On a bleak day in early September, on our way to Loch Lomond, we stopped for lunch in the town of Golspie. Golspie is a very grey, industrial town that was made gloomier by the rainy weather. It felt desolate. We didn't encounter a single person on the main shopping street and easily found parking.

We probably would never have stopped in Golspie, had we not noticed a sign just outside of the town border, advertising Poppy's Tea Room. It was lunch time and we were starving, so we decided to pull off and give Poppy's a go.

Here is a picture that I took as we walked to Poppy's. There was some effort to make the town cheery with flower planters, but the buildings were mostly a dirty dishwater color.

When we came to Poppy's it was like the moment in The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy lands in Oz and everything is in color. Golspie is in desperate need of more infusions of color!

Poppy's interior is cute and cozy. The dining room is filled with giant farm tables covered in checkered tablecloths and twinkling fairy lights. The signage is all hand-written. Poppy's very much comes across as a labor of love.

Besides being adorable, Poppy's was probably the cheapest meal that we ate on our entire trip.

Even more mind boggling is this....

I still can't wrap my mind around the price. In Los Angeles, afternoon tea would easily be thirty a person, on a low-end. In London, we had what would be considered an inexpensive afternoon tea (served on a cake stand) for forty pounds. I realize that Poppy's is located in the middle of nowhere, but the price is still amazing.

This was probably the first time in my life that I didn't feel like having a full afternoon tea. I know, it's kind of like saying that I didn't want chocolate. Who turns down afternoon tea? Especially at these rock-bottom prices?

Me.

We started with a pot of tea to share. The tea cosy and mini bottles of milk were naturally part of the experience at Poppy's. They just couldn't avoid adding a cute touch to every element of the meal.

I ordered a half BLT, which was delicious and made with English style bacon. I also had a heart shaped cup of cream of potato and leek soup. Dan ate a ham, mozerella and pineapple panini.

Poppy's Tea Room has a fantastic bakery selection. We could have happily eaten everything in the cases, but we limited ourselves to sharing two items. We had a chocolate brownie with raisins and tropical fruit dessert bar. Amazing!

If you ever find yourself in Golspie, Scotland, make sure to stop in at Poppy's Tea Room for a delightful experience.