Timespan Cafe in Highland

Well this is the first time I personally, have even heard of a Scottish breakfast 'crepe' let alone eaten one. But what a delight for the taste buds. A perfect mix of Haggis, bacon, tomato, egg, mushroom and cheese all wrapped up in a freshly cooked crepe. Combined with a good coffee. Perfect start to a days fossil hunting. Should of taken a pic before we almost finished 🤣. The lady running it is lovely as well 😀

Good overall experience. Lovely setting, it was raining when we visited, but the outside area looked lovely. Food was above average, priced just right. Interesting toilets (traditionally gendered, but since made Universal) My partner was uncomfortable going in while men were in there.

Friendly cafe next to the heritage centre that is worth a visit. cafe is under new management. They serve pancakes with a variety of fillings: sweet or savoury choices. We opted for the mushroom filling that was presented to us with some seasonal salad. Delicious pancake and filling.It had walnuts in it, check when ordering if you have a nur allergy.

We stopped for a late lunch and had some homemade vegetable soup with bread and butter. The menu was mainly crepes, both savoury and sweet, along with scones and traybakes. Outside seating was available but the weather prevented us sitting out. Friendly staff too

We stopped here for brunch/lunch on a return from Orkney drive to Inverness. We had the most amazing freshly made savory crepes made by a lovely woman in the café. There is inside and outside dining. As it was somewhat windy we chose to eat inside which was warm & comfortable.

we called in here looking for some late lunch. Judging by the sign outside, I wasn't expecting much, but how wrong was I ! Being the only place in town that would allow our dog in, and that was open, we decided to give it a try because we were so hungry. What a suprise to find homemade soup, served with homemade bread, a really tasty savoury crepe, great coffee, and friendly staff in a beautiful setting too! thoroughly recomend, well done ladies!

Stopped by for a cuppa on our way home up the A9. Lovely brew and tasty crepes and home bakes served by cheerful staff. Lovely river view and a wee pal outside as well :)

Situated in the wonderful Timespan local museum, Helmsdale we had the most wonderful lunch today. With a Caribbean theme we had the most fantastic special of smoked haddock with accompaniments. Just amazing Thank you. Beautiful setting also by the river. Lovely staff too. Wish I was there for the Friday night Caribbean evenings!

Well worth the wait. Guy was on his own and so busy, still received great service with a smile. Food was fresh and delicious! We'll definitely be back.

Don't expect fast servicve but do expect tender and flavourful caribbean food. The chicken was excellent. A real hidden gem.

Friendly service and totally amazing food, fresh, organic - you could almost taste the love put into the food. The culinary highlight of our trip so far

We came across this place whilst walking around Helmsdale. There was a wait for our food. However, it was obviously cooked fresh and it showed. Beautifully presented and delicious. The best soup I've had in ages! Really friendly and very reasonable prices. Definitely drop by when we holiday up here again.

Reserved a table for late morning coffee. On arrival there no cakes or scones. Only two over-fired end pieces of lemon drizzle cake were offered still in a cake baking tin at £3 per piece. Waitress was at counter making scones which we were informed would be ready in approximately 20 minutes. Her manner was very offhand. We were then informed that the baker had just returned from holiday. We have eaten here many times in the past and always found the food and service to be excellent hence our return visit. We had a considerable wait for our tea and coffee and then at the point when we had almost finished we were informed by the waitress that the scones were ready! We ordered two but they were doughy. Strongly suggest that some staff training on customer service and SERVICE DELIVERY be implemented. There’s a lot to be learned for sure if our experience was typical. I hope not, as this is an excellent facility and it’s just such a pity that the cafe staff don’t deliver.

Beautiful, authentic Caribbean cuisine cooked fresh and absolutely delicious. It’s a build your own plate of deliciousness. We had coconut rice and peas with lamb, salsa, sauce and jalapeños, Absolutely lovely. A beer would have been nice but alas no license. The chef spoke to us and the waitress was lovely. Be prepared for a short wait as everything is cooked fresh to order but it is certainly worth the wait.

Came here to visit the museum and have a light lunch. The museum great .....the cafe appaling . Not a clue service wise , over an hour for a scone...dont even bother go elsewhere . They do not seem to have any system in place whatsoever, brought 3 lots of tea to the same table, chap waited an hour for his simple but nice bowl of soup, God help them if they ever get busy....

A wee gem of a cafe bringing Jamaican cooking and music to the Highlands. Thanks for the warm welcome, highly recommend.

This has got to be one of the most delicious wholesome, healthy food experiences which was just amazing ! We all had the curried lamb Ram Bam, with wild coconut rice. The chef added some lovely garnishes of fresh salsa, salad and coriander which together really complimented the dish. The portions were generous and very reasonably priced. The cafe is a friendly, welcoming place to visit. We sat outside with our dogs and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine and beautiful riverside views.

Fabulous food, friendly comfy cafe, books to read and wonderful riverside outside eating. Well worth visiting

Fantastic jerk chicken and coconut rice bowl … lovely little Jamaican food deli - hidden gem in Helmsdale - recommend visiting after timespan

I had the special - spiced smoked haddock and coconut rice. The food was increasingly and watching the chef carefully plate the dish with such care and attention made the short wait worth it. Highly recommend this hidden gem.

On the penultimate day of my North Coast 500 bike ride and I can genuinely say the potato and bean wrap is the best thing I've eaten on the journey. Just what I needed for the final push to Inverness.

Stopped for lunch on the way North and so glad we did! Totally unexpected to find delicious Jamaican food in the Highlands with fantastic vegan options. Daughter, 11, and normally quite fussy, said the jerk chicken burger was the best she’s had. Vegan rice bowl...

This was really different with a carabean theme and the food was spot on the staff very friendly and the place was spotless

What a lovely surprise! Popped into cafe for lunch as we were hoping to visit Timespan. Expected standard museum cafe soup, sandwich or panini. Wow- amazed to see a choice of rice bowls, wraps & burgers with a choice of sauces . I had the...

This is a nicely situated cafe by the river with outdoor tables next to the river. One way system in operation and inside most tables were had the chairs stacked on top of them. There were a couple of tables to sit inside but that...

Jerk chicken this far north? We were a bit suspicious. We were wrong. Delicious, wholesome, with lots of vegan and vegetarian options. The fried plantain was a highlight. Worth a visit, especially if you’re tired of the typical soup and sandwiches served in most cafes....

Better Caribbean food than we had in a 5* hotel in Jamaica. Sit by the river..watch the salmon jump and eat proper good jerk pulled chicken - in the Highlands!

We stopped at the Jam Fire Deli in for lunch before going around the museum, and the food was just amazing. You can really tell the cook enjoys what he does - we can't complement him highly enough!

Staff were lovely and ambience was great. Provided indoor and outdoor seating accessible to dogs too. The food was amazing and the prices were great really loved this cafe fabulous time.

The food is fresh and good service was avarage but they were busy the only thing was for a party of 5 the food was not all served at the same time some of the party had finished there food before the others had started...

Couldn't rate this place highly enough, the quality of the food is exceptional - best meal we've had in Scotland, and best burger I've had for years. Honestly, superb.

Very disappointed. We sat outside and waited over 25 minutes for three cups of tea and three scones. We went inside to chase up our order. The member of staff was dealing with another customer and taking their payment. After she handled their money and...

Incredible Jamaican inspired lunch. The curried lamb and jerk chicken were absolutely delicious, as were the salad extras and sauces. I was blown away by these incredible sweet pickled onions. Accompanied by a stunning view of the river and bridge. Now off to the museum...

As a connoisseur of pastry based products I stand by my above statement. The sausage rolls here are without equal, delicious, meaty, flaky pastry and served warm. Good coffee, C19 safe, unfortunately very quiet on our visit but the staff were friendly and offered lots...

We had lunch whilst waiting for our slot to go into Timespan. I had locally smoked haddock bagel which was incredible. Cafe also has a terrace with great views over the River Helmsdale

Well organised and really good simple food. Very efficient staff and everything well spaced and safe. Quiet on the day I visited but worth visiting. Outdoor tables available but was raining ! Worth finding in a very nice village

Sat outside with family took ages for the coffee to arrive and my cappuccino was warm so did not drink it so many midges about rather spoiled the experience Otherwise Lovely to sit outside I would definitely visit again worth it for the outside view

This small cafe with adjoining garden and outsdoor seating has a varied menu with freshly made crepes and cakes. We just had cakes and a cup of tea. It was tasty and freshly made. One member of staff was friendly. There was a small book area and local produce for sale

Nice friendly staff and the coffee was amazing and reasonably priced too. There is an outside space right next to the river and lovely old bridge. Nice quiet atmosphere with some books to read whilst enjoying your coffee. Highly recommend this cafe with its stunning views.

We chose the outside area and had coffee and cake in the sun. Food was good. We’d to work on the coffee.

We stopped off whilst on our travels and had bacon rolls that were very good value and very satisfying and we had an equally large scone but shared it this time instead of having one each..lesson learned lol.It was very reasonably priced and we had a look around the gallery etc before we made our way onwards.

Stopped off here for lunch and were pleasantly surprised they allowed dogs inside the cafe or in their outside area. Scones were amazing! Small gift shop and art gallery.

Timespan is great and a super asset to Helmsdale with a well designed and informative museum and contemporary gallery. The garden has a lovely outlook to Telford’s bridge while the gift shop has a good range. We didn’t try the cafe but the menu would suit all tastes for a day time stop.

Stop and take a wee detour on your way north, and pop into the Riverside Cafe. It’s located within the Timespan building, the Helmsdale Heritage Centre. We went for lunch after panning for gold (honest!) further up the glen. Kids had one of the wide variety of crepes on offer which were announced to be great and the adults had a meatloaf burger and a schnitzelwich - 2 of the most delicious things eaten on our holiday this week. The fries were top notch too.A great cafe in a fabulous location.

Decent little cafe within the Timespan Centre in Helmsdale. Good view of the river and the old bridge. Nice cup of tea and soya is available. Friendly and welcoming staff. Excellent herb garden and geological exhibit just outside the door and worth a look after you are refreshed. Nothing really outstanding (hence the three stars). There ought to be a rating for "good" rather than just average or very good.

Popped in for quick bite glad we did excellent food especially beef meatloaf out of this world. All food including rolls prepared on site

Took ourselves off to this little cafe for brunch and wasn’t disappointed. We both had the haggis breakfast roll. We chose to have an egg with it. Fantastic flavour. Don’t hesitate to try it.

A lovely little cafe/restaurant by the water. A nice place to spend a couple of hours just relaxing and drinking tea (with many sweet treat options available). Enjoyed it so much that we stayed for dinner as well. Ondrej, the chef is very kind and his food is delicious. Especially enjoyed the duck leg for the main and the crepe for desert. It is well priced and BYOB was an added bonus. Thanks Ondrej!

This is a cafe with lots going for it - food freshly prepared in front of you, including an excellent crepe, good coffee and a lovely view of the river. The only thing that let it down was the slightly weird experimental cheese scone! But it wouldn't put us off going back : )

You don’t really expect to find chicken schnitzel in Sutherland. But you can here. Along with a couple of other mid-European goodies.

We saw this attractive place on a birthday out. Nice gallery and garden with shop and Czech run cafe restaurant. Very friendly service and delicious food. We each had special of the day which was Czech pancake with avocado, onions, bacon and spinach. Cooked to order and quickly. Nice premises as well.

We bought some cakes and bread to take back to our holiday cottage and went back for more because they were so tasty. We ate in the cafe and had burgers . My husband has had many burgers over the years and this is the best he has ever had.

Despite a previous negative review from a coeliac visitor from a while back, we decided to chance this, based on the Visitscotland website promise that there were "gluten free options". Well, there are, kind of. The soup is gluten free, and you can have the sandwiches - without the bread. The food however, was delicious and a little bit different - we had between us spicy seaweed soup, schnitzelwich, avocado omelette and our boys loved the great freshly-made crepes. The cafe told us they had only been open a week and they were obviously still settling down with the timings of serving food and drinks. But a great place to stop off on the route up north - wish we had more time to explore the museum...

This is a modern, clean and roomy cafe situated within the Timespan building and with extra seating on the riverside patio. The emphasis is clearly on producing top quality, homemade food, and everything we saw looked to be very good indeed.

A beautiful location and the home baked bread and cakes are delicious. You can now buy loaves of freshly baked bread and you can order in advance. A great place to lunch with friends or stop for a coffee and a chat.

The food here was phenomenal! Soups and sandwiches, but the bread was sooo delicious, the fillings wonderful with a dash of creativity. I had the tuna. The soup was incredibly fresh. I had the mushroom

Lovely food and friendly service, good portion size and reasonable prices.

Lovely and clean, delightful homemade cooking, we stopped for late morning coffee and scones when lunch was being prepared - roasted peppers just going into freshly prepared pastry, just sorry we couldn't wait for it to cook.

We stopped here to shelter from Storm Hector during our nc500 cycle tour. It is such a welcoming cafe. We had delicious sandwiches which came with an amazing mix of spring salads!

Part of the timespan museum. Basic seating, good view of the Telford bridge. Reasonable choice of food made on site mainly. Friendly staff, good loos

Clean and fresh with nice views. Prices good. Food looked great though I didn't eat. I had a lovely fruit tea.

Lovely setting overlooking the river. Very good coffee and home made cakes. Very good to see source and food miles for all that they do.

Popped in and we had a lovely bowl of soup and a sandwich, clean, well presented and really good value for money. Well worth the detour down the hill away from the main street venues.

Stopped off at this nice little cafe en route to Orkney ferry for coffee and cake. The service was very good and the coffee and cake did their job.

Enjoy a tasty cup of tea and some sweets or a meal with a view of Helmsdale river. The museum next door has changing exhibits worth a visit. There's also a small gift shop with some local crafts.

The sharing cheese platter for 2 had a good range of local cheeses and was actually enough for 3 people! The soup was delicious. Good service. Not expensive. Nice location

The food is scrumptious, and to sit outside, eating scrumptious food, by the river, and the garden, amid the geology, with a chance of seeing otters. Can't beat it.

Melt in the mouth cake! Friendly staff. Good value too. Whether you visit the museum or not; don't miss the cake :-)

This cafe is part of Time span museum and serves a good cuppa and some nice home made (I think) cakes. On a warm day sit outside by the river, very relaxing

Lovely setting overlooking the river, but not the cleanest feeling. The tables were sticky and need good wash, was quiet but other tables were cover in dirty dishes, and we sat for about 30-40 minutes and no one made a move to clean.We haD coffees and scones, they are probably the smallest, dry and tasteless scone I have ever had. Really sad that staff not interested in keeping up standards. When in Thurso chatted to lady on beach and spoke about nice cafe we had visited in Thurso, she went on to advice us not to stop at Timespan on way home as they had 2 disappointing visits lately. Oh I WISH WE HAD MET HER SOONER.

The tea and snacks were OK but the tables were sticky and even though it was quiet there were dirty dishes left on tables, needs a wake up.

Great homemade soup and fine home bakes,friendly and attentive service and good views of the river and old bridge.

Lovely setting overlooking the river. We were a party of 2 and our Westie. She was welcome either in the cafe or out on the terrace. Sun was shining and we enjoyed our drinks and cakes in the sun whilst our dog watched the river run by. Lovely

Timespan cafe was a surprise find in a museum. We originally went in to escape the rain but the cafe was so inviting that we stayed longer. The cakes were home made (at least they looked good enough to be so) and the service was excellent. Definitely a place to visit if you are in town. The garden at the side, and the view of the magnificent bridge simply added to the experience.

The cafe is in one of the best museums I have ever visited. The setting is fantastic and the cafe is a great stopover for coffee, home made soup that really is home made and tea and scones. So get out of the car and make the trip!

Staff were happy to welcome us with our dog which was appreciated though we ended up sitting in the garden in the sunshine. Limited menu if you want a hot meal but plenty of sandwiches and soup etc. We had salads which were nicely presented but a bit pricey for what they were - my husband was still hungry afterwards! Pleasant place to sit looking over the harbour

Great homemade food. Good coffee. Lovely staff. Arty atmosphere. Great views. Eat indoors or out . Stunning garden at the side.

Had a filling lunch and pleasant time at this location. The cook outdid herself in her preparations and she and the staff were very accommodating and friendly. Very neat and tidy.

We had three dogs so we were prepared to have our drinks outside however it began to rain they allowed us to come inside recommend the cheese scones

We stopped in Helmsdale during a long journey North and received friendly, efficient service. Coffee was excellent and we much enjoyed the chat.

Pour calmer une petite faim en milieu de journée, soupe du jour et sandwichs simples. Vue sur la rivière, mais salle sans caractère.

Great food and friendly staff. The homemade soup and a sandwich deal is good also have nice latte's. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. Will come back again

We mostly popped in because we were staying near by and needed to use the free wifi. So we have mostly sampled the tea, coffee and scones. Some times the scones were fresher than other times but nice. They cost £1.90 and came with butter and jam. There was a nice selection of soft drinks for the kids. It was a nice calm place to while away an hour, clean and tidy.

This is a lovely wee museum to whittle a wee hour away.very interesting to read about the clearances(even for a local) shame the cafe didn't quite match.its very bright and airy and seems to have a nice,varied menu.very mixed quality in food.my cousin ordered a BLT sandwich and myself,a cheese platter.it took a very long time to prepare for such a small order and nobody else to serve.what appeared was so disappointing.the sandwich was beautiful,with a small bowl of vegetable crisps and a lovely fresh salad.my cheese platter was shocking.it was the most bizarre platter I've ever seen with some cheese,oatcakes,olives and mini gherkins.very bizarre choice in food that quite a lot of people don't actually like,including myself.the Brie/Camembert(I couldn't tell by the horrible state of it) was frozen which I found rather disgusting that it had been put on the plate.i was so disappointed by the whole thing I couldn't bare to say anything as I just wanted to leave.i also found the prices of everything to be very expensive as these 2 meals,2 bottles of juice and a cupcake cost £18!!!!!!i wish I had gone to the chippy :(

Such a shame ,we ordered soup and instead of saying they didnt have enough they gave us the smallest portions I have ever seen which was ,for the price ,a rip off.Really let the otherwise fantastic site down.

What can I say other than magnificent. When we were ther we had afternoon treats , I can strongly recommend the cheese scones , yummy. A friend had a flap jack and enjoyed it too , and a cafe that supplies a decent cup of tea, Thank You , friendly and efficient staff as well

Timespan offers an incredible insight into Helmsdale's history from an vibrant fishing port and home of my beloved's ancestors to the sleepy but atmospheric village of today.The cakes and soup are pretty impressive as well!

The cafe is situated in the museum of this quaint town of Helmsdale. The food was all homemade and very delicious. The staff were friendly and very accommodating for the tour bus rolling through their town. I had a place of local cheeses from the area and it was fantaastic. I would recommend stopping in and supporting this cafe.