In December 2020 a new cafe opened up in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh. There are a lot of coffee shops in this part of town, so I was curious to find out if Modern Standard offered something different. It turns out that the coffee is roasted in Fife, Glenrothes to be precise. The Bruntsfield shop is their first cafe- the coffee tastes great and it is very competitively priced compared to the local competitors. When I first visited Modern Standard in Bruntsfield for some takeaway cappuccinos and the barista told me that the coffee was roasted in Fife I was excited to try out a Scottish product that I had not yet heard about. I bought some of their ground coffee to try at home. The Momentum Espresso is the one they use to make the coffee in the cafe. It is a blended coffee with beans from Brazil and Columbia. I thought it was superb and full of flavour, chocolaty and nutty. Perfect for the morning brew as it was smooth and had the required caffeine hit to get you moving. I adored the smell and liked to leave the used grinds in the cafetiere for most of the day as it made my kitchen smell just like one of Bruntsfield's artisan coffee shops.
I also tried two of the single origin coffees, both from Guatemala. The Finca San Antonio was great tasting, with more citrus acidity than the Momemtum Espresso. I was happy to have this for my morning coffee and the occasional afternoon treat. The La Bolsa was incredible in every way. It had a distinct fruity taste- the tasting notes described it as 'hibiscus, red fruits, marmalade. Full body and a nuts mix finish'. The fruit also came out in the aroma and it brought a whole new pleasure to drinking coffee.
I will certainly look forward to trying more of their coffees. The website has coffees from Brazil, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nicaragua. You can buy single bags or take out a subscription for regular supplies. The website is packed with useful information about the coffees, so you can learn more about where your drink comes from. There is a QR code on the back of the bags that links to brewing guides on the website. The founder of Modern Standard is Glenrothes-born Lynsey Harley. She has an extensive background in the coffee business and decided to locate the roasting operation in her hometown. She regularly travels out to the coffee farms to visit the suppliers and source new coffees. You will notice that the front of the bag features the 1% for the planet logo- this means that 1% of profits go to environmental and social projects. It's another great Scottish food and drink product. The next time you are in Fife or Edinburgh, or online, give this coffee a try.
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 Your Piece Baking Company produce a range of handmade oatcakes and shortbread. They are based in Fife and their mission is to bring handmade oatcakes to the world. I tried their oatcakes with seeds and here is what I thought of them. Oatcakes are as Scottish as the Highlands and Edinburgh Castle. They have been around since Roman times, possibly even longer. It is one of those traditional foods that you must try when exploring Scotland. They are widely available, including in supermarkets, but the taste can vary enormously. Your Piece Baking Company promises an oatcake far superior to the many bland, factory produced oatcakes out there. The fact that the company has received over 40 Great Taste Awards is proof that these cakes are something special. The back of the box explains why these oatcakes are so good. They are made to a traditional Fife recipe and they are handmade- a series of photos shows the process involved. There are no artificial additions to the recipe and the oats come from Fife farms.  The rear of the box also features a map to show you the location of Fife. I love that Scotland has many regional food and drink producers. Food and drink is just as much a part of visiting Scotland as the scenery and castles, so make sure you try something from the region that you are visiting. What does it taste like? For me the main point is whether or not you can eat them on their own without a topping. Many generic oatcakes are far too dry and boring to eat on their own and need to be smothered in something. Well, these Fife oatcakes are indeed delicious on their own. They are thick, but not too thick and have a satisfying crunch. The seeds bring an added, nutty, interest as you bite into it, not to mention the extra health benefits.  Oatcakes with seeds from Your Piece Baking Company In fact, these are so good just as they are that I ate the entire packet without reaching for a slab of cheese or a honey pot. They were excellent as snacks throughout the day- whenever I needed an energy boost they kept me away from something unhealthy like crisps or chocolate.
Your Piece Baking sells several different kinds of oatcakes, including plain ones, those made with porridge oats. a wheat-free variety and oatcakes for canapes. They also do delicious shortbread- the one with ginger is my favourite. The products can be purchased from the Your Piece Baking website and can be found in numerous retailers. I bought mine from Cranachan & Crowdie on Edinburgh's Royal Mile. Yes, they are more expensive than oatcakes from the supermarket, but they are undeniably more delicious. You also get to support a regional food producer. Give them a try and let me know what you think.  Scotstarvit Tower Whilst visiting Hill of Tarvit Mansion you should also have a look at Scotstarvit Tower, located just across the road. It is free to enter and there are four floors of rooms to discover. My previous blog describes how to reach Hill of Tarvit Mansion using bicycle and train. Scotstarvit tower is across the road from the entrance to the mansion. Bicycle has an immediate advantage over car when accessing the tower. The farm track to the tower has no vehicle access or parking, but you can cycle right along that road and leave your bike outside the tower whilst exploring the inside. It is not a long walk, so if you are here with a car, you can park it at Hill of Tarvit Mansion and proceed on foot.  Looking down the farm track that leads to Scotstarvit Tower A sign indicated that a key can be obtained from the private house next to the tower, but the door was already open during my visit.  Entrance to Scotstarvit Tower The tower dates from the 1500s. The most notable resident of the tower was John Scott a laird, judge, politician and writer. His most famous book was The Staggering State of Scottish Statesmen. A spiral staircase, with tiny little windows, connects all of the floors.  Spiral staircase in Scotstarvit Tower The rooms are empty and there is not much to see, apart from the fireplaces and window niches with their stone seats. It was fun to go up and down the stairs and have a good look around the place.
Unfortunately, the roof was locked, so it was not possible to get the fantastic views, but I did take this photo across a field from one of the windows.  View from Scotstarvit Tower John Scott must have felt very safe in his tower. As I made my way through the rooms and up the stairs I could see how incredibly thick the stone is. It would be almost impossible for a would-be attacker to break into.  Scotstarvit Tower How to get there
There is a map and directions on my blog about Hill of Tarvit Mansion. Scotstarvit Tower is across the road from the entrance driveway to Hill of Tarvit Mansion 
Experience the life of a wealthy jute mill owner at this Edwardian-era home. Play billiards. Admire Rococco plaster work. Discover beautiful antiques. Explore the gardens. A combined train trip and short cycle make it possible to visit this on a day trip from Edinburgh, or take a short detour from National Cycle Route 1.
Getting there From Cupar station it is only a 2.5 mile cycle to the house (map at bottom of this page). Having a bicycle makes it convenient and easy to reach the house using public transport. Edinburgh to Cupar by rail takes just under 1 hour. Cupar is 20 minutes from Dundee. How to make your tearoom stand out from the competition? Put a Model T Ford van on the roof. You will pass the Fisher and Donaldson bakery on the way to the house. 
Fisher and Donaldson Tearoom, Cupar, Fife
The A916 curves up towards the house. A word of warning- this is a tough hill that will give your legs a workout, but the reward is the superb views of rolling countryside. On the way back the freewheel to the bottom of the hill will pump you full of adrenaline.
The A916 to Hill of Tarvit Mansion
House of Fun
The motto of Hill of Tarvit Mansion is "a grand day out" and you will see this on the sign at the start of the driveway leading to the house. There is an emphasis on having fun and trying out some of the games that were a major part of the Edwardian household. I love the fact that you can try out the billiard table. I cannot think of any other stately homes that let you touch the billiard table, ever mind play on it. 
The driveway to Hill of Tarvit Mansion
In the parlour you can play card games, tiddly winks and snakes and ladders. There is a hickory golf course on the lawn and you can rent clubs and collect a score card.
Rules and score card for golf at Hill of Tarvit Mansion
The score card is on the back of the visitor map. This looks really enticing with the quality drawings and use of colour to highlight the green lawns, rose garden and woods. It made me excited about exploring the site.
Visitor map of the grounds at Hill of Tarvit Mansion
The Sharp family made their money in the Dundee jute industry. This versatile material was used to make items like ropes, sailcloth, aprons, carpets and tents. At one time there were around 60 jute mills in Dundee, employing more than 50,000 people.
The family wealth is evident throughout the house. I was particularly impressed by the plaster wreath around the cupola on the first floor. It portrays corn in the cob, sunflowers, grapes, marrow and pineapple with incredible precision. 
Hill of Tarvit Mansion
Stairs to Hill of Tarvit Mansion
The bathroom in this house is enormous. There is a serious looking shower with taps marked "spray", "plunge" and "ascending spray". This is the type of gear I would expect to find in a a modern luxury hotel, but the Sharps had it in the 1920s.
Above the toilet there is a strange ornament of toads fighting with swords, with one stabbing the other. You are not permitted to take photographs in the house, but I was able to take a photo of the visitor toilets. It was nice to discover that there is an original Edwardian WC with porcelain bowl, wooden seat and high level cistern. 
Edwardian toilet at Hill of Tarvit Mansion
Nothing but the best
In the dining room there was a very enthusiastic guide who pointed out the silver galleon table decoration. "Look at the detail, even has men on it." There is a sailor climbing the rigging, one in the crow's nest and one at the wheel. There is a dragon on the prow of the ship and the decking even has the wood grain showing. The room also had a silver rabbit, pheasant and squirrel. "Their heads come off and there are glasses inside for drinking liqueurs, " the guided told me. "Isn't that marvelous?" With so much silver in the house it must have been a job keeping it clean. The sink in the kitchen has three taps, one of which deposited rain water, "ideal for cleaning silver," the guide told me. She was keen to draw my attention to the door from the dining room to the kitchen, "just look at the quality. Mahogany. Nothing but the best." 
Hill of Tarvit Mansion and gardens
Sir Hugh Sharp was a collector of first editions and his library included a rare Alice in Wonderland of which only 22 copies were produced. This was because Lewis Carrol did not like the illustrations and pulled the print run.
Sir Hugh loved climbing and in his bedroom here are black and white photographs of him scaling the Alps in the 1920s. He pioneered skiing in the Scottish Highlands. He received many medals for his courage in World War One and in the bedroom there is an interesting portable gramophone from that time. It was nicknamed 'The Trench' and designed for front line service. It is thought that over 100,000 of these gramophones were sent to the trenches to help raise the morale of the troops. Despite the obvious wealth in the house I felt that it was cosy and not intimidating. It is not a huge house and on a much smaller scale than many of Scotland's stately homes. Time for tea There is an elegant tea room with chequerboard tiles, wooden tables and an extensive selection of home baking displayed on a sideboard. You can also get soup and sandwiches. It is a nice spot to relax with a coffee and they also have seating outside for when the sun is out. 
Tearoom of Hill of Tarvit Mansion
A walk in the gardens
The gardens are small, but full of colourful and sweet smelling flowers.
Rose garden at Hill of Tarvit Mansion
There is an Edwardian laundry house in the grounds. Inside there is an incredible collection of items, including sinks, mangles and washboards. An information panel describes the life of a laundry maid which involved starting work at 5:00 am and only getting half a day off per week.
Edwardian laundry room in the grounds of Hill of Tarvit Mansion
Washboards and sinks in the Edwardian laundry room of Hill of Tarvit Mansion
The most fascinating part of the laundry room is the drying racks that are pulled in and out on rails. Laundry could be hung on these and then the racks pushed back in where the items would dry from the heat of the boiler. The quality and craftsmanship of these racks is impressive, with chunky brass handles and wood panelling with iron surround. It gives a very visible indication of the industrial scale of keeping a wealthy household crisp and clean.
Drying racks in the Edwardian laundry of House of Tarvit Mansion
Up on the hill
The hilltop walk is the highlight of the grounds of Hill of Tarvit Mansion. At the top of the garden there is an iron gate topped with a flourishing decoration that features two little birds. You pass through this gate to start the hilltop walk 
Gates in the garden of Hill of Tarvit Mansion
A close up of the gate decoration, with two little birds, at Hill of Tarvit Mansion
You walk through a small wood, a peaceful spot of gently rustling branches and shafts of sunlight on the grass. One of the trees had a swing attached to a branch and I could not resist having a go on it.
Woods in the grounds of Hill of Tarvit Mansion
Swing in the grounds of Hill of Tarvit Mansion
At the top of the hill sheep graze and the view is incredible. There are parcels of farmland interspersed with trees as far as the eye can see. It must have been a joy living in this house and being able to admire the surrounding landscape from this vantage whenever you wanted.
The view from the top of the hill in the grounds of Hill of Tarvit Mansion
There is a 19th century doocot in the grounds, which is in the form of a mini castle. The pigeons kept here would have provided the estate with eggs and meat.
Doocot in the grounds of Hill of Tarvit Mansion
Whilst you are at Hill of Tarvit Mansion you should also visit Scotstarvit Tower. It is located across the road from the main entrance to the Mansion. My next blog has information about this.
Hill of Tarvit Mansion makes for a great day out and is really easy to reach using train and bicycle. At 2.5 miles it is not much of a bike ride, but you will get exercise exploring the grounds on foot, particularly if you do the hilltop walk. If you are cycling on National Cycle Route 1 the house is only a one mile diversion from the route. Cycle to the Secret Bunker. From Cupar you can cycle to a secret nuclear war bunker, a fascinating visitor attraction. Read my feature about cycling to Scotland's Secret Bunker |
