“Glasgow could be described as a very Tokyo for tea rooms. Nowhere can one have so much for so little, and nowhere are such places more popular or frequented.”

– J.H. Muir, Glasgow in 1901

Taking Tea in Scotland

by Bruce Richardson, author

The Great Tea Rooms of Britain

Scots have had an unquenchable thirst for tea for two centuries. Maybe it’s the defense they need to stave off the cold North Sea wind that can chill the body to the core in coastal cities such as Aberdeen and Dundee. On a cloudy gray afternoon in Edinburgh, a hot cup of tea is just the fortification you need to lift your spirits before heading out to explore the castle or survey the glorious Georgian architecture along the streets of New Town.

Our modern thirst for tea is due, in no small way, to the efforts of two nineteenth century Scottish entrepreneurs. Edinburgh botanist Robert Fortune helped the British East India Company introduce tea plants to Darjeeling in 1848 and created the tea industries of India and Ceylon, ending China's monopoly on tea. Forty years later, Glasgow grocer Thomas J. Lipton bought several coffee plantations in Ceylon and converted them to tea gardens that supplied “brisk” Orange Pekoe tea to the working classes through his 500 stores located all over the United Kingdom.

Taking Tea with Mackintosh

The advent of the tea room came about in 1875 when Glasgow tea retailer Stuart Cranston hit upon a simple idea for encouraging customers to sample his teas. He provided tables and seating for 16 people at his Queen Street store and advertised a cup of China tea “with milk and sugar for two pence–bread and cakes extra.” He had invented a popular new place of public refreshment.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh, artist Stuart’s sister Kate quickly spotted the potential for growth and set about opening her own tea room empire that included both tasteful tea salons for women, and billiard and smoking rooms for men. In 1897, she opened the first of five tea rooms designed by a young artist and /architect Rennie Mackintosh. Kate was known for her outdated Victorian dress and flamboyant hats, but her art nouveau tea rooms were considered to be the latest fashion for Glasgow society.

No one was more suited to set the pace for a new century than the forward thinking Mackintosh. He had recently completed the new Glasgow School of Art. In the same manner of America’s Frank Lloy coverings and floors. No detail was too small; he even designed the typeset and art found on td Wright, Mackintosh designed not only the building, but also the windows, lights, furniture, wallhe menus of Miss Cranston’s tea room.

In 1903, Mackintosh began work on the Kate Cranston’s Willow Tea Rooms. Of all the interiors created by Mackintosh, the grand Room de Luxe, with its silver furniture and leaded glass windows, was the jewel in the crown of their twenty- year partnership. Taking tea there was so exclusive that customers willingly paid a penny more for their cup of tea.

The world is fortunate to have one Mackintosh tea room still carrying out its intended function. In December 1983, Anne Mulhern recreated the Room de Luxe in the original location and the Willow Tea Rooms were reborn. Eager guests from around the world queue for as much as an hour to experience the restored tea rooms and the spirit of its internationally famous architect.

The Willow Tea Rooms sit above a jeweler’s shop on Glasgow’s bustling shopping street of Sauchiehall (Gaelic for “alley of the willows.). The willows theme is featured throughout the building. The simple bowed facade, art nouveau windows and ironwork signage immediately signal that this is the scheme of an out-of-the-ordinary designer.

Entrance to the tea rooms is gained through the jeweler’s shop, past irresistible Mackintosh-inspired jewelry and up a flight of stairs to the restored mezzanine Gallery. One more flight of steps leads to the Room de Luxe and its coveted 12 tables. The distinctive tall back chairs create a “room within a room” for protecting the privacy of diners’ conversations. The furnishings are all Mackintosh reproductions.

The Willow Tea Room, Glasgow Scotland

The barreled ceiling and bright windows make the cozy room appear much larger than it is. Today’s guests are often dressed more casually than they would have been during Kate Cranston’s reign. Still, the room’s timeless appeal cannot be stymied by today’s changing fashions. This is a beloved temple for any arts and crafts pilgrim.

The Willow offers meals served throughout the day, highlighted by a tea menu comprised of a selection of sandwiches (including smoked salmon, cucumber or roast beef); scones with butter; jam, and clotted cream; and pastries from the dessert trolley. As well, a complete list of 26 black, green, flavored and herbal teas is offered. Eyes and appetites are both satisfied here!

All this Mackintosh mania may inspire you to learn more about the popular artist. Start at the Glasgow School of Art, located a short walk away on Renfrew Street. Considered to be one of the most influential and significant structures of the twentieth century, here you will see an exhibition space and book store filled with Mackintosh memorabilia. The staff will be happy to steer you to other prominent buildings located throughout the Glasgow area.

If you are a Braveheart fan, be sure to budget a half-day to explore Stirling Castle and the nearby William Wallace Memorial. Don’t miss the castle’s recently restored kitchens. The town of Sterling is an easy day trip from either Glasgow or Edinburgh. For lunch, visit The Tea Room tucked away on Millhall Road. This family run business offers home baking and light meals, coupled with stunning views of Stirling Castle.

Royal Edinburgh

Edinburgh often becomes a favorite haunt for frequent travelers to Scotland. It is better preserved and more pristine than its rival Glasgow. It is two cities within one. The Old Town is known for its Royal Mile, a medieval thoroughfare just over a mile long that starts at Edinburgh Castle and runs to the Palace of Holyrood House. In New Town, you’ll discover Robert Louis Stevenson’s home, elegant avenues and a premier botanical garden that thrives in this moist moderate climate.

If it is a formal afternoon tea you fancy, make a reservation at The Caledonian Hotel where you may enjoy your silver tray of scones and delicate tea sandwiches in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. It’s a grand old hotel with lovely public areas and an accommodating staff.

For a stronger brew, the Scotch Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile is an interactive museum that offers an easy introduction to one of Scotland’s best-known exports. Be warned! It finishes with a tasting room and gift shop that can be tempting to the most devout teetotaler in your party!

Kind Kyttock’s Kitchen

The discovery of an unforgettable town tucked away in the Scottish countryside is sometimes the serendipitous result of becoming lost. Or it could be the result of courageously leaving the highway to search the town that rests under the church spire you spy in the distance. The latter is the case as you wind your way east toward St. Andrews and happen upon the wee village of Falkland.

Here stands the magnificent Palace of Falkland, hunting lodge and retreat of the Stuart kings and queens. This medieval palace fell into ruin with the death of Mary, Queen of Scots and was eventually restored by James V in the renaissance style. The first tennis court in Britain, built here in 1535, is still used today; however, the tennis played by the Stuarts was quite different from that played today 400 miles south at Wimbledon. You probably will not be in the mood for tennis because it’s a proper tea room you seek.

Kind Kyttock's Kitchen, Falkland Scotland A short stroll up High Street, past antique shops and 17th century buildings adorned with fascinating marriage lintels, brings you to the “town cross,” complete with a Church of Scotland and ancient village fountain. The street to the left, Cross Wynd, leads to a delicious discovery, Kind Kyttock’s Kitchen.

Most visitors are intrigued by the name on the handsome red sign beside the doorway. Why Kind Kyttock’s?

Owner Bert Dalrymple will tell you that Miss Kyttock was the local heroine of a poem by William Dunbar, an early Scots poet. One of her virtues was serving good food and liquid refreshments to weary travelers. Bert and his wife, Liz, moved here from Glasgow in 1970 to continue that tradition of hospitality in their tea room.

The aroma of freshly baked bread greets you as you pass the kitchen door on the way to one of two dining rooms. Local sketches, prints of famous artwork, and china plates – all for sale – line the white-washed walls. A collection of Wemyss teapots fills the pine cupboards. The soft tick of an antique wall clock adds to this relaxed atmosphere where community folk and tourists from around the world, gather daily for refreshment and pleasant conversation. In the winter, a crackling fire welcomes you out of the chilling North Sea breeze.

The Dalrymple’s homemade fare is traditionally Scottish. No one makes shortbread like the Scots. In this region the pie-shaped wedges are called “Petticoat Tails,” because they resemble the shape of the petticoat hoops worn in the nineteenth century. Other sweet treats include pancakes (dropped scones) with apricot preserves, Isle of Rhum gingerbread, traditional Cloutie Dumpling, Rob Roy Sweet, and cream-filled Braw wee meringues. A variety of hearty sandwiches are available on homemade bread. Don’t look for dainty crustless tea sandwiches here. This is a working man’s tea room!

Following an afternoon in this pleasant setting, refreshed travelers press on to the neighboring golf Mecca of St. Andrews where the countryside is a glorious shade of green and the coastline is rugged, rocky and wind-blown. They take with them stories of sweet shortbread and steaming hot tea blended with the storybook setting of a peaceful village. Falkland is a town most tourists will never see as they speed by on comfortable motor coaches. It is a setting most of us imagine when we first long to visit the Scotland. It’s unspoiled and populated with real people who still shop daily for their groceries, chat with friends on the street, or ease inside a cozy tea room for a warm pot of tea and a shortbread. Guests here are fortunate for the road less traveled has led, once again, to another hidden treasure and a timeless memory.

This article was first published in the September 2008 edition of TeaTime magazine. Copyrighted material.

No one knows the British tea room scene like veteran Americn writer Bruce Richardson. His annual adventures through the British countryside has been going on for twenty years. With the assistance of The British Tea Council and its Guild of Tea Shops, he has put together the newest edition of color photographs, narrative, touring tips, and recipes from 22 memorable tea rooms in England, Scotland and Wales.

Tea lovers who dream of visiting Britain, as well as seasoned travelers, will find this book a valuable guide in planning their next adventure through the British countryside. Hardcover. 2008 edition

Autographed!
Benjamin Press
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Other books by Bruce Richardson

The Great Tea Rooms of America

The New Tea Companion

Tea in the City: Paris

Order Bruce Richardson's full color guide to tea in London.