30/8/2012

I woke up this morning to a bright, sunny day, surprisingly. I say surprisingly because Scotland is not known for its good weather. But today was definitely breaking the boundaries! Sunny weather, whether it’s warm or cold outside, always improves my mood. After I checked out of the West Park B & B, I started hunting for a café where I could have a good fry-up. The Tartan Coffee House on the Perth Road was a great place to calm my rumbling tummy.

The receptionist in West Park told me that there were quite a few cafes on the way into town, so instead of taking the bus, I decided to walk, as it was such nice weather. Within ten minutes I came across the Tartan Coffee House. It looked like a cozy little place from the outside and what got my attention was a sign in their window to say that they served full breakfasts. Perfect!

I walked in and sat down at a table near the front of the café. The place was bright and cheery and it felt homely. Just as you go in the door, is a display cabinet with home made cakes, buns and patisseries. They all looked mouthwateringly good! They have a good range of meals including a breakfast and lunch menu and a choice of hot filled rolls, paninis, bagels, salads, soups and warming hot potatoes for those cold winter days. I had the full breakfast and it was delicious.

It cost me £6.70 which was very reasonable. They also have a little ‘snug’ at the back of the café with soft couches and armchairs to sit back and relax in. A good place to read a book while enjoying a creamy hot chocolate. I really liked this café and would recommend anyone to try the food here. It’s open from 8.15am to 4pm Monday to Friday, on Saturday from 9am to 4pm and on lazy Sundays, it opens it’s doors at 10am and shuts at 4pm. They also try to use as many Scottish products and suppliers wherever possible. www.tartan-coffeehouse.com

After I’d had my fill at the Tartan Coffee House, I headed out to Broughty Ferry. As it was such a nice day, it was a great opportunity to see this part of Dundee in bright sunshine. It took about twenty minutes to get out there by bus. I got talking to the woman who was sitting beside me on the bus and told her that I was here for a job interview. She told me that her grandson studied law for eight years and couldn’t find work. He’s doing something completely different jobwise now but likes the job, luckily. But he would try to get back to law as soon as he could. It just goes to show the state of the employment situation nowadays. It’s very hard to get work in the field that you’re looking for.

I got off the bus at the Post Office in Broughty Ferry. I had a walk down the main street and then carried on down towards the shore. It was a very picturesque scene with the sun shining, Broughty Ferry Castle Museum overlooking the River Tay and the sound of seagulls crying as a woman fed the swans, ducks and birds down by the water. It was quiet and I like it that way. Broughty Ferry Castle Museum sits on a rocky promontory and was built in 1496. It’s a listed building and has displays on the life and times of Broughty Ferry, its people, the environment and the wildlife that lives close by.  Broughty Ferry itself was once a fishing village and port and developed as a resort town in the 19^th century when jute industrialists from Dundee built their villas there. Apparently it’s possible to see bottlenose dolphins near Broughty Ferry, especially in the summer evenings after 5pm.

I had to get back to Dundee to catch the train to Edinburgh at 1.30pm so couldn’t delay too long in Broughty Ferry but it was a good distraction for me and nice to see one of the suburbs of Dundee. I enjoyed my whole experience in Dundee and would have no hesitation in going back there.