Scotland - Some Good Eats

Some tea savories and sweets from Another Tilly's Tea Room in Dunblane.

We ended up taking some of it back to our flat.

Our first dinner was at Juniper Restaurant across from the Dunblane Cathedral.  We were still on east coast time so came for dinner at 4:30.  They were gracious enough to let us order the special for a Wednesday night: 2 steaks and 2 glasses of wine.  We ate here one other night but no photo to share.

Here is the dessert we shared - an apple crumble

Driving north to Inverness a halfway point for lunch was this nice cafe.

Inverness fish and chip shop.

Another lunch in Forfar at the Angus Kitchen (may not be the right name), we had lentil soup and

this lovely plate of food.  We had been looking for a butcher that the guide book recommended for bridies (pronounced bradys) but it was closed for the school holiday week.

Another fish and chip lunch or dinner but I don't remember where.

One night we went to Stirling for dinner to Birds & Bees.

We happened upon this pub for lunch one day.

Order at the counter.

We shared chicken caesar salad and chicken pot pie.

Our favorite butcher in Dunblane for meat pies.

Here's the other butcher in town.  It wasn't until I was back home and looking at this photo closely that I realized they didn't make the same pies so we never tasted the Scotch pie, pork pie or cornish pasty.

If you are in Dunblane, check out The Riverside.  We ate there twice and it was delicious.  Reservations encouraged because it is a popular spot.  Sorry no photos.

Scotland - Standing Stones

One of the fascinating things we looked for when we were in Scotland were standing stones of various vintages.

The first one we saw was in the Dunblane Cathedral.

On one side was this cross.

On the other side were Pictish symbols.

The pamphlet I got on the cathedral says:

"Standing at the west end is a large, carved cross which was discovered in 1873 beneath the floor of the chapter house.  It may be a legacy from an earlier church on this site and perhaps dates from the 9th century."  

A photo in the pamphlet shows the side with the symbols and labels it as a Pictish cross.

We returned for another look at the stone cross near the end of our trip and noticed this sign on the wall.

There was a second slab we hadn't noticed before with intricate designs on the side.  The backside of the other stone is there on the left.

It is a lovely carving, one of many we saw.

Scotland - A Sunday Walk

The second Sunday we were in Scotland we took a walk from Dunblane to Bridge of Allan, the next town to the south.  We followed the Darn Road or Darn Walk which is purported to be an old Roman road.

The walk skirts a golf course as it leaves Dunblane then keeps pretty straight along different sorts of fences and walls.  It got quite muddy.

We came upon this exceptional tree.  I had Dan stand there for perspective.

Allan Water was to our right the whole way.

We came upon this sign and cave.

As we approached Bridge of Allan this horse and a pony checked us out.

Though the day dawned with bright sun, after our late morning breakfast the sky had clouded and rain threatened so we took the train back to Dunblane.

Joining Fences

Scotland - Dunblane Cathedral

Having Dunblane Cathedral in the town where we made our base was such a bonus.  We walked around it and inside it the first afternoon we arrived.  It's an Historic Scotland property but since there's an active church there the admission is free.  The next day we had a tour by a member of the church and learned all the history.  Not sure how much I remember but it was fascinating.

Here's what was included in the Historic Scotland pamphlet:

"One of Scotland's finest medieval churches.  The lower part of the tower is Romanesque but most of the building was built in the 1200s and extensively restored in the 1800s.  The 15th century choir stalls - amongst the oldest now surviving in Scotland - are carved with real and fantastical beasts."

Here are a few photos of the inside of the church.  I'll share more another day.

We attended church there the our first Sunday in Scotland.  We walked to church listening to the change ringers.  We were delighted with the organ, choir and handbells that accompanied the service. The service was well attended and singing the hymns filled the cathedral with music.