Scotland: The Small and Cosy Teahouse

I must tell you about my favorite tea memory from our trip.....

My visit to the Small and Cosy Teahouse in Digg, Isle of Skye will be one of the most precious memories I carry with me from our trip. It marked the point in our journeys where I went from "survive and recover mode" to "relax and gather joy again" mode.

Hospitality plays a very large role in our lives here at home. But one can't continually serve up hospitality without also being on the receiving end of soul nourishment. This can come in many different forms and from various sources. At rare times it can come from complete strangers as they offer hospitality to me as part of their own daily work. Completely unknown to them, the care with which they take in serving, the part of their own soul they have painstakingly invested in their cooking, and their genuine pleasure in offering this to me touches a part of me that is affected forever and from this investment I will draw inspiration for my own hospitality for years to come.

Such was my experience at the Small and Cosy Teahouse.

 I had read about this teahouse months earlier and made a special note to find it once we got to the Isle of Skye. Imagine my unbelief when I realized our cottage sat in the very same little hamlet, just up the road (the Teahouse being 1/2, 4 Digg and our cottage being 1/2, 7 Digg).

So I made sure I was able to get an afternoon of my own to spend at the teahouse! 

I chose a window seat with a view out to the water. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful!

Then it was time to peruse the menu, with everything baked fresh that day in the kitchen that lay through the open door. Just look at the menu!!!

And just look at the surroundings! I especially loved the vase of Rowan berries and chamomile flowers that stood on the fireplace.

I went over and over the tea list and finally made a short list from which to choose. I started with the Organic Arya Ruby 1st Flush Darjeeling. Oh there is a reason why people pay money for good tea! It was just delicious! And there was a glass pot of hot water so I could refill my pot or lighten my tea to my taste. Not only was the tea delicious but the beautiful pottery it was served in added to the whole experience. 

 Once I finished my Darjeeling it was time to order some tea to go with cake. I opted for the Organic House Tea and chose the Plum Cake with maple cream. Oh was that cake delicious! So many times one gets homebaking that is a bit on the dry side. Not at this teahouse! Everything was baked and served at perfection! Moist plum cake with maple cream that was just sweet enough.

 Oh I was happy!

 After an hour or so by myself Rachel walked down to join me for a little visit. She chose the Lime and Coconut Milk Cake. Another mouth-watering treat that I must try to re-create here at home. Lime zest infused the sugar sprinkled on top of the cake with a result that was a perfect match of sweet and sour.

 We chose the Orange Blossom tea to go with Rachel's cake. This was my favorite tea of the whole visit. It is a blend of black, oolong, and green, infused with orange blossom essence. Wow. I wanted to go on drinking this forever.

 I was enjoying the tearoom so much that I didn't want my time to end, and I wanted to share it with anyone I could! I sent Rachel home with instructions to send down someone else who was interested. Along came my sweet James, another enthusiastic tea drinker. Together we had a look at the table of cakes.

 James decided on the double layered coffee cake with coffee icing. And we ordered a pot of Amba Estate Ceylon and another of White Peony Rosebuds .

 Look at the glass teapot with the White Peony tea! Too sweet!

 When I could put off departure no longer we settled our bill and reluctantly walked out the front door and through the gate to the road.

 The afternoon was over but the experience will last forever. And whenever I serve tea there will be something in me from the Small and Cosy Teahouse that will be passed on to others.