Showing posts with label dundee. Show all posts

Showing posts with label dundee. Show all posts

Vegan Menu at Las Iguanas

Vegan Menu at Las Iguanas

Las Iguanas glasgow bahia moqueca

My vegan Bahia Moqueca

Back in 2013, I paid my first ever visit to Las Iguanas in Aberdeen. For some reason I believed this to be an independent restaurant. I'm not really sure why as it was big and also in the middle of a shopping centre. Buuutttt, I had a beautiful meal and sat by myself and gobbled down three courses myself (it was that good - I usually only order one meal when I dine alone).

This however was back when I was vegetarian. Since then I have went vegan and Las Iguanas became one of the increasing number of UK chains to develop a vegan (and gluten free) menu. This weekend all the bloggers were through in Glasgow for the #ScotBlogMeet, and afterwards I popped out for dinner with Hayley and Mimmie and decided it would be the perfect excuse to try the updated menu at Las Iguanas.

We popped in to the West Nile Street branch and was greeted with exactly the same decor as Aberdeen (does anyone else love when chains are consistent?). Upon asking for a table they immediately asked if we needed the vegan or gluten free menu (which always makes me feel less awkward) and were shown to our table.

red strawberry las iguanas

Strawberry Red cocktail

Firstly, we obviously had to get our cocktails in (from the extensive menu may I add!). I can't remember what Hayley or Mimmie chose but the drink I chose was one of the best cocktails I've ever had - the Strawberry Red.

Second up we had the choice of picking out the food. Everything on the vegetarian and vegan menu is vegetarian and has the vegan dishes marked out (and has a separate symbol to indicate if something be easily adapted to vegan). I was drawn to the Mango and Pecan Salad, but as I began seeing the food come out the kitchen to the other tables I got hungrier at the site of it and went for the slightly chunkier Bahia Moqueca (pictured first).

las iguanas chilli con varne

Mimmie's vegetarian Chilli Con Verduras

The Bahia Moqueca is a South American coconut curry consisting of squash, palm hearts, spinach, peppers, garlic& fresh tomatoes, with spring onion and garlic rice. It was on the mild side but was still delicious (but large - I really hate leaving leftovers!). Go try it!

Mimmie (who is also a vegetarian) went for the Chili Corn Veduras, which I was assured was lovely. Whilst I also managed to try a bit of the totopos Hayley ordered as her side which I should pit on my list to order next time.

Have you ever tried the vegan menu at Las Iguanas?

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Smoothies at Heart Space Wholefoods, Dundee

Smoothies at Heart Space Wholefoods, Dundee

heart space dundee smotthie

A fortnight ago, I brought you the news about the best box of noodles I had ever had (they're in Dr Noodles, Dundee). For this Wednesday's food post I'm heading back in the Dundee direction to review....a smoothie.

(Someone take me to an actual restaurant).

This smoothie is actually from Heart Space Whole Foods, a health store which opened up in Dundee a year ago. I did ooh and ahh about reviewing the shop at the time but decided against it because there's only so much you can say about a small health food shop (but I did add it to my map!). I did review the long-standing Health Food Store two years ago but I was truthfully going through a blogging dry-spell where the ideas were just not coming to me.

But back to Heart Space. It's located on Exchange Street, which is the small street off the bottom of Commercial Street and is lined with independent shops and cafés (it's worth a wonder). Heart Space originally started off as yoga classes (which still exist!) before the owners decided to branch out into retail. And they've created a lovely wee store. If you've ever been in a health food store, you'll know they have a habit of being a bit...lack-lustre. Heart Space brought in the branding experts, the visual merchandisers, the friendly well-trained staff, which just gives it a more polished and welcoming image. Product wise, it doesn't contain anything that you're average health shop doesn't stock...there's vegan options, gluten-free options and support for local independent companies. But it's prettier.

And they've put in a smoothie bar! Unfortunately, as much as I want to love this smoothie like I love the rest of the shop, it was too thick and resembled chocolate mouse more than anything else (and my apologies, I cannot remember what was in in - I recall almond butter, avocado and cocoa powder). When I'd finished, it I felt like I'd eaten a small meal and had less room for my dinner (which was this stir-fry recipe!). I really really really wanted to like this smoothie and wish I had positive words but...I don't.

So Heart Space: good health store for buying some vegan cheese, not so good for smoothie purchasing.

Have you ever been to Heart Space in Dundee? Does your local health store have any little extras?

P.S. The two health food stores are so close to each other in Dundee, if you don't find what you want one, you can nip along to the other.

P.S.S If you live in Dundee other businesses I've reviewed and recommend include Maggie's Farm and Jushi the sushi bar.

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Dr Noodles, Dundee

Dr Noodles, Dundee

dr noodles vegan dundee

You know sometimes you really want to blog about something, but are a concerned it might be a bit boring? I'm having that feeling right now. Because today kids I'm away to review a box of noodles. Yeah. But these are mighty fine noodles. So if you like noodles (and boxes) then you can keep reading.

A bit of background here: Dr Noodles in Dundee is a place I frequented back when I was a student. I mean it serves nooldes in a box for under a fiver so obviously students eat there. But on my trip back last weekend I decided to pop in for old times sake. And was happy to see that it was exactly the same as when I left.

Dr Noodles is the kind of place where you 'build your own'. You choose your size of box, your sauce and what kind of meat (or tofu) you want in noodles. On Saturday I went for tofu mixed with soy sauce but my favourite back in the day was coconut. The first time I ever went in I ordered the spicy coconut but underestimated how spicy it was going to be and I couldn't finish the box! On Saturday I was with my spice loving pal who ordered the chilli sauce - I had one bite of it and ended up fanning my face and downing my Sprite. If you can't handle really spicy foods then you might want to stay clear but if you're allllll about testing your spice tolerance then Dr Noodles is a place to pop by.

Dr Noodles have franchises in Dundee, St Andrews and Aberdeen. On the website they confirm that the noodles are wheat noodles. However they don't mention tofu on the website but I can assure you there was tofu at the Dundee branch. You can read the menu here anyway. I'm also sorry about my questionable photography, but boxed noodles are quite a so-so thing to get a good photo of....

So that was the story of how I managed to write four paragraphs about a box of noodles. But noodles from Dr Noodles come highly recommended. If you like noodles I'd go. If you want a quick foodie fix in Dundee for under a fiver, I'd go. If you're a student, I'd go. If you like to burn your tongue on spicy stuff, I'd go. Dr Nooldes appeals to many a target market.

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Build your own pizza at Project Pie, Dundee

Build your own pizza at Project Pie, Dundee

project pie1

It's not that often that Dundee gets the title of having the first of a chain store in Europe, but the creator of Project Pie studied at Abertay and decided it would be a fitting setting (I agree). When I was through for Dee-Con I stopped by for my own pizza before my bus back to Glasgow on the Sunday.

It does surprise some people, but pizza base is - by and large - a vegan product. However it usually comes dripping in mozzarella and pizza is something that I have missed oh so dearly since going vegan. Project Pie is however a pizza place where you build your own pizza....so basically I missed out the cheese and meat and headed straight for the vegetables.

project pie 2

And Project Pie do have a large vegetable selection to choose from. If my memory serves me well I believe I picked a sweetcorn, artichoke, tomatoes and mushroom medley with 'just a little' of the chillies (still ended up burning my mouth up resulting in me giving my final slice to my pal). They also have unlimited drink refills which helped when my mouth started firing up!

There was an angry comment left on the Facebook page by a vegan who, when they turned up at Project Pie with their own vegan cheese weren't allowed to add it on. The page admin left an e-mail asking them to contact them regarding the reasons for this, to which I hijacked and e-mail them too. The reason was to do with food quality and knowing where their food comes from but they let me know that they were looking into getting a vegan cheese added to the selection at some point. So yay! Whilst a lot of their competitors do allow vegans to bring their own cheese it's good to know Project Pie are considering bringing in a vegan option available anyway (and to the rude customers, I'm a vegan but also a former waitress - ask ahead if it's okay to use your own cheese!).

Project Pie are also another restaurant who are big into social media and you can even snap chat from a booth in the store. And they encourage folk like me to come in and take photos of food!

If one opens near you or you live in Dundee, give it a wee visit. It's a lovely place.

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Vegan Sushi at Jushi, Dundee

Vegan Sushi at Jushi, Dundee

Jushi vegan sushi dundee

When a lot of people think of sushi they automatically think of seafood; when in fact the only essentially ingredient to sushi is the sushi rice. So when people find out I'm a big sushi fan they act shocked or they assume it's because vegetarians eat fish (they don't, that's a pescatarian). I've also met meat eaters who turn their nose up at sushi because they don't like seafood.

Saying that however, sushi restaurants - and even Japanese restaurants on the whole - can be hit or miss on their vegetarian and vegan offerings. For most of the time I lived in Dundee there was a campaign to bring a sushi restaurant to Dundee and some time after my departure this wish came true. Upon learning that Jushi had two sushi rolls marked out as vegan and a few more that were vegetarian I added it to my list of must eat places on my visits back, and last weekend I gave it a try after Dee-Con which was being held in the nearby Dundee University Union (you can see a bit of my cosplay in the background).

Jushi is a small place in the Westport area of Dundee and is a sushi meets juice bar (Jushi, get it?). The day I went in the vegan sushi had been popular so the guy had to make up fresh but the tofu had been used up (which I shouldn't be really eating much of anyway given the soya intolerance) so he threw in an extra avocado roll for me. I've only ever eaten supermarket or Yo!Sushi so I can't claim to be a sushi connoisseur, however this was very good sushi. The little tub of soy sauce they gave me was one of the best I've tried and I wish I had the brand (it was salty, so if that's not your thing don't go there, but I have a salty tooth).

I also purchased myself a Mango Mix juice to wolf it down with. I love smoothies and juices but most juice bars use ice-cream or milk in their offerings. The Mango Mix was made with sorbet however the board did state that you can also have oat or almond milk as a replacement.

If you're a sushi fan I'd definitely recommend this place. And if you're one of those stubborn people who turn their nose up at sushi I'd also recommend this place as there is a good selection of sushi for you to get started with (a lot of which doesn't involve seafood).

Have you ever been to Jushi? Any vegan-friendly sushi bars you recommend anywhere else in Scotland?

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Lunch at Avery & Co., Dundee

Lunch at Avery & Co., Dundee

avery and co falafel

When I was most recently in Dundee it wasn't just the West Bar that I took my tastebuds on a wee trip to. Before my bus on the Sunday I stopped by another café in the Westport area which I had heard offered a good vegan selection called Avery & Co.

Because my backside needed to be back on the Glasgow bus in the next wee while this was a bit of a flying visit. So even though there were multiple choices on the menu I wanted to dig my vegan paws into I decided to pick the falafel (minus the tzatziki, which was no trouble for the kitchen) just for quickness. But I'd love to go back and sample the lentil pate, the veggie haggis or go later in the day and try out their dinner menu.

I was also there with my pal Alan who went for the steak burger and he said it was a very good burger!

Avery and Co dundee menu

Something else I really liked about this place was the atmosphere and decor. The owners clearly put a lot of effort into the whole café and not just the food. The place was grey but with flashes of yellow in the menu, the occasional chair and the napkins. They also have a very strong social media presence with an on-point Facebook page and Instagram feed. I might just think these are nice touches because I'm a marketer however it just gives that feel that a business is really passionate about when they do when they take things such as branding and social media seriously.

In case it wasn't obvious I rate Avery & Co. very highly and would more than recommend it. I'm planning to nip back myself as some point to nibble on some cauliflower pakora....

P.S. I've given my Scotland map an update to include all my recent reviews.

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Lunch at the West Bar, Dundee

Lunch at the West Bar, Dundee

west bar interiors

If you ever happen to be in Dundee and are looking for a café (or bar) a good part of town to look is the Westport. It's a street just to the west of the city centre and is near the Rep Theatre as well as the University of Dundee grounds. One of the places situated here to eat (and drink in the evenings) is the aptly named West Bar.

You may have previously known this place as something else, possibly the Snow Bar. It's now been given a rustic make over with typography prints included throughout. They also have had a reasonably sized day-time menu which has vegan options.

salad west bar dunee

I went for the roast vegetable salad, which comes with spiced apricot couscous, spiced nuts, fennel shavings, garlic flatbread & coriander yoghurt (the last of which I asked not to be included which was no problem). I know vegans are a bit used to a salad being the default option but this is a more interesting and not a run-of-the-mill salad. And if you really don't want a salad you could also have a roast vegetable and hummus panini, a mezze, a house salad...

Or arbriatta (with the parmesa removed).

arbiatta west bar

Nom!

If you live in Dundee have you ever been to the West Bar? If not does this look like the sort of place you'd go?

P.S. Similar places I've reviewed in Dundee include The Folk Café and The Pancake Place.

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Introducing my food, drink and indie shopping map of Scotland

aberdeen blog dundee edinburgh glasgow

Introducing my food, drink and indie shopping map of Scotland

A little blog trend I've spotted over the past year has been bloggers creating maps of their favourite places to eat, drink and shop (or anything else) in their chosen city. One of the questions I frequently get asked is where I like to eat in some of the places I know well, especially by other vegetarians/vegans. So I thought as a new 'feature' for 2015 I would created my own map where I visually round-up all my reviews (plus a few other cheeky mentions).

My own map includes food, shops and bars, but it is mainly a food map (as if you couldn't have predicted that?). And because I'm not really sure which Scottish city I would consider 'home' and have lived in three different places during this blog's existence I've not kept my recommendations contained to one city. Primarily it will be Dundee and Glasgow as this is where I split most of my time but I've thrown in the reviews I've done for places in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and even one or two rural places.

The map is now live on my new map page which includes some guidance on how to use it, and I've also added a little graphic to my sidebar which links to the page. This has taken me a long time to put together and I'd appreciate any feedback (especially pointing out spelling mistakes!) and any general thoughts on it. I'd also appreciate if you could forward this on to any people who know who live in these places. Or even let me know what places I should consider adding on next!

Morag x

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Folk Café in Dundee

Folk Café in Dundee

folk cafe wrap and tea

I know it seems like a cliché but every time I go to check out a new restaurant in Dundee I seem to be hungover. This time was no different. My insides still felt a bit sensitive so I fancied something a bit lighter, café style. I had heard good things about Folk Café (previously Parlour Café) including that it has a good veggie selection and whilst it doesn't mark out any food as vegan, the foodie grapevine had informed me that I would wouldn't be left hungry.

I had the falafel, hummus, salad, pickles and tahini dressing in flat bread. This was my first time having tahini dressing and it was by far my favourite part of the wrap. I found this recipe online if you're unsure as to what it is. There was no physical tea menu however the waitress rattled off a big list of available teas so I knew I was in my kind of place. I just wish I could remember what kind of tea I had...

folk cafe menu

folk cafe menu

The place itself was very cute, and had decor that was clearly thought through. Unfortunately the place is small and on a Saturday afternoon was very busy so I couldn't get a picture of the whole place without potentially annoying someone. Me and Alan got the last available table and we were so close to the next table we might have well been sitting with them. Maybe a Saturday afternoon wasn't the best time to go, maybe if I'm through during a weekday...

Folk Café also do event catering and from the looks of their Facebook page they have been doing well. So if you need some food for your event in Dundee I'd give them a look.

Morag x

P.S. If it's good enough for Paul Hollywood, it's good enough for you.

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Dundee: The Phoenix Pub

Dundee: The Phoenix Pub

Phoenix Dundee burgers

Whilst I lived in Dundee I probably sauntered past the Phoenix Pub on Perth Road several times but never took much notice as it honestly looks like an old man's pub from the outside. However, when in Dundee last week it's where my friend suggested going for lunch and assured me that it wouldn't be full of middle aged men watching football (and mentioned that it one of his favourite places for a chilli burger).

Phoenix Dundee interior

See? Has the decor of an old man's pub. But the people were a mix of ages with students and non-students there and my friend (who's a political geek) told me that he's seen local councillors having lunch there.

I was a bit of a hungover sod that morning (well, technically it was the afternoon) so I kept it simple with a veggie burger. There were plenty of other veggie options on the menu (generally the suggestion of a pub lunch makes me shuffle my feet and mutter something about being a vegetarian) but quite a lot of it was based around veggie chili and my wee hungover belly wasn't quite ready for that (though if I felt I could handle more food I would have added the garlic mushroom starter to my bill).

Phoenix Dundee chilli burger

Phoenix Dundee chilli burger

This, obviously, is not my veggie burger but is my friend's chili burger. He's a big chili fan and has been a regular here for over ten years and compliments the facts that they pretty much pour a whole bowl of chili on the burger haha. I remember eating these at a golf club I used to work at a few years ago when I still ate meat and they are the messiest thing ever to eat (this looked just as messy).

Phoenix dundee menu

Phoenix dundee menu

Pub lunches are never going to be where you go for a romantic soirée or your parent's diamond wedding anniversary (or it might be!) and they're rarely my first choice (they're only my first choice when I'm in a city I don't know and instead of Googling restaurants I find my nearest Weatherspoon's). But this wasn't an old man scene like I had anticipated and I could eat plenty of what the menu had to offer and, yeah, I'd recommend it.

Morag x

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Dundee: Madina Bar & Grill, Perth Road

Dundee: Madina Bar & Grill, Perth Road

When it comes to situations in Dundee when I need a restaurant fast and I need it now (and don't have time to faff about with somewhere new) - I head to Madina Bar & Grill. It's the sort of place that works well for meals with you mum, a date, brunch with your besto or, the most common reason I stopped by whilst a student, a stop off on a pub crawl...

Or for the reason I was in there two Sundays ago: to nurse a hangover...

Needless to say that all helped with that weird swishy stomach feeling the morning after.

I do prefer the evening menu (past Instagrams can be found here and here) but Madina is still a favourite haunt of mine even before dinner time rolls round. The evening menu also has options if you want to vegan it up.

And here's a sly picture of the interior:

Morag x

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The Pancake Place: for all my Dundonian hangover needs...

The Pancake Place: for all my Dundonian hangover needs...

This place is generally recognised as being somewhere for families and old grannies but, for me anyway, The Pancake Place brought me back to life from many a hangover during my time in Dundee. So when I woke up less for wear when I returned a fortnight ago with a Glaswegian friend in tow I knew which Dundee delicacy I needed to acquaint my friend with.

For the bulk of people, hangover cure central is usually somewhere like McDonald's (which is just across the road from here) or Subway but the whole no-meat thing makes that a little trickier for me. The Pancake Place has a good range of food including the veggie burger I had (pictured above), macaroni cheese which my friend had and a range of decadent pancakes (you can see my Instagram from last year).

As well as carrot cake cupcakes:

There are however a lot of kids going about so maybe not if your head is too sore. ;)

Morag x

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Dundee Delights: the health store

Dundee Delights: the health store

Its refrigeration section, for some reason I took a photo of this....

Glasgow may have been named the UK's most vegetarian-friendly city in the UK, but I personally scratch my head at that one. One shop in Dundee I always make an effort to swing in by whilst I'm through is The Health Store aka plant-base dieters personal Havana.

I actually never spotted this place until my final few months in the city, despite it's size and being located on one of the main streets. I mean, I think I registered something was there but it didn't look like much and when I did begin my veggie/vegan journey I kept complaining that I would have order food online (I also used to live on the same street...you can see how uninspiring it look from the outside).

But alas, I stepped in and it was God's gift to veggies. I found non-dairy milks which weren't soya, I found soya ice-cream, I found egg replacer, I found bars of vegan chocolate, I found ranges of fake meats which weren't the non-vegan Quorn brand.

Basically its's awesome. I haven't found anywhere in Glasgow as good (am I missing somewhere?) or in Aberdeen (when I am up it's the small health store off the side of Tesco Extra in Bridge of Don I frequent) and if you are ever in Dundee for some random odd reason (it's not really the sort of place people day trip to...hah) and you're into this kind of thing, then I'd completely recommend a visit.

Morag

Morag

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A love letter from the Dundonian piece of my heart

dundee Scotland

A love letter from the Dundonian piece of my heart

It is now a year since I said my final goodbye to living in Dundee. Roughly this time last year I handed back my keys to my flat near the football stadiums and headed back up to my old life in Aberdeen, just days after I shot ouzo on my leaving night and didn't even make it out (to the award winning student union).

It is also one month past that Dundee was shortlisted for the UK City of Culture Award 2017. Which many not familiar with the city found shocking with someone even calling it a "token Scottish dump". But for anyone who has lived there and experienced it hands on you'll know that this city has a lot more to offer than someone asking you for 50p at the bus station.

I love Glasgow and still consider myself an Aberdonian, and even though it would have been nice if my home city had been shortlisted after putting forward a bid, truthfully I do believe that Dundee deserves this award more.

And if you still need convincing, let me list the reasons. Dennis and Gnasher were born here and I've taken many a drunken photo next to the Desperate Dan statue. In two weeks I'll be heading through to attend one of my favourite yearly events where the computer games industry (one of Scotland's strongest industries, with Dundee as its centre point) shows off some of its upcoming talent (many of which studied at Abertay - rated one of the best universities in the world for computer games courses). My favourite nightclub ever is still situated down a Dundonian alleyway, which is now becoming a popular gig venue. I spent my very last St Patrick's day as a student at an Old English play (as you do) acted out by Dundee University students. I was a member of the Abertay Dance team who last year became winners at an Edinburgh dance competition. There is Dundee Contemporary Arts, which even did some blogger outreach, and also the Dundee Rep Theatre which, along with the National Theatre of Scotland (and a few other people), produced Other Dundee which I would have totally took part in if I had been still living there. And there's also The Rusty Hip Collective. Then there's the universities: Abertay which produces computer gaming talent and allows students to graduate in pink dresses and Dundee University who's rector played my favourite film villain before that Welsh guy (we're talking about Hannibal Lector).

Don't tell me Dundee doesn't have fucking culture.

To Dundee, City of Culture 2017 and somewhere that will always have a place in my heart. ♥

Morag

Morag

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Dundee Delights: Maggie's Farm

Dundee Delights: Maggie's Farm

A part of my appearance I get complimented on a lot is my love of a statement ring. Even my geeky male friends can't help but touch some of the weird creations on my digits. But if you were thinking I buy them online or had an extra stocked Primark near me you'd be wrong.

I actually buy them at the place above, a small boutique in the city centre of Dundee, called Maggie's Farm.

I can't remember in detail the first time I discovered Maggie's Farm but I can remember feeling 'where has this place been my entire fashion loving, quirky life'. The window shows off quirky clothes and interiors, and the shop inside is just as beautiful. Laurissa, the owner, has clearly put in so much time and attention to detail. I don't have any photos of the interiors but this blog post shows off the gob smacking vintage look (look out for picture of the g-orgeous Laurissa herself - she's just as beautiful in the flesh btw).

And for examples sake here are some pictures I snapped this morning of rings purchased at Maggie's Farm:

But I would like to point out that Maggie's Farm isn't just for the quirky ring enthusiast. Maggie's Farm sells dresses, necklaces, jackets, skirts, tops and also chairs! As much as I do love a dress I gravitate towards the rings every time as the high street just cannot provide me with a knuckle duster of the seven dwarfs. I did almost buy a satchel bag the last time I was in but I picked up that skeleton ring instead.

And one of the best freaking parts about Maggie's Farm that sets it aside from its competitors? For something so unique the price ain't too ridiculous. The rings I buy are usually £10 and the dresses I have tried on have been circa £25 whereas the chairs with the quirky designs tend to be £125. Along with the price tag the boutique has a relaxed atmosphere - I find a lot of boutiques a bit 'too posh' but Maggie's Farm is just lovely and doesn't make this former MySpace kid feel as though she should get out.

I could rave so much about this place but I'll just say it is well worth a visit if you're in Dundee. It's situated on Union Street near the train station and also near the big Overgate shopping centre. I give it a visit every time I'm back in Dundee and when I'm over next weekend for a pals birthday I will be having nosey at any new stock (rings or otherwise).

Morag

P.S. You can like the Facebook page here. And if you're a Fife dweller you should make your way to the Dunfermline store.

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What is each Scottish city like to live in?

aberdeen dundee edinburgh glasgow Scotland

What is each Scottish city like to live in?

Recently I have began reading tweets and comments on other blogs from some of the younger Scottish bloggers making serious decisions about university. Whilst the main factor about moving for university should be the course itself I think it's still important to factor into the city where you'll be studied as this will be home for the next four years so you're going to have to make sure you are happy (it's difficult to concentrate if you're unhappy).

I now graduated almost a year ago (eek!) and have lived in three Scottish cities (grew up in Aberdeen, studied in Dundee and now live in Glasgow) whilst still visiting my group of friends in Edinburgh regularly. Therefore I have a lot of knowledge on what it's like to live in these cities. Not visit and go for a night out; I mean pay rent, work the transport system, buying your groceries and if you'll need a part-time job to survive.

Aberdeen

Having grown up here does make it hard for me to view it from a moving-out-of-your-parents-becoming a financially-independent-adult perspective, but living almost 18 years there (and still having my family there) does give me a lot of knowledge. First off, Aberdeen is expensive and if you want to study here I'd seriously look at a part-time job (or asking your parents how much they can afford to give you). I've never personally rented in Aberdeen but most of the people I went to school with still live with their parents cause they cannot afford to move out. Transport wise, I live just north of the city and it costs me £5 for a bus into the centre and just over £2 for a train (which I still need to catch a bus to get to!). The roads are easy to drive in (not too many one-way streets) but they can get very congested because there is a river to cross in the north and the south. The transport system really does leave a lot to be desired (also, the airport barely flies anywhere).

Saying that Aberdeen has made great strides in recent years to become a 'happening' city. The Union Square shopping centre opened after I moved, the AECC now hosts big concerts and we now also have that golf course (and the windfarm). As far as 'bad areas' go they are there but they remain quite difficult to accidentally wonder into (but Aberdeen University is actually beside one of the worst!).

My final point doesn't bother me because I'm an Aberdonian but apparently our lingo causes some confusion. Swot up!

Dundee

And now moving onto my own university town. There's maybe not a lot I can say that I haven't said before but I'll reiterate the many points I have talked about. I don't regret my time in Dundee and I still visit often but I'll never live there again. It's small, which does make it easy to get around (you can walk from one side of the city centre to the other in under 10 minutes) but does mean there isn't a lot there. You're going to need some really good friends and good nose for finding the hidden gems (which do exist!). Also, the nickname 'Scumdee' - I may get slack for this but I can see why it exists. The 'neds' don't stay in the bad areas but are very obvious in the city centre, wolf-whistling is really bad here and no matter what people say about Glasgow and crime I feel much safer in Weegie land than Dundee.

However the smallness does mean it is cheap. I lived in a city centre flat with some other students and my cut was £320, whereas I also lived in a one bedroom flat just outside of the centre for £340. And the bus was no bad either (I can't remember the exact price). This does make it a good city for the poor student.

Whereas I am a big city girl I have friends who have remained in Dundee because they like the shops that a city brings but like that Dundee is so small you're never far from the countryside.

Glasgow

Glasgow is the happening city with something always going on. If a band goes on tour Glasgow will be the Scottish city they stop by and we get the flagship stores. Its urban and hip. However I know people who don't like Glasgow because of how busy it is, and yes, you better walk quickly on Buchanan Street.

Despite its bigness it's a really easy city to get about. Its train system is fabulous and I've never struggled to get to where I've needed to be via public transport. I've only rented this one flat so I cannot compare prices but I'll divulge that I live on the south of the river near the city centre and pay a £360 cut of the rent each month - which I have been told is really good for a flat in that area. But the council tax whacks it back up.

It's no secret that I love Glasgow but every city has its flaws and for me its the Rangers vs Celtic debate. I know strides have been made but having grown up in the most secular city in Scotland with one football team and studied in the city where the two teams have their stadiums only one street apart (closest in the UK!) I struggle not to roll my eyes. It's not rampant in the city centre but if I need to visit a supermarket as opposed to a metro I head into the east which is blatantly Celtic territory. I get out as quickly as it just makes me feel really uncomfortable.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is not a city I've ever lived in but it is a city I visit very often, and I get snippets of what it's like to live there from my Edinburgh based friends. First off, and you may know this, it is a beautiful city with a lot of charm, and is a bit posh! It has amazing nightlife and has loads of nooks and crannies - just like Glasgow there is always something to do however whilst it is not as big as Glasgow I find the city centre really expansive and quite disorientating. I've been visiting friends for years and still need them to be my guides. However rent is very expensive and one of my friends pays about the same rent as me for about half the size and another friend is 24 and can't afford to move out. But the buses are ony £1.50 max!!!!! I know the 50p increase caused an outcry amongst the natives but Edinburgh is a city I don't insist on walking all the way through.

I hope that if any of my Scottish (or even non Scottish ) readers found this useful especially if you're reading this from a soon-to-be-student or soon-to-graduate perspective. And if you have any questions (or would like some Aberdonian lessons) then just holla!

Morag

Morag

P.S. Sorry Inverness.

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Dundee Delights: Lily and Stone

Dundee Delights: Lily and Stone

Dundee Delights is a series I've been wanting to get on the go for a while now. Dundee is not the most glamours or metropolitain of places (though admittedly Scotland as an entirity doesn't have that image either) but inbetween the Cash-Converters and Tesco Metros lie a few golden gems.

The first one I'm going to talk about today is the cafe Lily & Stone just opposite the Overgate shopping centre.

My main course, dessert and my own bought wine!

I eat here just last night for a private meal for everyone in my university dance team. It's a small place so it was just one long table set up for the evening. The place has a very casual atmopshere and a book shelf with magazines in the corner. The meal was already set out with chilli for most and Tuscan Bean Stew for the veggies, like myself. For dessert it was a brownie which tasted like chocolate orange and was one of the best foods I have put in my mouth for a while, along with some cream. Before dinner there was bread on the table and throughout garlic bread was served. All this was £6 which was amazing value! They also allowed us to bring our own booze but had to be drinks that were already mixed which I imagine had a lot to do with licensing laws.

I did look across at the menu on the wall and it was very 'cafe'-esque food with paninis, baguettes and salads. I spotted some vegetarian options on the menu that were just as interesting as their meat companions. Admittedly not loads of options but at least enough that you would find something. Though on inspection on their site if you're vegan you're limited to not much above a side bowl of olives.

Lily & Stone is a quiet albeit small cafe in the middle of Dundee. It has a old fashioned charm about it with its decor whilst serving food of the Mediterranean style.

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Morag x

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Lush Dundee Re-Opening

Lush Dundee Re-Opening

In the past fortnight the Lush Dundee store got a bit of make-over, and Thursday they opened it up to the public. In between my two classes (you know, when I should have been printing off lecturer slides for my second class) I pondered down there (and by pondered I mean rushed) to see what had all changed.

I was greeted at the door by always-smiling lush staff with some fruit and free champagne, always a tactic that will encourage me to buy more products than usual. Admittedly I was cynical about how much you could change about a Lush store but the new design was lovely. The store has now gotten rid of the yellow/green logo and the front door now has the more elegant black and white LUSH logo. Each section of shop is now in clear areas, which it was before, but it's now clearly. I distinctly remember a member of staff (who was dressed as a banana) talking me through the 'mouth' section of the store, which was lovingly placed next to the champagne and fruit table.

Nothing was on offer this day with everything on full price, but because I had the galls to stand up to a former landlord I had some extra money come through a week earlier. I picked up a new block of caca rouge henna dye (Which I used Friday and oh my god my hair is bright!) as well as picking up some new skin care stuff. I've already loved the Cosmetic Warrior Facemask but just had to give the Cupcake one a try, purely because of the adorable name.

A little gift from the store that I knew was coming was a free canvas bag. Admittedly you needed to buy something to get this away with you. But I love it. I have to carry a lot about with me on a daily basis but for popping to the shops a canvas bag is just perfect! And it has a lemon on it. But anyone else could have picked a pineapple or a strawberry or an apple. Though it appeared there no cherries.

Also, today I have been digging through the archives of Beyond All Sorts a blog that belongs to a Lush Dundee employee. Being the usually creepy individual that I am, upon meeting Blair something told me that she was a blogger. Yes, we can sense each other. And by stalking the Lush Dundee Twitter feed I discovered she was. She hasn't updated since late last year but what's in her (small) archives is superb! So many pretty photos from her design course.

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