Tag Archives: MacLellan’s castle

Mulberries Coffee Shop

Our previous post from the Wee Bear Café was a bit unusual because it took me back to my roots in Glenisla. This post from Mulberries Coffee Shop in Kirkcudbright (pronounced kir-coo-bree) is unusual as well but for a different reason … I don’t have my trusty sconey partner with me. Instead of Pat I have my brother and two old friends. I use ‘old’ in every sense of the word. If this post seems like an episode of Last of the Summer Wine it wouldn’t be too far off the mark.

One is the Laird a valued correspondent for many years who has a slightly different slant on sconology. The other is a mere sapling, Young enough to still dabble in stuff called work and still able to walk unaided. The rest of us were relying on him to dig us out of any holes we might very easily fall into. Between the four of us we had the makings of at least one good physical specimen. I’m in good hands although, come to think of it, I never asked about their hands!

From Mulberries Coffee Shop looking towards MacLellan's Castle
View along the street from Mulberries towards MacLellan’s Castle in the distance
Jobs?

The town’s name derives from “Chapel of St Cuthbert” that was demolished in the the early 1500s. Sir Thomas MacLellan subsequently used the stones to build MacLellan’s Castle, How did he get away with that you might ask? Well, we don’t know but in 1580  he was appointed as “gentleman in the bedchamber” to King James VI. Didn’t even know that was a job so we’ll say no more!

Internal view of Mulberries Coffee Shop
The bar at the Wee Bear

It’s a town full of creatives and is commonly known as the “The Artist’s Town”. We were on a mission to examine future potentials of a narrow strip of woodland my brother has. It runs along the west coast of Kirkcudbright Bay for about three miles. Before we got to the wood, however, we stopped in the town to get some supplies and, lo and behold, we were outside Mulberries Coffee Shop. It was beckoning!

A scone at Mulberries Coffee ShopJust as well they allow non-creatives into town because within two shakes of a lamb’s tail we were in Mulberries destroying their scones. And very nice they were too. Quite big but with a goodly amount of fruit and lots of jam and cream. The cream was presented Mr Wippy style.

Uncategorised

The Laird, who I mentioned earlier had a different slant on sconology and everything else come to that, proceeded to put jam on his cheese scone. Mon dieu! Pat and I normally regard cheese scones as ‘butter only’ affairs so I was thankful that Pat wasn’t present to witness this abomination. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy it though so maybe Pat and I should just chillax? However, having thought about it for a nanosecond … it’s an abomination! So, enjoyable as they were, considering the poor judgment of my companions and Pat’s absence these scones, for the moment, would have to remain ‘uncategorised’.

A beach in Senwick Woods
One of the beaches in Senwick Woods looking over Kirkcudbright Bay
Good news

Lawrence of Arabia spent some of his formative years in Kirkcudbright. He may even have sparked his sense of adventure in Senwick Woods. A bit of a leap perhaps but we had a definite sense  of adventure heading into the woods and stumbling on ancient dry-stone moss covered walls and little deserted beaches. Meadow Brown butterflyThere are ravens, red kites and red squirrels here as well as badgers and lots of roe deer. The highpoint, however, was when we came across this little Meadow Brown butterfly. Seeing a brown butterfly represents new beginnings and a sign that you are about to get good news.  It could be anything! At this moment, as far as the four of us are concerned, a cure for decrepitude would be joyous news indeed.Worst coffee ever

Not sure if anything was decided on future plans for the wood but I am sure we had a fab day. The four of us sat on a log looking over to the Lake District talking about family and the ways of the world. Amongst our wide ranging discussions one thing surprised me greatly. One of my companion’s friends, an atheist, was about to graduate with a Degree in Theology. I was astounded! It had never before occurred to me that that could … or would happen. Thinking about it now, of course, it’s perfectly logical … unlike jam on a cheese scone!

DG6 4DJ       tel: 01557 330961.       Mulberries FB

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The Solway Tide Tearoom

Before you say it, yes, we are off galavanting … again! This time we are in Kirkcudbright to inspect a new bell-mouth on a forestry road … exciting! It really would take too long to explain! Being forced to travel down this way, however, is no great hardship. Quite the opposite in fact, especially on a beautiful day like today. It is a wonderful part of the country, overlooked by many as they speed up and down the M74. In 1931 Dorothy L Sayers, the crime writer and poet wrote the immortal words:

If he can say as you can
Guinness is good for you
How grand to be a Toucan
Just think what Toucan do

said “In Kirkcudbright one either fishes or paints” and, believe it or not, that is still as true today as it was then. It’s not known as ‘The Artist’s Town’ for nothing. Many artists have made their homes here and it has art galleries aplenty. Picture of fishing boats at Kirkcudbright harbourIt also never ceases to amaze us that Kirkcudbright supports a flourishing fishing industry. Still plying it’s trade from the harbour … four miles from the sea!

Anyway, after a fairly lengthy drive, squinting into the low winter sun, some sort of refreshment was definitely called for. It looked like The Solway Tide Tearoom might do the job. We have been here before but always in the summer when you can sit out in the back garden. Internal view of the Solway Tide tearoom in KirkcudbrightAlthough the sun was shining brightly it was not exactly sitting-out weather so this was our first ‘sit-in’, so to speak. The interior is okay but has a slightly tired look about it.

La confiture

A bit like our waitress … welcoming but in a rather low key Scottish way that could be completely missed by your average tourist. Picture of a scone at the Solway Tide tearoom in KirkcudbrightCombined with ‘music to slit your wrists to’ by Jim Reeves , the atmosphere could never be described as jolly or vibrant. The scones however were pretty good, plenty fruit and plenty cream. Plenty jam as well but it had come all the way from France? Places like this are largely dependent on the summer tourist industry so we can never understand the decision not to use local produce. We are pretty sure the tourists won’t understand it either. Even the ones from France!

Equally we cannot understand putting the wifi password up on a noticeboard without the name of the provider. It becomes a process of elimination where you have to try them all. Not a bad scone but not the best scone experience we have had. Much better when you can sit in the garden.

Picture of MacLellan's castle at Kirkcudbright harbour
MacLellan’s Castle

Towering over The Solway Tide Tearoom is the magnificent ruin of the 16th century, MacLellan’s Castle. Sir Thomas MacLellan built it using the stones from a convent which he demolished. It never saw any action so the purpose seems to have been simply to show off his own power and importance. The Trump Tower of it’s day. There were many battles in Scotland and Ireland in which the MacLellans had difficulty picking the right side. With the family fortunes sorely depleted, they eventually ended up as lowly glovers in Edinburgh.

Calexit

Picking the right side has not got any easier with the passage of time. Now that Trump has promised to make the USA great again, California wants to leave (Calexit) more in a protest against the electoral system than anything else. With an economy bigger than that of France they are seriously miffed that, having backed Clinton, they never get what they vote for. Scotland knows exactly how you feel California!

We were amazed to see what looked like flooding down by the harbour. It turned out to be high tides caused by the recent ‘big moons’. One of the local fisherman we spoke to was totally unfazed “och aye, we’ve had them going right into the Post Office”! Only in Kirkcudbright? The bell-mouth was perfect by the way.

Picture of high tide at Kirkcudbright harbour
Very high tides down by the harbour

DG6 4HZ            tel: 01557 330735             The Solway Tide Café