Tag Archives: Hugh Miller

Galmisdale Bay Café – Again

“Yes, he’s an idiot with zero common sense and no social skills, but he is my son. I just hope he never goes into politics. He would be a disaster” Mary Anne Trump. Thus spoke the mother of the man who assures us that he has complete control over everything! As if coronavirus wasn’t scary enough! This is the fourth “island scone’  repost and it’s from Galmisdale Bay Café on the wonderful Isle of Eigg. It dates back to 2017, a time when doves in wishing trees proved useless. 

Galmisdale Bay Café is, of course on the Isle of Eigg, an island we know well through having looked at it from all sorts of places on the mainland. View of the Isle of Eigg from ferry arriving at GalmisdaleOften you look out and can be confused by the jumble of small islands off the west coast but because of the unique volcanic Sgurr of Eigg this island is unmistakable. Until today though we had never set foot on it. The little ferry from Arisaig, however, changed all that … exciting. What would it be like, would they have scones?

Multicultural

Well, in 1858, Hugh Miller described the locals as “an active, middle-sized race, with well-developed heads, acute intellects, and singularly warm feelings” … no mention of scones but had anything else changed since then? Quite a lot actually! Having gone from a population of around 500 in the 19th century to around 50 in 1997, it has since been rejuvenated by a community buy-out from the previous private landlord. The population now stands at 105 … split 50/50 Scottish /English with a smattering of French and Spanish.

Old tractor on the Isle of Eigg with Rum in the distance
From Cleadale looking towards Rum with a tractor that hasn’t moved recently

We’re here for a few days and can happily report that nothing has changed in the “singularly warm feelings” department. We were greeted with open arms everywhere we went. You will have to forgive us if we post more pictures than usual. The scenery, the island, the weather, the people were all fantastic. We may even be able to persuade you to go there yourselves. Though sometimes it is not as straight forward as you might think.

Washing drying at Cleadale on the Isle of Eigg
Our washing drying in Cleadale
Rigours endured

The biggest problem is getting accommodation because everything is fully booked. Transport can also be a problem because you are not allowed to take a car. Hopefully, the extra pictures will also give you a sense of the rigours we have to endure in order to bring you scone news from such remote places. War correspondents like Orla Guerin don’t know the half of it! To get a small taste of the difficulties we have to overcome, click here. Sometimes we have even had to sit staring out the window, glass in hand.

Sunset on the Isle of Eigg looking towards Rum
View from our window at 11pm

Did they have scones, we hear you cry! Yes, of course, they did and they were so fresh that the cook had to make us wait until they had cooled down a bit. Don’t get fresher than that! Even when we eventually got them he said it was pointless giving us cream because it would just melt. Yet more rigours – creamless scones. We didn’t get a picture of the café interior (nothing special) because we sat out the back all the time in the sunshine watching the shipping go by. Everything from massive cruise liners to kayaks. External view of Galmisdale Café & Bar on the Isle of Eigg with a scone

Wishes

The scones themselves, although undeniably fresh, just didn’t quite do it for us …  good, but not good enough for a topscone. Who cares when you can sit in such splendid surroundings. We were staying at Cleadale, about five miles from this café, at the other end of the island. There, just off Laig beach, there is a little remote church of St Donnan’s. Inside the church there is a wishing tree. You can write your wish on a paper dove and hang it from a branch.The wishing tree in a church in CleadaleWith Trump currently at the G20 Hamburg summit that wish has been slightly overtaken by events but don’t lose heart. If you ever visit you should still make a wish. In fact with Trump now running the world, the more wishes the better!

The singing sands on the Isle of Eigg
Singing Sands at Cleadale – the white quartz sand makes a peculiar noise when you walk on it. Pat looking to add to her bird species collection
More of everything

Pat was making a bird list for our days away and by day two she had collected over twenty different species, including Manx Shearwaters and a Golden Eagle … happy girl! I had also managed to get a few Eigg sheds for my forthcoming coffee table companion “Sheds of Scotland”. Happy boy! Next stop the Isle of Rum, hopefully, more birds, more sheds … and more scones!

PH42 4RL        tel: 01687 482487        Galmisdale Bay Café Bar

Archie's homebred sconesScone baking … don’t think it’s a symptom of COVID-19 but it is definitely a side effect. My brother, living in London, recently confessed to suffering from it. Who would have thought it? No pictures so it may just be a rumour he is spreading to create the illusion that he is semi-domesticated. Our cruise correspondents, on the other hand, who live in the next street but might as well be cruising for all we can see of them these days, have sent a photo. It looks like it has been a very successful exercise indeed. Well done A&A, may your side effects be long-lasting!

EIGG SHED

A shed on the Ilse of Eigg
A tumbledown shed at Laig Bay looking towards the Isle of Rhum

Galmisdale Bay Café

Galmisdale Bay Café is, of course on the Isle of Eigg, an island we know well through having looked at it from all sorts of places on the mainland. View of the Isle of Eigg from ferry arriving at GalmisdaleOften you look out and can be confused by the jumble of small islands off the west coast but because of the unique volcanic Sgurr of Eigg this island is unmistakable. Until today though we had never set foot on it. The little ferry from Arisaig, however, changed all that … exciting. What would it be like, would they have scones?

Well, in 1858, Hugh Miller described the locals as “an active, middle-sized race, with well-developed heads, acute intellects, and singularly warm feelings” … no mention of scones but had anything else changed since then? Quite a lot actually! Having gone from a population of around 500 in the 19th century to around 50 in 1997, it has since been  rejuvenated by a community buy-out from the previous private landlord. The population now stands at 105 … split 50/50 Scottish /English with a smattering of French and Spanish.

Old tractor on the Isle of Eigg with Rum in the distance
From Cleadale looking towards Rum

We’re here for a few days and can happily report that nothing has changed in the “singularly warm feelings” department. We were greeted with open arms everywhere we went. You will have to forgive us if we post more pictures than usual. The scenery, the island, the weather, the people were all fantastic. We may even be able to persuade you to go there yourselves. Though sometimes it is not as straight forward as you might think.

Washing drying at Cleadale on the Isle of Eigg
Our washing drying in Cleadale
Rigors endured

The biggest problem is getting accomodation because everything is fully booked. Transport can also be a problem because you are not allowed to take a car. Hopefully, the extra pictures will also give you a sense of the rigors we have to endure in order to bring you scone news from such remote places. War correspondents like Orla Guerin don’t know the half of it! To get a small taste of the difficulties we have to overcome, click here. Sometimes we even had to sit staring out the window, glass in hand.

Sunset on the Isle of Eigg looking towards Rum
View from our window at 11pm

Did they have scones, we hear you cry! Yes, of course they did and they were so fresh that the cook had to make us wait until they had cooled down a bit. Don’t get fresher than that! Even when we eventually got them he said it was pointless giving us cream because it would just melt. Yet more rigors – creamless scones. We didn’t get a picture of the café interior (nothing special) because we sat out the back all the time in the sunshine watching the shipping go by. Everything from massive cruise liners to kayaks. External view of Galmisdale Café & Bar on the Isle of Eigg with a scone

The scones themselves, although undeniably fresh, just didn’t quite do it for us …  good, but not good enough for a topscone. Who cares when you can sit in such splendid surroundings. We were staying at Cleadale, about five miles from this café, at the other end of the island. There, just off Laig beach, there is a little remote church of St Donnan’s. Inside the church there is a wishing tree. You can write your wish on a paper dove and hang it from a branch.With Trump currently at the G20 Hamburg summit that wish has been slightly overtaken by events but don’t lose heart. If you ever visit you should still make a wish. In fact with Trump now running the world, the more wishes the better!

The singing sands on the Isle of Eigg
Singing Sands at Cleadale – quartz sand makes a peculiar noise when you walk on it
More of everything

Pat was making a bird list for our days away and by day two she had collected over twenty different species, including Manx Shearwaters and a Golden Eagle … happy girl! I had also managed to get a few Eigg sheds for my forthcoming coffee table companion “Sheds of Scotland”. Happy boy! Next stop the Isle of Rum, hopefully more birds, more sheds … and more scones!

PH42 4RL        tel: 01687 482487        Galmisdale Bay Café Bar

The Pantry

Pantry - Cromarty 11Over the years, in all our travels around the UK, particularly around Scotland, we had completely missed the Black Isle. In spite of that evocative name. It is another one of these places that you have to make a conscious decision to go to. Although not an island as the name would suggest, it is a peninsula and in that sense a cul-de-sac. Particularly since the Nigg ferry ceased to operate last year. Obviously, it was high time this glaring omission was rectified but would we be disappointed? Not a bit of it .. it’s a lovely part of the world and one we will have to return to for further exploration.

view along Shore Street
view along Shore Street

 

As is the way with all cul-de-sacs, you eventually come to the end … but what an end! Cromarty is a wee gem, a lovely jumble of wonderful narrow streets and old fisherman’s cottages. Until 1890 the town was the capital of Cromartyshire. An entity we had never heard of until this visit … you live and learn. Living and learning was what Hugh Miller was all about. In 1802 he was born in one of these fisherman’s cottages and later trained as a stonPantry - Cromarty 06emason. He had no academic qualifications but rose to become the leading geologist, thinker and social commentator of his time. He said ‘Life is itself a school and nature always a fresh study’. As you all know, sconology, rather than geology is our thing … but would we be able to further our studies in Cromarty? Pantry - Cromarty 04

There were several coffee shops, which all looked good, but we ended up here in The Pantry. It’s all homemaking and, according to it’s own publicity, has ‘the best meringues in the Highlands‘. With more than a little difficulty, we managed to resist the lure of the large meringues and decided to have their afternoon tea. Very reasonably priced at under £10 .. and featuring a scone and a small meringue. Two birds with one stone, so to speak. Everything was great and, being mergingue novices, for all we know it could have been the best meringue in the Highlands. It was certainly very good. The scone, however, was definitely the best we had tasted in quite a while and we had no problem awarding a topscone. Well done The Pantry.

looking from Cromarty towards Nigg
looking from Cromarty towards Nigg
Missed opportunities

The view is slightly incongruous when you look out from 18th century Cromarty towards the 21st century oil construction yard at Nigg. It stands like a monument to missed opportunities. Scotland being the only country in the world to have discovered over £300bn of oil and got food banks and three bits of dual-carriageway on the A9, in return. You can almost see Hugh Miller spinning.

Because of the negative effect on the Cromarty economy the demise of the Nigg ferry was much lamented by the lovely folk at the Pantry. There are rumours however that it may be reinstated … fingers crossed.

IV11 8XA            tel: 01381 600455              The Pantry Cromarty