Restaurant Reviews: River House Stirling

 Occasionally you will dine in a place where the food is fine, but the atmosphere elevates it to another level. River House in Stirling is such a site.

In the shape of a traditional Crannog, a round dwelling house on water, it is situated in what use to be a pond, but is now filled with reeds and wild birds. Inside there are lights reflecting off of the trees in the distance and warm fireplaces, lights and flowers in surround -

A Midsummer Night's Dream whenever you go - the food is secondary to the well stocked feast of colourful cocktails, coffees and puddings. Enter the circular Crannog, rest and fill yourself with the space. 🌼

Restaurant Reviews - The Inver

When a fresh water river meets the salty sea, the result is a savoury Tang of dishes 

Set in the scenic view of old castle Lachlan, foodie tastes evolve out of the Inver's geography.

Outside, a series of cool, fresh water rivers run from meaty hills straight into salty sea lochs;

And inside, so do the colliding flavours provided by Pam Brunton & Rob Latimer, beginning with -

Shrub aperitifs with sweet mint and berries mingling with apple cider vinegar, preparing your palate for the tempo to come.

A starter of crispy, warm pastry alongside salty prosciutto is topped with savoury oyster mushrooms;

then a main of tender sea bass sits on a foundation of reduced grapes and al dente carrageen fennel, the mild licorice taste like a sorbet between bites of meaty fish.

As you are enjoying the view, the rivers, the sea bay, the castle itself (a battle ground), you are reminded of how invigorating a meal of contrasting tastes can be!

3 Dogs & a raven

 It was the crow I saw first; flew right over my head,

my grandmother's messenger.

It landed on the fence post and looked back at me.

I walked on.

The deerhound was next, in Dunlop.

"Is that one of Nell's deerhounds?" I said.

"You know Nell?" The man looked at me in amazement.

"Yes, my last dog, Torquil was from Nell. I couldn't get another after he died."

"Her mother was one of Nell's," he commented.

The dog put her nose into my hand, and then rested her nose in my neck, just like my boy.

She whined after me when I walked away.

A beagle was next, like Chaucer, my first dog. With me through all the pain of my 20s.

It ran away from its owner and came to rubbing its shoulders against my leg.

I looked down. Stroked its back, calmly held its chest.

What a support she was for me; what a good dog, 

...'right to the end.' Like the song.

"Sorry, I don't know what got into her," a middle-aged woman walking along the beach said.

She dragged her away; the dog glanced back.

Next was the lab. Black. Like Macbeth.

Sat still. Watched each step. My eyes. 

An honour guard, of old memories.

dear ones.

Dùthchas: Grand Estates & Fairytales

 Dùthchas: Grand Estates & Fairytales

Those who know me, ken I am no fan of excessive personal wealth or houses larger than one needs. I am, however, a lover of a good story, be it fairy tale or life rebellion, I love a tale that connects a person to a personal journey.

And so, there is something about grand old listed houses like Chatsworth, with her long lanes, rolling meadows filled with sheep and small woods of stream and deer and mossy oaks. There is a connection there to all of the heroines of my own upbringing. Jane Austen's characters walking across fields, lanes and peaks to build relationships; Byron, King Arthur, William Wallace or Don Quixote crossing counties on horseback using the land as that constant road to change. Be it, The Canterbury Tales or Rob Roy - it is that travel over hill and moor that carries us through the plot.

Each time I sit under a mossy oak by a river, or traverse fields towards a small village, I, too, am a part of that long, ancestral story of walking. Under my feet are the past footprints of drovers and workers; lovers and mourners. These footpaths and holloways connect me deeply to ancient links. It is not just the estates, these shared stories bring us closer to Life's truths. And it is not only about telling stories - but also about paying attention to silences. 🕊️