A Cuppa and a Cake

The site at Houghton Mill offers the added bonus of a National Trust Tea Room just a few steps away from the pitch. We had a tour of the working flour mill and then went to sample the scones made from the mill’s product.

The tea room does a Cream Tea in both its regular guise and also as a savoury version. We both opted to try the latter,

The Cheese Scone was beautifully made, though was rather lacking in the cheese department for my particular taste and was on the small side when compared to many NT scones. It was served with a small plastic pot of Mascarpone Cheese and a second pot with caramelised red onion chutney, No butter.

The pot of tea was generously sized but came without a jug of water.

Counter service, no table service available. Staff split between cheerful and helpful and surly and awkward.

Points For:

the quality of the bake
the thoughtful provision of a savoury cream tea version
well-made pot of tea with at least three cupfuls in it
little storage jars on the table with mixed brown and white sugar lumps and sugar tongs – a nice touch
View of the river and swans thereon

Points Against:

NO BUTTER
Nasty plastic pots for the “cream” and the “jam”
Minimal provision where the Mascarpone was concerned
No water for the tea
Lack of general cheesiness
The nasty disposable butter scraper
Counter service
Poor ambience, coupled with high noise levels

We said goodbye to Kippford on Wednesday 29th March. Having packed the van there seemed little point in prolonging the agony. We turned Vincent towards the Galloway Forest Park and went to visit with the Red Deer. Mother Nature ensured that the weather was absolutely as bad as the last time that we visited, though perhaps a touch warmer this time.

Spike still had his antlers but was allowing Arran to rule the roost anyway

On Thursday we drove over to Glentrool, where Nell and Mr Snail enjoyed the full circular walk around the loch in the rain. I had things to do, so did them and then walked out in the opposite direction to meet the walkers on their return. It was a misty landscape by then, a little less than wet.

We were due to catch a 7:00 am ferry on Saturday morning at Ardrossan so travelled over to the West coast on Friday with the intention of finding a stopover close to the ferry port.

There was much wincing as we travelled over some extremely poor road surfaces on our way but the rain had finally ceased and the sun was shining for the most part. We drove through Barrhill (where we had once tried to buy a house), played a little in Girvan, and then went into Ayr for a spot of Tesco action so that we would be fully supplied on Arran.

I dislike Ayr. It is not just a dump, there are also personal factors that prevent me from feeling comfortable when in Ayr. I was happy to move on.

Armed with a list of potential wilding spots in both South and North Ayrshire, we headed for the most favoured first and found it barred to us. The next best on our list also had height bars and the situation was repeated. We drove as far as West Kilbride, then headed backwards to look at other potential spots. Height bars were everywhere.

Finally we called in at a hotel in West Kilbride. We had previously emailed the Waterside Hotel with an enquiry but, having had no reply, Mr Snail was sceptical regarding our chances. It turned out that we were made very welcome with no difficulties at all, despite the fact that a wedding was in progress. We ate well from the Light Menu (£15.95 for three courses, £13.95 for two), then returned to the car park sandwiched between the sea and the busy main road.

Salad of Watermelon and feta with a Caramelised Orange Sauce

Salmon and Cod fish cakes

Fish and Chips

Thai Green Chicken Curry

Crumble of the day Apple, honey, sultana)

Cheesecake of the day (raspberry & White chocolate)

We managed to sleep okay and were up at 05:30 and away to the ferry queue at Ardrossan, a few minutes back down the road.The ferry crossing was smooth and untroublesome. Being a Saturday the boat was teeming with walkers, cyclists and early season holidaymakers. We berthed at 08:00 and Mr Snail was somewhat taken aback to find that we could not park along the front at Brodick.

We had much time to kill until checking in at the campsite so it was fortunate that we found space in the car park behind the Co-op and were able to make a late breakfast and then walk Nell on the coastal path. Our plan was to exercise our National Trust membership cards at Brodick Castle but we had to wait until 09:30 to do that.

On our walk I found this pretty flower but could not understand why it was flowering so early nor why it had solitary flowers on what appeared to be a raspberry or blackberry plant…

We took a tour of the village and found a couple of good shops.

We purchased postcards, sweets, a newspaper and a paint by numbers set from the proper old-fashioned stationers-cum-bookshop and chocolates from the chocolate shop but resisted the prodigious sausage rolls at the bakery.

Goat Fell was looking magnificent under drifting low cloud but that cloud soon brought some rain with it. Luckily it did not last long and the sun was out again by the time that we were ready to explore the garden at Brodick, where we were the first visitors of the year. The site had only opened for the year just eleven minutes before we walked in.

I took many photographs and many of them were appalling. Also, I found more of the mysterious bramble plants.

Googling has come up with a surprising result on the brambles. I think that these may be a North American species, the Salmonberry. The fact that this escapee from cultivation is also called the Arran Raspberry is, I think, the clincher. First noted in Sannox in the 19th Century but not by me until the 21st!(http://www.nonnativespecies.org/factsheet/factsheet.cfm?speciesId=3058)