Cafés
Here we take up John's idea of a café page. Have you a favourite that you'd like to tell the world about? It can be because its a good cafe or because its the only café for miles.
Just email info@mellowvelo.org.uk the details and it will be posted. A picture would be nice too.
Borders
The Jammy Coo
The Green, Lilliesleaf nr St Boswells Borders.
Welcome respite after many miles. Also a gallery. Open: Tue-Fri 10.30 - 5 , Sat 10 - 5, Sun 1-6 www.jammycoo.co.uk
Cloudhouse café, Stow
23 Townfoot Stow.
Much needed stop on the A7 route. Although open till 4.30pm they had run low on food before 3pm. Those who arrived earlier reported it excellent.
Website: cloudhousecafe (not kept up to date)
Whistle Stop Café, Innerleithen
12 High Street, Innerleithen, EH44 6HA
Nice cafe with interesting memorabilia. Food let down by the bread. Strange reluctance to serve coffee with food!
Open Mon-Sat 8 - 5, Sun 8.30 - 4.30
Website: whistlestop cafe
Edinburgh
Craigie's Farm
West Craigie Farm, South Queensferry, Edinburgh EH30 9TR
Farm shop, deli and café.
Maggie Finn's (formerly CoffeePort)
222 New Road, Fisherrow Musselburgh EH21 6DQ
Recently been taken over by new people who have restored the friendly vibe. MV verdict. "It was quite pleasant to have lunch and look out over the harbour again. The range for veggies is limited but it's generally good and fairly priced." Open 10-4 (later in summer)
Café Citron
14 Marischal Place, Edinburgh EH4 3NF
Just because you don't want to cycle, doesn't mean you can't have a café stop... ESTC verdict: "The cakes didn't look very home made, but they did very good lattes and toasted bagels, and were extremely welcoming."
The Lothians
Tyninghame Coffee Shop
Main Street, Tyninghame EH42 1XL
Lovely little gift and coffee shop with an old world feel. Delicious cakes and scones. Outside tables.
Web presence: maggiebrucesguide
Argyll
Dalavich Café
Dalavich, Taynuilt, Argyll PA35 1HN
village shop/café/post office where you can enjoy a varied lunchtime snack menu and stock up on essentials.
The Kingarth Hotel, Smiddy Bar, Bute
Kingarth, Isle of Bute 7 miles from Rothesay
Friendly bar, good food and lots of outside tables. www.kingarthhotel.co.uk/
Ettrick Bay café Rothesay, Bute
Beachside café with outstanding views to Arran and Kintyre. Serving full breakfasts every morning, three delicious home made soups, and a wide choice of home baked cakes, cheesecakes and our famous meringues! Open 9.30am to 5.30pm every day and late in the summer. Children's play area.
Ayrshire
Arran Heritage Museum Café
Rosaburn, Brodick, Isle of Arran, KA27 8DP. The museum is open daily (10.30 to 16.30) during the summer months and on Wednesdays only in winter. Tearoom is excellent. See the soup and ploughman's in picture. For your 50p entrance you get to see all outside exhibits of museum - as doors are left open that's most of it! www.arranmuseum.co.uk/
Machrie tearoom, Machrie Bay, Arran
At Clubhouse - on main road. Open 10-5pm 7 days. Welcome respite from the weather! Old fashioned tearoom. Friendly service.
Website: www.machriebay.com/tearoom
Felicity's Blackwaterfoot Arran
At the clubhouse - at end of minor road from village. Great views out to sea. Sit outside if the weather is good. Varied menu. Soup was excellent and scones come with clotted cream! Bit pricey. Modern decor, good facilities. Somewhere you could take your great aunt to. www.shiskinegolf.com
Dumfries and Galloway
Drumlanrig Café
53-54 Drumlanrig Street, Thornhill, DG3 5LJ
Popular cafe with locals and cyclists alike.
The Green Tea House
The Old Bank House Chapel Street, Moniaive,DG3 4EJ.
Lovely cafe hidden amongst the trees. Sampled the soups, cakes and ice cream - all excellent. Evening menu looked good too.
Ken Bridge Hotel
Ken Bridge, New Galloway DG7 3PR
Garden at rear, good beer seletion.
Dock Park Café
Dock Park, Dumfries
Good selection of sandwiches, cakes and ice creams.
Pelosis Corner café
Market Place, High St, LangholmGood basic cafe. Decent portion sizes. Popular, but there is no competition for they own the cafe at the campsite too. No loo - have to use public one nearby.
No Website.
Olive tree café and bakery
38/39 South Hermitage St, Newcastleton
Good range of homemade bread and cakes to eat in or take away. Hot snacks too but closes at 4pm.
Website: olive-tree-cafe
Glasgow
Trans Europe Café
25 Parnie St. Glasgow G1 5RJ. Popular cafe in the centre of Glasgow. Theme of Trans European express even extends to the seats!
Can get very busy in the evenings. www.transeuropecafe.co.uk
Highland
The Watermill, Broadford, Skye
The centre is open daily (10.30 to 16.30) during the summer months and on Wednesdays only in winter.
Interesting café - loads of information about the local area and the serpentarium. Also sells the local whisky, jams and crafts. www.skyeserpentarium.org.uk/
The Blue Shed, Torrin, Skye
Great views to Blaven. Friendly service, home cooking. Outside tables. Also sells local crafts/produce www.theblueshedcafe.magix.net/
Altnacealgach Inn
1 mile south east of Ledmore junction, Assynt . Friendly pub/resaurant. Open from 10am at weekends. (Inchnadamph hotel seems to be closed buring day)
Cuillin View Café Elgol
Panoramic views across the sea to the islands of Soay to the west, Canna and Rum to the south and the Cuillin mountain range to the north. The Gallery includes works by local and national artists on display. The restaurant provides speciality coffees and refreshments.
Open April to October
www.isleofskye.net/cuillinview/
Christy Arts, Suledale, Skye
At Skye Riding Centre, halfway between Portree and Dunvegan. Primarly a craft shop / gallery they also offer tea /coffee and biscuits.
open 10 to 5.30 in summer
Lanarkshire
The Bully Inn
2 Store Row, Quarter, Hamilton ML3 7XU.
Welcomed wet cyclists even though they has a wedding reception on. Tasty soup for £3.25 and sweets for £4.25.
No Website.
The Kirkton Inn
10 Kirkton St. Carluke ML8 4AB
Surprisingly quiet for a Sunday lunchtime. We had a tasty soup for £2.50. TV dominates room and could be annoying if it's on.
Website: www.kirktoninn.com
Perthshire
Auchterarder Tearoom
High Street Auchterarder. Pleasant tearom to hide from the rain for half an hour. Tea, coffee, cakes and snacks.
There is another cafe further up the hill with a better menu but it only has two tables.
The Old Library Tearoom, Balquhidder
Very popular café with home baking, soup, filled rolls etc. Local newsletter and information. Outside tables. Open till 5.30pm Easter to October.
Owned by Mhor Hotel mhor.net/tea/
Coffee House, St. Fillans
East end of Loch Earn on the A85. St Fillans village store has the coffee house to the rear. There are a couple of tables outside and picnic tables across the road. Open 7am-5.30pm (7pm at weekends).
Coffee, teas and snacks including Orkney ice cream.
Blair Atholl Watermill
Popular cafe in Blair Atholl just across railway line. Open April to October. There are outside tables. Homemade soups and home baking using their own flour. A must stop!
www.blairathollwatermill.co.uk
Glen Lyon Tearoom
Bridge of Balgie, Glen Lyon, Perthshire PH15 2PP
Welcome break after climbing over into Glen Lyon. Sheltered outside tables. Homemade soup and cakes. Tea, coffee, sandwiches etc. and a small store and post office.
Website: glenlyontearoom.co.uk
Legends Coffee House
Grandtully, Pitlochry, Perthshire PH9 0PL
Wide selection of coffees and teas, Scones with jam and cream to start the day off. Simply gorgeous chocolates for those with deep pockets.
Website: legendsofgrandtully.com
Gloagburn Café and farmshop
Gloagburn Farm, Tibbermore PH1 1QL
Great place to stop for a coffee and scone in the middle of nowhere! You can buy a couple of presents to save a trip out later...
Website: gloagburnfarmshop
Stirlingshire
Allan Water Café, Bridge of Allan
Popular cafe in the centre of Brdge of Allan opposite a bicycle shop! Reviews say excellent fish and chips. Coffee and scones were fine too.
Beech Tree Café
2 Beech Road Dunblane FK 15 0AA
Great place to hang out while waiting for your friends on the next train. Homemade cakes and scones etc.
Woodside Hotel, Doune
Stirling road Doune (at Junction). The hotel bar also serves teas, coffees snacks and meals.
Berits and Brown, Kippen
A great find on the main street in Kippen. It is a delicatessan with a cafe. Serves teas, coffees, cakes and snacks. As you see popular with cyclists!
CarronBridge Hotel Denny
Situated on the B818 Fintry road approx 5 miles form Denny. A fire to warm us after our August picnic at Carron Resevoir! We only had coffee but there was a reasonable menu of snacks and meals. Hotel has good reviews but no website.
Wee Blether Tearoom
Lochside, Kinlochard FK8 3TL About 5 miles from. Aberfoyle. Nice view across the loch and many objects of interest amongst the outside tables. Lovely wee cafe with friendly staff and a good selection of cakes!
Open April to October. No Website.
Northumberland
Lavender Tearoom
The Post Office, Etal, Northumberland TD12 4TN
Homemade Soup, light meals, snacks, puddings and cakes.Try their homemade Lavender scones!
Cafe and shop open 9-5 every day April-Oct. Shorter hours in winter. Welcomes walkers and cyclists.
Website: Lavender Tearoom
Tomlinson's Café
Bridge Street, Rothbury, Northumberland NE65
Very popular with locals. The full lunches looked delicious! Quite pricey but worth it. 2 course meal £15. Soup, scone and coffee about £7.
Website: Tomlinson's Cafe and Bunkhouse
Tower Knowe Café
Situated on south side of Kielder resevoir near the dam.
Lovely views. Standard but good quality cafe food. Review advises avoiding if its busy.
Website: Tower Knowe Visitor centre
Falstone Old School Tearoom
Falstone Northumberland
We did not actually go here but there are loads of cycle racks and it is on local cycle route 10.
Website: www.falstonetearoom.co.uk/
Inpromptu Café Elsdon
The Schoolhouse, Elsdon, Northumberland NE19 1AA
Great wee cafe full of cyclist memorabilia. Racers and audax folk stop here too. Will welcome the tired and wet at almost any time. Unlimited tea and tasty snacks at reasonable prices.
No website but plenty of mentions on cycle blogs.
The Village Coffee House
Longframlington, Northumberland
A friendly, moderatly priced cafe popular with locals. Soup + scone £3.95, all-day breakfast £5.95, coffee £1.50
No Website.
Yorkshire Dales
Meadowside Café
The Laning, Dent, Cumbria LA10 5QJ
Home cooking, locally sourced food and beers. Lunch memu looked tempting. Soup + drink c.£5
Welcomes walkers and cyclists - but no cycle parking!
Website: Meadowside_cafe
White House Tea room
Anvil Square Reeth Yorkshire DL11 6TE
Very popular with locals. The full lunches looked delicious! Large portion of soup + 'bottomless' coffee was £5.90.
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