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These are the best scones we have found so far.

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Tweeddale Arms Hotel

What is it with the aristocracy?  Does having too much money and privilege simply make you bonkers, or do they have to take lessons? Maybe at places like Eton or Gordonstoun? Today we are in Gifford just a short distance outside Edinburgh. The village takes its name from the Gifford family of noblemen the first of whom was Sir Hugo Gifford, a known wizard, who in 1267 built Yester Castle. He designed the castle and an underground dungeon known as the Goblin Ha’. Built, supposedly with the help of magic and a small army of hobgoblins, the beautifully vaulted Ha’ (Hall) can still be seen beneath the ruins of the castle. Even today, the Goblin Ha’ Hotel sits proudly on the main street.

A view of Gifford main street
Gifford main street
Odd beginnings

Gifford village itself does not go back as far as that though, in fact, it didn’t even exist back then. In the 17th century. One of Sir Hugo’s ancestors who valued his privacy highly, the first Marquess of Tweeddale, built a 7 mile wall round the Yester Estate and demolished the village of Bothans (John Knox was born there in 1505) . He deemed the village to be too close to his house. See what we mean, bonkers! A redeeming factor was that he built this village over a mile away just outside the wall to house the estate workers and gave it the family name … as you do? Thus Gifford was born.

A view of Gifford
Gifford Town Hall
Fairies and scones

After a beautiful drive through the Lammermuir hills we thought that, if we were ever to get a scone in which fairies may have had a hand, the Goblin’ Ha’ Hotel was our best bet but unfortunately it wasn’t to be … no fairies and no scones. We took our leave and went round the corner to this place, the Tweeddale Arms. What a good move that turned out to be. Internal view of Tweedale Arms Hotel in GiffordWe were ushered into a lounge filled with antique furniture and pictures and we had it entirely to ourselves! This was a beautiful and very comfortable room. It would have been nice if there had been a log fire in the big granite fireplace but hey, it was a hot day, so maybe just as well. A scone at the Tweedale Arms Hotel in GiffordThe lady who was looking after us was lovely. Nothing was too much trouble.

When she brought in our scones everything was presented perfectly. Okay the jam and butter were prepacked but the supersized tub of cream more than made up for that. A very pleasant hour was spent noseying round the room and reading country life magazines in the big comfy armchairs. This is the life, nice surroundings, topscones and wonderful service!

Trump’s America

A picture at the Tweedale Arms Hotel in Gifford
Among the pictures in the room was this lovely little ceramic in a gilt frame and a photograph depicting a young lady ready for tennis … obviously in more genteel times. A picture at the Tweedale Arms Hotel in GiffordOne of Gifford’s most famous sons is John Witherspoon, a signatory to the American Declaration of Independence and first president of Princeton University. We wonder what he would make of Trump’s America? And would he have signed Scotland’s upcoming declaration of independence? We have it on good authority that Witherspoon was a very fair and eminently sensible man so we have no doubt he’d have jumped at the chance.

A picture at the Tweedale Arms Hotel in Gifford
Picture of a stag hunt at the Tweeddale

Thanks Tweeddale Arms for a great visit

EH41 4QU     tel: 01620 810240       Tweeddale Arms Hotel

ps: our Trossachs correspondents have sent in a photo of a sconeloaf?? You know as much as we do!

Sconeloaf

english, Scones, Top

The Drift Café – Cresswell

We are staying in the pretty little town of Alnmouth and just round the corner there is a haunted hotel, the Schooner. If this wasn’t bad enough, we are now a few miles away beside Cresswell Tower which is also haunted. We know you have probably had enough of royal weddings but bear with us.

In this case the daughter of the Cresswell family had fallen for a handsome Danish prince. At the time, England was at war with Denmark so perhaps the happy couple should have seen the writing on the wall. Throngs of people gathered at the foot of the tower waiting for the fairy-tale wedding. The bride-to-be was waiting at the top for her prince to arrive only to witness his dead body being dragged behind a horse. The prince had been murdered by the bride’s brothers. She died of a broken heart and on occasions can still can be seen atop the tower gazing out to sea looking for her beloved. Thank goodness Meghan’s was an altogether different story.

Druridge Bay at Cresswell
Druridge Bay at Cresswell
Avocets

We however were here looking for something completely different … avocets. Neither of us had ever seen avocets before but we had it on good authority that we might be able to see them and maybe even a little egret here on Cresswell Pond, another site managed by the Northumberland Wildlife Trust. No sign of the little egret but there were at least half a dozen avocets. We were thrilled to have seen them at last. The Drift Café is quite close to the Pond so after a spell in the bird-hide we knew that a scone wasn’t far away. Internal view of The Drift Café, Cresswell

Going after crumbs

Initially you think that Cresswell is a very quiet seaside village. Not a soul to be seen. Until you enter the Drift that is … everyone’s in here! It was going like a fair! Lots of things for sale by local craft folk and a fabulous display of scones. Pat went for a cheese and chive option. It was so big she swore she would never get anywhere near finishing it. Scones at The Drift Café, CresswellShe finished it, and even went after the crumbs left on her plate. My fruit scone was great as well. Just how I like them with the added bonus of crunchy sugar bits on top … delicious.

All in all this was  definitely one of the most enjoyable experiences we have had in a long time and to make it even better, when we were leaving, across the road from the café, a stonechat … another one for the list!

Londoncentric politics

The first recording of the Cresswell name was actually in Renfrewshire in Scotland which is perhaps not too surprising given that  over 50,000 people in this part of the world have signed a petition wanting to secede from the UK and join Scotland when it becomes independent. Obviously it’s not just the Scots that are utterly fed up with Londoncentric politics. Pat’s list continues to grow.

NE61 5JX        tel: 01670 861599        The Drift Café

english, Scones, Top

Connaught Hotel

A Porsche outside the Connaught Hotel, Mayfair, LondonWe managed to squeeze our Porsche 911 GT2 RS in between another sports car and a huge black Rolls Royce outside the front door of the hotel. Seriously, the car pictured above was indeed parked like that. However, with a price tag of £211,000 for the basic model it represents more than we have spent on cars in our entire lifetime. It does 0-60mph in 2.8 secs whereas our first car, a Citroen Dyane named Hal after the computer in the film 2001, A Space Odyssey, could only reach that speed in a following wind. Truthfully, we arrived by black cab.

A couple of sheep

It took us through Mayfair to the Connaught and the streets were lined with  Ferraris and Lamborghinis so this car was not out of place in the slightest. Definitely the place to see swank, if silly, cars. Our favourite car of all time however remains Hal. Not sure you would get a couple of sheep and bale of straw in the back of that Porsche. At least not without knocking £100,000 off the value! Anyway, this is not a car blog!

As you are very well aware we leave no stone unturned in our sconological quests and once again, as we did at Knockinaam Lodge Hotel, we are going that extra mile … entirely on your behalf! The Connaught (like Claridge’s and the Ritz does not require to have “hotel” after its name … you’re just supposed to know) does luxury rather well.

One of the bars at the Connaught Hotel, Mayfair, London
The Coburg Bar

Because we were a sinful few minutes early we were promptly escorted to  the Coburg bar and obliged to drink pink champagne and eat green olives with homemade potato crisps while  they prepared our table … nice! We had hardly begun when they announced that the table was ready but that we could take as long as we liked over our champagne. Nice again! Internal view of the Connaught Hotel, Mayfair, London

Dream Tea

When we did eventually sit down to our afternoon tea it was in the very comfortable Jean-Georges restaurant. It had a huge wrap round window so that we could sit and watch the mega-rich going past outside wondering which, if any of them, was not involved in money laundering. Afternoon tea at the Connaught Hotel, Mayfair, LondonFirst thing we had to do was decide on tea … there was no coffee option! Pat opted for a green tea called Gyokuro, made by gently steaming the leaves in pure volcanic water and promising to taste of roasted Fuji apples and tender meringue.

I, having only a vague grasp on reality, opted for Dream Tea, an infusion of the finest chamomile, verbena, lemongrass and mint … wake me up somebody! We’ve seen the correct way to taste posh tea …. you suck it noisily through your teeth, swill it vigorously around your mouth before jettisoning it into a spittoon. But this did not seem like either the time or the place. Interestingly both teas looked and tasted amazingly like hot water … but refreshing nevertheless to our PG Tips palates.

Curd, or not?

We could go on endlessly about the biscuit dogs for dipping in chocolate. Or the Truffle egg mayonnaise sandwiches. Or the Rhubarb Compote with Fromage Blanc but you just want to know about the scones. Don’t you! Needless to say they were delicious. There was a fruit and a plain for each of us, beautifully glazed on top and nicely presented in a silver basket. They were accompanied by homemade strawberry jam, Cornish clotted cream and lemon curd … fab. The lemon curd, however, presented us with something of a quandry … cream with curd, or not?

We should know the answer but, since this is the first time we have been presented with the problem, we don’t. We went ‘with’ and it was nice enough but aesthetically a bit insipid looking. Thoughts on this dilemma would be most welcome. Scones at the Connaught Hotel, Mayfair, LondonThe fruit ones had delightfully succulent golden fruit rather than the usual black sultanas. All in all it was a pretty obvious topscone.

However, we don’t want readers running away with the idea that it was all plain sailing. We had had to switch champagnes for the afternoon tea. At one point,Pat even had to pour her own tea!! In the toilets there was someone to greet you. They turned on the taps for you and handed you a beautiful fluffy white hand towel. Too much! The thought of these poor sods standing in a toilet all day, albeit a marbled temple of a toilet, waiting to turn your taps on … arrgghh!

Pouring one’s own tea

They might even wipe bums for the Rees Moggs of this world but we’re not sure. At any rate the very nice gentleman who turned on my taps has probably been deported by now under Theresa May‘s fantastically disgraceful immigration regime. The Connaught must have hundreds of staff. We met quite a few of them and not one of them was British. Does this mean that we will all have to pour our own tea and wipe our own bums after Brexit? Sacré bleu! Afternoon tea at the Connaught Hotel, Mayfair, LondonTo top it all off the staff presented us with a beautiful little box with some extra scones and jams as we left … wonderful. Or maybe it was the Dream Tea kicking in?

W1K 2AL          tel: 020 7499 7070            The Connaught

Scones, Top

The Smithy Tea Room

The logo of The Smithy in New GallowayOn previous occasions when we have been in New Galloway the Catstrand theatre and gallery has provided us with scones from their café area. We have always enjoyed them. This time, however, we noticed that there was a new kid on the block just a few yards down the street, The Smithy Tea Room. It sits on the banks of the Mill Burn, so we decided to give it a go. And what a good decision that was. We were greeted by a lady who was as bright as a button. A scone at The Smithy in New Galloway

Once we were seated she took our order. When she asked if we would like our scones toasted her head was moving up and down as she looked at us knowingly. The decision was made and it was another good one as it turned out.

Good ideas

The jam came in little pots like you normally get from Wilkins and Sons, Tiptree. These jars, however, were being recycled and had been filled by hand. Excellent idea! They also had a novel way of serving their butter neatly wrapped in parchment paper. Simple but very effective. Butter wrapping at The Smithy in New GallowayThere was loads of cream and guess what, it was from Finlay’s ‘Cream o’ Galloway’ Farm which is not only local but produces everything organically. This is definitely the way it should be rather than, like so many places we come across in Scotland, importing Rhodda’s cream from Cornwall. On the counter there was a glass urn full of water from which you could help yourself. Another great idea. Sign for toilets at The Smithy in New Galloway

Knowing nods

The owners had only had the Smithy for six weeks but obviously had a sense of humour as testified by the sign for the toilets. There was just a good feel about the Smithy. There was also lots of other stuff like jewellery, preserves and paintings by local craft people in the shop area. Remember that knowing nod, well the scones were wonderfully toasted and absolutely delicious. Definitely an easy topscone. We liked everything about this place. Internal view of The Smithy in New Galloway

The milky way

New Galloway itself is a beautiful little town but it is also a dark place!! The Forest Park in which it sits is one of the darkest places in Europe … 75,000 hectares of land with hardly anyone living there hence it has been designated the first Dark Sky Park in the UK. On a Sky Quality Meter (yes there is such a thing) it measures almost the same as a photographer’s darkroom … and believe me, that’s dark. So if you want to see the Milky Way and have a great scone, this is the place to be. Internal view of The Smithy in New Galloway

A definite lack of light

This place may be dark but there is an equally dark area surrounding Westminster. Doubt it would raise even a flicker on a Politics Quality Meter. It seems that none of our tawdry government will resign as a matter of honour. Instead they try and lie and worm their way out of any mess they find themselves in. That’s until the evidence becomes irrefutable and they are forced out … pathetic. Of course Amber Rudd probably had to remain in post in the Windrush scandal in order to protect the Prime Minister. Now that Rudd has gone it remains to be seen who Theresa May will try and deflect the blame onto next. Whatever happens don’t hold out too much hope for light being introduced into the situation.

DG7 3RN         tel: 01644 420269         The Smithy

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Knockinaam Lodge Hotel

As you already know we are always ready to go that extra mile in the cause of sconology no matter how much discomfort and distress this may cause. This post is no exception and Knockinaam Lodge Hotel is where it’s at. Lying in its own little cove in the cliffs just south of Portpatrick, it is very private. So private in fact that we had difficulty finding it. So private that Churchill and Eisenhower planned the D-Day landings here. When you get here you kind of get the feeling that nothing has changed much in the intervening years. You can almost see Churchill sitting in the big  leather fireside armchair, whisky and cigar in hand. Knockinaam Lodge Hotel dining room and barAt the reception desk we were initially concerned that our room did not appear on the communication system. However they assured us that all we had to do was pick up the phone and they would attend to our every need … phew!

Servants bells at Knockinaam Lodge Hotel, Mull of Galloway
Our room didn’t have a bell
Reminiscing
Knockinaam has that comfortable homely feel about it which makes it the perfect place to chillax. And that was exactly what we had in mind. No swimming pool but its own beach in Port of Spittal Bay more than made up for that. We could sit there looking over the North Channel toward Northern Ireland and reminisce on the many happy years we spent living there … bless!Knockinaam Lodge Hotel beach over looking Port of Spittal Bay
Silver dishes

But enough of our bleating, we are here and we will just have to make the best of it. Lets get to the scones. We would have loved to have had afternoon tea however our schedule simply made that impossible. Instead we just had tea and a scone. We had been warned that the scones were big so we shared. A scone at Knockinaam Lodge Hotel, Mull of GallowaySeated in front of a lovely log fire when the scone came it was beautifully presented with crisp linen napkins and lots of jam and cream in silver dishes. There was absolutely nothing to complain about here … a very easy topscone. If you ever visit Portpatrick there is a three mile cliff top path that takes you to Knockinaam and this, or afternoon tea, would be a perfect stop before the return journey.

Shenanigans

You have probably guessed by now that we are not exactly roughing it. However, in order to bring you the full spectrum of scone news we do feel obliged to come to places like this from time to time. Entirely on your behalf you understand! Sitting here, you can’t help but wonder what the Churchill and Eisenhower of old would have made of today’s political shenanigans between Trump, May, Putin and Assad. We think that they, like us, would have been aghast. If one has to wonder about such things, however, this is definitely the place to do it. We thoroughly recommend Knockinaam. It could have been the six course dinners every night. Perhaps the wonderful staff. It could have been the beautiful rooms. In fact it could have been just about anything, it was all good … and a great scone.View of Knockinaam Lodge Hotel from the shoreDG9 9AD     tel: 01776 810471     Knockinaam Lodge

Scones, Top, weird

Wild Olive Tree Café

. If you can’t see anything resembling a café in the above picture that’s because it’s hidden. Hidden within the St George’s Tron Church, the rather large pointy building sitting centre stage. The Church of Scotland opened it in 1808 and it’s still going strong today. We had heard a rumour about this church. The rumour could have been about all the fantastic work they do in conjunction with the Glasgow City Mission and the Bethany Christian Trust to help the most vulnerable people in Glasgow. As explained to us at some length by ‘big Andy’. A lovely bloke who seems to take care of everything here. The rumour could also have been about their ‘gifted soup/coffee’ scheme. You can buy an extra coffee or soup which they then offer to people who can’t afford them. The rumour might even have been about their green credentials or the fact that all their bread comes from the Freedom Bakery in Low Moss prison. But no, it wasn’t any of those.

Would you adam ‘n eve it, it was about scones! We had heard from a very well respected source that their scones were worthy of inspection. That’s what drew us in here. Yes, we are are actually that shallow! Recently the congregation and the Church of Scotland spent over £3m refurbishing the whole building and The Wild Olive Tree Café came about as part of that redevelopment. Internal view of St George's Tron Church and the Wild Olive Tree Café in Glasgow

Cheddar and sunflower seed

It is intended to provide a place of quiet sanctuary. Away from the hustle, bustle and general madness going on just outside the door in Scotland’s busiest shopping street. In here, the almost serene atmosphere, seems like another world. The café specialises in soup, scones and cakes … what more would you want? As for scones there was a choice of:

  • Spiced Sultana
  • Apricot Date & Vanilla
  • Cheddar & Sunflower seed
  • Goats Cheese & Caramelised Onion … wow, and all freshly baked!

I opted for the the spiced sultana and Pat went for the cheddar and sunflower seed. Both were wonderful. Scones at the Wild Olive Tree Café in St George's Tron Church, GlasgowMine had a lovely crunchiness on the outside and deliciously spiced on the inside … never before tasted a scone like it! Pat’s was beautifully cheesy with a lovely crunch courtesy of the sunflower seeds. There wasn’t anything not to like about the whole experience … nice surroundings, friendly service, good presentation and fantastic scones. Even my drink was Dear Green Coffee, roasted right here in the beating heart of Glasgow … excellent! These were definitely the best scones we have had in ages. No problem awarding a topscone here.

In many ways this place reminded us of our recent visit to the Glasgow Gurdwara where our Sikh friends were also doing lots of good work with the needy. The only problem with both this place and the Gurdwara is that they are required at all. Britain is one of the richest oil producing countries in the world yet there are still thousands of people here and in every other major city who are on the breadline. How come? The lowest state pension of any developed country in the world doesn’t help. Lots of old folk living in poverty and hopelessness.

Painting of the Last Supper by I.D. Campbell at St George's Tron Church and the Wild Olive Tree Café in Glasgow
The Last Supper using guests at the Glasgow City Mission as models
Remember me

This eight foot long painting hangs in the café and kind of encapsulates the situation. It is a depiction, by the artist-in-residence Iain Campbell, of the Last Supper featuring Jesus among men who have fallen on hard times.  We have seen the original Last Supper by Da Vinci in Milan but this version seems much more powerful … sorry Leonardo! At the supper Jesus said “remember me” but somehow all these men seem totally forgotten. Jesus is one of them … you pick! Meanwhile our wonderful government can still spend billions on weapons of mass destruction and, at this very moment, are actively contemplating going to war with Syria? Trump and May haven’t had a war yet so it’s probably to be expected. On whose behalf would they go to war … certainly not these guys, they’ve got much more immediate things to worry about!

Internal view of St George's Tron Church and the Wild Olive Tree Café in Glasgow
the Wild Olive Tree … pruned to within an inch of its life
G1 2JX            tel: 0141 248 2049           Wild Olive Tree Café
ps: To be or not to be … the Pedant has sent us a picture of a brace of K6 telephone boxes in Stratford upon Avon. The question is, are they protecting that wastepaper bin or are they taking it into custody?Two K6 telephoe boxes in Stratford-upon-Avon

 

Scones, Top

Fenwicks of Linlithgow

The car had to go for a service at our garage in Bo’ness and when we dropped it off they kindly gave us a lift the mile or so into Linlithgow. That meant we could go for a walk round the loch. Although the loch was partially frozen it was a nice day … ideal for a wee walk.

View across Linlithgow loch to the Palace
Looking towards Linlithgow Palace and the spire of St Michael’s church

The path, of course, is circular so it wasn’t too long before we found ourselves back in the town and feeling more than a little peckish.

We’ve had several scones in Linlithgow in the past however this one, Fenwicks of Linlithgow was new to us, it had to be done. As soon as we walked in we were aware of a lively bustling atmosphere, always a good sign!Internal view of Fenwicks of LinlithgowWe weren’t disappointed, everything was excellent. After a delicious light lunch we decided to share one of the fairly large home made fruit scones.  A scone at Fenwicks of LinlithgowIt came with lots of butter, jam and cream with a fresh raspberry on top. Totally unnecessary but a nice touch. Suffice to say that we liked everything about this place. We would not hesitate to go back next time we are in town. Probably the next time our car needs some attention.

Global warming

All too soon however it was time to venture out into the cold once more. If Donald Trump needs any further proof of global warming he need look no further than Linlithgow. This polar bear has obviously been left stranded by the receding ice cap … obviously! Polar bear stuck up a tree in LinlithgowEven more evidence was provided in the form of a painting in the Black Bitch pub where we were waiting to be picked up again.  In 1848 the loch must have been seriously frozen to allow so many people onto the ice for this bonspeil. It was obviously much colder back then … obviously! What more proof do you need Donald?? Do you think he reads ‘the scones’?

The Grand Match at Linlithgow Loch 1849 by Charles Lees
The Grand Match at Linlithgow Loch 1848 by Charles Lees

The garage duly picked us up from the Black Bitch and we were reunited with our car which they had restored to peak condition. An all round good day.

EH49 7EJ     tel: 01506 238580      Fenwicks of Linlithgow FB

Scones, self-service, Top

The Orangery – Hopetoun

A pineapple wall decoration Orangery tearoom at New Hopetoun Garden CentreThis is becoming a habit. Eating scones in orangeries that is! It’s not that long ago since we were at an orangery at Ham House in London and here we are at it again. Life can be hard. Today we were actually trying to track down Shapes auction house which had notified us of a move to Port Edgar from Edinburgh, when we came on this place. It’s in an excellent garden centre which we have known for many years. It started life in the walled garden of nearby Hopetoun House but twenty years ago moved a mile or so to its present site. And became known as the ‘New’ Hopetoun Garden Centre. A sign at New Hopetoun Garden CentreOn the way in you are greeted with this sign which makes you wish you had been here on Sept 5 1792, it must have been quite a day. It was a Wednesday!

Not to be confused with Sept 5 forty years earlier in 1752. Not only did nothing happen, it didn’t even exist. That year, in order for Britain to catch up with the rest of the world which used the Gregorian calendar (we know, it is hard to imagine Britain being out of step .. but just try), it was decreed that the day following Sept 2 would be Sept 14. Just like that, eleven days just vanished! You thought time travel was just a figment of the imagination but the entire population of Britain was actually doing it centuries ago!

Good mood

We digress. The Orangery is everything you would expect from a garden centre tearoom … spacious, bright and with a good range of food and drink on offer. Internal view of the Orangery tearoom at New Hopetoun Garden CentreIt is self service but, even though it was busy, we were quickly attended to by some very friendly staff. Pat decided on our traditional choice of a fruit scone but I opted for cherry … hey, why not? Both scones came with loads of jam, butter and cream. A scone at the Orangery tearoom at New Hopetoun Garden CentreThey had really crunchy exteriors with soft middles which made them delicious but a bit difficult to manage. They tended to crumble very easily. We thoroughly enjoyed them though … topscone. Because service is usually a factor we don’t normally give topscone awards to self service establishments but the self service here was great. The sun was shining and we were in a good mood … well done The Orangery!

Pilgrimage

A little bit further along the road we came to Port Edgar near South Queensferry. The ‘Edgar’ bit comes from Edgar Aetheling, the brother of Queen Margaret of Scotland who set up the ferry crossing in the 11th century to help pilgrims on their way to St Andrews. It operated until 1964 when the road bridge was built.

The old Forth Road Bridge over the river Forth with the Forth Railway Bridge in the background
The Forth Road Bridge from Port Edgar with the Rail Bridge in the distance

Originally a naval base it is now a leisure marina. Visitors to Port Edgar are now treated to an excellent view of the new Queensferry Crossing … opened only a few months ago.

The Queensferry Crossing over the river Forth
The Queensferry Crossing from Port Edgar
Costs

It is a magnificent feat of engineering and now, with Boris Johnston talking of a bridge across the English Channel, it is perhaps worth explaining some facts about this one. It was built by the SNP government on time and under budget. Obviously Carillion was not involved. It was opposed by all other political parties who promptly fell over themselves to take credit when it was completed. There was no funding from Westminster. Something to remember if the Channel Bridge ever gets the go ahead. Scotland will undoubtedly be saddled with 10% of the costs of HS2 and Crossrail for little or no benefit. Anyway, we did find the new premises of the auction house which was massive but shut. Not opening until the end of the month apparently. Heyho, we had thoroughly enjoyed our day!

EH52 6QZ    tel: 01506 834433         New Hopetoun Gardens

p.s. our Trossachs correspondents sent this picture. We thought they had been quiet recently. Maybe they just can’t get out .. or are just too busy building snowmen!A snowman at Kinlochard

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The Carnegie Courthouse

Dornoch is a beautiful little town and, over the past few years, we have already reported on two other scones here, Gordon House and Dornoch Castle. So it was a something of a surprise when our Trossachs correspondents gave us a heads up on yet another, the Carnegie Courthouse. Many people come here for the town’s history, or the beach or just to wander among the cafés and antique shops. It’s quite busy even at this time of year. This scone like the other two are in a cluster around the Cathedral. Although the courthouse was built in 1849 it only began life as a tearoom/shop in 2013. It was named after Andrew Carnegie who was not only the richest man in the world at one time but lived locally in Skibo Castle. He was a great benefactor for the town. Name plaque at the Carnegie Courthouse, Dornoch

Madonna and the milkman

The tearoom features a mural depicting the courtroom as it would have been when in use. Portraying some of the local faces. It’s great that as well as the likes of Carnegie, the Duke of Sutherland, Madonna (she got married in the Cathedral) and Tom Watson the golfer, there is also Janet Horn (the last witch burned in Dornoch), Bill Wright the local milkman and, most importantly, Carol MacKay the proprietor of the tearoom

A mural at the Carnegie Courthouse, Dornoch

So what was our third Dornoch scone like? Very good actually so there was not too much difficulty making a topscone award. Pat had cheese and I had fruit but they were both deliciously crunchy on the outside and wonderfully soft and light inside. A scone at the Carnegie Courthouse, DornochThe whole place has a good atmosphere and we were very well looked after by the staff. As you can probably gather we are fond of this town so who knows when we might find ourselves returning. Yet another Dornoch gem not to be missed.

Wonder of wonders

But what would these good folks in the above courtroom have made of the current state of the UK government? Just after the last General Election we asked you to guess how many scone blogs there would be before Theresa May had to resign. There have been quite a lot more than we had imagined. And, wonder of wonders, she is still hanging on, albeit by the skin of her teeth. It begs the question though. Just how bad does her administration have to get before she is sufficiently ashamed and does the decent thing? There are two problems a) she has no shame and b) who would replace her? Chances are, unimaginable as it is, it could be worse. In the courtroom, you can almost see the perplexed faces

IV25 3SD    tel: 01862 811632     The Carnegie Courthouse

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Judith Glue Café

It’s our last day on Orkney. Although the wind is still blowing as hard as ever we are already feeling sad at the prospect of leaving this magical island.

The Gloup, Orkney
The Gloup

We haven’t managed to get onto any of the smaller islands like Hoy or Papa Westray, partly because there is just so much to do and see on Mainland and partly because of time constraints. Also the weather has done absolutely nothing to encourage us to board a small boat and head out across the sea! Perhaps another visit with more time is called for? The Brough of Deerness, another prehistoric settlement, was to be our target destination today but when we reached the beginning of the path it became pretty obvious that the clifftop route in such strong winds would just be too tricky. Instead we contented ourselves with a visit to The Gloup, a long sea cave where the roof has collapsed … if you would like to visit just click here.

Insurance claims

Close by is the Covenanter’s Memorial where, in 1679, more than 200 Scottish Covenanter prisoners were drowned when their ship ‘The Crown of London’ was dashed on the rocks as they were being transported to Jamaica to become slaves. All the crew escaped but the prisoners were battened down in the hold with no hope of escape. There was no compensation for escaped prisoners. Cruel, we know, but do you think the captain might have been a Tory?

Scone time meant we had to go back to Kirkwall and this time to the Judith Glue Café. It is directly opposite St Magnus Cathedral, founded in 1135 and known as ‘The Light in the North’ … truly magnificent! Interior of St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall,OrkneyJudith Glue comes from a very entrepreneurial family that has stuck together (sorry) to run lots of businesses around Orkney and further afield. This is actually quite a large shop selling everything – clothes, art, jewellery and antiques. It complements another shop she runs in Inverness. At the back of the shop you come to the café/restaurant area which is quite big in itself. They pride themselves on supporting the local community and 60% of everything they sell is from the island. And that includes the clothing, the jewellery and the food. Would we find Rhodda’s Cornish Cream here, no!

Old fashioned beliefs

We decide to have what they call a ‘Peedie Cream Tea’. In this part of the world you see the word ‘peedie’ everywhere and applied to all sorts of things. Transpires that it simply means ‘small’. OA scone at Judith Glue, Kirkwall, Orkneyur Peedie Cream Tea cost about £8 and for that we got two sandwiches of our choice as well as a scone of our choice together with jam and cream and tea or coffee. It was all perfectly delicious and would you believe it, another topscone! That makes a clean sweep of topscones for Orkney. Testament, we think, to their old fashioned believes in good friendly service and self reliance. The toilets here have interesting signs for the ‘ladies’ and ‘gents’. We think both look particularly attractive.Viking man and woman at Judith Glue, Kirkwall, OrkneyAlso a great advert for Old Orkney whisky.

Stromness whisky advertisment at Judith Glue, Kirkwall, OrkneyPat ended up with her bird list totaling a very healthy forty nine … excellent considering we didn’t see any of the usual culprits – blue tits, chaffinches, sparrows etc. Perhaps our biggest surprise was the number of swallows still flying around at this time of year. They have a much longer journey than us ahead of them!

Surprises

This really is a wonderful island. It has been full of surprises … not least of which was the following morning at 7am when we drove from Stromness to St Margaret’s Hope to catch our ferry. In a flat calm! C’est la vie!

KW15 1DH         tel: 01856 874225     Judith Glue Real Food Café