Tag Archives: River Ness

Ordinary, Scones

The Coach House

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We are coming to the end of our time up here in Inverness. It has been great and our gang of mini people have really enjoyed it. We have done much searching and seen lots of invisible things … Nessie, dolphins, easter bunnies and pirates. We managed, albeit with some difficulty, to retrieve a bottle that was almost completely buried in the mud, deep in the river Ness. It had obviously fallen overboard from a pirate ship and when we got it cleaned up we discovered the pirate’s name engraved in the glass …. Arthur Guinness, arrr!

Stubborn cow

Sign for the Coach House, TomichToday, however, we are in search of out-of-the-way scones. Hence, we are in Tomich, it’s pretty out-of-the-way! Having successfully made our way through Drumnadrochit without having to visit Nessieland we eventually ended up here having successfully negotiated miles of single track road and a large herd of cattle. These cows definitely had the “we were here first” attitude and were in no hurry to move off the road. But who cares when you are not rushing to get anywhere … and the mini people loved it. Tomich itself consists of about five houses, a hotel (closed) and the Coach House café in what used to be the Post Office.

More than 101 golden retrievers

Now you could be forgiven for thinking that nothing ever happens in Tomich but Sign for the Coach House, Tomichyou would be wrong. In 1868 the first ever Golden Retriever gun dog was bred here by Lord Tweedmouth. Last year they had 150th anniversary attended by no less than 361 golden retrievers. There’s also a tea plantation. They have 500 camellia sinensis plants in cultivation and although they haven’t produced enough for a single cuppa yet, it’s still early days. For all you wild swimmers there is also the Plodda Falls … we didn’t have time! Along with all the beautiful Glen Affric scenery what more could you ask for? A scone … that would be good!

A scone at the Coach House, TomichThe people who have the Coach House are wonderfully friendly and welcoming. We soon had ourselves sorted with some lunch and Pat and I had a scone to share. Everything was great … apart from the scone! Early promise soon dissipated along with the scooshie cream which simply dissolved into a watery white liquid. The scone itself was a bit dry and crumbly. No topscone but did it spoil our visit? Not at all, this is a lovely quiet spot and we would love to return.

Mini people of pirate bottle fame make a tropical island from Tomich gravel

We normally speak in fairly disparaging terms about land ownership and landowners in Scotland. Danish billionaire, Anders Povlsen, owns more than anyone else … almost 350 square miles. The news that he lost three of his four young children in the Sri Lankan bombings is desperately sad and beyond imagination. Our hearts go out to him and his wife.

IV4 7LF   tel: 01456 415459        The Coach House TA

///rinsed.fountain.dragonfly

ps: This K6 in Tomich is fully functional but unusually did not have a manufacturer’s badge and instead of simply “TELEPHONE” it had “email,text,phone”. Not sure how that works?K6 telephone box at the Coach House, Tomich

Ordinary, Scones

John MacNabs Bar & Bistro

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Logo at John MacNabs Bar & Bistro, InvernessIt is not that often we are in Inverness as usually we are just passing through. Today, however, although again on our way to somewhere else, we have stopped off to see what the city has to offer. As it happens, today, the capital of the Highlands is bathed in glorious spring sunshine. The river Ness runs through the city centre and on its banks we came across John MacNabs Bar & Bistro. It’s part of the Columba Hotel complex. It has an outside seating area which was very welcome on such a warm day.

Apricot jam?

No time was wasted in getting some scones ordered and they duly arrived nice and warm, with lots of jam and cream. Normally we expect to get either strawberry or raspberry jam but at MacNabs it was apricot? Pat exchanged her’s for strawberry but I thought I would live adventurously and stuck with what I had been given. I enjoyed it but not sure if it will catch on as a substitute for the more traditional preserves. A scone at John MacNabs Bar & Bistro, InvernessLovely friendly service but our scones were of the bought-in variety and although they tasted fine they were nothing to write home about.

The news today is of course about the upcoming, increasingly boring, election. Also of hundreds of people losing their lives crossing the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy. Sitting in the sunshine by the river in Inverness it is difficult to imagine what these people are going through. Their desperate attempts to better their lives, is another world entirely. In the circumstances, it seems almost immoral to be writing about something as frivolous as scones.

Old fashioned

Most will have never heard of scones so perhaps it is to be hoped that some of the survivors may eventually be able to discover the pleasure of scones. In that respect alone their lives will have become better. Maybe they could even do it in Inverness, who knows? MacNabs even give you a biscuit with your coffee and a shortbread biscuit with your scone. Nice touch but maybe a little unnecessary. They also serve on slate. Call us old fashioned but we cannot think what is wrong with a good old plate. It’s very pleasant sitting bathed in sunshine by the river but this is probably not the best scone in Inverness … nor the worst.

IV3 5NF    tel: 0871 3769900      McNabs