“Yes, he’s an idiot with zero common sense and no social skills, but he is my son. I just hope he never goes into politics. He would be a disaster” Mary Anne Trump. Thus spoke the mother of the man who assures us that he has complete control over everything! As if coronavirus wasn’t scary enough! This is the fourth “island scone’ repost and it’s from Galmisdale Bay Café on the wonderful Isle of Eigg. It dates back to 2017, a time when doves in wishing trees proved useless.
Galmisdale Bay Café is, of course on the Isle of Eigg, an island we know well through having looked at it from all sorts of places on the mainland. 
Often you look out and can be confused by the jumble of small islands off the west coast but because of the unique volcanic Sgurr of Eigg this island is unmistakable. Until today though we had never set foot on it. The little ferry from Arisaig, however, changed all that … exciting. What would it be like, would they have scones?
Multicultural
Well, in 1858, Hugh Miller described the locals as “an active, middle-sized race, with well-developed heads, acute intellects, and singularly warm feelings” … no mention of scones but had anything else changed since then? Quite a lot actually! Having gone from a population of around 500 in the 19th century to around 50 in 1997, it has since been rejuvenated by a community buy-out from the previous private landlord. The population now stands at 105 … split 50/50 Scottish /English with a smattering of French and Spanish.
We’re here for a few days and can happily report that nothing has changed in the “singularly warm feelings” department. We were greeted with open arms everywhere we went. You will have to forgive us if we post more pictures than usual. The scenery, the island, the weather, the people were all fantastic. We may even be able to persuade you to go there yourselves. Though sometimes it is not as straight forward as you might think.
Rigours endured
The biggest problem is getting accommodation because everything is fully booked. Transport can also be a problem because you are not allowed to take a car. Hopefully, the extra pictures will also give you a sense of the rigours we have to endure in order to bring you scone news from such remote places. War correspondents like Orla Guerin don’t know the half of it! To get a small taste of the difficulties we have to overcome, click here. Sometimes we have even had to sit staring out the window, glass in hand.
Did they have scones, we hear you cry! Yes, of course, they did and they were so fresh that the cook had to make us wait until they had cooled down a bit. Don’t get fresher than that! Even when we eventually got them he said it was pointless giving us cream because it would just melt. Yet more rigours – creamless scones. We didn’t get a picture of the café interior (nothing special) because we sat out the back all the time in the sunshine watching the shipping go by. Everything from massive cruise liners to kayaks. 
Wishes
The scones themselves, although undeniably fresh, just didn’t quite do it for us … good, but not good enough for a topscone. Who cares when you can sit in such splendid surroundings. We were staying at Cleadale, about five miles from this café, at the other end of the island. There, just off Laig beach, there is a little remote church of St Donnan’s. Inside the church there is a wishing tree. You can write your wish on a paper dove and hang it from a branch.
With Trump currently at the G20 Hamburg summit that wish has been slightly overtaken by events but don’t lose heart. If you ever visit you should still make a wish. In fact with Trump now running the world, the more wishes the better!
More of everything
Pat was making a bird list for our days away and by day two she had collected over twenty different species, including Manx Shearwaters and a Golden Eagle … happy girl! I had also managed to get a few Eigg sheds for my forthcoming coffee table companion “Sheds of Scotland”. Happy boy! Next stop the Isle of Rum, hopefully, more birds, more sheds … and more scones!
PH42 4RL tel: 01687 482487 Galmisdale Bay Café Bar
Scone baking … don’t think it’s a symptom of COVID-19 but it is definitely a side effect. My brother, living in London, recently confessed to suffering from it. Who would have thought it? No pictures so it may just be a rumour he is spreading to create the illusion that he is semi-domesticated. Our cruise correspondents, on the other hand, who live in the next street but might as well be cruising for all we can see of them these days, have sent a photo. It looks like it has been a very successful exercise indeed. Well done A&A, may your side effects be long-lasting!
EIGG SHED
