Glen Cafe in Scottish Borders

Fabulously friendly welcome for us and our dog. A great find in a beautiful setting. Good food and great cakes too. And our dog Monty insisted we went back next day - for some more cuddles and sausage!

Lovely fresh decor. Food & cakes lovely. Staff very friendly. Amazing view across St Mary’s Loch. Nice area for dogs with beds, towels & water bowls. Highly recommend

Top notch coffee, great and friendly service and the whole place is neat, tidy, well presented and in a lovely location.

On a family outing to the loch, we had lunch here for the first time and absolutely loved it. The first thing that strikes you is the very happy and friendly owner and staff, a family business and you can see it is run with a passion. It's very clean and the food was classic and delicious and catered for us well, not to mention very fairly priced. We often struggle with choices as vegetarians but there were lots of options. We were impressed also with the range of options for a sweet treat, they even had something for my husband who doesn't eat sugar. The plates were shaped like hearts which made us all smile and I think the attention to care and detail really made it shine for us. We will be back! Great service and food. We don't normally leave reviews but felt this place deserved it.

We were there today, we had a very warm welcome from the staff. The cakes were great and the hot food looked good. The place does not look at that from the outside but it’s a great cafe and the place is spotlessly clean 👍🏻

I have criticised this business before, however, it now has new management and what a change so much better, panninis, pie and chips, beautiful cakes back on track well done

Out with husband on the bike and stopped off here for a hot drink before they closed up for the night . Fantastic service and very polite will defo be back next time we pay a visit round the lochs.

I have visited this cafe for around 10 years as a enthusiastic biker and it has went down hill massively no food of any substance this cafe used to sell chips soup lovely homemade pies and a selection of cakes ie Eton mess,lemon drisel cake chocolate cake and now it is pulled out of a packet and they can't even be bothered to make a latte instant coffee

Super location for a coffee, snack or light lunch. First class service - very friendly. We will definitely return.

Absolutely disgusted with the manner in which the 2 guys from the glen café approached us with the attitude and ignorance of these people. Normally we go into the cafe pay for camping and have lunch . As there was rain on the way we opted to pitch the tents before lunch . With the intention of lunch after we had pitched up . BOOM the ignorant red haired lad from the cafe was sent out to inform us that camping and over night parking has now been banned . With some excuses of allowing the land to recover from fire pits or burning . Fire pits & scorched grass had nothing to do with our activity. We traveled there for some water sports & cycling Pay attention glen cafe You have lost the financial contribution from our intended stay for both food and paddle board hire for 2 days from 2 potential customers We traveled over 100 miles only to be hounded away without any viable explanation other than a load of rubbish about letting the land recover One thing is for sure we will not be back and we will spend our £ where we are appreciated

The historic and beautiful scenery of St Mary's Loch is let down by this controlling and jobsworth cafe owner We have come up this week as we have done for several years,one of my favourite places in the UK. Quiet evenings on the water in my kayak resting with my fire pit and travelling off in the latter hours of the night. We were approached by what appeared to be a lovely Scottish lady. I greeted her and she began dictating who can go where on the Loch. fishing members can pay as much as £70 for a fishing licence and permit per year. The fishermen we met were debating going to another location because she told them they can't have them there. ( They are members who pay to fish the waters) I said to him it's not the lady's jurisdiction. A ranger was contacted by the Ranger who was called Karen who was an absolute pleasure to engage with. She didn't tell us to do this and that she was supportive and gave us some good ideas for our stop at the loch for the day. The lady from the cafe came out hysterical to Ranger Karen and said "they cannot put those tents There" refering to the PAID MEMBERs fishing camp. What was once a pleasure felt like a chore watching her challenge every individual to ensure they weren't camping 😂 even though wild camping is legal in Scotland (she's trying to get a ban) because she thinks she owns the loch and the cafe. I'm half Scottish and I know for certain the person that owns it leases it out. I was interested a couple of years ago. Oh if I could go back I would have took it for the pure beauty of the loch. Be advised the cafe lead me to believe that she had some kind of safety training as" people weren't allowed on certain parts of the loch for safety" she has no qualifications in water safety. THERE IS NO LIFEGUARD. THE RANGER HAS JURISDICTION IN THE LOCAL AREA. THIS LADY IS NOT A LIFE GUARD. THERE ARE NO LIFEGUARDS HERE. WATER SAFETY WISE TODAY ONLY MY WIFES HERE WHO IS A SCUBA DIVING INSTRUCTOR AND LIFEGUARD. If you do use this cafe she will treat you like royalty. Fire pits ARE ALLOWED so please bring picnics etc but TAKE YOUR RUBBISH HOME AND NO FIRES ON GRASS PLEASE. DONT DESTROY THIS BEAUTIFUL SAFEHAVEN LIKE WE HAVE THE REST OF THE WORLD. PRESERVE THE NARURAL BEAUTY. ANY ISSUES WITH THIS PERSON CONTACT THE SHERIFF AND OR RANGER TO HAVE ANY HARRASMENT dealt with or safety advice. Our day was ruined but with the cool headed ranger it saved the day. It's a business stunt to either get tables and chairs by the loch or ensure people buy food from them and not bring their own. My wife was cooking on a firepit and she turned around to see the cafe lady with her hands on her hips giving filthy looks to her. We don't spend on food we cook our own it's our right!! It's not right and it's not fair. If the lease goes up again I won't miss the opportunity and turn it into something amazing, litter pick every weekend, appeal for camping by permit provided local laws and rules are followed should the estate allow it I for one would certainly pay £10 per night to camp at the loch and parking for a reasonable rate. Don't let this lady put you off but please respect the loch.

A small group from a Porsche owners club (TIPEC) arrived on Saturday morning (8th April) and Audrey and her team greeted us, made us so welcome and served a superb Full Cooked Breakfast! Great food, service and location, will certainly return, but be prepared, a much larger group will be coming! Thank you so much. Brian H.

What happened to this cafe ? Used to get a great selection of food from full breakfasts, lunches , soups milkshakes etc.. Visited with 3 children absolutely nothing on menu for them. Could not even get a drink for a toddler under 2 !! Or even a plate of chips for them. Don’t get me wrong staff are lovely and good choice of cakes and some toasties/panini. Thought when I visited a few months ago they were just getting re established after covid, but no same limited menu. They have also closed cafe toilets and the public toilets are disgusting. Overall extremely disappointed.

While a bunch of us (bikers) were out touring around the Borders we popped in here for our lunch (where else would you go?). The service was excellent, as usual, as were the rolls and cakes (why do bacon rolls always taste so much better here?). We just placed our orders then sat outside enjoying the scenery until our lunch was brought out to us. We will continue to frequent this excellent wee cafe as it is hard to beat especially when the weather is so good.

We rented 4 kayaks (3 singles and 1 tandem) from glen cafe. The owner Audrey was lovely and very accommodating. We had some breakfast rolls and fresh coffee, perfect way to start a morning of kayaking. Stay clear of their neighbour (Tibbie Sheils) we had a very unpleasant experience when we pulled into their beach by mistake and were verbally abused by the owners wife.

Really nice cafe, in a place of outstanding natural beauty. Nice food and coffee, also do paddle board and kayak hire.

Brilliant coffee & cakes with a warm welcome. A group of like minded friends were 60 miles into a 100 mile charity cycle. Without prompting we were given a generous contribution to our charity

Great for a meal or just coffee and cake , always greeted with the biggest of smiles , friendly and lovely and clean, always look forward to our visit and never disappointed. Food is lovely .

Providing backup up for husband who is (re-) doing the Southern Upland Way in instalments, Tibbie Shiels was this week's starting point but opted to come here first. We had a well-stuffed bacon roll and coffee/tea and then parted company. I returned later for coffee and cake - so many to choose from, but I was guided by one of the staff who told us that trying all of them is part of the staff training :) Some nice artwork on the walls (some for sale) and a few cards/ keyring etc available. I lingered with a book and enjoyed the view onto the loch - beautiful even in the squally showers. There were people kayaking and paddling - great to watch, When the rain moved away, I had a short walk along the far side of the loch - look for the sculptures along the water's edge. Just a lovely place to rediscover after my first visit in 1989. Clearly had a freshen up (paint/ furniture) but still has the charm of a traditional roadside cafe - fantastic!

Friendly welcome, good coffee, scone, and egg roll with a great view, what's not to like! Cycle friendly and we ended up buying a picture as well 😄

coffee & cake stop on a motorcycle trip. other meals and snacks available all freshly made. sat outside, beautiful views of the hills & loch. very motorcycle friendly, will definitely be back

Had a really fun time kayaking and paddle boarding on the Loch today, Audrey couldn’t have been more helpful and welcoming. Great instructions and guidance for us first timers! The Loch is stunning. Selkirk bannock and hot chocolate/ coffee afterwards was delicious! A really lovely...

Looks like the folks here are just getting going and have a small but lovely offering. Such a pleasure to visit, wishing them well.

My favourite roadside cafe I’ve been visiting the Glen café for probably more years than I care to admit to, I make at least four or five visits a year. It doesn’t aspire to “fine dining” but is absolutely none the worse for that! It...

If you could create the perfect simple, friendly roadside cafe for this remote location beside the beautiful St Mary's Loch then this would be it. This is not a place for high cuisine. What you do get is good, honest food along with a selection...

A basic looking cafe but great food (the small breakfast is still big!) Excellent vegetarian option. Cooked fresh. Although some guides put this cafe in Selkirk it’s a bit of a drive but pretty and the final location is breathtaking. Popular spot for a stop...

Just off the A708 at the junction for crossing St Mary’s loch lies the Glen Cafe. A simple roadside cafe that is very popular, greats cooked food for the hungry and lovely cakes and coffee for the not so hungry. Seating inside and out for...

Having completed the walk around St Mary’s loch, we dropped in for a cup of tea and a cake. There were a range of biscuits and cake. As we’d arrived just before closing time, we got tea to take away, helped ourselves to milk, then...

I have visited this cafe whenever I holiday in Scotland, as the location is just so lovely and relaxing. On occasions you are treated to a low fly by from the fighter jets on maneuvers, in the area, which is a highlight everytime!

Small cafe with great views over St Mary's loch and surrounding hills. Good choice of food and drinks with friendly staff.

Went for a swim in the lake then had chips tea and cake. Stunning location, very nice helpful staff, decent prices and they had three gluten free cakes, one of them vegan. Also they fry in vegetable oil rather than beef dripping which seems to...

Excellent breakfast. Friendly service. Beautifully clean. Came back later for really good cake. Going back for more today!

Stopped in one day for breakfast on the way to Selkirk. Nice people Beautiful spot to stop. Really good food. Cannot fault it.

The Glen Cafe has had a wee facelift and looks lovely We often stop here for a coffee and cake or ice cream when out for a drive The staff are lovely, friendly and helpful The addition of toilets on the premises is a huge...

I called in today for a cup of coffee and a bite to eat .The Staff were genuinely friendly and polite plus the place was very clean and tidy .The toilets were spotless too . Had a nice mug of coffee and a cake which...

This is is a very pleasant place to stop for a snack and a drink...cyclists, hikers and tourists all congregate here and rightly so.

We take any visitors to the Borders up the Yarrow valley to St Mary's Loch, park up at the Glen Cafe and enjoy the view and ambiance while enjoying a pot of tea and quality cafe fare. Great rolls and bread with quality content whatever your choice. Never dissappoints.

Very friendly wee cafe with marvellous cakes and tray bakes. Liking the makeover especially now they've got their own 'facilities' - no more ferreting for 30p, lols.

Great cafe reopened today 22april.very friendly staff very clean reasonable prices . Plenty of parking. Tasty food ice cream..great location for overnight stops in campervan. Ps ignore no overnight stops.

Don't be fooled by the fact it looks like a small, wooden hut. Go inside and sample the food. The All Day Breakfast is amazing. The setting is wonderful - overlooking the loch. Do check the opening times if you visit "out of season" as it doesn't open every day. I understand the present owners are retiring at the end of this season and hope the new owners keep the character of the place (and the all day breakfast on the menu obviously)!

While my wife and I found the cafe to be cleane with freshly cooked food and very pleasant staff the same can not be said for all of the surrounding attractions, there is lots of interesting information dotted around the area but to the right hand side of the cafe you are advised to go up a small hill to a sheepfold to get the history of the lochs, it was while reading this that my wife noticed that there was human excrement in a couple of places.

Stopped for a cake and a drink. The carrot cake was amazing, as was the lemon sponge. Nice view, characterful place that serves honest fair at great prices.

Leuk gezellig café / eettent met uitzicht op meer. Wij waren er op zondag dus vrij druk, veel motorrijders. Is gescheiden van het meer door de weg, maar op loopafstand (50 meter) Er staan banken met tafel aan het meer. Genieten van het uitzicht

Brilliant for a spot of people watching and taking in the scenery. Popular with motorcyclists so lots of fancy bikes to admire. Any way your approach the café is beautiful and Loch of the Lowes makes for a bracing swim.

Rustic road cafe with very nice views of the lochs and hills. Very popular with bikers and walkers alike. Plenty of parking out front and opposite right by the loch. Hot food or ice creams. Also the only stop for miles.

The location is simply stunning - STUNNING!!! On Loch of the Lowes and St Marys loch with glorious hills on the other side. If the sun is out - you will see the cars and Motorcycles outside of the Cafe. Be it a bite to eat, an ice cream or tea/coffee. It fits the bill. This is run by good Country Folk who care.

A great little roadside cafe with stunning views of Loch of the Lowes. It is a very popular cafe which is nicely situated at the head of the Loch of the Lowes and its well worth a stop for refreshments and to enjoy the view.