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The Herald Scotland
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
The best pit stops for great grub and leg-stretching strolls
The Horn Milk Bar, near Errol, Perthshire It's not every day that you get to eat in a retro-style diner with a giant plastic cow on the roof, so seize the opportunity should you happen to be traversing the A90. Owned and run by the Farquharson family since 1960, the Horn Milk Bar lays claim to what is 'officially the best bacon roll in the world' (it won an online poll a few years back). This roadside restaurant has serious fashion credentials too: it appeared in a Vogue photo shoot. (Image: The Horn Milk Bar) If you're in the mood for a daunder, you're not too far from the Taybank Circuit, which starts and finishes in nearby Errol, around a five-minute drive away. This 4.25-mile (7km) loop leads down to the edge of the Tay, with tranquil views across the reed beds and tidal flats. The Pitstop at Kintail, Aultachruine, Glenshiel With gorgeous lochside views, The Pitstop at Kintail is well-worth swinging off the A87 to visit. This rustic cafe has both indoor seating and picnic tables outside. The mighty burgers are a mainstay of the menu, alongside hearty soups and mammoth scones. When it comes to a meander, you're spoiled for choice from the wildlife-packed trails around Loch Duich to exploring the magnificent Falls of Glomach – and not forgetting the classic Five Sisters of Kintail ridge walk with its trio of Munros. The Real Food Cafe and The Green Welly Stop, Tyndrum Forget choosing a Harry Potter Hogwarts house or swearing life-long loyalty to a football team, the true test of allegiance: what is your favourite A82 Tyndrum pit stop? Joking aside, both are absolute gems. The Real Food Cafe is renowned for its delicious dishes, with ample gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. The always-fresh fish and chips are an oft-cited, firm favourite, along with the myriad cakes and traybakes. It is also dog-friendly, making it perfect for pet owners. The Green Welly Stop is brilliant if you need to stock-up on provisions for your trip, whether it be any last-minute outdoor equipment or car snacks. For those looking for a substantial meal, there are yummy homemade pizzas, as well as savoury pastries, pastas, soups and ice cream. As for walks? You're on the famed West Highland Way and stand at one of the most exalted junctions in Scotland, with Glen Coe and Fort William to the north and Oban to the west. The Pitstop – Tartan Bus, near Inverurie, Aberdeenshire This eye-catching eatery, also known as the Tartan Bus – or still fondly referred to by regulars as 'Roy's Bus' after its original, now-retired owner – is a delight to pop into if you're heading along the A96 between Aberdeen and Inverness. (Image: The Pitstop) Best described as a bus-diner – reminiscent of the catering vehicles used on film and TV location shoots – you can pull up a pew at one of the cosy tables and tuck into breakfast, hot-filled rolls, toasties, burgers and chips. You're only a couple of miles from The Maiden Stone, a Pictish cross-slab dating from around 700 AD, which can be viewed with a short detour off the A96. According to legend, a young woman was turned to stone after losing a bet with the devil. The Glen Cafe, St Mary's Loch, Borders Located beside the A708 between Moffat and Selkirk, The Glen Cafe sits beside St Mary's Loch and the smaller Loch of the Lowes, occupying a superb perch on this picturesque section of road. Open seasonally from April to October, its menu is packed with tasty fare. We're talking sublime soups and mains such as steak pie, quiche, hot beef rolls and Scotch pie with beans and chips. Desserts include apple and blackberry crumble, served with ice cream or custard. The Ring of St Mary's Loch offers a scenic stroll, covering seven miles (11km), with the Shinglehook Sculptures, Dryhope Tower and Cockburn's Grave among the area's highlights. Susan Swarbrick is a columnist and freelance writer who loves history and the outdoors. Follow her on X @SusanSwarbrick and Bluesky @
Press and Journal
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
The Horn Milk Bar ready for bacon roll rush ahead of Scottish Cup final
The Horn Milk Bar on the A90 has ordered 'double' stock to prepare for 20,000 Aberdeen fans heading to the Scottish Cup Final this Saturday. Owner Kenny Farquharson, who is rooting for Aberdeen, says his team at the Errol diner, will be ready to fuel the hungry Dons as they make their way to Hampden Park in Glasgow. 'We know we are going to be mobbed on Saturday – there's no doubt about that,' says Kenny. 'We know fans will be looking for a hearty fill. 'We get our bacon in five kilo bags, and on Saturday we will probably going through double our usual. 'That's right across the board: from the rolls, to the bacon and black pudding as well. 'This will be a big deal on Saturday.' Over the years, the roadside restaurant, which achieved the 'world's best' bacon buttie accolade in 2012, has become a regular haunt for Aberdeen fans on the road. 'Fans travelling down are usually looking for something like the bacon butties that can be turned around very quickly,' adds Kenny. 'And because of the experience we have in the team, we're set up to do that so we can get people through very, very quickly.' Efficiency is key for Kenny, who likens his staff to a football team. He says there will be a team of 10 working at The Horn on Saturday. 'We've been doing this for a long time,' he explains. 'I am into football big time, and I do coaching as well. 'I approach my businesses the same way I do my football. 'And I run the whole operation like a football club. I'm the captain in the kitchen. 'They're training all week, as it were, then there's the big game on Saturday. 'If we have to change tactics in the team – in other words, rearrange their positions – then we will do that to make things more efficient.' Some businesses, says Kenny, ban buses packed with football fans. But he has never had a problem with overly rowdy fans. 'There might be a few inebriated gentlemen in the queue, but it's usually good-natured humour,' he says. 'On Saturday, I know for a fact there will be a mix of Celtic and Aberdeen supporters in there – and they have never given me a problem at all.' Kenny is rooting for Aberdeen. 'The better Aberdeen are playing, the more it helps me. I don't want to see them playing badly,' he adds. Kenny believes it's all down to their location. 'We're halfway between Aberdeen and Glasgow, halfway between Aberdeen and Edinburgh, halfway between Forfar and Kinross, and halfway between Perth and Dundee,' says Kenny. 'So we're the halfway house for all these places. 'If you're coming to Aberdeen, you're not going to stop after 15 minutes, you'll stop after an hour. 'Primarily, our target market is people coming from Aberdeen or the North because we're on that side of the road. 'Anything happening in Glasgow and Edinburgh has an impact on us.' There is a lot of pride for Kenny when it comes to The Horn's continued success 65 years on. Kenny's parents started the family business back in 1960. Now, he runs the popular pitstop with the help of his three children, Gabriella, Ollie and Holly, who have worked in the café from a young age. He says: 'I'm proud and honoured as a family business that have been around for so many years, that people still see us as the go-to place. 'I'm just glad we can still supply the fans and send them on their merry way. 'If we continue to get the custom, hopefully we are doing something right. 'But we don't rest on our laurels with that – we've got to maintain it.' And it isn't just football that brings customers to The Horn in their hordes, says Kenny. 'Whether it's Hampden Park for the Scottish Cup Final on Saturday or a concert at Murrayfield, we know we will be busy for these days. 'We look at the staffing and the numbers. At the start of the year, I put all these dates into the diary to keep an eye on it for the rota.' EXCLUSIVE: Aberdeen legend Charlie Nicholas explodes 1990 Scottish Cup final Celtic myth – 'I hadn't agreed' Joe O'Neil: The fractured skull forward whose hat-trick fired Aberdeen into 1954 Scottish Cup final – three weeks after he'd been read LAST RITES
