Yesterday, on a dull but mild day, Lorna and I took ourselves off to nearby Ballathie House Hotel for a spot of luncheon.
Their soup of the day was celeriac, served with homemade granary bread, and we both opted for that.
Celeriac soup and homemade granary bread at Ballathie House Hotel.
The soup was deliciously hot and creamy. The bread, too, was excellent, but quite substantial in portion size, so we wrapped up what we didn’t eat and took it home with us for later.
Lunching at Ballathie on a weekday means either sitting in the bar area, or the drawing room. The bar is cosy and pleasant, and yesterday there was a wonderful fire burning in the grate.
The lounge bar at Ballathie, with a roaring fire.
We generally prefer the drawing room, because the seating arrangements are easier for eating. We also like the airiness of the room and the magnificent views from the large windows. As has often been the case in the past, we had the entire room to ourselves, and the staff very helpfully brought a higher table for me to balance my soup on.
Celeriac soup for lunch.Comfortably seated in the drawing room at Ballathie House Hotel for lunch.
When we’d finished our soup, we plumped for a cream tea a-piece. At Ballathie, this consists of a hot beverage of your choice, served with a plain scone, cream and strawberry jam, and a homemade shortbread biscuit. The cream had two succulent blackberries nestling in it, which were a welcome addition to proceedings.
Two cream teas at Ballathie.
After a most relaxing and pleasant lunch, we drove slowly along Ballathie’s long driveway, which is something we always enjoy doing. Little white snowdrop rugs were to be seen between the large trees lining the drive.
Snowdrops along the driveway at Ballathie.
On the way home, we paused at the edge of Kinclaven Bluebell Wood, so that Lorna could have a brief leg-stretch. I stayed in the warm car, snoozing peacefully.
Winding path through trees at Kinclaven Bluebell Wood.
Earlier this week I lunched with my two daughters at one of our favourite places: Cafe Circa, inside the Scottish Antique and Arts Centre at Abernyte, near Dundee.
The entrance to the Scottish Antique and Arts Centre at Abernyte, displaying a selection of garden ornaments for sale.
Inside, there were signs of Christmas; our table was positioned near a decorative archway festooned with baubles.
Flora and me in Cafe Circa (Lorna took the photo).
I chose a dish I often have when I come here: a starter portion of fishcake with tartare sauce and salad. I sometimes add a bowl of chips, but Flora’s meal was coming with chips and she said I could have some of hers.
Starter size fishcake at Cafe Circa.
One of their specials of the day was beer battered haddock and chips, and that was what Flora chose. There were indeed a lot of chips, and even between the two of us we didn’t manage to finish them all.
Flora’s choice: beer battered haddock and chips.
Lorna opted for a vegan dish of leek, cavolo nero and sweet potato tart, served with a hazelnut and orange salad.
Leek, cavolo nero and sweet potato tart with hazelnut and orange salad.
All three of us very much enjoyed our meals, and didn’t have much room for anything else, but Lorna and I shared a slice of carrot cake to round things off.
Carrot cake and two forks at Cafe Circa.
It had been a slow and relaxing lunch, and as we drove home under leaden skies and falling rain, I drifted into peaceful slumber feeling replete and content.
Yesterday, Lorna and I had lunch out at Dunkeld House Hotel, on our way to House of Bruar for a bit of shopping. The weather had started dull and misty, but the sun came out and we enjoyed our 25 minute drive through the turning colours of autumn.
Once we’d settled ourselves in the warm lounge bar of the hotel (which was fairly busy with other diners and a couple of well-behaved dogs), we both ordered the soup of the day, which we’d been told was pea. It came with very soft white bread, little packets of butter, and a bowl of chips.
Pea soup with soft bread and a bowl of chips at Dunkeld House Hotel. I was being distracted by a dog at a nearby table when the picture was taken.
The soup was an attractive vibrant green, and I tucked in joyfully. Lorna was suspicious of the lumps floating on the top, and hoped they were croutons. She tentatively bit into one, discovered it was a bacon lardon, and proceeded to pick the rest of them out of her bowl. I didn’t even notice them, and consumed my soup happily unaware of the meat element. (Not that it would have bothered me if I’d known, since I’m not averse to such things myself.)
Blissfully unaware of floating pig, and happily peaceful with my hearing aids out.
We enjoyed sitting in the lounge bar, with the background buzz of other diners in a warm, comfortable environment. After polishing off our meals, we decided against having anything further, and decided to push on to House of Bruar, where we would have hot drinks and a snack. Lorna forgot to take any photos at Bruar, but she did take a couple in Dunkeld House Hotel grounds as we were leaving.
Autumn colours in the car park at Dunkeld House Hotel.
One of the delights of Dunkeld House Hotel is the long private driveway leading from the main road to the hotel. It’s a mile long and has numerous gentle humps to keep traffic at low speeds. It’s almost entirely single track with passing places, and every time we go up or down it we pass other vehicles travelling in the opposite direction. The little waves we exchange with fellow drivers, and the leisurely pace of the drive, make coming and going along the driveway a special part of any visit to the hotel.
View towards the village of Dunkeld, along the driveway at Dunkeld House Hotel.
Today, I had an appointment at 12:31 for my seasonal ‘flu and Covid jabs in the local hospital. Since the appointment was at lunchtime, we decided to continue on to a local eatery instead of going back home for lunch.
Successfully jabbed, and ready for lunch out.
We drove the short distance to the Dalmore Inn, on the outskirts of Blairgowrie, a handy place we visit from time to time when we don’t want to go far.
The Dalmore Inn, Blairgowrie
Having put in our order and received our drinks (milk for me, water for Lorna), we prepared ourselves to receive cauliflower and roast almond soups, served with warm rolls.
Ready for soup at the Dalmore Inn.
Lorna was relieved to find that her soup came topped with snipped chives, rather than lumps of meat, and we tucked in.
Cauliflower and roast almond soup with a warm roll and butter at the Dalmore Inn.
The soup was nice and thick, and the almonds were clearly noticeable as tiny nibs within the soup.
After our soup, we were looking forward to dessert. We’ve noticed before at the Dalmore Inn that they’re pretty good at puddings, so our hopes were high. We had both ordered their daily special: autumnal spiced parfait with orange segments, spiced biscuit crumb and orange sorbet. It certainly looked very appealing when it arrived.
Autumnal spiced parfait at the Dalmore Inn.
There was a good range of textures within the dessert, and the orange sorbet was exceptionally delicious, having a strong citrus tang.
Lorna agrees with me that, despite her off-putting topping, the pea soup was the tastier of the two soups on two days. However, life is all about variety, and we appreciated different aspects of our visits to both Dunkeld House Hotel and the Dalmore Inn. We often comment on how marvellous it is that so many eateries exist within a short distance of where we live, and that we’re able to support their noble endeavours.
On returning home, after tucking me into bed for an afternoon nap, Lorna popped out for a walk and enjoyed some autumn leaves still on trees, and carpeting the ground.
Some years ago it was announced that Perth Museum would be moving into an old building that had been lying empty for a long time, but was in the process of being refurbished. In March 2024, it opened its doors in the city centre, and Lorna and I had been wanting to go and see what it was like. Yesterday, we decided it was time for a bit of museum fun.
Standing outside the south side of Perth Museum.
There is no parking at the museum, even for disabled badge holders. There are parking areas nearby, but the closest parking was closed off because of roadworks. This meant a longer than usual walk for me, which I found quite an effort, but I was glad I was still able to do it.
We were ready for lunch by the time we arrived, and the Stone Cafe was just inside the doorway, with a welcoming sign.
Sign welcoming visitors to the Stone Cafe.
Inside, the cafe was bright and airy, with very high ceilings and magnificent tall windows.
Stone Cafe, Perth Museum.
We did as the sign had instructed, chose a table and put in our order at the counter,
Sitting in Stone Cafe with a cloudy apple juice.
I chose their quiche of the day, which was presented as two small tartlets, containing a Cajun vegetable mixture. It came with coleslaw and chutney.
Cajun vegetable quiche at Stone Cafe, Perth.
Lorna was intrigued to try a ‘sausage’ roll containing vegetarian haggis and sweet potato.
Vegetarian haggis sausage roll with chutney, salad and coleslaw.
She also ordered tea, and was delighted by the size of the pot, which contained three full cups of flavoursome breakfast tea.
Breakfast tea at Stone Cafe, Perth.
Neither of us wanted anything else to eat, and we were keen to see the museum. I was feeling quite tired and wasn’t sure if I had the energy for walking around, but we decided to have a quick look and see what the space was like. At the entrance, Lorna spotted a couple of wheelchairs, and asked if we could borrow one. A helpful member of staff assisted us in unfolding it, and I sat myself down. My rollator was stored safely behind the reception counter while Lorna wheeled me off to look at the exhibits.
Sitting comfortably in a wheelchair in Perth Museum.
It was the first time we had borrowed a wheelchair like this, and it was quite a revelation. Lorna found it quite easy to push, and there was a lift to take us to the upper floor. I enjoyed being able to see everything without getting tired.
Admiring some stuffed animals in Perth Museum.On the upper floor of Perth Museum.
As always with such places, there was far more to read and take in than we had brain space for, but we enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere and appreciating how nicely the building had been modernised.
When we’d seen enough, we went back down in the lift, collected my rollator, and trudged back to the car. I found the walk back more tiring than the walk in, but I managed it, and was very glad to settle into the car. By this time we felt we had room for a hot drink and a snack, and decided to drive the short distance to the Macmillan cafe at Quarrymill, on the outskirts of Perth.
The Macmillan cafe is a place we’ve been visiting for many years, and it would soon be closing for the season. It was good to be able to call in again and enjoy the excellent service provided by the volunteers who run it so cheerfully.
I was tempted by a meringue with fruit and cream, which proved quite challenging (but well worth the effort) to consume.
Meringue with fruit and cream at the Macmillan Cafe, Quarrymill.
Lorna was delighted to find that there was one scone left, and that it was a variety she’d never had before: prune and honey.
Prune and honey scone at the Macmillan Cafe, Quarrymill.
We both greatly enjoyed our treats, washed down with large decaf Americanos. We wrote a couple of postcards we’d bought in the museum shop, and felt as if we were on our holidays.
A few days ago, Lorna and I set off in beautiful, sunny autumn weather to meet my other daughter, Flora, for lunch at the Atholl Palace Hotel in Pitlochry. Lorna was able to park in a handy disabled bay, and Flora and I paused for a photo outside the grand entrance.
Flora and Bennet outside the Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry.
There are two dining options in the hotel: the Verandah restaurant, and the Stag’s Head Bar. We chose the bar, which has a lovely outlook onto the tree-filled grounds and the hills beyond.
View from the Stag’s Head Bar, Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry.
The bar serves both light meals and larger options. Flora went for fish and chips, Lorna had a vegetable curry, and I chose pea and mint soup.
Fish and chips with a little salad for Flora.Vegetable curry with rice, naan bread and mango chutney for Lorna.
Pea and mint soup with soda bread for me.
To pad out my meal, I ordered a basket of French fries. The difference in size between my chips and Flora’s was very noticeable.
Small, thin French chip with large British chip.
Fat chip, thin chip.
Not having any chips of her own (and being very willing to help), Lorna assisted both me and Flora in consuming our potato elements. As a result, she was too full for pudding, but Flora and I felt we could manage a little something.
I plumped for a coconut and Biscoff cheesecake, and Flora opted for a fruit scone.
Coconut Biscoff cheesecake.
Fruit scone with butter and jam.
Breakfast tea was ordered for Flora, Earl Grey for Lorna, and a decaf Americano for me.
Puddings and hot drinks in the Stag’s Head Bar at the Atholl Palace Hotel.
When we’d finished and settled up, we made our way through the thickly carpeted corridors of the hotel.
Ambling through Atholl Palace Hotel.
The building was opened in 1874 as the ‘Athole Hydropathic’, a kind of spa, containing accommodation, Turkish baths, and treatment rooms for those wishing to take the health-giving waters of Pitlochry. New owners took it over in 1913, upgraded the building, installed electric lighting and re-named it the Atholl Palace Hotel.
One of the attractive features of the hotel is the variety of seating options throughout the ground floor. There are many armchairs and sofas, nicely positioned to allow observation of the comings and goings, and engage in a bit of people-watching.
Armchairs for people-watching in the Atholl Palace Hotel.Sofas around a fireplace in the Atholl Palace Hotel.
It had been a very relaxing and enjoyable visit to the Atholl Palace, and as we left we enjoyed the floral displays outside the front of the building.
Floral abundance outside the Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry.
Lorna and I recently had our first visit to The Inn on the Tay, a restaurant with rooms in Grandtully, near Aberfeldy. We enjoyed it so much that we thought it would be a good place for a family meal in early August, when my son Donald and his family would be in Perthshire on holiday.
View from the Inn on the Tay’s restaurant. The Inn sits on the south bank of the River Tay.
On Friday 8 August, Lorna and I drove to Grandtully and met Donald and his partner Gail, my two grandsons, James and Sam, and my other daughter, Flora, for lunch.
Left to right: grandsons James (18) and Sam (17), Flora, Lorna, me, Donald, Gail.
Three of us had fish and chips, with Flora and myself having small portions and Sam having a large one. Lorna and James had pizzas, Donald had a pork dish, and Gail had cod. I think we all enjoyed our meals, I certainly enjoyed my small fish and chips, although it didn’t seem very small to me.
Lunch at The Inn on the Tay.
Neither Lorna nor I had room for pudding, but some of the party opted for white chocolate and raspberry parfait with chocolate ganache. It was attractively presented and seemed to go down well.
White chocolate and raspberry parfait with chocolate ganache.
After we’d said our goodbyes, Lorna and I decided to take a circuitous route home, driving a bit further north to Pitlochry and then home via the village of Kirkmichael. We stopped in Kirkmichael at the village shop, which also houses a small cafe.
Out and about in Kirkmichael.
I had a large cup of coffee and Lorna had an Earl Grey tea. We felt as if we were on our holidays.
Coffee on holiday at Kirkmichael Village Shop.
After our drinks, I was very ready for a snooze, while Lorna fancied a leg stretch. She left me in the car and walked along the nearby Cateran Trail. The sky was threatening, but it stayed dry, warm and breezy, and each of us felt content with our chosen pursuit.
One of our favourite spots for an interesting luncheon is The Rookery restaurant in the seaside town of Carnoustie. The restaurant is housed upstairs in Links House, the clubhouse of Carnoustie Golf Links.
Downstairs in Links House, Carnoustie.
Neither Lorna nor I have ever been golfers, but we both enjoy watching the game, and frequenting golf clubhouses. The Rookery has very good views of the golf course, as well as other points of interest.
Carnoustie Golf Links.
In addition to golf, there are trains to watch from the Rookery’s windows. The main east coast railway line runs through Carnoustie, just behind the houses seen in the picture below, beyond the 18th green. Unfortunately we don’t have any pictorial evidence, but we did see 8 trains during our recent luncheon, and once saw 13 on another visit.
The 18th green at Carnoustie Golf Links. The railway line runs just behind the houses shown.
We had a table next to a window, giving a good view of the 1st tee and the 18th green.
Happily settled in The Rookery, ready to enjoy food, golf and trains.
It was a dreich, grey, damp day and we both opted for hearty fish and chips.
Fish and chips at The Rookery.Tucking in to my lunch in The Rookery.
We very much enjoyed eating our meals with the interesting views from the window. As we sat there, what had begun as drizzle turned into heavy rain, and we were amazed by the number of golfers continuing to stream out onto the course. In fact, this was the wettest visit we’d ever had to Carnoustie and we saw far more golfers than usual.
There were a lot of Americans in the clubhouse, and I suspect many of those getting drenched outside were also from distant shores This may have been their one chance to play at Carnoustie, one of the courses that hosts the Open Championship, and I suppose they weren’t going to let a bit of rain put them off.
Our main courses had filled us up nicely but we felt we had room for something small and sweet, and both ordered one scoop of strawberry ice cream, which came all alone in a brown bowl.
Strawberry ice cream at The Rookery.
Lorna had been hoping for a wafer biscuit in her ice cream, but was pleased that the cappuccino she ordered afterwards arrived with a delicious shortbread biscuit.
I ordered an Americano, and organised it as I often like to, with the saucer turned upside down to raise the cup higher off the table.
My reason for doing this is that I find it very difficult to get my fingers in and around the cup handle if the cup is sitting inside a saucer. Turning the saucer upside down gives freedom of movement for the fingers, and is, for me, a much more comfortable experience.
When we’d finished our meal and left the building, I got into the car for a nap while Lorna took a walk to look at the sea. She had a large umbrella with her, made from clear plastic decorated with leaves, which gives the impression of standing under a tree. She didn’t stay out for long as the rain was very heavy and soaked her trousers in a few brief minutes.
View of the sea at Carnoustie from under a leafy umbrella.
In September 2024, I acquired my first rollator, or walking frame, as mentioned in this post.
My first rollator, in Ferrari red, September 2024.
Having become increasingly unsteady on my pins using walking sticks, this piece of equipment made a positive difference to my life.
For the past few months of using it I’ve been walking more confidently, but its design has meant that I was often pushing it away from my body as I walked. On one occasion this resulted in a fall, which led Lorna to wonder if there was something else on the market that would better suit my needs.
She discovered a different design with curiously backward-facing handles, that seemed to address the issue I’d been having. We had a look at these rollators, tried a couple of them out, and ended up purchasing what claims to be the lightest rollator in the world. My first rollator weighs 8kg, whereas the new one is only 4.8kg, so there’s quite a noticeable difference. There were 8 colour options, and I plumped for red again.
My original rollator on the left and my new one on the right.
I’ve been joyfully using it for the past couple of weeks, and finding it to be an improvement on the previous one. It’s also more compact when folded, and easier for Lorna to lift in and out of the car.
Yesterday, we took it for a spin to one of our favourite lunch spots, Ballathie House Hotel, a few miles from where we live.
Me with new rollator outside Ballathie House Hotel.
After a short walk in front of the hotel, we settled ourselves into the otherwise empty, and extremely quiet, drawing room for a relaxing luncheon.
Relaxed and ready for lunch in Ballathie’s very quiet drawing room.
As usual, the food, drinks, ambience and service were top notch. I selected tuna mayonnaise sandwiches, which came with excellent chips, and a freshly dressed salad.
Tuna mayonnaise sandwiches with chips and salad at Ballathie House Hotel.
Lorna went for the grilled vegetables sandwich, which was also served with chips and salad. She gave her sandwich 10/10, and we both agreed that the meal was perfect.
Grilled vegetables sandwich with chips and salad at Ballathie House Hotel.
The new rollator has been out to a few places, including The Causerie, a recently opened wine bar in Blairgowrie about half a mile from our house. The premises had previously been occupied by a succession of cafes and we were keen to see what the new incarnation was like. An attractive stained glass window panel had been inserted above the front door.
Inside, we found a peaceful haven of wood and wine, and exceptionally courteous and helpful staff. Seated comfortably, we perused an interesting menu, which offered virtually every savoury dish as either a starter or main course size.
Happily seated in The Causerie wine bar, Blairgowrire.
We both opted for vegetarian starters. I had hummus with roasted chickpeas, tomatoes, pickles and focaccia.
Hummus with roasted chickpeas, tomatoes, pickles and focaccia.
Lorna chose a dish of roast beetroot, scorched aubergine, feta cheese, walnuts and seasonal greens.
Roast beetroot, scorched aubergine, feta, walnuts and greens.
Both dishes were tasty, and small enough for us to have room for puddings. I went for their version of a pavlova, which contained yoghurt rather than the usual cream. The berries were huge and succulent, and the whole dish was light and refreshing.
The Causerie’s pavlova.
Lorna couldn’t resist trying the hot Cape brandy pudding, which she described as a cross between sticky toffee pudding and Christmas pudding. It was served with creme fraiche ice cream, and doused in brandy.
Cape brandy pudding.
Our first visit to this new neighbourhood eatery was a great success, and we’re looking forward to returning before too long.
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.
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.
Bennet McInnes 