Scones do not occur universally and although many countries probably have some sort of equivalent it is doubtful if we in the UK would recognise them as true oven scones. Of course you can also get girdle scones but sadly these are not generally available so, for our purposes, we concentrate on the good old oven scone of which there are many variations. One cafe we visited in Elgol on the Isle of Skye had over 20 different scones ranging from plain to cinnamon/apple.

What constitutes a scone experience? First and foremost it is of course the scone. If it’s good it will be light and fluffy and preferably with a slightly crunchy exterior. If it’s bad it will be heavy and firm … a “stoatin’ bit” as my mother used to call them. Best avoided if at all possible. In our opinion, the world’s best scone is to be had with a cream tea at Fonab Castle in Pitlochry. When we asked the chef what his secret ingredient was, he replied “Happiness”. The lovely warm ambience of their brasserie and the excellent service and presentation are second to none and a good benchmark for all future scones.

Secondly, everything that goes with the scone is almost as important. The jam, the butter, the cream, the tea or the coffee. You can have an excellent scone but it won’t work if these accoutrements let it down.

Thirdly, the presentation in terms of ambience, napkins, plates, cutlery and of course the service. If any of these are lacking then the whole experience can be compromised .. are we getting too serious?