Tag Archives: Kelpies

Scones

Wee Bear Café

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 Quite some time ago our Trossachs correspondents recommended the Wee Bear Café  at Bridgend of Lintrathen. We thought it was an interesting name and lodged it at the back of our minds. Perhaps it was a reference to the brown bears that used to roam throughout Scotland until the 5th century, along with wolves and all sorts of other things you wouldn’t want to meet on a dark night. Or even a light night come to that. Nowadays, more people are killed by cows than any other animal and, of course, midges just make you wish you were dead.  

Wandering

This morning we thought we would pop out for breakfast. We didn’t have anywhere in mind but ended up at Scotts at South Queensferry. We reviewed its scones four years ago and have been back many time s since … but never for breakfast. As expected it was excellent and we left as very happy bunnies indeed. A beautiful day so instead of heading back home directly we took the Queensferry Crossing and drove north. We thought we might visit the antique centre at Abernyte near Dundee. However, when we were almost there we saw a large roadside sign for the Alyth Show.

For almost the first decade of my life, I lived in a cottage in Kilry, a sort of tributary glen to Glenisla. Some would say it was the middle of nowhere but for me it was my entire world. A van appeared every Saturday with everything required for survival in a Scottish glen.  Alyth, a market town of about 2,000 souls, as far as I was concerned, was the “big city, a veritable metropolis. When Pat and I arrived in Alyth we realised that we were only four miles from where I grew up and remembered the words of our Trossachs correspondents. Hence this very long winded explanation of how we ended up here at the the Wee Bear Café.

View across Lintrathen loch
Loch of Lintrathen
Bears?

Friends of my parents looked after the Loch of Lintrathen, the water supply for Dundee. It was only a mile or so from our house so we used to visit the village regularly. At that time there was a tiny shop but nothing like the Wee Bear. It’s quite a big place with a restaurant, bar and even accommodation if you want to stay. The owners have done a superb job and it turns out that the name has nothing to do with bears. “Bear” is simply the name of their much loved dog … a small dog, hence the name!  Internal view of the Wee Bear Café, Lintrathen

There were lots of tables outside but we decided to sit in the shade inside. A scone at the Wee Bear Café, LintrathenThe tables in here are made from recycled old cable drums. The café must employ all the young girls in the village  because the service was very efficient and friendly. In no time we were sorted with everything we needed including a fruit scone to share. They didn’t have cream, however, it was all very nice. About as close as you can get to a topscone without actually getting it. The Wee Bear is a fantastic place and thoroughly recommended.

It all happens in Glenisla

Many people think that nothing of note ever happened in Glenisla. The truth is very different! Let us enlighten you! For example, when I was about five we got “the electric”. It was a new fandangled thing and absolutely life changing. However, when I talk of this to my grandchildren they just look at me pityingly as if I’m from some distant galaxy. To be fair, I can hardly believe it myself. However, that’s not all. Other earth-shattering things have happened here as well.

The bar at the Wee Bear Café, Lintrathen
the bar at the Wee Bear, scene of many musical evenings

John Farquharson, a local renowned poacher, invented the falling block breech loading rifle that could self cock and dispense with the spent cartridge in one smooth continuous motion. Not having any tools or a workshop, he carved out his prototype from a turnip. And another local man, James Sandy, invented the invisible hinge. We would show you a picture but for obvious reasons, that’s difficult.

A sign at the Wee Bear Café, LintrathenMy father was a forester in Glenisla. He once did a small favour for an old lady who lived nearby. In gratitude she presented him with a chicken, plucked and ready for the pot. He protested that this far out weighed the value of the work he had done but she was insistent and assured him “it was dying anyway“. Such was life in the glen, everybody knew everybody and although isolated with no transport we were never stuck for anything.

Progress?

Once when I was  hired as a very small beater for a pheasant and rabbit shoot, one of my fellow beaters got shot. It wasn’t serious. He had only taken one shotgun pellet to the head but he was a bit upset. My perplexed father wondered what to do with him. In the course of the day the rather impatient landowner (whose shoot it was)  had observed the urine being squeezed from the shot rabbits. He came up with the answer ” Oh, just piss him and put him in the bag!” Those were the days! Who would have thought back then that “the electric” would mean us ending up with hundreds of TV channels in full colour. And very few worth watching!External view of the Wee Bear Café, Lintrathen

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to go to the bird hides on the Loch of Lintrathen. It’s home to tufted ducks, shovelers, great crested grebes, mallards, coots and herons. We did pass the Incheoch farm, however, home to 1200 ewes, 220 beef cows, a few hens and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. We know about the woodpecker because it was on a tree straight in front of us … fantastic!

A K6 telephone box in Lintrathen
This telephone box was opposite the Wee Bear Café. Sadly no longer functional
Reminiscing

Here in the county of Angus, kelpies and fairies lurk just out of sight on riverbanks and hillsides, waiting to draw unsuspecting travellers into another world. Given that, it seems shameful to introduce something as sordid as politics. So we won’t! 

Just a great day in a great place and a great scone. Apologies for all the personal reminiscing … couldn’t help it!

DD8 5JH         tel: 01575 560427             Wee Bear Café

///copper.gong,fights

Ordinary, Scones

Boardwalk

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Back in February you will all clearly remember that we visited Duck Bay on Loch Lomondside. We were impressed by its modern, almost glitzy appearance and were surprised to learn that the management, family run Cawley Hotels, also had a place in our home town of Falkirk. Typically perhaps, we then forgot all about it. You know how it is? When you live in a town like Falkirk you tend to think that nothing much changes. The odd ginormous horse’s head appears but otherwise everything pretty much stays the same.

Internal view of Boardwalk, FalkirkThings do change however and this place is a prime example. Just over a year ago it was known as the Wheelhouse because of its proximity to the Falkirk Wheel. We liked it and would occasionally drop in for a coffee or a spot of lunch. Now, however, it is called Boardwalk and it wasn’t until we walked through the door that it dawned on us … Boardwalk is Cawley Hotels place in Falkirk. Now we remember?

Internal view of Boardwalk, FalkirkIt has been transformed from its previous rather dark and subdued existence. Now it is the exact opposite. Both inside and out, it is bright and airy … an huge change for the better. There’s lots of outside seating though today was a wee bit damp to take advantage. New glass walls give the illusion of it being much bigger than it was and there are numerous different eating areas catering to all requirements.

Learning on the job

We had been hoping to have a sandwich and a scone … if they had any. HoweAfternoon tea at Boardwalk, Falkirkver, when we left Duck Bay, all these months ago, we had promised ourselves a return visit to try their delicious looking meringues and strawberry tarts. Here at Boardwalk, we ended up opting for an afternoon tea since that seemed to encompass all our needs – sandwiches, scones, meringues and strawberry tarts … perfecto! A scone at Boardwalk, FalkirkWe were looked after by a nervous looking young chap who had obviously just started and was being tutored in the fine art of looking after discerning sconey’s every whim. He did very well and by the time we left, he not only seemed to have grown in confidence but also in stature … brill!. What about the scones?

Tricky decision

Well, everything was excellent, including the scones. Unfortunately we found ourselves debating whether or not they were topscones and sadly decided that they just missed out .. by the merest smidgen. A little on the big side and a little short on fruit. It was the same tricky decision when we were at Duck Bay so perhaps we should not have been surprised. Everything else about Boardwalk looks and feels great so we will definitely return before long.
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Internal view of Boardwalk, Falkirk

Prince Archie

In between the wall to wall coverage of Prince Archie’s arrival you sometimes get a snippet of Brexit news. Unbelievably, now we will have to elect new representatives to the EU Parliament … even though we are leaving. Okay the EU has stipulated that the UK must not make mischief in the new Parliament but try telling that to mischief-maker-in-chief, Nigel Farage. It seems to us that the EU should have the ability to expel members. The UK must have cost the EU dearly in terms of money and time wasted. They should just expel us and then independent Scotland can get on with the job of rejoining.

External view of Boardwalk, FalkirkWhen we were on the Independence march in Glasgow last week we were impressed with the enthusiasm of the many young people taking part. Why not, it’s their future? They tend to get drowned out by the older voters however. Hence back in February in our Offshore post (the one before Duck Bay), we proposed that everyone one year older than me should be shot. The proposal raised much concerned comment from, perhaps unsurprisingly, readers who thought they might be affected. Okay, it’s a tad radical but we see no reason to change! Otherwise, for goodness sake, how are people supposed to learn to vote correctly?

FK1 4AD       tel: 01324 272427        Boardwalk Falkirk

///ambushes.tungsten.ranges

Ordinary, Scones

Grange Manor Hotel

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The government’s announcement that it is to take in 20,000 Syrian refugee children over the next five years (on 5yr visas  after which they will have to go somewhere else) raises the question. How proud are you to be British? ‘Not very’ or ‘not at all’? There are no other options. Their attempt to show this as Britain at its most compassionate by comparing it to the Kindertransport in 1938 conveniently leaves aside the fact that the Kindertransport itself was a pretty taudry episode in British history. It was only brought about by the government of the day being sufficiently embarrassed by images of Kristallnacht. The parallels with today’s situation and the pictures of little Alan Kurdis are obvious.

At the same time the German government announces that they will take half a million every year for as long as it takes. The Germans are not more compassionate, but they have a solid economy which actually needs these people. We, on the other hand, have an economy based almost exclusively on a square mile in the centre of London. It cannot even provide quality jobs for its own citizens .. arrgghh. It’s enough to drive you to afternoon tea.

Value for money?

The Grange Manor is an old well established hotel at Earlsgate, between Falkirk and Grangemouth. It has seen many changes in its surroundings over the years and nowadays it has the misfortune to have an Asda super-warehouse across the road and an empty car showroom next door. On the plus side it must be the nearest hotel to the Kelpies and that probably generates some tourist business. We were using an £11 voucher for afternoon tea for two so it was going to be difficult to go badly wrong.Grange Manor 02 It didn’t go far wrong but even if it is cheap you still want it to be good. Everything was fine except the scones which tasted like they had been made the day before. Or maybe even the day before that! Service was so scant you had to go looking for it.

It is tempting to ask what you would expect for that sort of money but unfortunately the answer would be  … exactly what we got! Unfortunately it seemed to be priced about right with the voucher. Thank goodness for the voucher. The Grange Manor, like the government, has got to try harder.

FK3 8XJ          tel: 01324 474836        Grange Manor

Ordinary

Canada Wood Kitchen and Bar

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This place seems to have appeared out of thin air in an area south of Falkirk which was once well and truly off the beaten track. Now, however it appears that every one is beating a track to the Canada Wood Kitchen and Bar. No wonder, it’s great! Falkirk really has to be congratulated on creating imaginative and mega visitor attractions, The Wheel, The Kelpies, The Helix. There is also a fantastic network of cycle and walking paths that crisscross the whole area and which this place is designed to fully exploit.

The building is impressive both inside and out and great to see it being well used. Walkers, cyclists as well as people coming by car just to enjoy the surroundings and the food. We had just been out for breakfast but could not resist going in just to see what it was like. Canada Wood sconeGiven our already fully sated state it was only one cherry scone between the two of us, but what a scone it was … giiiinormous. One half the size would still have been too much. Nevertheless I managed to get through my half but Pat was defeated by hers .. smaller scones would be much better. Coffee was fine and the whole place had a good, if slightly chaotic vibe.  Given time we are sure it will all settle down and become one of our regular haunts.

When I was a lad Canada Wood was where we did forestry work or beating up for the pheasant shoots on Callendar Estate. It was definitely not frequented by coffee house aficionados. Wonderful to see such entrepreneurship so we really wish this place all the luck in the world. The website is still under construction but you can catch it on FaceBook.

FK1 3AZ                 tel: 01324 610026                Canada Wood

Ordinary, Scones

Callendar House

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Callendar House is a great Georgian chateauesque building in the centre of Falkirk. It’s history goes way back to the 14th century when it was built for the Livingstone family. However, since then it has played host to many historical figures including  Mary, Queen of Scots, Oliver Cromwell, Bonnie Prince Charlie and Queen Victoria. The tearoom we see today is part of the restoration after the house was partially demolished by Cromwell’s forces in the mid 17th century.

Affinity

I have a particular affinity to this place because my dad was head forester on Callendar Estate and as a young lad I regularly had to accompany him to visit the offices which were in the west wing of the house. At that time the house and its policies were very private with few people ever getting to go anywhere near it. The riders and hounds for fox hunts always started off from the front door. It was eventually taken over by Falkirk Council in 1963. Since then it  has been run as a public amenity for the people of the town. Interior view at Callendar House, Falkirk

The turbulent times in the past brought about by Cromwell and the Young Pretender are not all that far removed from what we are witnessing in GE2105 with only a few days left before polling. All the Unionists parties seem to be hellbent on neutralising Scotland’s MP’s in Parliament without, apparently, realising the irony of what they are doing. If Scotland is effectively disenfranchised then Scotland, to all intents and purposes, is a foreign country .. end of Union. The Union will not be preserved by ignoring the settled will of one of it’s constituent countries. Hoary old sceptic that I am, even I cannot imagine that they are all as thick as that. England does not ‘need’ Scotland it sure as hell needs Scotland more than Scotland needs England.

No staff

We were here for the Fabrizio Gianni photographic exhibition which was great. Of course we soon ended up gravitating towards the tearoom which is absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, however, it has ‘council’ written all over it .. the epitome of inefficiency. A scone at Callendar House, FalkirkAlthough it could easily be decked out with tasteful tables and chairs that you can buy for buttons at an auction, instead it has the ‘council’ conference style furniture which  jars grotesquely with the surroundings. There is a fantastic fireplace .. but no hint of a fire? When we arrived there were no staff either although someone eventual appeared from some distant room. It was a very odd atmosphere.

The staff were friendly but had to work very hard fetching everything from afar.  They advertise afternoon tea with freshly baked scones and cream. However our scones were certainly not baked that day, the worst scones we have had in some time. We were also told that they “don’t do cream”. What with the Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies, Falkirk has become a major tourist attraction. C’mon Falkirk Community Council, you can do better than this with such a splendid location!

FK1 1YR            tel: 01324 503770                    Callendar House