Tag Archives: Isle of Arran

Janie’s

19 March 2025 billpaterson1@me.com 5 Comments

When Robert Burns said “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley” he was apologising to a mouse whose house he’d just destroyed with his plough. Our “scheme” was to complete a circuit of Arran, spend one night in a hotel then return to the mainland the following morning. A whistle-stop tour to give our Canadians a flavour of the island! However, on the morning of our departure, as we sat in Janie’s cafe scoffing scones we were blissfully unaware of the significance of Burns’s words.

External view of Lagg Distillery — All the Lagg whiskies are very young but having sampled them all I can verify that despite their lack of maturity they are all fine and full of promise.

The previous day we had arrived on the Isle of Arran. After visiting the Old Pier Tearoom in Lamlash we continued on our circuit of the island. At the most southerly point of the island, we came to Kilmory and the brand-spanking new Lagg distillery. At 20×9 miles Arran isn’t very big and already has a distillery in the north of the island at Lochranza. But let’s face it, you can’t have too many distilleries.

Outlander?

We continued round the coast to Machrie where we visited the Machrie stones. Part of a stone circle much older than Stonehenge, these stones have been standing here in solitary splendour for 4.500 years.

Eventually, we completed our circuit of the island and were able to book into our hotel. The following morning, we ended up here at Janies while we waited for our ferry.It’s a small friendly cafe situated in Brodick’s Duchess Court – an amalgamation of small businesses.

Pat and I opted for a fruit scone but the Canadians went for cheese.

Scones at Janie's — A cheese scone with extra cheese and a fruit scone with jam and cream

Arran must have a thing with cheese scones because, unusually, this one came with extra cheese on the side. It was good but not as good as the previous day’s. Our fruit scone was nice as well but disappointingly did not come with any local produce. Lots of food items are produced on Arran so this seemed slightly remiss. No topscones today.

The MV Glen Sannox in Brodick — This was as close as we got to our ferry the MV Glen Sannox

Soon it was time to go for the ferry, the latest addition to the CalMac fleet, the MV Glen Sannox. We arrived in time for boarding but half an hour later we were still sitting there. Eventually, they announced that it had been cancelled due to a technical fault. No more ferries today … argh!

Best-laid schemes

Our booking was switched to the first ferry the following morning. That meant, however, we would have to stay another night. Fortunately, our hotel was able to take us back. Not long after we settled in, however, we were notified that the morning ferry had also been cancelled. Our booking was now switched to the 4 pm sailing. Suddenly we were concerned that our fellow travellers wouldn’t make their flights back to Canada. The significance of Burns’s words about “best-laid schemes” suddenly became blindly obvious!

View of Lochranza castle — Lochranza Castle dates back to the 13th century

We decided that we couldn’t risk missing flights so the following morning we decided to take our chances on the early morning Lochranza ferry/Cloanaig boat to the mainland. It would mean a three-hour drive to get home but at least we would get home. The MV Catriona is a much smaller turn-up-and-go ferry. You can’t reserve a place. Considering a lot of other stranded people would have the same idea, it was a bit of a gamble. It worked! We were able to drive straight on to the Catriona and half an hour later we were back on the mainland … hurrah!

Tents

However, news that the Trump/Netanyahu combo is resuming their obliteration of Gaza by sending over F-16 and F-35 fighter jets to bomb people in tents, does make us wish we could return to the much pleasanter world of Arran.

KA27 8DD tel: 01770 302874 Janies TA

///sporting.dumpling.itself

Scones, topweird

Old Pier Tearoom

17 March 2025 billpaterson1@me.com 5 Comments

Today, with our Canadian family in tow we have taken the ferry from Troon to the Isle of Arran. Our means of transport, the catamaran MV Alfred is on temporary loan from Pentland Ferries based in Orkney.

On a very sunny but fresh day, it took just over an hour to reach Brodick, the capital of the Isle of Arran.

View of Goatfell from the ferry — View of Brodick and the almost 3,000 feet high Goatfell from the ferry

It was mid-morning and so far breakfast had eluded us. We were too early for our hotel so we drove a few miles to Lamlash where we came on the tiny Old Pier Tearoom … breakfast at last!

Natives and locals?

Graphic showing Old Pier and Holy Island — graphic of the Old Pier looking across Lamlash Bay towards Holy Island

Normally we wouldn’t go for scones this early but they had what they called “very cheesy, cheese scones”. Scones with extra cheese. Instinctively we knew that readers would find it unforgivable if they missed out on a very cheesy cheese scone report. So after our breakfast, duty dictated that they had to be sampled. The things we do for our readers?

As we ate we got chatting to a couple of ladies who, seeing that all the other tables were taken, invited us to join them at theirs. When we asked if they were from the island the answer was a little unexpected. One was a “local” and the other was a “native”. The “local” was from Birmingham but lived on the island while the “native” was born and bred and could go back five generations of her Arran family. This was presumably a clear and important distinction for islanders. They were lovely and the chat was great!

Predictably, our very cheesy, cheese scone was indeed very cheesy. With just a little butter, probably the best cheese scone we have ever experienced. Since we don’t have a separate category for such scones we felt this one was sooooo cheesy that we could give it a topweird scone award. Well done the Old Pier Tearoom! You may be tiny but you punch above your weight.

The old pier at Lamlash — Just to prove there is an old pier

Unexpected consequences

Arran is often referred to as “Scotland in miniature“. It has a higher life expectancy, low unemployment, and much lower rates of crime. Even with a large proportion of retired folk living here, it still has a vibrant, independent but Scottish feel about it. It’s odd being on this beautiful island alongside Canadians and seeing the pushback against Trump’s well-thought-out 51st-state/tariffs idea. He may be dividing Americans but he certainly knows how to unite Canadians.

a glove pointing to Ailsa Craig — Someone has very helpfully placed this glove to point out Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde, the source of the world’s best curling stones

KA27 8JN tel: 01770 600249 The Old Pier

///driveway.depths.creamed

Ordinary, Scones

Lochgreen House

24 February 2025 billpaterson1@me.com 3 Comments

Sometimes, as they say in Northern Ireland, we take “a fit of the head staggers” and do things for no apparent reason. Today is one such day.

Pat on the beach at Troon — A day on the beach … pity about the gale force winds

A stormy night in Troon on the Ayrshire coast was to be our “no apparent reason”. However, we weren’t actually staying here at the Lochgreen House Hotel but along the road at Piersland House. Let us explain!

Piersland House is a beautiful hotel with everything you could possibly want. Beautiful architecture, lavish furnishings, open log fires, every variety of Johnnie Walker whisky … what more could you wish for? A Troon scone, that’s what! Too much for Piersland, they had everything apart from scones! Mon dieu, how could we have chosen a place that can’t produce a scone? It beggars belief! The solution, of course, in our quest was to go a few hundred yards along the road to Lochgreen House where there was a great big welcome and scones a plenty.

Lochgreen House is owned by Bill Costley, a well known and celebrated figure in these parts. Owning several other local hotels he has, over the years, raised the hospitality levels in Ayrshire significantly. He has spent a lot of money making Lochgreen House the five-star venue it is today. Not so long ago, friends of ours took over the entire place for their wedding, so we were aware of Lochgreen House through them.

Hybrid

We were taken to a table by the window were we could look out over the garden which, unfortunately, was being battered to within an inch of its life by the storm. Inside, however, all was cool, calm and collected. It wasn’t long before our fruit scones arrived. They came warm and for some reason sliced in half. There was a jar of jam and some clotted cream topped with a variety of berries. All very nice except the scones were a bit odd. Not how we would normally expect a scone to be. Kind of like a hybrid cross between a scone and a muffin … a scoffin? Although enjoyable enough, unfortunately this version of a scone didn’t hit the mark for a topscone award.

The service and surroundings were excellent, however, Scones aside, Lochgreen House is fabulous and well worthy of a visit.

Ferries and trains

On our way back to Piersland House we took a little detour to Troon harbour where ferry services run to the Isle of Arran. We arrived just as the ferry was leaving.

Glen Sannox ferry leaving Troon — CalMacs newest ferry, the Glen Sannox leaving Troon on its way to Arran. The Westminster government and the media are fond of lambasting the Scottish government on the £150 million overspend on the Glen Sannox whilst conveniently forgetting the £100 billion spend on the ill fated HS2 high speed rail with still nothing to show for it.

Celebrated?

The Ayrshire coast is a golfing hotspot, Troon is home to seven courses including Royal Troon, which regularly hosts the Open Championship. As we said earlier, for good reason, Bill Costley is a well known and celebrated figure in these parts. Donald Trump, who owns nearby Turnberry golf course is also well known though probably not so celebrated. His ownership has seen the course removed from the list of potential venues for the Open. If only that was the worst of his shortcomings.

Ayrshire is a fantastic part of Scotland which sadly we don’t pay enough attention to. Our internal compasses always tend to point north. Note to self … more Ayrshire scones!

KA10 7EN tel: 01292 313343. Lochgreen

///steady.insurers.lollipop

Scones, history and a dollop of politics