Harelaw trout fishery & CAFÉ
After a long wait due to the weather not being ideal, we finally got to visit Harelaw Dam for an outdoor breakfast at the Harelaw Trout Fishery & Café. This one has been on the wish list for some time so the visit was eagerly anticipated by everyone and it gave Raymond a break from the cooking.
I think we had our largest turnout so far with 15 of us attending and, while Raymond has done an excellent and well-appreciated job so far arranging and mostly cooking the breakfasts himself up till now, that level of catering is getting beyond the capabilities of a small kitchen, well at least not without a lot of cursing. Time to scale up...
Very Pleasant Surroundings
The reservoir was built in 1844, extending to 102 acres, and it feeds into the Levern Water, which is the same little river that runs through Neilston, joins the White Cart and eventually flows into the River Clyde at Clydebank. If the weather is good, then it's an excellent place to relax or have a meal or snack outdoors. Also, if you're into fishing, then it has a good reputation locally as an excellent trout fishery.
Harelaw Dam
The fishery and café is run by Ross and Sylwia, who are in turn run by dogs Alba and Lucy who are pretty much always around - It's a very dog-friendly place. If you're feeling fit, then you can walk out there from Neilston, we've done that a few times, but remember that you have to walk back again. That said, it has a wee car park and there are couple of others nearby on Harelaw Road here, here and here if that's full.
We spent a couple of hours up there sitting outside chatting and relaxing and we enjoyed a very tasty Scottish breakfast. There were quite a few boats out fishing and a couple of hopefuls casting from the bank and jetty but it was very bright so maybe not the best weather for fishing. The last time we were up there, Ross mentioned that they were doing evening fishing sessions and those were pretty popular during the better weather.
Waiting on Breakfast
The Neilston Men's Group is a group of local men who get together regularly to socialise and participate in activities. They're committed to making a positive contribution to the local community, and believe that visiting Harelaw Dam was a valuable way to learn about some of the outdoor amenities available to the local community while taking advantage of the good weather.
While we were there, we had a visit from Liz Highet from Mearns Kirk Helping Hands, a charity that offers a free befriending service in East Renfrewshire. She explained what the organization did, how they could help with loneliness or isolation and that they were always looking for more volunteers. It's pretty much what our wee group offers to Neilston men but they have a wider scope as regards area and gender but are more focussed on one-to-one sessions.
So, many thanks to our leader Raymond for organizing the outing and to Ross and Sylwia for the excellent breakfast. There are a few more photos of the day and more of Harelaw Dam here:
If you’re interested in visiting Harelaw Trout Fishery & Café, then here are some more details:
The fishery is located on the Moyne Moor in East Renfrewshire, near Neilston and is easily accessible by car.
It’s open for fishing most of the year and the café is open until 4pm.
There's a wide variety of moorland wildlife around the reservoir. An Osprey was spotted hunting on the water several times this year.
There are toilets, a picnic area (if you brought a pack-lunch), and a shop that also sells fishing equipment.
For more information, please visit their website: