Addressing smart dress!

Have just returned from a lunicorn excursion at Loch Rannoch. The MacDonald Loch Rannoch Hotel is a beauty. Set amidst 250 acres of Perthshire trees and moors and lochs, it is pretty much in the middle of nowhere (well Kinloch Rannoch village IS a mile down the road) It's a walkers and outdoor pursuits folkies retreat. Why therefore did we choose to escape there, you may ask? Our room overlooked the fabulous Loch Rannoch itself, literally 100 yards from our window, the skies were the deepest black of an evening (well, when it wasn't snowing) , no traffic to be heard and signs warned of stray animals. So with this in mind, you get the picture that folks visiting this particular hotel would be dressed casually i.e. not packed with a dinner suit or such like. So last night having shyed away on Friday night from the lavish three course dinner at the hotel to opt for a toastie in the community run cafe in Kinloch Rannoch (and very nice it was too), we were attracted by the candle-light and luxury of the hotel restaurant. Especially because last night, they had two rather appealing vegetarian dishes on the menu. So excitedly, having just had a sumptuous swim, sauna and steam, with hair somewhat bedraggled and wet, and albeit with the intention of heading upstairs for a bath, change and hair-dry, we asked at the restaurant if they could accommodate us. Nope. No jeans allowed. We said we hadn't packed for formal wear, that we'd come away for a relaxing break, nope still, we weren't allowed into the restaurant, which begs the question, what exactly is 'smart dress'? Presumably for guys this means a tie, but for us ladies, particularly for one Lunicorn who last wore a dress as a bridesmaid for her best friend's wedding back in the early nineties, where do waiters or restaurant managers draw the line? And would a mini skirt revealing all be more acceptable than a smart pair of jeans and boots? Now, dem is da rules and rather than kick up a fuss, we chose to accept. And to be fair, they DID let us order one of the dishes in our room, but it was the ambience we wanted, and this particular rule was NOT flagged up on the website at time of booking. Nor was the fact that it was an entirely non-smoking hotel. Which, again, for one Lunicorn, expecting to have a relaxing break, found herself standing in blizzards for a fix. We know the rules in Scotland, but still hotel rooms are classed as personal space and so most accommodation offers the choice of a smoking or non-smoking room, or at least a partially covered area for the throaty lepers. Again no mention of this at time of booking. That said, we cannot fault the staff or service, but c'mon guys, we think you could have lightened up a bit over the dress code in the restaurant. We sat at breakfast today, in the same room as the dining room, and everyone had jeans and walking boots on, so really, what's the difference?
Oooooh, we feel a letter to MacDonald Hotels coming on....
Peeved, from Glasgow.
Luni Luni
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How do you dhudi?

Indeed it was that we found ourselves at the fruit and veg dept. of our local supermarket, and as we listlessly toyed with the courgettes, we found ourselves face to face with a 'Dhudi'. Allegedly like a courgette, but looking more like a size zero marrow, we decided to give it a go. Tonight, we cooked the aforementioned Dhudi, sauteed with garlic and proceed to eat. Yuk! A bit bitter. Wondering if it's like an aubergine, and there's a salt preparation issue. Any Dhudi eaters out there, reveal yourselves now.
Talking of aubergines, we also procured some baby ones, as they looked less offensive than the big size, and we're thinking of conjuring up a wee pate or a dip. We think our Magic Bullet smoothie maker may have a purpose within this process. But again, any veggies out there who have suggestions, we'd very much appreciate it.
We had a trip to Stirling Castle on Friday to see the now famous unicorn tapestries. Two have already been done, and the others are underway. We visited the Tapestry Studio, where real live weavers weave. We watched, and one Lunicorn terrified that her mobile phone could ring had to exit when she saw the sign 'please do not speak to the weavers'. All the same, we found it a bit sad, because the story the tapestries tell is that of the Hunt of the Unicorn, and it involves deception, greed and of course, a slaying. We dined in the Unicorn Cafe and deposited some of our leaflets at the till. All in all, an invigorating experience, especially as we'd parked the Lunicornmobile in the town centre. Top Tip: There IS a car park at the castle itself.
Yesterday we visited Portencross to look at the sea and clamber over rocks and then West Kilbride to investigate its title of 'Craft Town of Scotland'. Then we visited pals one Lunicorn hadn't seen for over 13 years. How bizarre to meet a young lady who last seen was the tender age of seven and is now the fully formed age of 24!
Glad to see readers are now interacting and leaving comments, so we're awaiting those recipes.
Anyhoo, enough already.
Till next blog
Love and Tights
The Lunicorns

No comment

Ok, so we know at least two people out there do actually read our blogs....so please, so we don't look like 'luni no mates' can someone try leaving a comment. It's been months since our last comment, and frankly, we're feeling a little bit unloved. Even the unicorns, we know you don't speak, but it's 'neigh good' because we know you could use your horn to tap a wee message to us....
Seriously, it's easy to do. You can even do it anonymously. The whole thing about blogging is 'interactivity' and we'd like to hear what you think.
So there.
Rant over.
Back to love and light.
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