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13 Απρίλιος 2024
I read the reviews online as well as the website history. I was intrigued so booked the Inn for nearly a week. At first I was irritated: the late check-in (5pm); the lack of place to sit while waiting to check in (i.e., no proper lobby but rather a small dining room in which to sit), and the fact that I would have to find other places to dine on Monday and Tuesday given that the kitchen is closed on those nights. Normally not a big deal but the fact that I did not have a car, and that the buses stopped early evening did make it a big deal for me. Other things that annoyed: nearly slipping in the shower (uhh, shower mats or anti-slip *****s?); bathroom amenities in tiny plastic containers rather than in large refillable containers?; no shelf in shower? And yada yada. That said, the place grew on me. Gartmore, as I learned, is a village of creatives. Musicians, artists, theatre people choose to live here. There is so much history on the walls of the Inn that it is a museum onto itself. Come evenings, the bar fills with its community owners, and if you are around long enough, you will come to recognize them in the painting on the wall of the bar that was inspired by the Robert Burn's poem, Tam O'Shanter. It was painted by known Scottish artist Craig Campbell, who used to be a resident of Gartmore. The Inn is cosy and quirky. It's not a B&B, and it is not a hotel. It is something in between. It provides a cooked breakfast, which was served up to me by one of its shareholders who I discovered offered foraging hikes in the spring and late summer. (Attention mushroom hunters!) And I ate several evening meals here which would contend with any upscale city dining venue. A welcome relief from standard pub fare. The community shareholders and staff were engaging, and tried to accommodate in every way possible.If you are looking for something different, a taste of Scotland, and appreciate creative and humorous energy, then the Black Bull Inn will be for you!
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