It seems like such a long time ago now when we drove out to Crieff for afternoon tea at the Hydro. So long ago that I didn’t see the point in sharing it with you any more, I mean who wants to read about some silly afternoon tea that I had six months ago. Then I looked at the pictures of said afternoon tea and realised that I absolutely needed to share it, I mean the hotel is still there, the afternoon tea is still there and whats more it was AMAZING.
Heading out to Crieff from Glasgow on a cold, gray Sunday in January felt exciting. It was the first time we had really left Glasgow (except that wee trip to Loch Lomond and stay in Arrochar). We had barely left the M8 when mountains started appearing out of no where. Unsure if it was the clouds deceiving me or if I was really seeing mountains; needless to say it was hard to keep my eyes on the road. Driving around the edge of Sterling with the castle in view I remember being blown away by the landscape from then on. This has happened again and again since, all you have to do is drive 30 minutes out of Glasgow and the landscape changes to the real Scotland I have come to know and love.
Anyway back to the afternoon tea… We arrived at Crieff hotel feeling like we had entered somewhere a bit too posh. Even the entrance of the hotel looks posh with people greeting you at the door. We headed straight through towards the restaurant and after a little confusion about which one served afternoon tea we ordered and chose a seat. The inside (and out) of the hotel was beautiful, I wasn’t really sure where to look.. out of the window or around the foyer in front of the restaurant. As we sat waiting for our tea (and peeking at other people’s tea) I found myself cringing out how needy some of these people were and how I never wanted to live a life where I didn’t appreciate money. For us afternoon tea at the Crieff Hydro was a treat for these people is was the norm.
Shortly our tea arrived and I totally forgot about everyone else there. Neatly stacked on one of those three tiered stands, the first tier was our sandwich selection with the crusts cut off the sandwiches and each one exactly the same size. The second tier was scones with oh so much jam and butter and the third full of cake. Tea was served in mis-match china and a cow shaped jug for milk – I think that might have been the boyfriend’s highlight of the day.
Afternoon Tea costs £10 per a person and available to non hotel guests. It is served in the Winter Garden and is located on the level of the entrance. Visit the Hydro’s website for more info.