Fairy Cakes. Pink Iced Fairy Cakes. I don’t know about you, but just envisioning Pink Fairy Cakes causes my stomach to rumble and my travel trunks to twirl. Add pink themed tea sandwiches (that would be smoked Scottish salmon &/or baked ham), pink roses, pink accoutrements and pink champagne and it is enough for me to embrace my now voracious appetite and investigate The Pink Afternoon Tea at One Devonshire Gardens!
How about a visit to what was once one of the notably grimiest cities in the world? Sound good? Well, not really, but take heart! This once wealthy city marred by a history of strangling suppression, slums and depression, has shucked its’ old reputation. Voted ‘European City of Culture’ in 1990, ‘UK City of Architecture and Design 1999’ and ‘European Capital of Sport 2003’, Glasgow is cleaned up and pulsing with new visionaries and new wealth.
Glasgow. Just saying it makes me smile -- think, kilts and fairy cakes, lochs and moors! A city privy to some of the most beautiful and interesting Victorian architecture of the early Twentieth Century when it was the hub of Sugar and Tobacco traders; the distribution port for Cotton, Coal and Steel exporters; and home to world famous Ship and Train builders (the RMS Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and the QE2, just to name a few built along the River Clyde), Glasgow, is now equally home to some of the most imaginative mixes of old and new architecture. It is exciting to see the two standing side-by-side each so deservedly regal. There was money in Glasgow. Big money. And prior to the decline of industry and the devastation of World Wars I and II, it was a city filled with life and International travelers; people on the go.
Today, the thriving artistic community of music, fashion, art and architecture, join together making it, once again, one of the most interesting and dynamic cosmopolitan life centers in Europe. And within this vibrant city of Scotland, set along a tree-lined street surrounded by old Victorian mansions and the botanical gardens in the West End, is where, on the first Sunday of each month (or by request), we find our Pink Iced Fairy Cakes at The Pink Afternoon Tea. Served in the glow of a roaring fire in the Victorian Drawing Rooms, One Devonshire Gardens, the UK’s top five star luxury boutique hotel, gladly supports Breast Cancer Care, the UK’s leading charity for breast cancer.
Climb the marble stairs and ring to enter. Then step through the doors of one of the most beautiful (and charitable) boutique hotels today. One Devonshire Gardens, is comprised of five former wealthy merchant’s homes. Bequeathed a relaxing grandeur along with intricately detailed stained glass windows, original crown moldings, fireplaces and antiques, all from the late nineteenth century, this unique hotel is special. A true testament to the beauty of mixing old and new. Luxuriously appointed, but not ostentatious. Beautifully maintained, but not cold and stiff. Filled with charm and warmth (the friendly and helpful staff likewise exude) you are drawn further into the embrace of the old buildings. No need to stand gawking, but sit right down in the overstuffed chairs and couches in front of the fire to enjoy the esoteric perfection. Surely, the Scottish and French paintings will catch your fancy.
Adding to the character of One Devonshire Gardens is the distinctive flair of each of the 35 bedrooms. Some of the rooms are beautifully decorated in neutrals, others are bold in color and design. Some are elegantly appointed with four poster beds and chaises, others with twins and armoires. All have Bose sound systems. All have perfect bath products. And all have that sense of luxury that melts away stress and encourages us to unwind after a long day of discovering the works of Charles Rennie MacKintosh, the Burrell Collection, the world’s first Museum of Religion, the McLellan Galleries, and/or the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, dining in No. 5 and pub hopping on Byres Rd.
So, dream of Pink Iced Fairy Cakes and make a reservation at One Devonshire Gardens, the perfect place to enjoy pure luxury, a marvelous city and to do something good for others while devouring everything offered at the gorgeous Pink Afternoon Tea—including tea!
Tips:
1) Glasgow is home to the best designer shopping in the U.K. outside of London
2) Food at the finer restaurants in Glasgow is some of the best cuisine you will find anywhere! Do not miss the Scottish salmon or the Angus beef.
3) Haggis is an acquired taste.
4) Gaelic is a struggle.
5) Scotland is home to Scotch Whiskey.
6) The beauty of the highlands is only a daytrip away. And lastly,
7) One Devonshire Gardens is the perfect place to have your next board meeting.
www.onedevonshiregardens.com, One Devonshire Gardens, Glasgow, Scotland
G12 OUX t: +44.141.339.2001 f: +44.141.337.1663