Rosslyn Chapel and Castle

Few places inspire the same deep sense of mystery as Rosslyn Chapel. Those who that have either read the Da Vinci code or watched the movie will recognise the name, as it was key to the mystery that the protagonist of the story was trying to solve. One Sunday morning, Ed and I decided to head out to Roslin village  to explore the area and find some more clues to the location of the Holy Grail!

 

The chapel wasn't open when we got there so we decided to go for a wee wander around the area. There a number of walking routes here, some of which are quite steep. We weren't bothered about working up a sweat and instead ambled across to the old ruins of Rosslyn Castle. The castle looms at a strategic height over the River Esk which presumably would have been advantageous to keep an eye on, and subdue, enemy forces. Part of the old castle has been discreetly renovated and is now a pet friendly B&B.

After a bit of wandering in the cold, we headed back to the chapel area for a quick lunch followed by exploration of the chapel. Photography is prohibited inside the chapel so there are no mysterious images of strange creatures to share. But there were plenty of mysterious carvings and sculptures densely packed within the small chapel. The inside of the chapel is exquisitely beautiful with many intricate carvings and stained glass paintings. The ceiling of the chapel is particularly stunning! I found the guide booklet to the chapel very helpful in deciphering the various crpytic symbols and sculptures.

After reading through the guide and working our way across the inside of the chapel, we stepped outside to wonder at more structures and carvings that surrounded it. There are guides and interactive things too, to try and engage those who are inclined to learn more about the place. The view of the snow covered Pentland hills from across the chapel adds to it's beauty and mystique.

There is more to see and do around Roslin village itself, including the Roslin Institute where Dolly the Sheep was cloned, the first mammal to be cloned. I'd forgotten about Dolly until our visit to Roslin and it reminded me yet again that Edinburgh truly is an intellectual hotbed!



Have you been anywhere mysterious recently? Do share! Ann x

Wearing: Stefanel Argyll Knit Dress, ASOS hat, Next boots and Tom Ford sunglasses.

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A Journey Across China

The concept of travelling vicariously through food isn't new. I often look up recipes from exotic places that I long to explore but am unlikely to visit soon. Travelling across China is one such dream but it is a little low on the priority list. When HKK (part of the Hakkasan Group)  offered me an opportunity to experience China through a ten course taster menu created specifically for the Chinese New Year, I simply could not refuse. The menu promised to take me on journey across the eight provinces of China that were most influential from a culinary perspective.

Up until now, my experience of Chinese cuisine was limited to food cooked by Chinese friends, and the sometimes westernised recipes that I'd tasted at restaurants across the UK and Asia. My mind and my belly were open to more authentic epicurean experience. As with most 'invitations to review', I was a little concerned that my judgement could potentially be clouded by the focused attention I would receive and that feeling of gratitude for being offered the experience. I took my objective thinking friend Raahil along as I knew that even if it was rubbish, she would give me an honest view.

We started off by ordered cocktails, I chose the Floating Goddess and Ra ordered Red Lotus. They were both tallish drinks that lasted us through most of the meal. You also have the option of going for a wine pairing course to go with the menu. As it was school night, we gave that a miss, as well as the temptation to have another cocktail.

We sat down to eat just before 7PM and finished well after 10PM. Each course was beautifully presented, with the steward recounting the history of the dish and its culinary origin. Ra chose a semi-vegetarian option which meant we got to see two different versions of the menu.  Everything we tasted was new and different to anything we'd tried before, and they all had a certain element of showmanship. Think colourful dimsum served with a paintbrush to 'paint' sauce on and a teapot containing a yuzu infusion to pour over chocolate dumplings. The Roast Peking Duck was one of my absolute favourites; the skin of the duck was perfectly glazed and crisp, and the meat cooked to perfection. It was definitely the best Peking Duck I'd ever had.

By the time we'd got to the fifth course, I was *stuffed*. Despite each course being quite small, they were surprisingly filling. I had to ask for a bit of rest period before we went on to the next course. The staff gently encouraged us on saying the best was waiting for us at the end. And they were right, that final item on the menu was Sheep's Milk Mousse and Pandan Curd with Caramelised Puff Rice which didn't sound like something I'd like at all but turned out to be exceptional (and not strongly milky as I'd expected it to be). 

By 10:15 PM, I could have really done with a cherry picker to take me back to my hotel, I was so full! So was Ra. And she loved the entire experience as much as I did. As with many grand things, this experience does not come cheap. But at £98 for ten courses, it works out to less than a tenner per course. I'd highly recommend it for a special occasion or a celebration. And when you do book, make sure you eat very little all day!

The Chines New Year menu is available until the 28th of February and full details can be found on the HKK website.

P.S: All photos courtesy HKK as mine simply didn't do the food justice.

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Things to do in the Outer Hebrides: Harris

Travelling around the Outer Hebrides was a surreal experience. It was as if time and distance had somehow preserved a very unique culture in a spectacular setting. There is so much to share about our Autumn trip ( yep, speed-blogging is not my forte) around the Western Isles that I will write separate blog posts for Harris and Lewis. And I'll write another one for the Isle of Skye (which is part of the Inner Hebrides).

The landscape of Harris is mostly rugged and mountainous with a stunning coastline that contains the most amazing beaches in the world. Luskentyre is definitely one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen...move over Zanzibar. Yes, the weather is often wild but on the positive, gale force winds are also matched by amazing displays of northern lights. Our biggest disappointment was to have missed this due to the cloudy skies whilst we were out there.

Like many of the Hebridean islands, they are sparsely populated and those who live here are part of a very close knit community. Everyone does know everyone! The community are extremely religious too, following Christian traditions that the rest of the country have long lost touch with such as keeping the Sabbath.

We drove all the way to the very south of the island to check out the medieval St. Clement's Church in Rodel. From there, we drove through miles of hilly terrain, passing by stunning mountain ranges and beaches, to arrive at the Harris Tweed Company shop in Grosebay.

Ed and I love Harris Tweed. Procuring the tweed straight from the weavers was another motivation for visiting the Outer Hebrides. Although we did a fair bit of window shopping around Harris, we finally bought our tweed from a weaver in Lewis. I'd like to have visited Donald Mackay's ( well known Harris Tweed weaver) shed in Luskentyre but we ran out of time. If you do visit the area, I think it would be good to look him up.

Other things to do in Harris include checking out more beaches, 'black houses' and hill walking. We did some of this in Lewis rather than Harris and I'll provide a more detailed account of it in my upcoming post.

The peace and quiet, soulful scenery, the community that lives simply with very grounded values, the people that soldier on despite the constantly wild weather...they all make Harris particularly good for the soul.

I am a huge advocate for the Western Isles and I can't wait to go back. I hope you plan a visit too. Ann x

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