Tag Archives: Colonsay House

The Old Workshop Café – Again

17 April 2020 billpaterson1@me.com 5 Comments

As parents all over this coronavirus world scream at their kids to stop going outside and get back on their iPads we bring you our fifth island scone repost. This time it’s from the Old Workshop Café on yet another wonderful island, Colonsay. As you will see our visit was in September 2015 at the height of the refugee crisis in Europe.

Considering that many of the smaller islands have very little or no choice, for a population of around 100, Colonsay is pretty well endowed with tearooms and eating places. There is the Pantry, the Colonsay Hotel and this place, the Old Workshop at Colonsay House in the middle of the island. It was built in 1935 to do boat repairs. Many of the original tools and other paraphernalia are still evident. The baking is done every morning by Katie and Sarah (after they have made the school dinners) and most of their cakes are done as large slabs to which you just help yourself. Just cut off as much as you like! Tempting to overindulge but I guess it works in their favour because most folk go for fairly modest portions. Especially if others are watching .. and they are! The chocolate fudge (bottom right in the pic) was yummy.

Tropical beaches

Anyway, enough of cakes, the scones were great as well … soft and light but with a slightly crunchy outer crust. The fabulous blackcurrant jam was made from berries picked in the gardens. The climate on Colonsay is very mild. The gardens are full of sub-tropical plants. Being able to sit outside on the little terraced area just finished off the whole experience. Later we ended up on the beach at Kiloran just a mile or so from the café. Pristine and beautiful but a sad reminder that there are bodies of children washing up on other beaches in the Mediterranean. If the EU, with all its money, cannot sort this horrendous mess out what is the point of it all?

Kiloran beach, Isle of Colonsay — Kiloran Beach, Isle of Colonsay

PA61 7YU tel: 01951 200312 Colonsay Estate

Remember we said we had bought a ‘virtual’ Devonshire Tea from the Country Women’s Association of New South Wales but were afraid we would not receive it because we had to enter our address as being in Australia. We got it! We know because our bank account has been debited $10! All we can say is that ‘virtual’ scones are really great for the waistline but totally lacking in substance. However, we promised we would share the CWA’s ‘famous’ scone recipe, so here it is:

We haven’t tried the recipe yet but if any readers want to beat us to it then feel free. Photos required, of course. You can still support the CWA here. Thanks again to our Mirrambeena correspondents for providing us with this opportunity.

COLONSAY SHED

A shed on the Isle of Colonsay — In the suburbs of the capital of Colonsay, Scalasaig

Ordinary, Scones

Glencoe House Hotel

24 January 2019 billpaterson1@me.com 7 Comments

Donald Smith was brought up in Forres, near Inverness but ended up as Mr Hudson’s Bay Company and owning half of Canada. He became soooo rich even British Royalty welcomed him as a friend. Yes, he was that rich! In later life however he wanted to bring his family back to live in his native Scotland.

View over Glencoe House c1900 towards Loch Leven — Old post card view c1900 over Glencoe House towards Loch Leven – Highland Libraries

Fascinated with the romanticism and history of Glencoe he bought the entire estate in 1895. Then, as a token of his love for his Canadian born wife, Isabella, he built Glencoe House. He even tried to landscape it to look like her native NW Canada. It didn’t work, however, Bella was homesick for Canada and never took to Glencoe House. By that time Donald Smith had transmogrified into Lord Strathcona. He actually wanted to be known as Lord Glencoe but, because of its historic associations, was advised against it. ‘Strathcona’ is a Gaelic version of Glencoe.

Colonsay

He also bought one of our favourite islands, the Isle of Colonsay. A painting by Alan Morgan of one of our favourite beaches hangs in the great hall here at Glencoe House. The current Lord Strathcona still lives in Colonsay House. How ridiculous is it that such titles can be handed on from generation to generation by virtue of simply being born?

Glencoe Lochan

Anyway, this preamble is simply to let you know that Lord Strathcona’s house is now Glencoe House Hotel and for the past few days, for us, it has also been our home. You know that a place is suitable for a couple of illustrious sconeys when you are met at the door by a kilted gentleman bearing champagne. At home in Falkirk we haven’t had any snow at all this winter. Here, at the hotel, there was a full inch. Being ushered inside therefore, glass in hand, to sit in front of a huge roaring log fire was no great hardship.

View of Ben Bhan from the lochan at Glencoe House Hotel — View over Glencoe lochan towards snow covered Sgorr Bhan

It wasn’t all day pampering, we actually went outside sometimes. The Glencoe Lochan was only a hundred yards away and it was where we used to live in our climbing days. In the boathouse to be precise. Concrete floor, no door and no facilities whatsoever but it saved putting up a tent. Happy days, I certainly knew how to treat a girl. Presumably we were made of sterner stuff back then. Apparently the boathouse succumbed to a BBQ incident a few years back so it’s no longer there. Pity, it would have been nice to see it again.

Ice climbing

Just a few miles away, Kinlochleven plays home to Ice Factor, the world’s biggest ice climbing wall. It is 500 tonnes of real snow and is 12m high and we had never visited before. Contained within a gigantic fridge, it’s impressive to say the least. There are also loads of rock climbing walls and bouldering facilities elsewhere in the building.

Part of the ice wall at Ice Factor in Kinlochleven — part of the base of the ice wall at Ice Factor

The cafe at Ice Factor, however, was a scone free zone. What are they thinking about? Not to worry, we had taken the precaution of asking the ever helpful staff at the hotel if we could have some scones later in the day.

So it was that after a strenuous day looking at fabulous views and ice walls we arrived back at the hotel just before dark. We had to sit by the big log fire again … again! Then our scones arrived beautifully presented on a slate cake-stand topped off with biscuits and strawberries. There were two each and they came with loads of jam and cream. Could we eat them all, that was the big question? Somewhat predictably perhaps I did but Pat had to leave one of hers.

Comfy

Sitting here all toasty on a big comfy sofa eating scones it was hard to think that the boathouse was once what we looked forward to every single weekend in winter. It also made you wonder what was wrong with Lord Strathcona’s missus that she didn’t like these much more luxurious surroundings. Things like Brexit and the price of bread had long since been completely forgotten. Unfortunately the scones were rather disappointing with a slightly bread-like taste and texture. We have had much better so no topscone for Glencoe House Hotel. Pity, everything else was perfect.

Lord Strathcona and staff at Glencoe House — Lord and Lady Strathcona with family and staff at Glencoe House

PH49 4HT tel: 01855 811179 Glencoe House

island, Ordinary, Scones

The Old Workshop Café

3 September 2015 billpaterson1@me.com 1 Comment

Considering that many of the smaller islands have very little or no choice, for a population of around 100, Colonsay is pretty well endowed with tearooms and eating places. There is the Pantry, the Colonsay Hotel and this place, the Old Workshop at Colonsay House in the middle of the island. It was built in 1935 to do boat repairs. Many of the original tools and other paraphenalia are still evident. The baking is done every morning by Katie and Sarah (after they have made the school dinners) and most of their cakes are done as large slabs to which you just help yourself. Cut off as much as you like! Tempting to overindulge but I guess it works in their favour because most folk go for fairly modest portions. Especially if others are watching .. and they are! The chocolate fudge (bottom right in the pic) was yummy.

Anyway, enough of cakes, the scones were great as well … soft and light but with a slightly crunchy outer crust. The fabulous blackcurrant jam was made from berries picked in the gardens. The climate on Colonsay is very mild. The gardens are full of sub-tropical plants. Being able to sit outside on the little terraced area just finished off the whole experience. Later we ended up on the beach at Kiloran just a mile or so from the café. Pristine and beautiful but sad reminder that there are bodies of children washing up on other beaches in the Mediterranean. If the EU, with all its money, cannot sort this horrendous mess out what is the point of it all?

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