Tag Archives: Culross

Ordinary, Scones

Dunimarle Orangery

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Portrait of Magdalene ErskineThe last time we were at the Dunimarle Orangery was back in 2021 … and at that time it wasn’t here. The building was here but it wasn’t a tearoom. In the 1830s it was Magdalene  Erskine who added the Orangery  to the castle presumably so she could grow her own oranges … as you do!  We think that Magdalene may have been a force to be reckoned with. In 1853 she married an Admiral Sharpe who she discarded permanently after three days. Goodness, he may have been lacking in certain departments but you would have thought she could have given him a week?

External view of Dunimarle Castle
Dunimarle Castle from the west

Obviously a woman with ambition and a plan as she  incorporated his name and became  Mrs Sharpe Erskine thereafter. Life is so much easier if you are double-barrelled! Eventually she turned the castle into a museum to house hundreds of objects d’art and fine paintings her brother had ‘acquired’ during the Napoleonic wars. Now, all these artefacts have been transferred to Duff House in Aberdeenshire. Perhaps typically, before she died in 1872, she built an ornate chapel in the grounds for her own funeral. Why not? Oranges would never keep her going for ever!

Good sense

After many years languishing with an uncertain future Dunimarle was recently bought by businessman Salim Mohamed who wants to turn it into his home. At least Salim has had the good sense to open the Orangery as a tearoom. Well done Salim!

Wellintonia avenue at Dunimarle Castle
Avenue of Wellingtonias used to form the main entrance to the castle

When we were last here we bemoaned the fact that there wasn’t a tearoom. To us it seemed like an ideal spot. It’s only a twenty minute drive from home, we had to investigate.Internal view of Dunimarle Castle Orangery Tearoom

The Orangery itself is nicely set up and very necessary in the event of inclement weather. Today, however, was lovely and warm so we opted to sit out and enjoy the panoramic views over the Firth of Forth.External view of Dunimarle Castle courtyard

Complications

Unfortunately, placing a simple order for tea and a single scone to share became strangely complicated. A scone at Dunimarle Castle Orangery TearoomEveryone was very nice but the right hand didn’t quite seem to know what the left hand was doing. Perhaps they just need to settle down with a system. Finally we had everything we needed (except cream) and spent a very pleasant  hour just sitting in this wonderful setting with a very pleasant scone. Not quite a topscone but pretty close.

One of the walks at Dunimmarle Castle
A castellated doorway leading to Italianate yew-lined terrace.
Privileged

We have no doubt that when Mrs Sharpe Erskine was around riffraff like us would have been unceremoniously seen off the premises so we felt very privileged to be sitting here in these surroundings. Especially when news from the Moroccan earthquake is of complete villages being reduced to rubble in seconds with thousands of deaths. In Scotland, the village of Comrie, known as “the Shaky Toon” is the epicentre for such events. However, if a plate fell off a shelf in Comrie during a quake it would definitely make headline news. We are privileged indeed.

KY12 8JN        tel: 07713 629040.        Dunimarle Orangery

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Scones

Dunimarle Castle

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We are cheating a bit with this post. We’ll explain as we go along. Dunimarle Castle is something of a revelation for us. It stands on a highly elevated site overlooking the Firth of Forth just a twenty minute drive away from home. And yet we had never heard of it or even seen it until today. How on earth can that happen? Sometimes we surprise ourselves with the depth of our own ignorance.

Wellintonia avenue at Dunimarle Castle
Avenue of Wellingtonias used to from the main entrance to the castle
Don’t get on the wrong side of the king

Turns out that back in the 11th century this was the seat of the Thane of Fife, Lord MacDuff. He had upset the king, MacBeth by not attending his inauguration. Consequently, MacBeth ordered MacDuff’s  wife and children to be murdered at Dunimarle in order to clear the blood line. It’s just a wild guess but we think MacBeth may have been a Tory. In 1835 Dunimarle, or Castlehill as it was known originally, was almost completely demolished and rebuilt by one Magdalene Erskine.

Portrait of Magdalene ErskineMagdalene was quite a woman! She got married to an Admiral Sharpe when she was in her sixties but it only lasted three days … no comment! Her brother was a soldier and she intended Dunimarle to be a museum for his extensive collection of 850 artworks ‘acquired’ on his many campaigns. Recently all these artworks were moved to Duff House near Banff but we think it’s time for them to be returned … Magdalene would have wanted that!

The Edible Wall

The thing that attracted us here however was the Edible Wall. We had seen a notice about it and imagining a wall made of scones with jam as mortar … and instead of cope stones there would be lashings of cream. It had to be done! Sadly there were no scones. The wall was impressive nevertheless.

The edible wall at Dunimarle Castle
the Edible Wall used to be heated by fires in the spring to protect the young fruit blossoms

In fact there were no scones anywhere at Dunimarle, not even a cafe. We had to go a few hundred yards to the east to get a scone at the Biscuit Cafe in Culross. Technically this post should have been entitled “The Biscuit Revisited” but then, so far as we are aware, MacBeth never ordered anyone to be put to death at the Biscuit, nor does it have an edible wall. Not as good a story so hopefully you’ll forgive us for cheating just a wee bit.

External view of the Biscuit Café in Culross
Culross with the Biscuit in the distance
The Biscuit Café

Our last post from the Biscuit was back in 2015 and although we have been back to Culross many times since then, scones have never been on the agenda. Culross is steeped in history. You get a real feel for what a 17th century village must have looked like. Names like ‘Stinking Wynd’ however may have given some of our delicate 21st century senses a bit of a shock! It’s looks also belie the fact that it was once the centre for the export of coal with the first mine in the world able to extract from beneath the sea. It also has a Palace built around 1600, though it was really more of a rather grand house for a wealthy merchant.

The palace at Culross
Culross Palace

Internal view of the Biscuit Café in CulrossEnough, what about the scones, we hear you cry. It’s always a treat to visit this café. It’s part of the Culross Pottery and Gallery so there are lots of things made on the premises that you can admire and buy. It also  has a conservatory and a lovely sheltered garden area for sitting out. 

A scone at the Biscuit Café in CulrossThey only had plain scones left so after a bite of lunch we shared one between us. It was nicely presented and came with plenty jam and cream. Back in 2015 we didn’t think their scones merited a topscone award and unfortunately it was the same this time. Just didn’t quite make it. The Biscuit is always worth a visit though so don’t let that verdict put you off in any way.

Street view in Culross
typical Culross street
Comedians

Last time we wrote about this place Jeremy Corbyn had just unexpectedly triumphed in the Labour leadership elections. At last there was some clear blue water between Labour and the Conservatives. Now, of course, Corbyn is history but in spite of now being led by a knight of the realm that clear blue water now looks ever more brown and murky. So with no opposition whatsoever over the past decade we now have a stand up comedian in charge of the country. To observe the sunny uplands that Boris keeps seeing we know that we would have to have many more pints of whatever he is on! We’re not that ignorant.

Great day at Dunimarle and the Biscuit.

DUNIMARLE CASTLE:   KY12 8JN  tel: 07713 629040    Dunimarle

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THE BISCUIT CAFE:    KY12 8JG    The Biscuit

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Ordinary, Scones

Bessie’s Café

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This morning we went to the Hippodrome cinema in Bo’ness to see C’est la Vie starring Jean-Pierre Bacri. We do this regularly if we can get out of bed in time … life has sooo many pressures! A French film with subtitles, it’s a beautifully crafted and funny story of the backstage shenanigans at a posh chateau wedding. Worth seeing if you get the chance.  Afterwards, we ended up on the opposite side of the the river Forth, in Fife, at the picturesque little village of Culross (pronounced kooros) which, oddly enough, is the location for another movie currently under production.

Mrs Halfpint

It’s a zombie film called The Curse of the Buxom Strumpet starring Dame Judi Dench and Sir Ian McKellen. In the story Dame Judi plays Mrs Halfpint, the local landlady in the town of Upper Trollop, played of course, by none other than Culross itself.  A ssign for Bessie's Tearoom, CulrossIn 1713 a deadly disease consumes Upper Trollop turning the inhabitants into monsters. A few redoubtable folk, led by Mrs Halfpint try to escape by ship to France. The premiere won’t be until next year so if we divulge any more we would have to kill you all. Just go see when it comes out.

Suffice to say that Mrs Halfpint may well have been in the employ of the Bessie of Bessie’s Café, or Bessie’s Bar, as it used to be called. The café used to be her malt-house, used in making beer for her pub. And would you Adam ‘n Eve it (been going to London too much) Bessie’s surname was Paterson. You can see from the picture that she was a fine upstanding lass in the best tradition of Paterson women.

We have been here before on several occasions when it was run by the National Trust for Scotland and were never too impressed … normally when we are in the village we go to another café called The Biscuit. Internal view of Bessie's Tearoom, Culross

DIY Americano

Bessie’s is under new management however so we thought we should check it out. It had started raining so we were glad to be in out of the wet and delighted to be merrily greeted by the staff who soon had us supplied with a couple of fruit scones. A scone at Bessie's Tearoom, CulrossEarlier we had agreed to having them heated so they arrived wonderfully warm and with lots of jam and cream.

They also supplied my Americano as an expresso with a jug of hot water, a sort of DIY kit.  Not quite sure of the logic since I just had to pour all the water into the expresso myself. Heyho, different! Pat took one bite and announced a topscone right away. However, she subsequently discovered a small doughy bit in the middle which unfortunately ended up demoting her verdict. Mine was perfect, so think Pat must have got a rogue one … shame.  Bessie’s is joined onto the Palace and they do a good range of food so definitely worth a visit if you are in these parts.

External view of Culross Palace, Culross
Culross Palace

Troublesome people

Talk of rogues reminds us that it’s the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham this week. Boris and Theresa are slugging it out for supremacy. “Fiddling while Rome burns” comes to mind. They should be thankful they are not holding their conference here in the Kingdom of Fife where, if you remember our review of the Clock Tower Café, they had their own ways of dealing with troublesome people.

Now, call us naive if you like but we always thought, not that we have thought about it that much, if you wanted to burn a witch your major expenditure would be a gallon of petrol. Not so. In 1636, just along the coast from here, William Coke and his wife were sentenced to death for witchcraft. Apparently, to help them burn more easily, the normal practice was to clothe them in hemp coats and place them in barrels that had been pre-tarred. For anyone who thinks that this process comes cheap, think again. The expenses were considerable and probably put everyday witch burning out of reach for most people.

  • 10 loads of coal – 3 pounds 6 shillings and 8 pennies,
  • tar barrel – 7 shillings,
  • hangman’s rope – 6 shillings,
  • hemp coats – 3 pounds and 10 shillings,
  • making the above – 8 shillings,
  • expenses for judge – 6 shillings,
  • executioner (for his pains) – 8 pounds and 14 shillings,
  • executioners expenses – 16 shillings and 4 pennies.

That’s almost £5,000 in today’s money however at that time, the Church and the Council split the costs … nice! Don’t think they would do that nowadays but we would still recommend that Theresa and Boris avoid Fife for the time being. Because there’s always Crowdfunder!External view of Bessie's Tearoom, Culross

KY12 8JQ         tel: 01383 247381            Bessie’s Café FB

Ordinary, Scones

The Biscuit Café

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Internal view at the Biscuit Café in CulrossOn a nice day there are fewer nicer places to be than Culross in Fife. Maybe the only even nicer place would be The Biscuit Café in the centre of Culross. It is part of the Culross Pottery and Gallery whose resident potter Camilla Garrett-Jones makes lots of lovely stuff and runs pottery classes here and in the South of France.

A piece by Camilla Garrett-Jones at the Biscuit Café in Culross
A piece by Camilla Garrett-Jones

 

The café is upstairs above the shop and its interior is very homely and welcoming. At the back there is also a small but lovely sheltered garden area set out with tables and chairs. The Caffia coffee was the best we had had in a long time. We even got the very obliging staff to grind some beans for us to take home. The scones were also very good though PA scone at the Biscuit Café in Culrossat’s cheese scone could have done with a touch more cheese and the fruit in my fruit scone was also a wee bit sparse. So no ‘topscone’ award here but these are tiny criticisms in the overall scheme of things.

Teneu

All in all, Culross is a great wee place and well worth a visit. It was founded by St Serf in the 6th century. Legend states that when the British princess (and future saint) Teneu, daughter of the king of Lothian, became pregnant before marriage, her family threw her from a cliff. She survived the fall unharmed, and was soon met by an unmanned boat. Knowing she had no home to go to, she got into the boat which sailed her across the Firth of Forth to land at Culross. Here she was cared for by St Serf who became a kind of father of her son. He ultimately became St Mungo, patron saint of Glasgow.

Daylight

As a rank outsider, Jeremy Corbyn must have felt a bit like Teneu in the Labour party leadership race but, like her, he has triumphed beyond all expectation. Doubtful that he will ever be sainted but perhaps we will now see a more humane side to British politics. If nothing else, at least we can now see some daylight between Labour and the Conservatives, so hooray for that. A cheer also for this café with its combination of arts and crafts, shop and cafe. In fact you could say it ‘takes the biscuit’ .. sorry!

Fruit and veg are also on offer at the Biscuit Café in Culross
Fruit and veg is also on offer

 KY12 8JG            tel: 01383 882176            The Biscuit