01764 663 340       Café Kisa

ps: just realised that Putin’s Russia has been suspended. It is now the G7, maybe they would end up in seven different cafes.

Ordinary, Scones

Arrochar Tearoom

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Unless you are a climber or hill walker, Arrochar is not a destination, it is somewhere you pass through on your way to other places. For hill walkers the view from the village across the end of the loch towards the Cobbler is exciting. You come on it suddenly. Round the corner and there it is, your target for the day. Over the years the Arrochar has changed little. Still busy with traffic thundering through on its way towards the Rest And Be Thankful and beyond to places like Inverary, Lochgilphead and Campbeltown. Internal view of Arrochar Tearoom

The young couple who run the tearoom are a delight, helpful and friendly and keen to chat. Somewhat oddly though, the scones on display are all individually wrapped in cling film, presumably to keep them as fresh as possible. Does anyone else do this .. does it work, let us know?  We think it detracts from the look of the scones. They should be out breathing the fresh Loch Long air. There were some slightly perplexed looks when we askedA scone at Arrochar Tearoom if we could have our scones with separate jam and cream. Their cream scones were already made up and you all know what we think about that!

 

Its all to do with the car park

Never mind, the scones were homebaked and very good with generous proportions .. not quite topscones but not too far off either. I had the cream one and Pat had a plain one.

Pat's plain scone at Arrochar Tearoom
Pat’s plain scone

 The tearoom is hard against the road, and if it wasn’t for a small parking area opposite, it would be very difficult to stop. It has had six successful years with the current owners however all is threatened by a proposal to build on the car park on which the tearoom largely depends. It only takes eight cars and has been used by the community for as long as anyone can remember. However, Luss Estates have discovered that they own it .. and now they have plans which, if successful, could completely scupper the tearoom. We don’t know the rights and wrongs of this particular situation but it does highlight a much larger problem.

Land Ownership

Scotland has the most concentrated land ownership in the developed world. Just 432 people own half of the private land. Land prices are far too high, rents are extortionate, and hence young people are leaving when they can’t even get a scrap of land for housing. The tearoom may have some sort of chance because at least they know who owns the car park .. sometimes it can be the devil’s own job finding out who actually owns

Arrochar Tearoom from the car park
tearoom from the car park

land. Much of it is held in tax havens like the British Virgin Islands.  The Scottish government is trying to do something about it with the Scottish Land Reform Bill.  It, amongst other things, is intended to increase transparency via a land registry and help facilitate community buy outs. Needless to say they are meeting vociferous opposition. It is actually starting to look as if they have already caved in to pressure from powerful lobbyists. Land held in tax havens will not now be affected in any way by the Bill. In fact, the Bill may end up so watered down as to be next to useless.

More backbone please

C’mon Holyrood, a bit more backbone please! Find out more at SLAM. Anyway, next year if you are driving through Arrochar keep an eye out for this tearoom. If it’s still open, use the car park, go in and have a bite to eat .. you’ll get a lovely welcome.

Saltire decoration at Arrochar TearoomG83 7AA           tel: 07585 709772           Arrochar Tearoom

island, Ordinary, Scones

Cafe Zavaroni

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Opportunity Knocks

Many, of a certain age, will remember the child singing sensation, Lena Zavaroni, who made her name on Hughie Green’s, Opportunity Knocks, way back in 1974. Her biggest hit was “Ma! He’s Making Eyes at Me”.

Lena Zavaroni

Apparently she still holds the record  for the youngest person ever to have had an album in the Top 10 … at ten years of age. In spite of, or perhaps because of, her fame she led a rather tragic life dominated by anorexia and depression. As a result she sadly died in 1999, aged 35. Her grandfather had been an Italian immigrant and she grew up here in Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute, where her dad had a chip shop. The family name is still writ large above several establishments along the town’s seafront, including the chip shop and, of course, at Cafe Zavaroni.

Bucking the trend

Like many towns on the Clyde, Rothesay has many very grand Victorian buildings. A reminder of its illustrious past as the destination of choice for thousands of Glasgow working folk on their holidays. Lately, west coast islands, especially the ones that have become community owned, have experienced a healthy increase in population but unfortunately the Isle of Bute is bucking the trend. Probably not helped by the fact that the Marquess of Bute’s family own most of it but, of course, none of them live here. More rantings on land reform in the next post, bet you can’t wait! Nowadays, everyone flies off to Benidorm and the good times for Rothesay are but a distant memory. Zavaroni 02

Scrape it off

Cafe Zavaroni belongs to  Lena’s cousin Margaret who is also a singer but it’s pictures of Lena that adorn the walls. A typical seaside establishment it offers ice cream and all the other tasty bites associated with seaside cafes. Margaret is charming, keen to introduce herself and give you a very warm welcome … nice, but maybe slightly OTT? Zavaroni 04When our scones arrived the jam and cream had already been added “to save you the bother”. We must have looked slightly askance because it was quickly followed by “you can scrape it off if you want!” This presentation was undoubtedly done with the best of intentions and Margaret would be sore affronted if she knew we were being critical, so don’t tell her! However, you sconeys know how we feel and this particular example was again … a bit OTT. The scones themselves were actually not too bad. Had they not been smothered in ‘stuff’, the story might have been different. Unfortunately Cafe Zavaroni has not made it into our Top 10.

Britnats

The news beyond Bute’s shores is interesting as much for what is out as what is in.  In, is the EU referendum. Now those of you with keen memories will remember that before the Scottish referendum the word ‘ScotNat’ became a dirty word with almost traitorous connotations. Spat from the trembling lips of disapproving broadcasters. Now, somewhat oddly for those of us in Scotland, the folks arguing to leave the EU are arguing for … guess what? More control over their own affairs. Exactly the same as those pesky ScotsNats .. but, don’t call BritNats, BritNats – as it upsets them! Shall we just call them ‘separatists’?

Out of the news, certainly out of BBC Scotland’s news where it has not even been given a mention is the fact that the former LibDem Secretary of State for Scotland is in Court for lying during the General Election. Had it been an SNP MP it would have been given minute by minute coverage.

Jailed bankers

Also out of the news is Iceland, the country (basket case) with which Scotland was threatened with ending up like if it became independent. It has just paid off all its obligations to the IMF much earlier than expected. Mind you, most of its bankers are in jail. The ones who escaped are working .. guess where .. London. Slightly different approach maybe but well done the beautiful isle of Iceland.

Back on the beautiful Isle of Bute where none of this seemingly matters, we wish Margaret and Cafe Zavaroni  well. It’s nice to get such an effusive welcome and it’s good to see Lena’s memory being maintained in this tiny, if slightly forgotten, corner of the UK.

PA20 0AU       tel: 01700 502928       Café Zavaroni TA

Scones, Top

The Willow Tea Rooms

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Kate in 1903
Kate in 1903

Many people, especially Glasgow people,  will be aware of Kate Cranston’s name and know that she was the owner and driving force behind the famous Willow Tea Rooms which opened in 1903 at 217 Sauchiehall Street. ‘Sauchie’ means ‘willow’, hence the name. She commissioned  architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, to design everything; the rooms, the furniture, the cutlery, right down to the waitress’s costumes. It became the place to meet for the gentlemen and ladies of the time and by all accounts was the epitome of ‘genteel’. In 1901 it was reported “One states the amount of one’s indebtedness, and receives a check therefore from the attendant maiden. This, with the corresponding coin or coins, one hands in at the pay-desk, and so home. Nothing could be simpler or less irritating.”

a Mackintosh light fitting
a Mackintosh light fitting

For some reason that system fell into disuse but we definitely feel that ‘attendant maidens’ should be reintroduced.

The Glasgow Rose
The Glasgow Rose

The enterprise was a tremendous success and Kate, who was a tad eccentric, became a familiar and flamboyant figure on the Glasgow scene. Through her commissions she actively promoted two groups of artists. The Glasgow Boys and the Glasgow Girls who developed what eventually became known as the Glasgow Style. After her husband died in 1917, however, she lost interest, sold her tearooms and withdrew from society.  She led a very low-key existence on the south side of the city until her death in 1934, aged 85.

She left most of her money to the poor of the city. The tradition she started over 100 years ago carries on to this day and so we find ourselves here in the Buchanan Street establishment which, although not original, is a faithful copy of the now defunct, Ingram Street tearoom.

the Mackintosh designed, White Room
the Mackintosh designed, White Room
Opera

It has replicated the White Room (the one we are in) and the blue Chinese Room, upstairs. Now we were in a bit of a rush because we were going to a lecture on opera at the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons .. don’t ask. Luckily the service was very efficient and in no time we had our scone. And what a scone it was! Willow 04Quite big, but really light and fluffy and with plenty jam and cream. Looking at that picture of Kate you can tell that she just knew she would get a  ‘topscone’ award. We think she would still be proud though.

Don’t mention Scotland

Proud, unfortunately is not a word that could be used about the last week in politics, particularly if you live north of the border. A year ago, the PM could not stop blabbering about how crucially important Scotland was to the UK but, now, just one year on, in his annual address to the party, barely a mention. And of course Labour MPs  and activists have been advised not to use the word ‘Scotland’ at all. What would Kate have made of it all?

For those of a curious nature, we made the lecture on time and it was excellent; at some point however we may return to the Willow Tea Rooms for a more relaxed visit.

G1 3HF    tel: 0141 204 5242       Willow Tea Rooms

Ordinary, Scones, weird

Stuart’s of Buckhaven Café

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Buckhaven, on the East Neuk of Fife, is a town that has had a hard life .. and it shows. It was involved with the weaving industry but then, in the 19th century, became Scotland’s second biggest fishing port. It had about 200 boats operating from the harbour. The demise of the fishing industry was hastened by the advent of coal mining but now that too has gone. Because of this, the town looks a bit dilapidated. We were here because we were trying to find a Polynesian princess … ‘eh?’, I hear you say.

Sinakalula

We had been reading a short story by R. B. Cunninghame Graham called ‘The Princess’. A story written c1920 and based around a granite slab set into a church wall overlooking the harbour in Buckhaven. On it was carved “Here lies Sinakalula, Princess of Raratonga, the beloved wife of Andrew Brodie, Mariner.”

Graham’s story continues; “What were the circumstances of their meeting the stone did not declare, only that the deceased had been a princess in her native land, and had died in this obscure east-country haven, and had been “beloved.” Nothing — but all — at least all that life has to give”.

Graham said that the slab was badly weathered. We thought it would be good to find the church and photograph the slab for posterity. There was no sign of it on any internet searches. Oh, if only we had known! We scoured Buckhaven in the rain and could not even find the harbour. How can you not find a harbour in a wee town like this? Buckhaven 01

In need of sustenance we dropped into what appeared to be the only café in town, Stuart’s of Buckhaven. Guess what, no scones .. talk about a bad day! In a previous post we reported on scones becoming extinct in Galashiels and here within a few days is another town with no scones. What’s happening?

Apple pie

We know that you would worry about us in such dire circumstance, so to ease your troubled minds we are showing you a picture of my apple tart, which was very good, as was Pat’s meringue.

a Buckhaven scone
a Buckhaven scone

However, they were definitely not scones. Stuart’s of Buckhaven has been around since 1857 and must have witnessed a lot of changes. It’s a baker and butcher combined and all the produce looked excellent but the café area was pretty soulless. Could do better, and could certainly do some scones .. you’re a bakery for goodness sake!

Entire town demolished

We asked a passerby if they could point us in the direction of the harbour .. “there’s nae harbour here son” . However, they did tell us where it used to be. How can a town just lose a harbour? What we found was just a large patch of grass with a vestige of harbour wall running down one side. Turns out, it had been filled in in the 1960s. Worst of all, the entire old town had been demolished and used as infill .. church and all. Perhaps, as we gazed around at the council houses, we were standing on top of our princess’s granite headstone .. lost forever!

the harbour as Sinakalula would have known it
the harbour as Sinakalula would have known it
Elysian fields

This was a miserable wet day in Buckhaven and it made you wonder what a young polynesian woman would have made of it. The story goes: “dressed in a coloured and diaphanous sacque, a wreath of red hibiscus round her head, her jet black hair loose on her shoulders, bare arms and feet, and redolent of oil of cocoa-nut, she must have seemed a being from another world to the rough mariner.” in 1857, was she disappointed by the lack of scones in Stuart’s of Buckhaven?

The story speculates that ” the mariner brought home his island bride, perhaps to droop in the cold north, and he laid her in the drear churchyard to wait the time when they should be united again in some Elysian field, not unlike Polynesia, with the Tree of Life for palms, the self same opal-tinted sea, angels for tropic birds, and the same air of calm pervading all the air”. Let’s hope they are together again, just like that!

KY15 4BY    tel: 01592 260831      Stuart’s of Buckhaven FB

Scones, Top

Turnbull’s Coffee House

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We thought it would be nice to try out the new Borders Railway and visit Gal

the downstairs deli at Turnbull's Coffee Shop, Galashiels
the downstairs deli

ashiels. A town in which neither of us had previously spent any time. What we were totally unprepared for was the scale of the railway’s success and the effect it has had on the town.

The last scone

There are not that many tearooms here but having tried several that had completely run out of scones, in desperation, we ended up here at Turnbull’s. It’s a long established coffee house and probably the best. The girl in the ground floor deli said  she thought there was a cheese scone available upstairs, so up we went and there it was … we could see it across the room, in splendid isolation under a glass dome. The last scone. We ate it, so as of that moment, scones became an extinct species in Galashiels.

Day trippers

The experts studied L-arginine effects on impotence in 1999, wherein 31% of males taking 5 grams of this supplement levitra uk are completely safe for your health and do not pose any ill effects. Except that, in case of medicine, the article will help you for sure- Introduction to Kamagra tablets- The tablet is on line levitra a pharmaceutical product manufactured by a prominent company named Ajanta Pharma. With ailments like hypertension, baldness and a myriad of sex related problems and make a person sexually active Full Article cialis 20 mg in life. It maintains mental health, muscle cialis 20 mg see over here strength, and bone health in upbeat condition. Don’t worry, some sort of reintroduction programme will probably be adopted but for this particular day, that was it .. fini, defunct, kaput, gone. A town with no scones. Now the only explanati on we can think of for this extraordinary state of affairs is the popularity of the new railway. The first domestic railway to be reintroduced in the UK for over 100 years. Loads of day-trippers descending on the town, hoovering up all the scones. Flaming day-trippers … oh no, we’re day-trippers too! Ah well, good news for Gala but it really needs to think about upping its scone production to cope with the influx. Turnbull’s, is a lovely place. First established just down the road in Hawick. They describe themselves as a family business specialising in ‘artisan fine food and drink combined with first class service’. We would not disagree with any of that. Interior view of Turnbull's Coffe Shop in Galashiels

They also make a range of their own unique blended whisky but unfortunately we did not get to sample any. However you can order it and other stuff online. Wonderful to be in place where good old fashioned principles of quality and service still seem to count for something.

Forgotten principles

Jeremy Corbyn, visited Scotland this week but seemed to have forgotten to pack his principles. Maybe, after the party conference, he just didn’t have any left! Great toilets; always a good sign, and although there is no wifi at the moment, we have been promised that it’s coming very soon. In case you are wondering, the last scone in Galashiels was excellent; topscone award. Log of Turnbull's Coffe House, GalashielsDid not see any scenery on the way home because we fell in with a couple of mad women who just talked incessantly about scones. Just joking, whoever you were, we thoroughly enjoyed the craik!

TD1 1SD          tel: 01896 750577     Turnbull’s FB

Scones, Top

The Wee Blether Tearoom

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Direction finder at the Wee Blether Tearoom, KinlochardBefore we start and for those of you who do not speak ‘pure Scots’ perhaps we should explain ‘wee blether’. It is when people get together and gossip about anything and everything. A blether can also be a noun. The act of blethering or someone who blethers .. tells stories not necessarily based in fact. You remember an earlier post about the MP for Shetland who mislead his constituents so as to get elected. In English you would call him a liar, pure and simple. However, in Scots, if we wanted to be less harsh, we might call him ‘a wee blether’ .. got it?

Meanwhile back in the real world, Russia is bombing Syria, the US is bombing Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia is bombing Yemen and Britain’s nuclear submarines patrol endlessly and uselessly. Fortunately, in the midst of this mess  the Wee Blether Tearoom is a perfect oasis of light hearted good sense. We had had it on good authority from a couple of local Kinlochardians (or whatever you call people from Kinlochard) that this place was worth a visit. They were not wrong.

Soup and bread

The menu reminds you that “we are not a fast food establishment, not even a restaurant, we’re a small family run tearoom, we strive to provide the best quality food as quickly as we can” .. a good start! Notice at the Wee Blether Tearoom, KinlochardIt is up to the minute with deals, in fact everywhere you look there are offers that have to be read with some care. However, for not taking themselves too seriously Ricky and Shona (the owners) do a great job of combining a lovely relaxed atmosphere and great food. Sitting in the sun looking out over Loch Ard it is not difficult to relax and the sweet potato and coconut soup accompanied by almost a half loaf of wonderfully soft brown bread was absolutely delicious.  A scone at the Wee Blether Tearoom, Kinlochard

When our scones arrived however we realised that the soup and bread might have been a mistake .. they don’t do dainty scones and they came fully loaded with jam and cream. Now  we have said in the past that we prefer to load our own scones. Make a scone of two halves then load and eat each half separately. In our opinion that’s the way it should be done. On this occasion at least we were provided with a fork and spoon with which to tackle them. They were fab!

Sweeties

Even although there was not a single kid in the place Ricky came round dishing out sweets to everyone. Like the big kids that we are, we dutifully took them. Nice touch though. We also took up their latest offer, pay double for one scone and get the second free .. great! This place is friendly and well named. If you came here on your own it wouldn’t be long before you were having a wee blether with someone. Well done to Ricky and Shona, great place and topscone.

teapot collection at the Wee Blether Tearoom, Kinlochard
teapot collection

FK8 3TL      tel: 01877 387337         Wee Blether Tearoom

foreign, Ordinary, self-service

The Duke Restaurante

Now here’s a wee change; no it’s not Portobello, or Bournemouth,  it’s the view from the Duke restaurant in Palmanova, Majorca. Not that we have been there, mind you. Friends of ours were, however, and they Spain 02decided to keep us up to date with the Spanish scone situation. According to them it’s nothing to write home about but they thought they would anyway! The scone was okay, the cream was not up to much but just eating a scone in 35 degrees of heat was something of a heroic feat in itself. They did it for us Spain 01and the enlightenment of our readers .. such sacrifice! Spain 04

All peace and tranquility here, lying on the beach quaffing beer. In the far north of the country, however, the Catalan people have recently been trying to persuade the Madrid government that they should have some say in running their own affairs. Can you think of any similarities closer to home? They have been subjected to exactly the same extreme propaganda war that Scotland suffered during the 2014 referendum. However, no sooner had Catalan president Artur Mas guided his nationalist coalition to victory at Catalonia’s elections last Sunday night than a court in Madrid announced that Mas would face formal charges relating to civil disobedience and the ‘usurpation’ of Spanish constitutional powers.

Exotic

It’s not just the UK government that’s a bit slow on the uptake! Anyway many thanks to C&D for making this post more exotic than usual. Looking forward to the next holiday scone report!

07181 Palmanova       tel: 971108205      The Duke Restaurante TA

Ordinary, Scones

Deacon’s House Café

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  • Deacon Brodie was an Edinburgh cabinet maker in the mid 18th century and was by all accounts an interesting character. Respectable tradesman and City councillor by day and burglar by night. Logo at Deacon's House CaféThe Deacon’s House Café is situated in what was once his workshop. It has plenty of olde worlde charm to satisfy the legions of tourists who must pass through here. After all they have trudged up the Royal Mile with its plethora of cashmere and souvenier shops, seeking some sustenance .. maybe even a scone. A scone at Deacon's House CaféOn offer were plain and fruit as well as apple and cinnamon scones which they advertise as ‘fresh baked’,. However, we found them very disappointing .. too big, too hard and too tasteless. Unfortunately there were a number of things that made this place feel slightly unwelcoming:
  1. • no credit cards of any kind taken in spite of it being in one of Scotland’s busiest tourist areas • orders have to be placed and paid for at the counter before they bring it to your table; if it’s busy this entails a long wait •  toilets are on the other side of the close and an access code is required • no wifi that we could find • service could best be described as ‘adequate’. Interior view at Deacon's House Café, Edinburgh

Overall you got the feeling that, because there was a constant stream of tourists coming through the door, they did not have to try too hard. Unfortunately it showed.

Brodie’s double life eventually caught up with him and although he ran away to the continent he was caught in Holland and returned. He was hanged in 1788 before a crowd of 40,000 in the High Street. That must have been a good day out.

Crowdfunding

Parallels can be drawn between Brodie and Scotland’s only Lib Dem MP, Alistair Carmichael. He, you will remember, covertly released a memo which besmirched the First Minister by accusing her of being a David Hameron supporter. Only after the General Election did he own up.  By that time, of course, he had narrowly held on to his seat in Shetland. Four of his own constituents thought that he would not have won had the electorate known he was a liar and decided to take him to court. Of course they could not afford the immense costs. Hallelujah, all the costs were met by crowdfunding. See the connection to Brodie?

#CarmichaelMustGo

Perhaps  40,000 people all contributing a couple of quid in order to get justice .. a modern day hanging. The case was not expected to succeed because according to the LibDems “all MPs lie”. However, the court has decided that there is a case to answer and Carmichael will probably have to testify. Today, Carmichael must feel a bit like Deacon Brodie. #CarmichaelMustGo.

teapot display
teapot display

EH1 2PS        tel: 0131 226 1894         Deacon’s House Café

Ordinary, Scones

Upstairs at McEwens

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Today we are at Upstairs at McEwen’s. Don’t want you all wondering if we just shop and eat scones all day with both the last post, and this one, having a shopping theme. The excuse for this one is London Fashion Week which has just finished. We know that all you fashionistas will have been hanging on every word from the likes of Alexander McQueen and Karl Lagerfeld. However, did you realise that the people responsible for maintaining fashion at respectable levels in Perthshire and beyond were McEwens of Perth. One of our favourite shops and one you should definitely not miss if you are ever in the Fair City. This is the North of Scotland’s answer to Harrods, Liberty and Harvey Nicks. A bit more random but a lot more likeable. Rather like Grace Brothers in ‘Are You Being Served’.Old advert at Upstairs at Macewens of Perth

The Modes from Paris

Although it is much bigger now with multiple shops, it has been run by the same family from the same building since 1868. In this day and age, is well worth celebrating in itself. Now, if you think that Perthshire’s fashion consists mainly of Hunter wellies and Barbour jackets you would not be too far wrong. You might not realise, however, that even back in the 1890’s the managers from this place were visiting Europe and bringing back ‘The Modes from Paris’. Then making exquisite copies in their own workshops, exclusive to McEwens. Can you imagine the excitement of the Perthshire ladies? Nowadays it must be much harder to survive modern day commercial pressures. However, survive they do and survive with some style.

part of the Boutique at Macewens of Perth
part of the Boutique

Quotes emblazoned on the walls include. “We are all born the same, but fashion makes us unique” and, ‘we are all of us stars, we deserve to twinkle“. Great stuff! Up until recently, in the Upstairs restaurant you would have been waited on by ladies in black uniforms with little white aprons and little white hats. A bit like ‘Allo! Allo!’ Sadly they have now gone but the restaurant manages to maintain an old worldly charm where an overall sense of calm and Perthshire decency prevails. A scone at Upstairs at Macewens of PerthSadly the scones were not quite what we expected. Nice enough, but with a slightly pasty texture and taste. Don’t think they were home baked so, unfortunately, no topscone award this time.

The Duchess

On previous visits we have sampled their range of breakfast bacon rolls. ‘The Duchess’ is bacon, brie and cranberry .. fab! There .. ‘bacon’ has been mentioned and now we have to try and resist further references to the Prime Minister and his penchant for pork! Can you imagine the disappointment of the Perthshire ladies? Lots of them probably keep pigs?Interior view of Upstairs at Macewens of PerthPH1 5SN        tel: 01738 623444        Upstairs at McEwens

Useful link: things to do in Perth