One bright and sunny Sunday morning in May, when Lorna and I both felt unusually alert and ready for adventure, we decided on a last minute trip to Edinburgh to fulfil an ambition.
Our destination was Alexandra Dock in Leith, permanent home to Fingal, a ship that once serviced lighthouses but now sits quietly awaiting visitors to its 5-star hotel rooms and restaurant.
An old chap standing in front of a considerably younger lady.
Fingal, looking resplendent at just over 60 years of age.
Earlier that morning, while wondering how we might fill our day, Lorna had the bright idea of going to Fingal for lunch. She had recently found out about the ship/hotel and we had both developed an interest in visiting it. We had been imagining an overnight stay, but perhaps lunch was an alternative way to experience its atmosphere.
When she looked on the website, Lorna discovered that they didn’t serve lunches, but they did offer afternoon teas. She phoned up to ask if there was any chance of a vegetarian afternoon tea for two that day, despite the website stating that they required 48 hours’ notice for special dietary requirements. The helpful lady she spoke to popped off to chat with the chefs, and then rang back to say that they had enough ingredients to prepare two such afternoon teas, and would be delighted to reserve a table for us.
The ship was accessible by wheelchair, or rollator, although with quite a steep gangway to get into it.
Toiling up the gangway.
The doors into the ship, at the top of the red-carpeted gangway.
Having successfully made it onboard, we were shown to a circular glass lift that took us up to the top deck housing the Lighthouse Restaurant.
The lift on Fingal, with me outside it.
The Lighthouse Restaurant, onboard Fingal.
A courteous receptionist in the restaurant showed us to our table. It was a little tricky for me to negotiate, but she pulled it out so that I could shuffle into a padded bench seat. Throughout our time on Fingal, the service from all staff was exemplary. We were brought glasses of tap water and an extensive menu of teas and a few coffees.
Seated on a comfortable padded bench seat.
The tea menu listed more than 20 different teas, and we were invited to try as many as we wished throughout the meal. Not being much of a tea drinker these days, I opted for a decaffeinated Americano, while Lorna started off with a Japanese Kukicha tea.
The vegetarian afternoon tea consisted of 5 hot savouries, 4 sandwiches, 2 scones and 4 cakes for each of us. It seemed to be rather a lot when we read the menu, but the portions were small and delicate, and surprisingly easy to consume. We started off with one of the tastiest dishes of the day, the amuse-bouche, a smoky tomato and red pepper soup.
Delicious mugs of smoky tomato and red pepper soup.
When our soups were finished a waitress took the dishes away and soon brought the next course, a three-tiered stand filled with hot savouries on the top two levels and sandwiches ‘downstairs’.
A stand of savouries onboard Fingal.
In Lorna’s opinion, the hot savouries were the star of the show. They consisted of an asparagus and ricotta tart, vegetable pakora in a spicy chilli dressing, feta cheese cube with tomato chutney, and pumpkin arancini.
Hot savouries.
Beneath the hot savouries sat the sandwiches, which I enjoyed but Lorna wasn’t so keen on, although she did appreciate the Coronation celeriac option.
Coronation celeriac sandwich.
When we had first arrived in the restaurant, at about 13:15, it was a little less than half full, but during our time there it filled up considerably. The staff were kept busy with so many afternoon teas, but were very good at appearing at our table at the right moments. After draining her pot of Kukicha, Lorna ordered a Black Forest Gateau tea, which was a blend of black teas with fruit pieces and chocolate. She thought it might be a good pairing for the dessert course. I stuck to my decaf Americanos.
The dessert course came on another three-tiered stand, with the top two levels containing our cakes, and the bottom level the scones with their accompaniments.
The dessert course of afternoon tea onboard Fingal.
There was one plain scone and one fruit scone each, and we both opted to start our sweets with the fruit scones. We used up all the cream on these two scones, but I’m sure the staff would have brought us more if we’d asked for it. We decided to take the plain scones home with us, so we were pretty generous in creaming up our fruit scones.
Fruit scone with strawberry jam and clotted cream.
The cakes consisted of a lemon mousse dome, raspberry mouse covered in dark chocolate, banana and toasted coconut cake, and an apple mousse dome.
Sweet treats in Fingal’s afternoon tea.
To finish off our meal, Lorna ordered a peppermint tea, which came rather strangely in a cafetiere rather than a teapot. We were told we could take away any of the food items we didn’t want to eat during the meal, and we opted to take home the two plain scones, and two apple domes. They were put into a branded box tied with a black ribbon.
Takeaway box from Fingal.
It had been sunny and windy on our arrival, and remained so on our departure some three hours later. We walked back to the car (which had conveniently been parked in Fingal’s own private car park) across a stretch of cobbled stones that were an interesting challenge for me and my wheels. We looked up at the ship’s flags as we passed, and felt pleased with ourselves for having spent an afternoon onboard such a splendid vessel.
On Friday 11 April, Lorna and I felt like having lunch out. The sun was shining and we agreed that a trip to Gleneagles was just the ticket. It would be our first visit there of 2025.
We arrived to find it standing majestically under blue skies, ready to welcome us in.
Gleneagles Hotel.
Lorna had thought it would make a nice change to dine inside the hotel, rather than at our usual eatery, The Dormy, which sits in a separate building next to a golf course.
We made our way through the pleasantly lit, softly carpeted, reception area, greeted with smiles and courteous welcomes by various members of staff. We were heading for the Garden Cafe, reached via an elegant shopping arcade.
According to the hotel’s website, the arcade is ‘inspired by the beautiful and historic arcades of London and Paris’.
The shopping arcade in Gleneagles Hotel.
A boutique window in the arcade at Gleneagles.
A gentleman of advanced years wheeling through the Gleneagles arcade,
When we reached the Garden Cafe we found it was fully occupied and there was a 20 minute waiting time for tables. Lorna suggested we go instead to the Century Bar, also within the hotel, back near the reception desk. The helpful chap in the Garden Cafe checked his computer and found that there were indeed free tables in the bar. We wandered back through the arcade feeling encouraged and ready for a spot of luncheon.
As we’d noted on previous visits, The Century Bar had an Art Deco feel about it, and favoured jazz as its background music.
The Century Bar at Gleneagles Hotel.
We chose comfortable sofa-type seating, with cushions at our backs.
Comfortably settled in the Century Bar.
We both opted for roasted tomato soup, served with croutons, basil oil and mascarpone. The soup portions were surprisingly large, about twice the volume one would normally expect as a starter course, and they came with thick slices of soft, floury granary bread.
Roasted tomato soup in the Century Bar.
The bread was served in an open wooden box, accompanied by a fat butter pat from Netherend Farm. We’ve had this butter before, and always enjoy reading the little rhyme on the packaging: “The richest dairy pastures lie…betwixt the Severn and the Wye.”
Fresh granary bread with Netherend Farm butter.
It took us quite a while to work our way through the soups, but we were in no hurry. We sat comfortably, enjoying the atmosphere and the variety of customers in the bar. As we’ve often noticed at Gleneagles, there were quite a few children around, no doubt enjoying the freedom of the Easter holidays.
As we discovered on a previous visit, one of the attractions of the Century Bar was their menu option of buttermilk scones. The portion consisted of three dainty plain scones with a generous tub of clotted cream and a little jar of strawberry and Champagne jam. Feeling quite full of soup and bread, we ordered one portion between us to share.
Portion of buttermilk scones in the Century Bar.
Lorna ordered a pot of Earl Grey tea, with which to wash her scones down. The solid silvery pot was so heavy I was unable to lift it off the table, even when it was empty of tea
A very heavy teapot.
In the interests of fair representation, we layered up half a scone with cream first and then jam (as they favour in Devon) and the other half with jam first and then cream (as the Cornish prefer). I can’t say I noticed much difference between the two, but Lorna is of the opinion that the Cornish way tastes better, while the Devon way looks better.
Devon and Cornwall represented in scone form.
After lunch, we wandered back through the hotel to visit the accessible toilet located part of the way through the arcade. It was spacious and well kitted out with golden grabrails, a large sink and small, individually folded towels for hand drying.
A spacious accessible toilet at Gleneagles, with golden grabrails and chequered marble floor.
One of the shop windows in the arcade was celebrating the 250th anniversary of English jewellers, Mappin and Webb.
Window display celebrating the 250th anniversary of Mappin & Webb.
Various items of jewellery had been displayed in amongst little models of afternoon tea services. The characters in the scene were curiously non-human.
A giraffe-headed lady in the Mappin & Webb window.
A tiger-headed gent in the Mappin & Webb window.
Lorna popped me back into the car for a snooze, while she had a short walk in the hotel grounds. It had been a most enjoyable day out, and we returned home well satisfied with our day’s adventures.
At the end of my last post I mentioned that we were soon to be visiting the Pine Trees Hotel in Pitlochry for Lorna’s birthday. This post has been somewhat delayed by a spell in hospital for me, and subsequent recovery at home. I’m certainly on the mend, but not yet quite up to full speed. My trusty ghost writer is assisting me as usual, by posting this on my behalf.
On 31 January, Lorna and I drove the 45 minutes or so north to Pitlochry, to meet my other daughter, Flora, for lunch at the Pine Trees Hotel. It was my first visit to the hotel, which was reached by a lengthy private driveway flanked by pine trees. Although it was a dull, cold day, the building had a welcoming appearance from the outside.
Exterior of the Pine Trees Hotel, Pitlochry.
We were warmly welcomed and led to a table set for three, which had a green velvet sofa on one side and a chair on the other. I sat on the chair while my two daughters took up their places on the low sofa (Lorna was behind the camera in the picture below).
Sitting with Flora in the dining room at the Pine Trees Hotel, Pitlochry,
After perusing the interesting menu, both Flora and I opted for battered haddock with chips, minted peas and caper mayonnaise. The batter was light and crisp, and the fish fresh and perfectly cooked.
Fish and chips at the Pine Trees Hotel, Pitlochry.
Lorna went for a vegetarian dish of pumpkin and sage ravioli with harissa, kale, candy beetroot and amaretti crumbs. She was impressed by the range of flavours and textures incorporated into the dish, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Pumpkin and sage ravioli at the Pine Trees Hotel, Pitlochry.
Following our very satisfactory savouries, we all three chose the same dessert: warm pear frangipane with caramelised apple, and bramble sorbet.
Triple frangipane puddings.Warm pear frangipane with caramelised apple, and bramble sorbet at the Pine Trees Hotel.
It was a nice pudding, but we didn’t detect the pear, and the tart was slightly dry. It seemed to be crying out for a small jug of pouring cream. The bramble sorbet and blobs of caramelised apple, however, were excellent, and perhaps a more generous serving of those accompaniments would have made up for the missing cream.
We spent all our time in the restaurant itself, but were interested to note some soft seating areas that looked as if they’d be pleasant places to sit with a drink.
Soft seating in the Pine Trees Hotel, Pitlochry.Soft seating in the Pine Trees Hotel, Pitlochry.
When we came to pay for the meal we noticed that one of the desserts and two of the drinks had been missed off the bill. When we brought this to the attention of the waiter, he explained that they had deliberately reduced the bill since we were celebrating a birthday. We were surprised and delighted by this, and it rounded off a happy occasion very nicely. We departed with the happy thought of a return visit some time in the future.
In July we revisited two old favourites, Dunkeld House Hotel and Gleneagles, both of which were excellent, as usual.
We also made our very first visit to a hotel that’s only 3 miles from our house. We’ve driven past it countless times, since it’s just off one of the main roads out of Blairgowrie. From the road, and even on their website, there’s no indication that non-residents are welcome, and we’d got the idea that it was rather an exclusive sort of place.
We had increasingly been thinking that one day we should bite the bullet and drive in to see what was what, and it took our fancy to do so on a warm, sunny Monday in mid-July when we were on our way to Pitlochry for lunch.
On the road below the hotel there’s a brown tourist road sign mentioning the name of the impressive building up the hill: Kinloch House Hotel. There are no other signs or boards indicating that it’s a hotel, which adds to the mystery of the place.
Kinloch House Hotel, near Blairgowrie.
Leaving me in the car, Lorna entered the building to find a very quiet, deserted interior. She had a look around, finding several soft seating areas and interesting wall decorations, and was eventually greeted by a courteous gentleman with a South African accent who asked if he could assist her. She asked him if the hotel served lunch, and he replied regretfully that they only did lunches on Sundays. Did they provide morning or afternoon teas, she enquired? Yes, he said, they could provide tea and coffee at any time, but again rather regretfully stated that the only edible accompaniments available were fruit loaf, lemon drizzle cake and shortbread. Lorna didn’t think that was anything to be sorry about, and she skipped back to the car to tell me the good news.
We continued on our way to Pitlochry, agreeing that one day we would settle ourselves in Kinloch House Hotel for hot drinks and cake. During lunch, at Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre, we decided to stop at savoury courses and go back to Kinloch House Hotel that same day to sample their cakes by way of pudding. We were met by the same South African gentleman, who welcomed us warmly and invited us to have a good look round the hotel’s communal areas until we found the area we’d like to sit in. We did that, and opted for the conservatory, which was bright and airy, and very warm indeed.
Happily settled in the conservatory at Kinloch House Hotel.
We put in an order for tea and coffee, lemon drizzle cake and fruit loaf, and enjoyed the magnificently peaceful surroundings. While we were waiting, Lorna popped out of the open door and took pictures of the views. The main road lay just below the hotel, but we couldn’t hear any traffic as the hillside between the two seemed to absorb any noise.
The door out of the conservatory at Kinloch House Hotel.The front of Kinloch House Hotel from outside the conservatory.Beautiful views from Kinloch House Hotel.
Our South African server appeared with a large tray containing all we’d asked for, nicely presented with thick, white linen napkins. It was getting very hot sitting in the conservatory and we appreciated the large glasses of iced water he brought.
Enjoying a thick white napkin at Kinloch House Hotel.
It was extremely peaceful sitting there, and during the couple of hours or so we spent in the hotel, the South African chap was the only other person we saw. After we’d finished and paid for our repast, he invited us to sit in the conservatory or lounge for as long as we wanted. It was a tempting offer and we appreciated the kind hospitality, but sleep was calling me and my bed was only a few minutes’ drive away. Before we left, however, we enjoyed use of the facilities and had another little look around the hotel.
Exploring Kinloch House Hotel.One of the sitting rooms in Kinloch House Hotel.
A beautiful bathroom at Kinloch House Hotel.
In August we were tempted back to Dunkeld House Hotel and Ballathie House Hotel for familiar pleasures, but we also had lunch at Fonab Castle Hotel and Spa in Pitlochry.
It being the height of summer, the hanging baskets outside the hotel were in full bloom and looking very colourful.
Burgeoning baskets at Fonab Castle Hotel, Pitlochry.
One of Fonab Castle’s greatest assets is its setting, with dining room views out over Loch Faskally.
Loch Faskally, viewed from the dining room at Fonab Castle Hotel.
We were presented with the full menu, but chose to order from the lighter afternoon options.
I chose the veloute of the day, the details of which neither Lorna nor I can now remember, but I’m sure it tasted good.
Veloute of the day at Fonab Castle Hotel.
Lorna had the garden salad, and was particularly pleased by the inclusion of olives. Since both of our choices were light options we ordered a side of chips to share.
Garden salad at Fonab.
Small, warm and delicious wholemeal rolls were brought to the table, with a little pat of butter.
Delicious mini loaves at Fonab.
After our savouries, I chose a chocolate tart for pudding.
Chocolate tart at Fonab.
Lorna settled for a decaf latte, which was topped with a thick layer of foam and served in a handle-less insulated plastic cup.
Latte at Fonab.
September saw us back at Ballathie House Hotel again, where we enjoyed the sight of an old tree stump planted with nasturtiums and other plants. It looked rather like a volcano.
An interestingly planted tree stump at Ballathie House Hotel.
Later the same month we visited a hotel in the village of Meikleour, less than 5 miles from our house. We’d been there earlier in the year for hot drinks, and decided to call in for lunch on a beautiful sunny September day.
Meikleour Arms Hotel.
It was busy, as I believe it often is, being a popular spot with locals and tourists alike. Lorna and I both opted for the goat’s cheese, pear and walnut quiche, and were very glad we’d done so. It was delicious, and served with a tasty parsnip crisp and a bountiful bowl of salad.
Goat’s cheese, pear and walnut quiche at Meikleour Arms Hotel.
For pudding Lorna settled for a scoop of lemon sorbet and a scoop of raspberry ripple ice cream. She was delighted with the fluffy little madeleine that accompanied it.
Sorbet and ice cream with bonus madeleine.
I plumped for Victoria plum crumble, which came with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream atop the well-filled crumble dish. It was surprisingly large and very tasty.
A well-filled dish of plum crumble with ice cream.
After partaking of coffee, I was glad my bed was in such close proximity to our luncheon spot.
The first day of October saw us visiting a hotel in the nearby village of Alyth that quite astounded us on our initial visit the year before. We had often seen signs for the Lands of Loyal Hotel while driving through Alyth, and for some reason always assumed it was a scruffy and neglected sort of place. The building isn’t visible from the main road, and I don’t know why we both had the impression we did, but for many years we’d avoided even going to investigate what might be there. After our first visit, which as I say astounded us, we felt inclined to go back and remind ourselves of its magnificence.
It was originally built as a private residence, but later took on the persona of a sort of country house hotel. It has a very unique atmosphere, and although we’ve been there a few times now, it continues to surprise us with its colouful and flamboyant decor.
Sitting comfortably by the fire in the lounge at Lands of Loyal Hotel.
There are, I think, four separate dining rooms in the hotel, and we were put in one we hadn’t been to before. It was cosy and lavishly decorated.
One of the lavishly decorated dining rooms at Lands of Loyal Hotel.
The ceiling in this room was particularly striking.
Striking ceiling in a dining room at Lands of Loyal Hotel.
Exotic birds were displayed on a frieze just beneath the intricate gold-painted cornice.
Exotic birds at Lands of Loyal Hotel.
There was plenty to look at, and we enjoyed the peaceful ambience of the room as we waited for our food to arrive (we had perused the menus and made our order from the lounge area, where we were served drinks prior to the meal).
Neither Lorna nor I can now remember exactly what our dishes were, but they were well presented, and highly acceptable. I selected a starter and a dessert, while Lorna had a main course and no dessert. My starter consisted of a pastry tube stuffed with something that may have included mushrooms, served with a rich, creamy sauce.
Lorna’s main course was a vegetarian offering involving courgettes. She recalls the tomato sauce being particularly delicious.
One of the things I particularly like in a restaurant is when they produce a bread roll and butter as part of proceedings. Lorna likes to see a carafe of water provided on the table. Lands of Loyal pleased both of us on these points, as well as ticking the boxes for thick linen tablecloths and napkins
My chosen pudding was a raspberry creme brulee. It was served in a large teacup, sitting on a piece of slate and accompanied by chantilly cream decorated with berries. It took me quite a while to get through it, but I persevered and polished it off.
At the end of October we revisited Ballathie House Hotel, where we had a bit of exercise in their beautiful grounds, to work up an appetite for our lunch. My rollator, as well as being a very useful walking aid, provides a seat when I need a little rest.
Resting in front of the River Tay at Ballathie House Hotel, after a walk in the grounds.
Settled into the very quiet drawing room, we opted for sandwiches (egg mayonnaise for Lorna; tuna mayonnaise for me) and tea to drink. I usually prefer a cold drink with lunch, but it was a chilly day and the hot tea was very welcome.
Tea and sandwiches at Ballathie House Hotel.
The dessert of the day was choux au craquelin with banana jam and salted caramel ice cream. Not being a big fan of bananas, I opted for a cream tea, but Lorna was quite excited to try the craquelin, and was delighted by the look of it.
Choux au craquelin with banana.
The cream tea came, as usual at Ballathie, with shortbread as well as a scone. It was up to the usual excellent standards.
Cream tea at Ballathie.
Delving into a cream tea at Ballathie.
In November, we revisited both Gleneagles and Ballathie.
One of my favourite dishes in The Dormy restaurant at Gleneagles has been their vegetarian haggis with neeps and tatties in a whisky cream sauce. They used to have it on their menu as a starter and a main course, but these days only advertise it as a main course. However, if you ask for a small portion they serve you the starter size, which is quite big enough a meal for me.
Haggis starter at The Dormy, Gleneagles.
Lorna had a dish she’s had a number of times, a curry consisting of paneer cheese and spinach. Sometimes it’s extremely spicy, other times very mild. This time it was rather over-salted, but I’m told the rice was excellent, as always.
Palak paneer at The Dormy, Gleneagles.
One of the Dormy’s best desserts is usually their creme brulee. Since it’s rather large and we both only had a little space left, we ordered one to share. It wasn’t up to the usual standards, and I wonder if there had been a change of chef. We managed to polish it off all right, mind you.
Creme brulee at The Dormy, Gleneagles.
On our visit to Ballathie later that month, again we started with a little exercise in the grounds…
Walking at Ballathie House Hotel.
…before settling ourselves into the drawing room, which I like to think of as my second home.
Settled into the drawing room at Ballathie.
We both had carrot soup, followed by cream teas, all of which was exactly as expected and highly satisfactory.
Carrot soup at Ballathie, with their excellent homemade bread.Cream tea perfection at Ballathie.
We had several good meals out in December, but the only hotel we visited was the Atholl Palace Hotel in Pitlochry, where we met my other daughter, Flora, for lunch one day.
The hotel had been decked out for Christmas, and had a cosy, festive feel.
Huge Christmas tree at the Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry.
Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry.
There are two dining options at the Atholl Palace, their main restaurant and the Stag Bar. We chose the bar, which was festively decorated and had a welcoming log fire.
Stag Bar at Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry.
Lorna forgot to take photographs of the food we had, but I’m told we had soups and sandwiches. We enjoyed our time there, and the pleasure of an extra dining companion.
Flora and me in the Stag Bar, next to a warming fire.
It’s approaching the end of January 2025 as this is being written. The only hotel we’ve visited so far this year is Dunkeld House Hotel, but we’re planning to visit a new one to us at the end of this month, the Pine Trees in Pitlochry. We’ll be celebrating Lorna’s birthday, so I hope it will be a very pleasant and memorable occasion. If it turns out to be both, it might well appear on this blog in due course.
As a student in my early twenties, I decided I could save a bit of money on barbers by cutting my hair myself. I got so used to doing it that I kept it up for most of my life.
For the past few years Lorna has taken over the role, as it was becoming too difficult for me, but she’s never been very happy about it and has often tried to persuade me to go to a proper barber. Up till now I’ve resisted the idea, but when she discovered a Master Barber in the nearby town of Kirriemuir, the description on his website impressed me enough to book an appointment and pop along there a few days ago.
Arriving at the Master Barber.
Inside, the barber shop was decorated with an array of pictures and trinkets, including quite a bit of Star Wars memorabilia. There was a lot to look at.
The Master Barber was busy finishing off another client’s hair when we arrived, but after a few minutes he sat me in a large and comfortable chair with footstool attached, and began to work his magic.
The Master Barber at work.
Lorna was sitting just behind me, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, as the barber’s hands danced mesmerisingly in a constant flow of confidence, skill and dexterity. From my point of view, it was a supremely gentle and satisfying experience to be tended to by this artisan.
Before the barber.
After the barber.
It was such a good experience that I’m looking forward to another visit in the not-too-distant future.
Despite not having been away on holiday this year, Lorna and I have enjoyed lunching at a number of inviting hotels throughout 2024.
While she was looking through her photographs of the year, Lorna discovered we had visited more than a dozen hotels at time of writing, several of them more than once. Including all of them in one blog post would make for rather a long article, so they’re being described in two parts. This post, Part One, features hotels visited between January and June 2024. Part Two will cover July to December.
Our first hotel of the year (and our second most visited) was Dunkeld House Hotel.
Dunkeld House Hotel.
Looking up at Dunkeld House Hotel from the River Tay.
It was a cold and frosty day in early January, and the River Tay was mistily atmospheric.
River Tay at Dunkeld House Hotel.
I was glad to get indoors and warm up before removing my outer garments.
A happy Bennet warming up in Dunkeld House Hotel.
In February we visited a hotel we’d never been to before: Rufflets, near St Andrews.
Rufflets Hotel, near St Andrews, Fife.
Here I am, eagerly awaiting delivery of some delicious soup at Rufflets.
Eagerly awaiting soup at Rufflets.
I think it was mushroom soup I had. It came with bread and a little pat of cultured butter from the Edinburgh Butter Company, ready to be spread with a delightful wooden knife.
Soup and butter with a pleasing wooden, paddle-like, butter knife at Rufflets.
The vegetarian main course was mushroom risotto, an offering Lorna is not especially fond of, but she was intrigued to try it since it contained sweetcorn as well as mushrooms. Happily, she declared it tasty, and the sweetcorn an excellent addition.
Sweetcorn and mushroom risotto at Rufflets.
After the risotto Lorna felt too full for dessert, but I opted for a chocolate sponge with salted caramel sauce and ice cream. It was served with a long and very thin stick of spun sugar.
Sponge pudding with spun sugar stick.
After our meal, we moved to more comfortable seats in a lounge area to enjoy hot beverages.
Enjoying a hot beverage in the lounge at Rufflets.
There was a welcoming fire in the hearth. We sat there for a while, relaxing happily.
The cosy lounge at Rufflets.
February also saw us visiting Ballathie House Hotel, near where we live in Blairgowrie (more on that one later) and the Dakota Hotel at South Queensferry.
It wasn’t our first visit to the Dakota Hotel, although it’s not somewhere we’ve been to very often.
Waiting for food at the Dakota Hotel, South Queensferry.
Lorna’s outstanding memory of the Dakota is that it once served up the best gnocchi she’s ever had. It wasn’t on the menu on this occasion, and she opted for two vegetarian starters instead of a main course.
Crispy goat’s cheese with butternut squash, raisins and pine nuts at the Dakota Hotel.Hummus with a cheese straw at the Dakota Hotel
I had the French onion soup, which was so large and filling I had no room for pudding. It was delicious but quite a challenge to eat, being entirely covered with a thick slab of melted cheese.
Generously cheese-topped French onion soup at the Dakota Hotel.
For Christmas 2023, Lorna and I gave each other luncheon vouchers for the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. In late March we drove south to our home town to spend them.
Brasserie Prince in the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh.Happy to have been given a large napkin at Brasserie Prince.
The lunch was a 3 course set menu, and the starters were sizeable. Lorna’s starter was, in fact, larger than her main course.
Lorna’s starter: sourdough toast with wild mushrooms in a cheese sauce topped with pickled radishes.My starter: another French onion soup, this time not quite so thickly covered with cheese.
We both very much enjoyed our starters, and were also delighted by the main courses.
Lorna’s main: butternut squash and ricotta ravioli in a sage butter sauce with crispy sage leaves.
My main: chicken with heritage carrots, spinach, crispy chicken skin and potato fondant.
We were quite full by the time it came to puddings, but in for a penny in for a pound.
Lorna’s pudding: ice cream profiteroles with a bitter dark chocolate sauce.
My pudding: creme brulee.
After finishing our three courses, we rolled ourselves into the bar for tea and coffee, which was served with excellent shortbread we barely had room for.
Lorna came back from a visit to the facilities joyfully reporting that the flamboyant sinks she remembered from visiting the Balmoral many years ago were still in evidence.
Floral sink at the Balmoral Hotel.
At the end of April we made one of several visits to our most frequented hotel of the year, Ballathie House Hotel, near Blairgowrie.
Outside the front door at Ballathie House Hotel.
We like Ballathie for many reasons, including its proximity to where we live (a 15 minute drive away), its beautiful grounds and magnificent riverside setting with long, tree-lined drive, the splendid peacefulness of the drawing room where they serve weekday lunches, the delicious soup and sandwich offering they provide from Monday to Friday, the very pleasant ambience and the excellent, welcoming staff. In short, we’re always happy to pay it a visit.
Lunching in the very quiet drawing room at Ballathie. Carrot and ginger soup with home-made fennel and black pepper cob, and a large egg mayonnaise sandwich to share, with root vegetable crisps.
The weekday lunch menu is quite limited, with one soup on offer, several sandwich options, a dessert of the day, and a cream tea available. We often settle for soup followed by a cream tea, which we find fills us up nicely. The cream tea comes with tea or coffee, superb home-made fruit scones, a plentiful supply of jam and cream, and two shortbread biscuits.
Cream tea at Ballathie House Hotel.
April is my birthday month, and in 2024 I celebrated the achievement of reaching 95 years old. This visit to Ballathie took place on the day itself, but we also celebrated the milestone in early May with other family members.
On 5 May we met up with my son Donald and his partner Gail, and their two children, James and Sam, at Gleneagles, near Auchterarder. Lorna forgot to take photographs during this occasion, but after our lunch and before we parted, Gail remembered to get a selfie shot using her phone camera. Unfortunately, my daughter Flora was unable to join us due to feeling unwell that day.
At Gleneagles to celebrate turning 95. Left to right: my two grandchildren Sam and James, Gail, me, Lorna, Donald.
June was a very good month for hotels. We visited six different ones, four for meals, including our old favourites, Dunkeld, Ballathie and Gleneagles, and two more for coffee.
The grounds at Gleneagles are beautiful year-round, but perhaps particularly attractive in the summer when its many trees are in full leaf.
The grounds at Gleneagles with the hotel in the background.Lake at Gleneagles.
It wasn’t a particularly warm day when we lunched at The Dormy restaurant in Gleneagles. For some reason (perhaps because she’s done it so many times before in the same place) Lorna didn’t take any photographs of our meal, but she did take a few when we’d moved over to the fireside for hot drinks. It was nice to have the fire on in June.
The welcoming fireplace at The Dormy,We occupied a sofa in front of the fire; a good place to sit on a cold afternoon.
Underneath the glass top of the coffee table there were several board games. We took out the draughts board and I tried hard to remember how to play the game. Some of the pieces were missing, but there were other small objects in the box that did the turn.
At the end of June we had lunch at Dalmunzie Castle Hotel, a place we only discovered last year. The hotel sits in a secluded glen near Spittal of Glenshee, roughly halfway between Blairgowrie and Braemar. It’s reached by a long private drive.
The drive at Dalmunzie.Standing outside Dalmunzie Castle Hotel in a proprietorial manner.
Similar to Ballathie House Hotel, Dalmunzie serves lunches throughout the week in the lounge areas rather than the dining room.
The main reception room contains a number of sofas and armchairs.
The main reception room at Dalmunzie Castle Hotel.
Just round the corner from this main room there’s a quiet little area containing one sofa and two armchairs, and that was where we chose to sit for lunch.
In the quiet little lounge area off the main reception room at Dalmunzie.
The sandwiches were generously filled, made with thick soft bread, and accompanied by a bowl of salted crisps.
Delicious sandwiches at Dalmunzie Castle Hotel.
After lunch, we took a short walk up past the hotel to admire the glen beyond. It looked quite forbidding, but majestic.
Wild but majestic, the scenery surrounding Dalmunzie Castle Hotel.
If you’ve enjoyed these hotels, watch out for Part Two, coming soon….
It’s been nearly 11 months since my last blog post, towards the end of January 2024.
Out on a frosty day in January 2024.
I had meant to post more frequently than this, but the past year has been a very sleepy one for me and I haven’t had energy for much other than the basic necessities of life.
At 95, I’m interested in how I’m ageing, and in recent months I’ve noticed that my ability to concentrate has diminished. This is evident in how I follow (or fail to follow) conversations, the almost immediate forgetting of something I’ve just been told, and being unable to process information transmitted to me in television programmes or through the written word. The term I often use to describe myself is ‘confused’.
I see all of this is as a natural progression into old age and I’m not overly concerned about it, although I would quite like to feel more engaged with what’s going on around me at times. However, one of the great benefits of this way of life is that I find it very easy to switch off, and I get a lot of sleep, which is something I enjoy.
In the first half of 2024 I had several falls. I’m glad to say they all happened in the house, and none of them resulted in serious injury, but they did knock my confidence in walking. I underwent physiotherapy treatment, which focussed on improving my strength, balance and confidence, and that led to the purchase of a piece of equipment that has made a big difference to my life.
In September, after trying out something similar supplied by my local hospital, I purchased a 4-wheeled walking frame (also known as a rollator) from a specialist shop Dundee.
I’ve been using it every day since then, both indoors and outside, and the physiotherapist has discharged me with a clean bill of health.
We’re fortunate to have a car with a spacious, flat-level entry boot, which the rollator slides in and out of easily. The rollator also folds up nicely so that when I’m in a restaurant or other place with limited space, it can be tucked out of the way.
As well as keeping me stable when walking, it provides a comfortable seat if I need a little rest.
As well as this excellent new piece of equipment, I now have a blue disabled badge, which allows anyone driving me to park in a variety of places for free. Lorna gains considerable pleasure from parking in disabled spaces when she’s taking me out, and I must say it is very helpful to be close to the entrances of shops and restaurants, and to have the extra space marked out around the car in disabled parking spaces.
As we approach the end of 2024, I’m hopeful that 2025 will bring new rollator adventures, and possibly even a little extra energy for some of the things I’d still like to achieve.
Comments are closed on this post but if you wish to contact me you can email me on bennet@sent.com.
Just over ten years ago, in 2013, something new and curious appeared in the central belt of Scotland. Two enormous stainless steel horse heads reared up out of parkland near Falkirk and became known as ‘The Kelpies‘.
According to Wikipedia, in Scottish mythology, a kelpie is a shape-changing spirit that inhabits bodies of water and often takes the form of a horse.
The Kelpies, rising out of the ground near Falkirk.
These giant works of art, and impressive feats of engineering, were designed and created by Scottish sculptor, Andy Scott. His website contains some excellent photographs of them.
One bright and windy October day, ten years after their installation, Lorna and I decided it was high time we went to see these magnificent beasts for ourselves.
Bennet in front of kelpies.
They look pretty big from a distance, but their size is even better appreciated up close as they loom overhead at a height of around 30 metres (100ft) tall.
Large kelpie with Bennet underneath, giving scale to the picture.
Each of the two kelpies is constructed from approximately 18,000 different pieces, features 464 steel plates, contains over 1.5 miles of steel, and weighs over 300 tonnes.
One of the kelpies, showing detail of steel plates.
This sculptural marvel, said to be the largest equine structure in the world, is situated in a pleasant spot called The Helix, a park containing plenty of parking, and a visitor centre with cafe, shop and toilets. There is wheelchair access throughout.
The Kelpies sit next to the Forth and Clyde canal, which inspired the choice of sculpture. In times gone by, draught horses walked along the canal towpaths pulling boats along the water. The canal is still well-used by boats, and there are some nice flat walks alongside it.
Canal boats on the Forth and Clyde canal near The Kelpies.
We walked as far as a little bridge over the canal, which gave us a feel for the surrounding area.
With sufficient time and energy one could easily spend several hours at Helix Park, walking or cycling, or perhaps even cruising down the canal on a narrowboat.
The Forth and Clyde canal with kelpies in the distance.
I’d forgotten about this until Lorna reminded me, but in addition to the Braemar hat buying experience mentioned in my last post, there was another day last year when I tried on several hats. It occurred about a month before the Braemar episode, in a very different sort of environment.
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I wonder if the name Andrew Carnegie means anything to you. He’s perhaps best known as an industrialist and philanthropist of the 19th and early 20th Centuries who amassed great wealth, becoming at one time the richest man in the world. He financed thousands of public libraries, and a number of trusts, funds and buildings, including the Peace Palace in The Hague, and New York’s Carnegie Hall. Although often thought of as American, he was in fact born in Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1835. During his childhood, his parents were struggling to make ends meet and opted to emigrate to America to seek a better life when Carnegie was 12 years old.
The house he grew up in still exists and has been turned into a museum dedicated to telling the story of Carnegie’s life. I wasn’t sure what to expect when we visited the museum, but was pleasantly surprised by how good it was.
The museum is divided into two parts: the original house the Carnegies lived in, and a large hall adjacent to it that was built by Carnegie’s widow in 1928. The hall contains a wealth of information about the man and his varied and productive life.
When we first entered the old building and I saw the steep staircase leading up to the original accommodation, I chose to stay at the bottom and let Lorna investigate the upper level. She went up to take photos and report back, but while she was doing this I decided to have a bash at the stairs. Much to her surprise, when she was on her way back to the stairs she found me standing at the top of them.
At the top of the steep stairs, in the Carnegie family’s small room.
On this upper level there was a small room that had housed the entire Carnegie family, and a larger room that had been made into a display about Andrew Carnegie’s youth. In the larger room, while I was busy reading some of the information boards, Lorna was rummaging about in a dressing-up box in the corner.
Busy reading information about Andrew Carnegie’s youth at the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum.
She found some items of interest and proceeded to dress me up. I wasn’t paying much attention to what she was doing as I was busily focussed on what I was reading.
Hat number 1: a small-brimmed black item.Hat number 2: rather a splendid affair.Hat number 3: a jolly, summery sort of straw boater.
When she’d run out of hats and I’d run out of brain space for new information, we went back downstairs to the hall built by Carnegie’s widow. The amount of information available to read was quite overwhelming and we skimmed through it, taking in what we could. I even met the great man himself, seated in his study, and introduced myself. He didn’t say much, but he seemed quite pleased to have a visitor.
One of the most unexpected things that happened to me last year occurred on a sunny September day, when Lorna and I had a day out.
We headed north from our home in Blairgowrie, not sure where we would end up, but interested to see where the car might take us. We drove up the A93 towards Braemar in search of morning coffee and saw a sign advertising Dalmunzie Castle Hotel. Rather unusually, in addition to offering lunches and dinners to non-residents, the sign specifically mentioned morning coffees. We pulled off the road and drove slowly up a long, private driveway to the castle.
The building sat in a quiet and sheltered glen, and the sun was shining magnificently from a blue sky. We parked the car and entered the castle through a heavy wooden door. Inside, we found a comfortable lounge area, settled ourselves in and ordered coffee and tea, which came with delicious home-made shortbread biscuits.
Bennet lounging about in Dalmunzie Castle Hotel.
Happily refreshed, we continued our journey north. As we climbed up into the mountains, we passed the Glenshee ski centre, and noticed that although there was no snow at that time of year, the chairlift was operating. Lorna suggested it would be fun to get on the chairlift and go up the mountain, but I quickly reminded her that at my great age of 94, such an escapade held no attraction for me. I said I would wait if she wanted to go up on her own, but she wasn’t interested in that and we drove on. After a minute or two it occurred to me that if I had headgear that wouldn’t blow off, I could be persuaded to go up on the chairlift, and I said so to Lorna. The floppy-brimmed sunhats we had in the car didn’t seem suitable, but we had the idea of looking for a new hat in Braemar.
When we reached Braemar we went into a gift shop that also happened to have an impressive array of hats. I was drawn to several hats with brims of various sizes, but none of them seemed quite right. After much trying on, we found a hat of a different sort that looked as if it might be just the job. It went well with the outfit I had on and seemed to be the perfect purchase, so we bought it.
Bennet in his new bunnet in Braemar.
Thus suitably attired, I felt ready to head back down to Glenshee and hop on the chairlift. It was a first for both of us to go on a chairlift, and it wasn’t until she was several metres above the ground that Lorna remembered she had a fear of heights. She gripped the handrail tightly and I did my best to assure her that all was well. As we rose up the mountainside, the wind increased considerably. I held on to my hat to prevent it from flying off. Fortunately, it was a nice tight fit.
At the top, holding on to new hat.
After being helped off the moving chairs by an assistant, we staggered to a viewpoint where I was glad to sit down and take in the magnificent views.
At the viewpoint, admiring the surrounding scenery.
We stayed up there until our hands became numb in the cold wind. We were glad to get back on the chairlift and enjoy the shelter of the mountainside as we came down. The views were wonderful.
Coming down: a pleasant experience in the shelter of the mountainside.
Having overcome her initial terrors, Lorna declared she’d happily do it all again, but we agreed to keep that for another occasion. We spent the rest of the day feeling surprised and delighted by our unexpected mountain adventure, and it has provided happy memories for us both ever since.
Bennet McInnes 