Salutations VIT’s (Very Important Tea-People),
It’s been a wonderful week here in the Tea Studio: we’ve had sunshine and lots of smiling faces coming through our doors. The weather was so fantastic that we have even introduced some iced drinks into our menu…
In our last blog, we did quite the dive into the world of tea and spoke about the different kinds of tea we stock! In this blog, we’re going to stray away from tea for a little bit to talk about our fabulous area.
Our Tea Studio and Gift shop is located in Mallaig - the wee fishing village at the very end of the Road to the Isles. ‘Mallaig’ (in Norse) can be translated to ‘Bay of the Seabirds’ hence the inspiration for our sister company, Seabird Bay Scotland, and it is such a fantastic place to be. There’s gorgeously fresh seafood at every restaurant, the most lovely boutique shops and a handful of beautiful walks and boat trips to do! Rumour has it, there’s this great Tea Studio to go and visit? You might have heard of it before…
Mallaig village really speaks for itself, all it takes is one visit and you’ll be hooked! Alongside the fishing boats in the harbour, we have the Western Isles Cruises who run one of the best wildlife cruises around as well as trips to Knoydart. On the Knoydart peninsula, there’s breath-taking views, lovely locals, and Britain’s most remote pub! On the way there, or back, you may see a little grey face popping up out of the water - this is Annabelle, the resident harbour seal! She loves getting her photo taken and hanging around in front of the Bakehouse (we’re not surprised, it always smells so good in the bakery!) Mallaig also has an abundance of phenomenal restaurants such as The Cornerstone, The Cabin, and The Chlachain - not to mention the other fabulous places to sample some brilliant food, like The Fish Market, Jack-O-Bites, and the Tea Garden.
We’re also lucky enough to have some brilliant walks to do such as the Circular Walk or to the loch at Glasnacardoch. If anyone is particularly interested in local history, there’s a well kept and very informative Mallaig Heritage Centre that details the area.
Just a stone throw away, we have the village of Morar - a quiet and incredibly serene place. The legendary Loch Morar is Scotland’s deepest loch and boasts some spectacular scenery. A picnic down the loch is one of the best ways to spend a sunny day! The Morar Hotel has such gorgeous views too, a lovely place to wine, dine, and view the Isles of Skye, Eigg, and Rum.
The next village over is Arisaig, a beautiful wee village that oozes personality. In Arisaig, you can grab a bite to eat at the Crofters Rest/The Arisaig Hotel, Sound Bites, or The Old Library. The Arisaig Marina offer boat trips to all the small Isles and even have an onsite cafe with delicious toasties, sandwiches, cakes, and soups! Arisaig is home to some of the most peaceful and beautiful walks in the area - a wonder down Rhu Road or to Larachmhor gardens never goes a miss. There’s the lovely Land, Sea, and Island Centre that holds a lot of information about Arisaig’s natural wildlife and a bit of local history too. You’ll also be able to grab a wee bag of our tea from there too! Along the Arisaig coastal road, there are some of Scotland’s most breath-taking beaches. As the road hugs the curves of our coastline, overwhelmingly beautiful spots wait beyond each corner such as Traigh beach/golf course, Tougal, and Camusdarach.
Following the Road to the Isles, the next stop is Glenfinnan. We’re sure you’ve all seen, read, or at least heard of Harry Potter - and the Glenfinnan Viaduct is where you can recreate that magical scene of the Hogwarts Express crossing over the bridge! Although Harry Potter is a major attraction for Glenfinnan, there’s so much more to the village than its train line…The Glenfinnan visitor centre reveals the history of the Jacobite rising and holds tickets for a walk up the Glenfinnan Monument. The Glenfinnan House Hotel is one of the best places in the Highlands for a pint and to listen in (or play in!) a session too!
As you may have noticed, the Glenfinnan Viaduct was a huge inspiration in the design of the West Highland Tea Company’s logo, and the viaduct and Loch Sheil can also be seen on the packaging of our infamous (and delicious) Scottish Breakfast Tea!
There’s no other place on earth like the Scottish Highlands, and at the West Highland Tea Company, we aim to celebrate the areas beauty and rarity through our love of tea and our unique blends that we have dedicated to this heaven on earth.
By bus, train, plane, boat, coach, or car, come visit us in Mallaig - but don’t just stay for a cracking cup of tea and a delicious cake - come and explore everything we’ve written above and more! The Road to the Isles truly highlights the magic of the journey really is just as good as the brilliance of the destination.
Well, we’d best be leaving you to plan your trip up to see us but thank you so much for following along. We can’t wait to see you shortly!
Love the WHTC Team x
コメント