Tag Archives: Battle of George Square

Scotts at South Queensferry

Just when it seems that our government is hell bent on making everyone unhappy we find a place that specialising in doing exactly the opposite. Perhaps we should explain.

Port Edgar gets the Edgar bit from Edgar Aetheling, the brother of Queen Margaret from whom Queensferry get its name. In my mind, however, it is always associated with my powerboat license. It’s where I got it.

View of Forth Bridges from Scotts at Port Edgar
Road and rail bridges from the terrace at Scotts

Lots of ‘man overboard’  and James Bond type manoeuvres conducted under the two Forth Bridges. At that time the Queensferry Crossing wasn’t even a gleam in the eye of the Scottish Government. That gives you an idea of how long ago it was.

View of Queensferry Crossing from Scotts at Port Edgar
Queensferry Crossing from the terrace at Scotts
First impressions

The last time we were here it was at the Canadian/Scottish themed Down The Hatch, all maple leaves and Saltires. This place, Scotts at South Queensferry, was yet to open. They add ‘South Queensferry’ because no one, except yachties and powerboaters, has ever heard of Port Edgar. Eight years ago Buzzworks Holdings started out in Largs marina with their first restaurant. This is now their eleventh and most recent.

Internal view of Scotts at Port Edgar
Part of the ‘bookable’ restaurant area
Mission statements

Approaching from the car park it doesn’t look too promising. Once inside, however, the somewhat austere industrial exterior gives way to a wonderful warm and beautifully decorated interior. All centered round a large horshoe bar. It’s really busy. Outside there was not a soul to be seen. In here there are tons of folk all eating drinking and generally enjoying themselves. The sound of multiple conversations, the clink of glasses and the buzz of staff quietly going about their business.

Their stated mission is “to make people happy”. Well we would see about that, wouldn’t we! We’re also on a mission and, at the end of the day, it would all depend on the scones whether this duo were happy or not.Internal view of Scotts at Port Edgar

Kiwis

The person looking after us was Kasey, a kiwi, spending some time working in Scotland. She had already spent five months working in Elliots in Prestwick but while it was undergoing a £1m refurbishment the company had arranged for her to work here. Hotel and travelling expenses all taken care of. They obviously know how to retain their good staff because Kasey was a delight. When we asked how long she was planning to stay in Scotland she said “until my visa runs out at the end on 2020”. Welcome Kasey, great to have you here.Internal view of Scotts at Port Edgar
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Unbookable

We had noticed the scones on the way in, They looked quite big. As we ordered lunch we asked for a scone to share with our tea. Kasey told us. “All scones come with butter, jam and cream but would you like the scone just as it is, gently warmed or toasted?A scone at Scotts at Port EdgarNever been asked that before! Fab, toasted it was. As we waited for our scone to arrive we could see that all the staff, even though they were very busy, took time to chat and have a laugh with the customers. This is how customer care should be! Scotts even has an area for people who book and another which is unbookable. It’s for people like us who just turn up out of the blue. Genius!

Fish at Scotts at Port Edgar
Scotts’ aquarium

After our lunch our toasted scone duly arrived. Nicely presented, wonderfully warm and with plenty of everything to go with it. Delicious, we were delighted to award a topscone. You might think it was expensive however we had a delicious lunch, tea, coffee and a topscone for under £25, not too bad at all.

Internal view of Scotts at Port Edgar
part of the bar area

If indeed their mission is to make people happy then it certainly worked for us. We were happy, happy, happy. Not something we could say about the current political outlook. As Theresa May goes off to Brussels to flog the horse that died months ago you do feel for the horse. It must be thinking “I’m dead for goodness sake, stop the flogging!” There’s a wonderful irony in Northern Ireland being the obstacle to progress on Brexit what with Northern Ireland being a purely Westminster construct.

Happy again?

At least Corbyn, who has led from the back throughout Brexit, has decided to talk again. Presumably because no one was talking to him … hurragh! Maybe they can just forget the whole Brexit thing and, like Scotts, make people happy again. Even the most ardent Brexiteers might be happy to see some return to normality. Perhaps Buzzworks Holdings should be put in charge of the whole thing.

Internal view of Scotts at Port Edgar
part of he non-bookable area
Nothing changes

Today is the 100th anniversary of the Battle of George Square in Glasgow. In 1919 about 25,000 striking workers, who had petitioned for a 40 hour working week, gathered in the Square awaiting the result. Westminster sent troops and tanks to quell what they perceived as the beginning of a Bolshevik style revolution. No Scottish troops were involved for fear they might side with the strikers. There was huge fear that access to Scotland’s resources might be lost. Gosh, one hundred years on and nothing’s changed!Internal view of Scotts at Port EdgarMany thanks to Scotts and our new kiwi friend for a very enjoyable visit. Consider your mission accomplished.

EH30 9SQ                  tel: 0131 370 8166               Scotts

Cobbs of Aviemore

Only in Aviemore. Tempted as we were by the tables and chairs in the rain and snow outside Cobbs café. After thinking about it for a full nanosecond, we decided that inside was probably best. As you can see from the photo the weather was pretty awful so we did not spend much time looking for somewhere for a cuppa. Cobbs was the first place we came to and they had scones. Look no further!

Aviemore itself is an odd sort of place, but then again, most places whose raison d’être is skiing, are a bit odd. Hard to put your finger on exactly what it is. A slight garishness, a general air of impermanence? Perhaps it’s because the town only really began to take shape after the chairlift to the top of Cairngorm opened in 1961. So it hasn’t been around that long? Perhaps it’s just us?

Interior view of Cobbs, Aviemore

Anyway, it turns out this particular Cobbs establishment is only one of fifteen scattered across Scotland but it was definitely a first for us. We are not skiers but we suspect that the skiing fraternity probably looks for places like this. Half decent food in fairly large quantities at reasonable prices. This place ticks all these boxes and the fact that it’s a bit ‘no frills’ probably doesn’t matter.
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Picture of a scone at Cobbs, AviemoreOnce we had been systemised by being told, in no uncertain terms, how to obtain food (quite regimented) we took a seat and waited for something to happen. Something happened pretty quickly in the form of our lunch arriving along with a scone to be shared between us. You see, sometimes we are capable of exerting an element of self control. Lunch was good but the scone turned out to be pretty much as expected. No topscones being dished out today in Aviemore.

How to quell a riot

Today, though, marks the 98th anniversary of “The Battle of George Square” in Glasgow in 1919. The government, in the form of Winston Churchill, sent 12,000 English troops (Scots troops were locked in their barracks for fear they would side with the people) to the city along with a whole load of tanks. There was heavy artillery at the City Chambers along with machine gun emplacements on roof tops around the Square. All of this to quell a riot! And the reason? Disillusionment with politicians and broken promises … just saying!

PH22 1PD       tel: 01479 811266         Cobbs Café