You might think that Bridge of Allan is a slightly odd name for a town but it is pretty obvious really. It’s built around the bridge over the river known as the Allan Water. And the Allanwater Cafe is almost built on top of the bridge. Before railways and cars, bridges were super-important. They provided the means of avoiding long and difficult circuitous routes to cross rivers. Nowadays people driving in and out of the town wouldn’t even be aware that they were crossing a bridge and wouldn’t give it a moment’s thought.
Man and horse
Bridge of Allan is a very pleasant place sporting many large mansion houses much favoured by today’s overpaid professional footballers. Its origins, however, were much more humble … mining copper. The mines closed in 1807 but a few years later the local laird discovered that mineral springs were leaking into the mines and decided to make Bridge of Allan a spa town. No flies on these laird types! In 1830 Bridge of Allan was described as “everything a village ought to be: straw roofed cottages, a mill, old inns with entertainment for man and horse, and a row of neat little villas for the fashionable who flock to it in summer.” If it’s good enough for man and horse it should be good enough for us lowly sconeys. There are many cafes and restaurants in the town and we thought we had visited them all … except this one!
Amazingly, it has been run by the Bechelli family dynasty for more than one hundred and twenty years. There are plenty other cafes around. The multinational Costa is directly across the road but has closed permanently. Also across the road is Nairn’s a brand new up market restaurant venture and but it was almost empty. The Allanwater Cafe, on the other hand, was buzzing. The Bechelli dynasty must be doing something right.
It would have been good to sample some of their lunch offerings but we just wanted some coffee and maybe a scone to share. When we said we wanted to share a scone our waitress said “Yes they are big“!The service was very friendly and helpful … perhaps they were part of the family dynasty. Anyway we soon had everything we needed. The staff seemed to know almost everyone in the place which gave it a very relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. Our scone was enjoyable as well but fell short of a topscone.
Dynasties
If the Bechelli family dynasty is getting things right the same does not apply to all such dynasties.
The Paterson Memorial (nothing to do with us) to a local doctor
Surely the best news of the week is media-mogul Rupert Murdoch’s announcement that he is retiring. He has been a malevolent force around the world for far too long and if he and his sordid News Corp organisation were to disappear off the scene tomorrow it would not be a moment too soon. Without his interference Trump would probably never have made it out of the starting blocks and Brexit would never have happened. As with all things Murdoch, however, it is not straight forward. He is handing over the reins to his even more right wing son, Lachlan. It’s just a pity his name so ably demonstrates his Scottish ancestry. Perhaps Lachlan should come to the Allanwater Cafe to see how a dynasty should be run?
It’s a sure sign that summer is coming to an end. Could it be the lower temperatures, the leaves turning, or the days shortening? Well yes, but it’s more that we have started going to the movies after breakfast. We enjoy it. It supports our local picture palace and it feels slightly sinful when you come out and it’s only lunchtime. It also allows us to explore the town of Bo’ness and find places like Nosh, the scene for today’s scone.
Inside the Hippodrome
We haven’t been here at the Hippodrome, Scotland’s oldest cinema ,since February when we saw ‘Till’, an excellent movie. This time it was ‘The Innocent‘ a French romcom heist caper about stealing a truck load of caviar. Enjoyable enough although subtitles can be hard work when they go rapidly … why do the French speak so quickly?
In some ways watching a French film in Bo’ness is kind of appropriate. Bo’ness was once one of Scotland’s largest ports and would have traded the black stuff (coal not caviar) with France for many centuries. Scotland was France’s oldest ally since the two countries formed the Auld Alliance in 1295 in an attempt to control England’s many invasions. Trade between the two circumvented England and ports like Bo’ness and Leith thrived. It may also explain why Scotland has always thought of itself as much more European than England.
After the film we ended up here in Nosh, one of the few cafés we haven’t visited in the town. It’s located in a building built in 1750 as a tollbooth.
Built in 1750 but who were ‘RB’ and ‘EB’?
It’s more of a takeaway place for sandwiches and the like but it does have a few tables.
On the counter, under a glass dome, were two scones individually wrapped in cling film. We never think this is a good idea. Scones need to breathe after all and sometimes it means that they might not be entirely fresh. Anyway, we ordered one to share as well as a some coffees. Our scone turned out to be not at all bad but a long way off a topscone.
Obedience
The Prime Minister has single handedly managed to upset almost everyone by announcing that he is rolling back on his commitment to green policies. The date for net zero will now be 2035 instead of 2030. Goodness knows what it will be by the time we reach 2030? Right or wrong it does demonstrate this Tory government’s unswerving dedication to screwing things up. It wouldn’t be so serious if there was a better option waiting in the wings, but there isn’t! The only thing the Labour Party, “the opposition” seems to do is support the Tories. Voters are caught between a rock and a hard place. In Scotland, after one invasion too many by England, we have no say and just do what we are told!
A watercolour of Nosh’s building
Meanwhile King Charles and Queen Camilla are in France trying to thaw out relationships after the disaster of Brexit. Good luck with that!
The last time we were at the Dunimarle Orangery was back in 2021 … and at that time it wasn’t here. The building was here but it wasn’t a tearoom. In the 1830s it was Magdalene Erskine who added the Orangery to the castle presumably so she could grow her own oranges … as you do! We think that Magdalene may have been a force to be reckoned with. In 1853 she married an Admiral Sharpe who she discarded permanently after three days. Goodness, he may have been lacking in certain departments but you would have thought she could have given him a week?
Dunimarle Castle from the west
Obviously a woman with ambition and a plan as she incorporated his name and became Mrs Sharpe Erskine thereafter. Life is so much easier if you are double-barrelled! Eventually she turned the castle into a museum to house hundreds of objects d’art and fine paintings her brother had ‘acquired’ during the Napoleonic wars. Now, all these artefacts have been transferred to Duff House in Aberdeenshire. Perhaps typically, before she died in 1872, she built an ornate chapel in the grounds for her own funeral. Why not? Oranges would never keep her going for ever!
Good sense
After many years languishing with an uncertain future Dunimarle was recently bought by businessman Salim Mohamed who wants to turn it into his home. At least Salim has had the good sense to open the Orangery as a tearoom. Well done Salim!
Avenue of Wellingtonias used to form the main entrance to the castle
When we were last here we bemoaned the fact that there wasn’t a tearoom. To us it seemed like an ideal spot. It’s only a twenty minute drive from home, we had to investigate.
The Orangery itself is nicely set up and very necessary in the event of inclement weather. Today, however, was lovely and warm so we opted to sit out and enjoy the panoramic views over the Firth of Forth.
Complications
Unfortunately, placing a simple order for tea and a single scone to share became strangely complicated. Everyone was very nice but the right hand didn’t quite seem to know what the left hand was doing. Perhaps they just need to settle down with a system. Finally we had everything we needed (except cream) and spent a very pleasant hour just sitting in this wonderful setting with a very pleasant scone. Not quite a topscone but pretty close.
A castellated doorway leading to Italianate yew-lined terrace.
Privileged
We have no doubt that when Mrs Sharpe Erskine was around riffraff like us would have been unceremoniously seen off the premises so we felt very privileged to be sitting here in these surroundings. Especially when news from the Moroccan earthquake is of complete villages being reduced to rubble in seconds with thousands of deaths. In Scotland, the village of Comrie, known as “the Shaky Toon” is the epicentre for such events. However, if a plate fell off a shelf in Comrie during a quake it would definitely make headline news. We are privileged indeed.
Okay, following our disappointing visit to Alianti in Richmond upon Thames. we are still in the deep south imposing on family. To share the burden of our presence more evenly, however, we have now moved to Poole in Dorset. Here, we can live the life of beach bums. Evidently, it’s a lifestyle we can adapt to without any sort of difficulty. Today, however, we have hit the monsoon season which we’re assured will only last one day. We’ve taken a drive and ended up here at the Old Mill Tea Rooms in Christchurch.
Miraculous
The ancient town of Christchurch sits between two rivers – the Stour and the Avon and is dominated by the 11th century Priory. It was closed in 1539 during the Dissolution of Henry VIII but miraculously managed to survive. It houses the tomb of Margaret, Countess of Salisbury, who Henry described as “the most saintly woman in England”. Though, it would be another miracle if she was able to maintain such a title after meeting Henry.
The roof of the Priory also contains the Miraculous Beam. The medieval builders determined that this essential beam was too short for where it was supposed to go, giving rise to much angst. Next morning, however, when they returned (presumably sober) it was not only the correct length but in its correct position. It brings to mind a quote by Noam Chomsky sent to us by our Aussie Toowoomba correspondents still recovering from the Matilda’s defeat to the Lionesses: “The general population doesn’t know what’s happening and it doesn’t even know that it doesn’t know.” Given that people flock to see the Miraculous Beam we should not be surprised when they vote the way they do.
Mary Shelley cradling her dead husband after a boating accident
But now to more prosaic matters … parking! Although Christchurch is only a few miles from Poole it takes half an hour to get here. It takes half and hour to get anywhere. It’s just the volume of traffic! You have to pay for parking everywhere. In our modern cashless society we were supplied with an app to facilitate this. A cashless society disadvantages a lot of people so we’re not in favour but increasingly we find ourselves without any. To park you just enter your location (4 digit ID) and select how long you want to stay. Not here, however, outside the Old Mill. When the app asked how long you wished to stay it wouldn’t allow us to select anything. We tried everything but eventually we gave up. Perhaps someone in the Old Mill could tell us where we are going wrong?
The girl behind the counter just shook her head and said “No-one can work it, there’s no service down here, you’ll have to use coins”. Coins? Where on earth would we find these? Our girl came to the rescue. She gave us four £1 coins from the till and said she would add it on to our bill. Phew! A couple of hours would have been more than plenty but in our excitement we fed the machine with all our new found treasure. Now we could stay all day in the pouring rain … yeah!
A funfair
The Old Mill Tea Rooms were busy busy. Maybe it was just a very good place or maybe it had something to do with wintry weather outside? There’s a funfair here and there’s nothing quite so desolate as a funfair in the pouring rain. Anyway the atmosphere in the Old Mill was bright and cheerful with lots of chatter. We had a window seat allowing us to look out onto the harbour and watch others braving the worst of the weather. Our scones came with lots of jam and cream as well as a fresh strawberry. It was thoughtfully cut in half to prevent any squabbling about whose it was. The scones had been warmed and were lovely and soft. Not topscones but we thoroughly enjoyed them nevertheless.
Newsless in Dorset
For the last couple of weeks we have been without television or newspapers. Adrift in that wonderful world of “no news”. Don’t think we’ve missed much.
This picture in the Old Mill pretty much sums up most people when they think of the world today.
Shelley’s wife Mary wrote Frankenstein in 1818, She also said “Life, although it may be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me and I will defend it” Go on yourself Mary!
You can probably tell that with a highfalutin name like Alianti Bonne Bouche that we are not in Scotland any more. We’re in London imposing on family. Even down here though the name is a bit confusing! Bonne Bouche kind of means ‘tasty bite’. We can go with that but Alianti is Italian for ‘gliders’ … no comprendes!
Confusion
Actually this place is confusing and it’s not just the name. There are no toilet or hand washing facilities and in our old fashioned naive kind of way we thought that that wasn’t allowed these days. An enquiry about these facilities elicits a brusque “don’t have any” from the unsurprisingly surly and cross legged staff. Things were not getting off to the best of starts. There were two scones on the counter and that was it. She said “we don’t have cream but there’s strawberry jam. Would we like that?” Rather than just have a dry scone we replied in the affirmative. Then she added “There’s butter as well. Would we like that?” Boy, they really know how to show people a good time down here! To be fair, she did offer to toast the scones which was great because they looked at least a couple of days old.
Paved Court leads to Ted Lasso’s flat and the pub used in the TV series
On the upside, it was a lovely day so we sat out in Paved Court which isn’t a ‘court’, more a narrow little lane that runs down the side of the cafe. Is there no end to the confusion? From a sconological point of view, suffice to say that this experience was just a whisker short of catastrophic. The coffee was nice but other than that there was nothing to commend it. If we were ever to return they would have to drop the ‘bonne bouche’ and have a large illuminated sign advertising their brand spanking new toilets. We are not holding our breath!.
She asked!
Our sojourn at Alianti was actually very enjoyable. Nothing to do with the fare we are served but a lot to do with the two ladies sitting at the next table. They were great fun! One was from Germany but had spent most of her life in the US. She was keen to know why Scotland wanted to separate from England. So many reasons … where to start?
Interior of Alianti
Norway has just published that they expect to get £120 billion in tax revenues from North Sea oil in 2023. Scotland has the same amount of oil but gets nothing … it all goes to Westminster. They then waste it on vanity projects in London. Then there’s the lies. Not little porky pie type lies but great big humungous lies. Obviously not big enough to embarrass Boris Johnson, no lies are that big but big nevertheless!
In 2014 we had the referendum on Scottish independence. We were told then that there was only a dribble of oil left. Hardly enough to last the year. Never mind the green issues, a couple of weeks ago Rishi Sunak issued 100 brand new drilling licences with hundreds more to follow. There’s loads of oil! In 2014 we were told that the only way Scotland could stay in the EU was to stick with England. Two years later Brexit ensured that Scotland was dragged, kicking and screaming, out of the EU.
At the other end of Paved Court, two cast iron telephone kiosks made in Falkirk with Ted Lasso’s pub in the background,
Also, never mind that Scotland has a devolved government that wants independence or that almost all the Westminster MPs who represent Scotland also want independence, it doesn’t make the slightest difference. All the important powers are retained by England. We could have gone on: the BBC, monarchy, land ownership, the Barnett formula but by this time she was wishing she had never asked!
Morality?
Economics are all well and good but for us it’s simply a moral question. Why should one country be able to deny another country the right to determine its own future. It’s equivalent to Canada having to ask permissions from the US. Canadians would tolerate that for slightly less than a split nanosecond!
We bade farewell to our new enlightened friends and headed off in search of a real bonne bouche!
It’s not often we are in Elsrickle. In fact we had never heard of it until we were driving along the A721 and saw a big red barn and a cafe sign. It’s at the southern end of the Pentland Hills outside Edinburgh.
The café itself is off the road and is not situated in the red barn which is actually just a barn. It’s about 100 yards away from it. In this lovely open countryside, we can only imagine that the barn is a bit of a landmark and they just tell people to keep going until they see the Big Red Barn. The sign says “foods, goods and woods” and there’s a reason for that.
Inside there’s a shop selling all sorts of ‘goods’ and a fairly large restaurant area selling ‘foods’. The ‘woods’ stems from the fact that they have 80 acres of woodland with lots of signposted walks to explore.
A gentle breeze
Fruit scones were part of the ‘foods’ so we asked for one to share as well as some tea. Too warm to sit inside so we found a table out in the garden while we waited for our scone. There was a lovely gentle breeze that made the short wait very refreshing. Very soon we had everything we needed. Our scone had plenty of fruit. No cream but plenty of butter and raspberry jam. Not a topscone but enjoyable nevertheless. There’s quite a lot happening here with people coming and going all the time. A pied wagtail and a couple of house sparrows hopped around our table the whole time and apparently deer often come into the garden from the woodland but we didn’t see any.
The Little Red Pie Shed with the Big Red Barn behind
Just beyond where we were sitting we could see a wee shed. My predilection with sheds in general meant that it required further examination. Turned out it was “The Little Red Pie Shed“. It was closed which was probably just as well since I also have a predilection for pies. Beside it is a sheltered area where you could go with your pie to escape the worst of the effects of the fresh air. Hardly necessary these days since we’ve barely seen any rain for months and the sun has been shining continuously.
Priorities
Is this climate change? We’re not sure but over recent years we’ve certainly noticed an increase in summer temperatures and a bit less rainfall. The Big Red Barn is pretty ‘green’ with its biomass generator fed from its own woodland and a wind turbine making it almost self sufficient in energy. Two years ago we had COP26 climate conference held just a few miles from here in Glasgow.
There, almost 200 countries agreed the Glasgow Climate Pact. The whole thing was designed to try and help poor countries worst affected by climate change. The wealthiest countries, however, the ones that created the problem, refused to sign up to anything meaningful. They all informally agreed that aviation was a huge contributor to greenhouse gases but immediately after the conference they all said that returning their aviation industries to pre-pandemic levels was a top priority .. eh? And the public seem happy to go along with it so that they can go off on their holidays to even warmer places than Scotland. Our grandchildren are not going to thank us! It’s a mad world and rather oddly, as we look around the globe at what’s going on, climate change seems like the least of our problems … argh!
Here’s something even we didn’t know
Did you know that hemp has been grown in Scotland for centuries?Scotland exported cannabis to Jamaica long before it was grown there. Places like Cromarty used to employ 800 people in the hemp industry. Obviously, here it was only used for making sacks! Now it’s being recognised as having great potential in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and the hemp growers want to expand. The problem is that by the time the growers have filled in all the government’s paperwork to get a licence, the growing season has finished. How very governmental!
Cafe Riva at Inverkip Marina takes its name from the classic Riva Aquarama speedboat which although it went out of production in 1999 is still much sought after by the rich and famous.. My experiences on the ocean wave, however, weren’t nearly so high powered or spritely!
Love, hate
Being here is a bit of a nostalgia trip. For quite a few years I would be leaving from here on a 34ft Westerly Falcon called Brizo. Six knots was the maximum speed and we didn’t hit that very often. Having said that, we did once manage an exhilarating 14 knots but only with the help of the infamous Corryvreckan whirlpool. The boat was owned by a syndicate, all of whom lived down south. Being the only relatively local person, I was called upon every other weekend to crew with whichever member of the syndicate’s turn it was to have the boat. With seven berths there were many happy adventures exploring the coastlines of Scotland and Ireland. For me personally it was a love hate relationship. I was always fine on board until we left the marina whereupon I would promptly be sick … never ever found my sea legs!
Always worth it in the end though. Some great trips as far as Orkney and St Kilda in some fantastic company.
Closing time
The marina has got bigger since these days and Café Riva is one of the new additions. We had the misfortune to arrive fifteen minutes before closing. The tables and chairs were already being taken in. Somewhat grudgingly they agreed to provide us with a scone and some tea. The fact that we couldn’t sit inside wasn’t a problem since the day was a bit cloudy but lovely and warm. Our tea and scone was plonked on our table without ceremony. The scone in a paper bag and the tea in cardboard cups. By now, you have probably guessed that this was never going to be a topscone. But we enjoyed sitting there watching the rest of the tables and chairs disappearing inside.
Nightmares
In our previous post from Helensbank we mentioned the plight of the five people stuck in a mini-submarine near the wreck of the Titanic. Barak Obama rightly questioned the wall to wall media coverage it was getting. Of course, we now know it resulted in the sad loss of all five lives. Obama was comparing it to the comparatively scant coverage given to the loss of 700 lives in a fishing boat off the coast of Italy. Both were tragedies for everyone involved. We think, however, the uneven coverage was probably due to a basic human condition. Being trapped in a cold dark place for days on end simply waiting for your oxygen to run out relates to peoples most base fears … the stuff of nightmares. The Mediterranean tragedy wasn’t relatable in quite the same way.
Just outside Café Riva was this intriguing sculpture which we could also relate to. On the little plaque it said “Sometimes We Get It Right”
Promising signs .. or not?
Elsewhere, part of Russia’s army, the infamous Wagner Group seems to be in a state of mutiny. However, they probably haven’t fully reckoned in dealing with a duplicitous Moscow. Similarly Humza Yousaf, First Minister of Scotland, has just published his road map to Scottish Independence. However, we think he probably hasn’t fully reckoned with the duplicitous parcel of rogues at Westminster.
We’re at the Riverside today because we are following Forth Valley Artbeat trail which is a kind of open house for local artists. It happens for one week every year. First we went to see Archie Scott at his woodturning studio in Bannockburn.We bought this beautiful little bowl which he had made out of rotten wood. Actually, it’s not as bad as it sounds. Once the tree has died fungi colonise the wood and extract nutrients from it, leaving behind dark lined patterns. The process is called spalting and our bowl is made of spalted beech wood. Archie was a lovely guy and spent ages with us explaining everything he does, it was absolutely fascinating
Harry
After our woodturning experience we carried on to Dunblane where there were more studios to visit. Before that, of course some lunch was called for and that’s how we ended up here at the Riverside. Originally it was the Stirling Arms built in1770. Robert Burns stayed here in 1787and wrote the poem ‘My Harry Was A Gallant Gay‘, It’s about HIghland Harry’s association with the local laird’s daughter, Jeannie Gordon. Nowadays, however, with Harry, Duke of Suffolk’s ongoing legal battles, we think the title might be problematic.
Pat and I usually share almost everything. Today however we are taking it a stage further and splitting everything three ways with one of our neighbours who had come with us. To stretch the tolerance of the Riverside even further we decided to do a three way split on two scones … their last fruit scone and a plain one. The staff were very understanding … everything we got came with three plates.
It was a very hot day so we sat outside on the balcony overlooking the the river, the Allan Water. Thank goodness there was a large canopy to provide shade.
The scones were quite big and came with jam and the ubiquitous Roddas Cornish clotted cream. They were very enjoyable but half way through I decided to top up my tea from the teapot. I forgot to use the strainer which was right in front of me and ended up with lots of tealeaves in my cup. Our neighbour immediately sprang into action offering to ‘read my leaves’. Goodness, we’ve been neighbours for over forty years and we had no idea she was into tasseography. Just when you thought you knew someone!
It’s all in the detail
Apparently, I am going on a long journey over water amongst many other things. She was having difficulty, however, with detail because the tealeaves were too big. Turns out the tea supplier also provides Riverside with our favourite coffee. We have reported the matter and they have promised to get scissors and cut each leaf in half. Perhaps it was fortuitous that more detail was not forthcoming. Anyway, although our scones were lovely they weren’t topscones. But if you are looking for somewhere to chill in lovely surroundings and with good food and good service, look no further than the Riverside.
Fun guys
A few yards further up the High Street from Riverside is Balhaldie House where Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed as he led his army south in his bid to regain the throne for his dad. Six months later the Duke of Cumberland was riding past Balhaldie in hot pursuit of the retreating Prince. A pot of boiling oil was thrown from an upstairs window at Balhaldie by a serving lass who had taken a wee fancy to the bonnie Prince. The Duke fell off his horse but no one was seriously hurt. It does show, however, that you can’t be too careful when you make more than political enemies. Just ask Boris Johnson or Donald Trump. Perhaps they should consider a stay at the nearby Dunblane’s Hydro Hotel. The medicinal baths are supposed to calm the nerves of the “worried well”.
You all know what it’s like, don’t you? You are in a restaurant having afternoon tea and when you go to settle the bill, they say “That’s okay, it’s all paid for!” Well maybe not, but that’s what happened to us here at the Aroma Café in Biggar. A friend had sent us a card when we were celebrating our recent wedding anniversary saying he had booked an afternoon tea for us in this café. He was our best man fifty years ago but he has a well deserved reputation for being uncontactable and just a bit random. We weren’t too sure what was booked and what wasn’t. Anyway, hurrah for best men, we love them!
Becky was then looking after us and she was great. Our afternoon tea was in front of us almost immediately. What a lot there was! The plates were groaning with goodies! Sausage rolls, quiches, various sandwiches, loads of cakes and, of course, plain as well as fruit scones. We knew right away that we would be defeated by this feast. And so it was!
We munched our way through most of the bottom layer but when it came to the scones we had to share one. They were big! We have nothing against big scones, per se, but we do think that they should be relatively small when part of an afternoon tea. Makes sense don’t you think? Anyway, by the time we finished we felt pleasantly stuffed. Thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Aroma Café and made a mental note to revisit this part of the world sometime soon.
Days gone bye
I used to come to Biggar quite a lot when I was Secretary of the STOWA (Scottish Tug-of-War Association) for many years. At that time the world tug-of-war champions at 640kgs (Tinto TOWC) were from here. Now, apparently the local ladies team has just qualified for the upcoming Royal Highland Show Young Farmers competition. An event that Pat and I used to judge. Good to hear that the sport is still alive and well in the area.
Biggar is set amidst beautiful rolling countryside and still maintains that old market town feel. The town’s slogan encapsulates a slightly independent and defiant air.
“New York is big, but this is Biggar”
After we left Aroma Café we walked along the High Street but it was so hot that we eventually gave up and retreated to the aircon comfort of the car for a leisurely drive home.
A typical little lane off the High Street
Do we care?
While we have been having afternoon tea it has all been going on! Boris and Rishi have fallen out big time about Boris’s Honours List. A huge Parliamentary investigation has found, surprise, surprise, that Boris is a stranger to the truth. The good news is that Boris has also resigned as an MP. Also Donald Trump was arrested and appeared in court in Miami. Here in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, former First Minister was also arrested then released. Silvio Berlusconi died. Manchester City FC won some stuff and Novak Djokovic has won even more stuff. Do the good folks of Biggar care about any of this? We suspect not.
In the past, whenever we have been here in this part of the Trossachs, the Brig o’ Turk Tearoom has been closed. Today we seem to be retracing events of 1973 when we got married in a Glasgow registry office before driving in HAL, our trusty Citroen Dyane, to the village of Strathyre for our reception.
Pat with HAL in 1972
As we drove over the Duke’s Pass with its multiplicity of hairpin bends we marvelled at the fact that we ever made it to Strathyre. With four of us in the car it must have taken all of HAL’s 602cc to power us up these inclines (he was named after the computer that had a mind of its own in 2001, Space Odyssey). In terms of performance HAL, with a following wind, could do 0-60mph slightly faster than it takes to soft boil an egg. We loved HAL dearly and were very sad when we eventually had to go our separate ways.
Today we are in another French car but much more powerful … no need to take account of the wind direction. We descended the other side of the Pass and were treated to fabulous views of Ben A’an and the surrounding hills. We felt we were very lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world. And as if to confirm that thought, when we reached the tiny hamlet of Brig o’ Turk, the tearoom was open … lucky, lucky, lucky!
Salacious
Externally it looks like a big green shed but it’s a big green shed that’s been here for 100 years. It first opened its doors in 1923 and it’s been fairly eventful. The tearoom was used as a set in the remake of the film “the 39 Steps”. Brig o’ Turk was also the setting for a famous love triangle. It was between the much celebrated writer, artist and philosopher, John Ruskin, his wife Effie Gray and John Everett Millais. The affair has been made into a Netflix film “Effie Gray“. If you want more detail you should watch it. The story is much too salacious to be recounted on an erudite, genteel scone blog such as this.
Veggie
Internally it looks quite pleasant but still rather shed like. We were going to be eating again later so for now we just wanted tea and a scone. It’s one of these places which is enthusiastically vegatarian. They are determined that you will leave healthier than when you came in. They pride themselves on their local produce … even the menu is limited until their vegetable garden starts to produce. Why then is their Meadow Churn butter not local and from the Iceland supermarket? Of course, there was no cream so just the scone with the butter and some jam. It was all rather nice though and we were happy that we had managed to visit the tearoom at long last.
Just a few hundred yards from the tearoom lies the bicycle tree. A young man going off to fight in WWI left his bike lying against the tree. It either says something for the honesty of the neighbourhood or the state of his bike that it wasn’t stolen. He never returned to collect it and the tree slowly grew up round about it. Parts of the bike can still be seen about eight feet up protruding from the trunk. In 2015 it was given protected status. It’s not a threat to anyone competing in the Tour de France although the young man probably died there.
Don’t mess
The Westminster politicians currently messing with the devolution settlement for Scotland should be thankful that they won’t have to deal with Ellen Stewart. She’s a bit of a hero with folks in Brig o’ Turk. In 1650 when Cromwell’s army was blazing a bloody trail across Scotland leaving thousands dead they eventually came to the Trossachs. For safety the locals decided to place their women and children on an island on Loch Katrine. However, when an English soldier decided to swim out and capture their boat he hadn’t reckoned with the women folk in these parts. As he clambered up the rocks on the beach Ellen promptly chopped his head off with a sword. Don’t mess with the Scots … especially the women!
ps: the other day, friends invited us round to their house for an afternoon catchup and some nibbles. The nibbles, of course, turned out to be scones.
Half were plain and the other half were fruit. Gently warmed by the sun, lots of jam and cream and the company of good friends … lucky, lucky, lucky again!
pps: recently I was lamenting to a Texan singer/songwriter friend that the older I got the less I seem to understand. She replied that knowing how little you know is in itself, wisdom. Okay, it was never in doubt but I would just like readers to know that although I don’t know anything, I am wise!
by Bill and Pat Paterson and is about finding good scones throughout the world, with a little bit of politics
When we said we wanted to share a scone our waitress said “Yes they are big“!The service was very friendly and helpful … perhaps they were part of the family dynasty. Anyway we soon had everything we needed. The staff seemed to know almost everyone in the place which gave it a very relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. Our scone was enjoyable as well but fell short of a topscone.
