Saturday, October 12, 2013

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.


12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Heather
I really enjoy your blog and look forward to each posting.
My favourite place in the whole world is Scotland! I have visited once and since that is my family background, it is a very special place for me.
LOVING your posts about this most lovely of places! Thankyou!
Marie

Pom Pom said...

Wonderful! Your kids are so cute!
I MUST bake tomorrow and have a small and cozy tea party! Thank you for sharing!

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks said...

I felt like I was there!

elizabeth said...

I love hearing about your Scotland trip! Do write more, don't think we don't want to hear and see all about it...

Have you read Elizabeth Goudge? If you have not, do, you will love her; she is clearly an author for you from all I know of you; her Middle Window, while not perhaps here 'best' book as it were, features Scotland and the Isle of Skye and I think it could be a good read for you.

I love offering tea too; very much; and dishes; am doing Canadian Thanksgiving today and can't wait to show all, DV, the pictures :)

Blessings on your week.

Kathy said...

This is a beautiful post. Oh to have been there with you!

Jessica said...

Amazing! The tea and the treats look so beautiful and yummy! I can almost taste the zest. I made a huge batch of cupcakes this weekend but it isn't quite the same ; ). I did however buy my first teapot! Nothing fancy but it makes me smile. Seems much more proper. Now for a good mug...

puttermuch said...

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the photo of the tea house....then nearly stopped beating when I gazed upon the photos of the cakes you were able to sample.....my oh my...what a treat it must have been. Thank you for sharing :)

Lori

Stephanie said...

Thanks for sharing this with us. Sounds like a wonderful time. Glad you could have some rejuvenation time by yourself and share the experience with two of your kids. I was so happy they had a GF cake on the menu!

reader19 said...

Wish I could have come in after James and had my turn too!!!! But, what to choose!!! How absolutely lovely of a day!

Hugs to you!!!
Tracy

HeatherMavis said...

What else can I say? I want to go !

Laura said...

So thrilled that you had this experience.. you certainly deserved every minute of it.. and loved seeing pictures of that special place..and you in it... xxxx

Amy K said...

That is so true that you need to be filled up before you can fill up others, and so rare that moms actually get to do that adequately. Looking at pictures of your relaxing afternoon helped me to unwind a little too. And just looking at that maple cream makes me almost taste its creaminess in my mouth.