Manuela’s Wee bakery is a quirky little café, pizza shop, and gin distillery, tucked away in the Scottish Highlands, built to transport you to a hobbit/fairy wonderland and send you away with a bag full of goodies.
I could barely contain my excitement as we slipped out of the car and walked up the gravel drive towards the 3 bakery huts. Even in the rain, their Brother’s Grimm-style appearance is quite the find amongst the sleepy country back roads of North Scotland.
Famous for their crooked roofs, kooky colours, and mythical decor, the bakery site is made up of small fairy-tale cottages: a bakery, pizzeria, toilet, gift shop, and gin distillery.
If you’re travelling up the West Coast of Scotland towards Skye, it’s a must-stop location. Here’s everything you need to know about them …
How to find Manuela’s Wee Bakery – The fairy bakery of Scotland
After passing the famous Eilean Donan Castle on the A87 and heading towards Skye, drivers will cross a bridge past the small village of Dornie. A minute or so down the road from the crossing, you’ll see a left turn just before the road begins to curve to the left. Manuela’s bakery is down this road. The road is also marked with a caravan stop sign (for Ardelve caravan and camping park).
Is Manuela’s Wee Bakery vegan friendly?
To a certain degree, yes. They had oat and soy milk, so I was able to enjoy a coffee. However, that was the extent of it. None of the baked goods were free of animal products, so I’m afraid you’re just stopping in for a quick drink (and to see the fantastic craftsmanship of their café, of course).
That being said, they also have a gin distillery on site as well (nestled behind the fairy houses, across little wooden bridges and pretty green paths), which gives us plant-based folk something else to look forward to!
Who owns Manuela’s Wee Bakery?
The creative take-away and distillery are owned by husband and wife duo Manuela and Thomas (the self-proclaimed grumpy old man), alongside his step-daughter, Jolene.
The trio have previously explained that when they moved from their home nation of Germany, they wanted a bring a slice of their country’s love for fairytales with them.
After moving to Scotland and missing the tastes and texture of German bread, Manuela set about making her own, and it wasn’t long before her baking became so popular that Thomas (a carpenter by trade) built her their first small hut.
With the initial bakery quickly becoming a success, Jolene stepped in to expand the business with her pizzas-to-go service (the Bewitched Pizzeria). Their unique appearance, combined with a wide range of baked goodies, brought people off the main road to grab a photo (and a coffee), and it wasn’t long before Thomas wanted a project of his own – a gin distillery and a toilet (aptly named, ‘The Wee Room’).
Can I do a tour of the gin distillery?
Post-covid, the family team are yet to host tours of their small-batch distillery. However, Thomas puts on gin tastings (with prior booking) for a max of four people/one household.
Does Manuelas Wee Bakery offer take-away?
Yes! The wee bakery operates predominantly on a take-away model. For those wanting to enjoy the huts a little longer, the family have built an outdoor seating area, the perfect place to take a break from driving and savour a pick-me-up. It’s worth noting, dog are not allowed on the premesis.
You can find updates from the wee bakery on the Manuelas Wee Bakery Facebook page.
