Road trip review - dining out and other observations

Final word on our staycation road trip.

If you read my previous post you will know that we went to the Isle of Arran where we enjoyed a combination of high winds, light rain and the occasional sunny interval.

What I didn't mention is that we drove there via York with overnight stays in Harrogate and Glasgow (two nights).

On our return from Arran we had another stopover in Glasgow followed by two nights in Hexham (Northumberland) plus a quick visit to Whitley Bay on the way home.

Along the way we ate and drank in a variety of pubs, bars, cafes, brasseries, restaurants and hotels and I can report that no two establishments were the same when it came to interpreting and implementing the post lockdown guidelines.

Masks were worn universally by members of staff but the style changed from one establishment to the next.

The most common was a simple black cotton mask that covered the nose and mouth. At one hotel, however, staff in the dining room wore small transparent plastic masks that had a disconcerting Hannibal Lecter feel about them.

Another hotel asked residents to wear face masks in corridors and other communal areas (apart from the bar and restaurant) but in practice hardly anyone did.

Sanitation stations were everywhere but the design varied according to location. Some were wall-mounted, others were self-standing. Some worked automatically, others were activated mechanically with a button or foot pump.

Track and trace seemed to be working well. I can’t remember not being asked to give our contact details.

There did however seem to be some confusion about the guidelines because several establishments appeared to go further than was strictly necessary.

For example, one hotel had removed not only smaller items like the tumblers that are normally provided if you want a glass of water in the middle of the night, but also bits of furniture like the bedside tables.

(I know this because we are regular visitors to that particular hotel.)

Another hotel had not only disinfected the TV remote control but had placed it in a sealed plastic bag.

All the hotels we stayed in had a policy of not ‘refreshing’ guest bedrooms (ie making the beds etc) while we were staying there.

Understandably, all their efforts were on sanitising rooms after people had checked out. Perhaps, too, the policy is designed to avoid third parties entering rooms that guests are staying in.

One restaurant had a machine that took our temperature and only then were we allowed in.

In two other restaurants staff brought plates and cutlery to the table on a tray and customers had to take them from the tray and place them on the table.

In other restaurants staff set the table in advance.

Social distancing was accomplished either by removing tables from the restaurant, cafe or bar, or by making every other table a no-go zone.

A tea room in Arran created a one-way system by asking patrons to leave via the back door, next to the toilets, thereby avoiding anyone entering through the front door.

With the exception of the smallest tea rooms and cafes, everywhere we went plastic screens had been erected on or around reception desks and point of sale areas.

In one or two restaurants large screens had also been erected between tables creating ‘cubicles’ that actually gave a welcome sense of privacy.

Menus were often limited but like everything else that was a minor inconvenience.

One practice I quite liked was the one adopted by a bar/restaurant in Harrogate.

When we arrived we were led to a numbered table and asked to download an app to our phone. The app allowed us to order food and drinks from an online menu and the process worked without a hitch.

There was no discernible delay in being served (although we should have ordered drinks as soon as we arrived) and it made a welcome change from trying to catch the eye of a member of staff.

Payment was made when we ordered so we could also leave without having to wait an interminable time to pay our bill.

I don't think the system would work at a more up market restaurant where personal service is part of the deal, but I can see similar apps becoming the norm at many mid-range bars and brasseries.

As it happens, this particular establishment also had a smoking area at the front of the building, with heaters, tables and comfortable seating.

Adjacent to it was a non-smoking area and the two were separated by what appeared to be a glass ‘wall’.

On our way out I made a point of commenting on the smoking area in the hope that my positive feedback would be passed on to the proprietor.

Our hotel in Glasgow – which only opened last year – also had a dedicated space for smokers. Situated directly off the main lounge (or library), it too had comfortable seating and heaters.

I may write to the managers because I think it's important that licensees - whether they be hoteliers, publicans or restaurateurs - are thanked when they have clearly gone to some effort to provide comfortable smoking areas.

If local authorities don’t intervene the future of smoking areas will ultimately be decided by customer demand but direct feedback can’t do any harm.

Overall, staff everywhere were hugely welcoming. I sensed immense relief that they were working again.

That said, lots of businesses have yet to re-open and I suspect that many never will. Those plastic screens, however, may be with us for ever ...

PS. By coincidence, today’s Daily Mail has a travel feature about Arran, ‘Scotland in miniature: Things to do in the Isle of Arran’.

I can’t believe it’s based on a recent visit because I can assure the author that neither the ‘award-winning distillery at Lochranza’ nor the tea room at Brodick Castle are currently open.

Also closed to visitors while we were there was the Holy Isle, which is owned by Buddhist monks and is a short boat trip across Lamlash Bay.

I’m not sure whether it was the weather, the tide or Covid-19 that ruled out any crossings but I would have liked to visit the island because I am intrigued by the five ‘Golden Rules’ that ‘all who visit or stay here’ have to abide by.

Readers of this blog may be particularly interested in Golden Rule #4.

• To respect life and refrain from killing
• To respect other people's property and refrain from stealing
• To speak the truth and refrain from lying
• To encourage health and refrain from intoxicants (including alcohol, cigarettes/vapes and drugs)
• To respect others and refrain from sexual activity that causes harm

‘Visitors who do not follow these rules may be asked to leave the island.’

Another time, perhaps.

Below: Brodick Bay, Arran