Rio Recommends: South Queensferry and The Little Bakery
Hey, dog lovers! Welcome to my new column on where to walk your pooch and grab something to eat and drink in dog-friendly bars and cafes.
There was talk at home about a trip to South Queensferry to check out the new(ish) bridge and Scott’s restaurant at Port Edgar Marina. Sounded like a great idea and just a 10 minute ride in the back of the SUV from the edge of the capital.
We approached the town down the steep hill that takes motorists under the Forth Bridge (note, it’s not the Forth Rail Bridge). Wow! What a view. The gleaming red structure looks resplendent at any time, even on an overcast winter day. Makes me feel very tiny!
At least the pretty High Street was a bit quieter and I liked the quaint and colourful shops and houses. I even saw a butterfly (a papillon, like me!) and in winter, too!
We got to the other end of town and parked close to Scott’s. It’s by the marina and there’s a Shapes furniture store, too, though it was closed when we visited.
Scott’s looks a bit cool and my owners met some friends who’d just enjoyed breakfast there. Mmm…wonder if they had sausages. Sadly, dogs are only allowed on the patio so we had to move on.
The new Queensferry Crossing (I wanted it to be called the Third Forth Bridge over the Firth, ha-ha!) also looks a bit good, though it’s not as distinctive as the old lady at the other end of town. There were people walking across the middle bridge, the Road Bridge. Wonder if there were any dogs? Not sure I’d like being so high up. Never been more than four storeys above ground level.
We made our way back into town to find a recently opened dog friendly cafe called The Little Bakery at the western end of the High Street. There was a dog friendly sign in the window (big tick), so in we stepped and checked out the menu.
The Little Bakery delivered on all counts. We sat in a spacious window seat where I was immediately offered a huge bowl of water without my folks having to ask (another big tick). A smiling, friendly waitress made cute comments about my ears (yeah! Even bigger tick!). Papa says it is because we are a dog loving nation, I think it is because I am the cutest dog on the block, and when you have a cute dog everyone wants to talk to you.
Papa and Mama said the coffees were great and and they enjoyed the largest fruit scones with jam and butter I have ever seen. In fact each one was like two scones. Brill! Four scones for the price of two. Papa loved that (he’s a Yorkshireman!) They were freshly baked and still warm. Best of all, they didn’t crumble and they came with spreadable butter, not those concrete butter slabs straight out of the fridge.
Mama could see I was champing at the bit for a snack and she offered me treats from her magical treat bag (yummy – the Prada of Doggy Bags – love it).
I noted that lots of other well behaved dogs had already settled down, providing a few sniffing and staring opportunities. There were also kids around and they always call me fluffy and want to stroke me. I like them, as long as they don’t get too noisy.
I heard Papa say the mix of table sizes was a good idea. There were big ones for groups and families. He is also a pedantic journalist and noticed the sign at the entrance referred to ‘special ocassions’ for children.
So, not such special spelling, and we also noticed the ceiling was collapsing from what looked like a leak. Yikes! The place is very spacious and still looks like it needs to be made a bit cosier but, overall, worth a visit. Especially for those yummy scones.
After leaving the cafe bar we walked back through the town and along the Forth shoreline, under the Forth Bridge and onto the Dalmeny Estate. The walk is fairly flat, ideal for all ages and abilities (and those with little legs!) We could have walked for miles along the shoreline but the light was fading and it looked like rain was coming. Back to the car and home for a well-earned rest!
The Little Bakery (4/5)
Walk along South Queensferry High Street to Dalmeny Estate (4/5)
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