Scone Spy falls in love with the Old Toll Bar Cafe in romantic Gretna

Old Toll Bar in Gretna (Andrew Cawley / DC Thomson)

THERE’S nothing like a fine romance.

A soaring, heart-thumping, dizzying love fest. You know when you’ve met The One. It just feels right.

All of the other just-all-right, kind-of-nice, will-do-for-now flirtations are pale imitations.

For Scone Spy, that’s the way it is with scones. Tray bakes are tasty, muffins may be marvellous, cupcakes can captivate but, oh, the melt-in-the-mouth magic comes from the finest specimens of scones.

Gretna, it has to be said, knows a bit about romance. It’s been Scotland’s love heart for centuries.

Young lovers have run away – sometimes literally, with irate parents snapping at their heels – to tie the knot.

You can still be wed over the anvil or at the smart and efficient register office. Even now couples still turn up just on their own, leading to locals who’d only popped to the shops for a pint of milk finding themselves pressed into service as emergency witnesses/best men and bridesmaids.

One of the old wedding venues now doubles as a place to get hitched and have a bite to eat, The Old Toll Bar Café.

Scones and a rich romantic past – sounds like a marriage made in heaven.

The first – and last – house in Scotland, the Old Toll Bar dates from 1830 and has hosted more than 10,000 marriages.

The old wedding days are recalled on a display which proved a fascinating diversion as we arrived on a midweek morning.

The original semicircular wedding room is pretty much just as it was and it’s easy to picture couples sealing their union here over the centuries.

But the past has had a very 21st Century makeover. The café is ultra-smart, modern, clean and trendy.

The toilets are posh and we’re pretty sure the runaways wouldn’t have had wi-fi to spread word of their nuptials!

The sun is streaming through on to our window table as we peruse the menu and settle on a couple of big breakfast baps.

We go for doublers, one bacon and egg, one sausage and potato scone, and both are very well-filled and very tasty.

We’ve already spied the scones on a table beside the counter and pick fruit over plain.

A little on the crumbly side, but fresh, fruity and quite lovely.

With a couple of hot drinks and a Malteser slice, it all comes to a pretty reasonable £16.

The waitress asks what has brought us out for the day and with a chatty big family taking up a couple of tables on the far side, there’s a very pleasant, welcoming vibe.

And though we’re in no hurry to leave, it’s easy to keep a track of time with two clocks side-by-side on the wall – one set to Scots time and one to English!