Flat Cat, The

It is somewhat bare on first entering and there are few tables. You might even find yourself sitting on a stool, as one table is a low coffee table. However the furniture itself is worth seeing as it is the work of Tim Stead and each table and chair has an individual appearance…beautiful.

The gallery has changing exhibitions of paintings, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, glass, furniture and jewellery. The work is by artists living in the Borders as well as those from all over Scotland and the north of England. They specialise in the less traditional, but it is always interesting. The gallery offers a number of weekend courses in a variety of subjects from metal sculpture to watercolours and a weekly life drawing class.
 
'Homemade' soups, sandwiches with slightly unusual fillings, brie and sun dried tomatoes, ham (the real stuff, not processed into convenient squares) with mustard all presented slightly differently with slices of cucumber and tomatoes rather that the sad, limp mixed concoction which is difficult to eat. They also came with crisps and a little pot of olives in one case, and the mustard in a pot to allow for individual taste. Cakes, tray bakes such as lemon torte, chocolate cake, fruitcake (their pear, chocolate and almond pie is delicious), and an interesting range of cold drinks; Dandelion and Burdock, Ginger Beer, Victorian Lemonade (all by Fentimans), Root Beer and various other unusual combinations.

Why would I go there? It's more than just a coffee shop - the art work is very unusual.

Any Negatives?  Can be very busy and you might end up clearing your own table!

Before or After:
1. Lauder is an interesting little town and worth a wander in itself.
2. Thirlestane Castle is also a short walk away down a side street .
3. However to justify your indulgences at the Flat Cat Gallery you could go for a walk along the southern Upland Way. If you follow the signposts to the edge of town you will find parking then you can go for a 2-3 mile round walk following the Southern upland way for a about a mile or so then when the route takes a turn to the south you can double back and follow the Lauder Burn. The only problem if you are taking the dog is the presence of sheep! Having done the walk in that direction I think it would probably be better to go out along the Burn then as the walk turns south climb up to the actual Southern Upland Route and go back along the high ground.

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