Stay at home

[walk aboot]

Warning: Some of you are likely to find the deep-fried part of this report unpalatable.

Five or six days into the Festive break from work (lost track of days already) I thought I’d better get outdoors and see some hills. Hills other than the mountain of bath bombs in my flat that is – went a bit mad in the Lush sale and, based on an estimate of 3.5 baths per day , this one won’t be surmountable until June . I rang my mates and we arranged to meet up for a walk.

Walk Aboot's Bath Bombs A Plenty

Next day, en route to meet my friends in town, I popped into Frasers to collect a jacket I had ordered online. Getting older isn’t such a bad thing...walking past the tsk tsk tsk-ing designer perfume counter assistants in my scruffy walking boots and woolly hat didn’t bother me in the least .

Walk Aboot at the Shops

Four of us were intending to walk Dumgoyne hill but by the time we arrived at the car park just across from Glengoyne Distillery, the hill was shrouded in a thick mist. I don’t mind if there isn’t going to be a summit view on a walk, but I’m also happy to go with the flow. The others decided to walk part of the West Highland Way instead.

Dumgoyne hill post-mist

Although Britain had been thawing out nicely over the previous few days, the West Highland Way path was still like an ice rink. We were the only ones on it as far as we could see, and we only got as far as Killearn, a couple of miles up the road. The others stopped there to eat their left-over turkey sandwiches whilst I popped in to a cafe to buy a day-old scone...I fed half of it to the birds and sank them . One of my mates checked out the timetable at a nearby bus stop (he was finding the icy path difficult) but he was on his own if he was thinking about getting the bus back tsk tsk tsk.

West Highland Way Path

Walk Highland Way Path 2

Killearn

We took an alternative route back to Dumgoyne from Killearn, but the path was just as icy on that.

Alternative route back to Dumgoyne

We stopped again at the Beech Tree Inn at Dumgoyne for post-walk teas and coffees. At first I was horrified to find a deep fried Mars Bar on the West Highland Way-farers menu, but then, in keeping with my new year, new adventures motto, I decided to try it and see what all the fuss was about. I’m still traumatised ...can’t believe I actually tried a Scottish delicacy imposter and at tourist prices!!!

Beech Tree Inn Menu

Deep Fried Mars Bar :-/

A short but enjoyable walk and end to 2010.

[dooterbang]

Well done for getting out and about walk aboot.

That mars bar looks dangerous brave lady

I've yet to try the deep fried mars bar but i must confess that when back in Glasgow from my New Year double Munro walk i did find myself in a local chippy ordering a deep fried cheese and onion pizza, oh the shame

[walk aboot]

I did find myself in a local chippy ordering a deep fried cheese and onion pizza, oh the shame

Did you get it deep fried in batter, dooterbang? I've got a mate who swears by them, calls them pizza crunch .

[Paul Webster]

Reminds me of student days, stopping off at a chippy in Crieff. Really just wanted to eat something not battered, so ordered a cheeseburger, and was horrified when a slice of cheese was plonked onto a burger and then the two chucked into the frier

Mind you walkaboot, most chippies serving battered chocolate bars didn't charge any extra on top of the price of the bar, so that place was definitely over the top Do you find the brown smears on the plate made it any more appetising?

[walk aboot]

I don't have much of a sweet tooth (the four of us tried it between us) but no, the chocolate sauce didn't add anything and the orange sorbet made it taste like a Terry's chocolate orange.

[kinley]

Do you find the brown smears on the plate made it any more appetising?

I take it that was brown sauce?

[walk aboot]

No they cheated, used a sweet batter instead of chippie batter.

A pickled onion would have helped it though .

[dooterbang]

I did find myself in a local chippy ordering a deep fried cheese and onion pizza, oh the shame

Did you get it deep fried in batter, dooterbang? I've got a mate who swears by them, calls them pizza crunch .

I've heard of these pizza crunches but yet to sample them. Next time i do a 10hr+ walk then i will source one and give it a bash, at least i'll feel justified for consuming uber mega calories

Just for the record, i divulge in deep fried pizza 3-4 times a year. . . .
love the danger of an instant heart attack

You have strange friends walk aboot

[foggieclimber]

Didn't realise that deep fried Mars bars had spread beyond Stonehaven.
An enjoyable read, thanks.

[walk aboot]

Thanks foggieclimber

@ dooterbang.

[magicdin]

Ach - just when I was beginning to feel a bit better

[yorkie bagger]

Hilarious report! Not sure about all the deep fried fare though - nor the price!

[malky_c]

to the deep fried Mars Bar
Funnily enough I've never seen them in Scotland (haven't looked very hard), but used to be a staple in the local chippy where I grew up (on Anglesey). Used to have one for lunch occasionally when I was in school

[chrisoff]

I could've sworn I replied to this thread earlier

It's a shame the deep fried mars bar has unfairly tarnished Scotland and Stonehaven's culinary reputation. I used to have a mars bar supper often at lunchtimes from school in Stoney as we went to the chipper where they were invented most days (rumour was it was a particularly idiotic pupil in my year that went in and asked for one to start the joke off in the first place). You probably wouldn't want one every day but I reckon served with ice cream it would make a decent dessert, not sure chips are best thing to go with it really. Other cultures don't have a problem with mixing sweet and savoury, perhaps it's a marketing thing and it might fare better if it was called tempura chocolate, nougat and caramel slice.

[walk aboot]

Wow, how did you do that, chrisoff...make a deep fried Mars Bar sound posh?!!

Top tip: My mate's son worked in a chippy after school and he says you can deep fry Maltesers too BUT you have to mix a lighter/wetter batter to make it stick .