Tag Archives: Restaurant

New wheels out and about

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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.

Fingal

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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.

Fingal and her flags.

Pine Trees Hotel, Pitlochry

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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.