Black Isle Archives - Scones, history and a dollop of politics

Readers could be forgiven for thinking that our life is just one long care-free jollification because that’s not too far away from the truth. First we were meeting friends in Shetland, then wined and dined by old friends at Cairn Lodge. Now we are relaxing for a few days with our family near Inverness. Mind you ‘relaxing’ is really nothing more than a somewhat forlorn ambition when you have six granddaughters to contend with. Five of them are with us today and they seem to have boundless energy. A beach seemed like a good bet if we were to have any hope of tiring them out. Hence this post comes from the Rosemarkie Beach Cafe on the Black Isle.

Rosemarkie beach — View from the Rosemarkie Beach Cafe and an intrepid grandchild off for a swim

Things are just a little different in this part of the world. The Black Isle isn’t an island and it’s not black. It’s a peninsula sandwiched between the Cromarty Firth and the Beauly Firth. We think the ‘black’ derives from its rich dark soil. For such a beautiful part of the country it’s difficult to believe that it was an important player in the North Sea oil industry. Many of the oil rigs were built here in the 60s and 70s and now some of them lie redundant in these sheltered firths having served their purpose as we all try to go ‘green’.

With the grandchildren on the beach or swimming in the sea there was nothing left for us to do but have a scone. The speciality of the house was white chocolate and cranberry so we thought we had better try one. We sat on the terrace area where we could keep an eye on the children … we’re not totally irresponsible! Jam didn’t seem appropriate for such an exotic scone so we just had butter. In spite of looking a bit on the insipid side it was surprisingly nice. We could taste a hint of chocolate and the cranberries made it deliciously moist. Not a topscone but definitely a bit of a weird one.

Nobody at home?

Beach at Rosemarkie Beach Cafe — Dolphin spotters

Later we walked along the beach to a spot where the kids could watch for dolphins with their binoculars. Great excitement when some suddenly appeared following a boat out in the bay. It’s a popular area for dolphin spotting but even at that, they were really lucky to see them. If that wasn’t exciting enough we then took on an even harder task … looking for fairies! The Fairy Glen lies just behind the cafe and was a delightful walk. We didn’t actually see any fairies but there was plenty of evidence. They weren’t faraway though because one little house had a couple of deck chairs outside where they had obviously been sunbathing earlier. Apparently there’s some doubt about whether it is good to actually see fairies and, of course, you have to respect their privacy. Dolphins would have to do for today.

What planet?

Shells in the form of the Himalayas — Grandchildren’s representation of the Himalayas at the seaside

Meanwhile, away from Rosemarkie and fairies it has just been revealed that the UK’s £200m plan to export all refugees to Rwanda has had zero effect. The number of people crossing the Channel from France in rubber dingys is exactly the same as last year … surprise, surprise! Meanwhile the entire population of France seems to be rioting because the pension age has been raised from 62 to 64. What planet are they living on? Joe Biden has completed a 17 hour visit to N. Ireland most of which he spent asleep. Then he went to the Republic and ‘home’ to Co Mayo. Why do all American presidents have to come from Ireland. Is it a pre-condition? Even Obama was from Co. Offaly?

In the UK the doctors are on strike and now the the civil service is to go on strike as well. Think we’ll just stay here in the Fairy Glen.

IV10 8UW tel: 07923 402647 Rosemarkie Beach

///blown.response.loafing

Over the years, in all our travels around the UK, particularly around Scotland, we had completely missed the Black Isle. In spite of that evocative name. It is another one of these places that you have to make a conscious decision to go to. Although not an island as the name would suggest, it is a peninsula and in that sense a cul-de-sac. Particularly since the Nigg ferry ceased to operate last year. Obviously, it was high time this glaring omission was rectified but would we be disappointed? Not a bit of it .. it’s a lovely part of the world and one we will have to return to for further exploration.

As is the way with all cul-de-sacs, you eventually come to the end … but what an end! Cromarty is a wee gem, a lovely jumble of wonderful narrow streets and old fisherman’s cottages. Until 1890 the town was the capital of Cromartyshire. An entity we had never heard of until this visit … you live and learn. Living and learning was what Hugh Miller was all about. In 1802 he was born in one of these fisherman’s cottages and later trained as a stonemason. He had no academic qualifications but rose to become the leading geologist, thinker and social commentator of his time. He said ‘Life is itself a school and nature always a fresh study’. As you all know, sconology, rather than geology is our thing … but would we be able to further our studies in Cromarty?

There were several coffee shops, which all looked good, but we ended up here in The Pantry. It’s all homemaking and, according to it’s own publicity, has ‘the best meringues in the Highlands‘. With more than a little difficulty, we managed to resist the lure of the large meringues and decided to have their afternoon tea. Very reasonably priced at under £10 .. and featuring a scone and a small meringue. Two birds with one stone, so to speak. Everything was great and, being mergingue novices, for all we know it could have been the best meringue in the Highlands. It was certainly very good. The scone, however, was definitely the best we had tasted in quite a while and we had no problem awarding a topscone. Well done The Pantry.

Missed opportunities

The view is slightly incongruous when you look out from 18th century Cromarty towards the 21st century oil construction yard at Nigg. It stands like a monument to missed opportunities. Scotland being the only country in the world to have discovered over £300bn of oil and got food banks and three bits of dual-carriageway on the A9, in return. You can almost see Hugh Miller spinning.

Because of the negative effect on the Cromarty economy the demise of the Nigg ferry was much lamented by the lovely folk at the Pantry. There are rumours however that it may be reinstated … fingers crossed.

IV11 8XA tel: 01381 600455 The Pantry Cromarty

Scones, history and a dollop of politics

Tag Archives: Black Isle

Rosemarkie Beach Cafe

Nobody at home?

What planet?

The Pantry

Missed opportunities

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