We didn’t set out for the Register Club today. On the contrary, our destination of choice was the Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh. In the last few months we have had rather a lot of experiences with Johnnie. Our first encounter was at the Glenkinchie Distillery. The second was at the Dowans Hotel in Aberlour, where he lived, and the third was at Piershill House in Troon, where his descendants lived. Weirdly, all of these encounters were purely coincidental. We had no idea of these Johnnie Walker connections until we arrived at these locations. Today, we thought we should try the official “EXPERIENCE” in Edinburgh. It’s housed in what used to be Binns Department Store on Princes Street. Spread over four floors, it’s big, and it only sells whisky?
Too jazzy
In the ground floor shop, there are lots of people taking pictures of bottles of whisky with different coloured labels. It is a triumph of marketing over substance. I consider myself a reasonably experienced whisky officianado but I doubt I could tell the difference in any of these. It’s all very well done, if a little too jazzy for our taste. However, one thing you won’t get at the Johnnie Walker Experience is a scone … boo! So, you find us at the Register Club.
It started life as the Royal Bank of Scotland, when banks concerned themselves with flaunting their wealth. No expense was spared. The exotic wood panelling was sourced from countries around the globe. Now, the Register club occupies what used to be the board room on the 4th floor.
View from the 4th floor down to reception
Service
On arrival, we were warmly welcomed and shown to a secluded little window seat. Our server explained that when ordering a scone it comes with a partner. In other words, they come as a pair … one fruit and one plain. However, if we wanted to share and have one scone each, we could choose which kind. We decided to have two fruit scones. This level of service bode well.
Two fruit scones duly arrived, lovely and warm and dusted with icing sugar. There were also pots of jam and clotted cream and a little pat of individually wrapped butter. These scones were just the right size, just the right amount of fruit, just the right crunchiness and just the right soft centre. Perfect topscones.
Oh joy
It’s been a day of delicious cocktails, topscones and warm hospitality in a beautiful city on a lovely day. What could make it even better? Well, the news that Trump, in the tradition of all megalomaniac dictators, might run for a third term … maybe a fourth … and probably even a fifth. Only in America! We brimmeth over with unbridled joy!
EH2 2AD tel: 0131 230 0570 Register Club
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