29 August 2013

Scotched

So here we are in Bonnie Scotland - just over the border, near the pretty market town of Kelso. We have had two lovely days of summery weather but this morning it is overcast and uninviting. On the way north we stopped off to visit the awesome edifice that is Durham Cathedral, paying homage at the tombs of St Cuthbert and The Venerable Bede. It is a building that makes the mind boggle - I mean - how could they? The sheer audacity of such a structure beggars belief when you think of the times in which it was constructed.
Durham's magnificent eleventh century cathedral
The tomb of St Bede in Durham Cathedral
Then onwards and upwards as the bishop said to the actress - until we came to the border with Scotland. We expected pipers and girls dancing skirls but instead there was "The Borderer" fast food caravan where you could buy greasy scotch pies, disgusting haggises or delicious light and golden Yorkshire puddings in a rich beef and onion gravy:-
Fast food caravan at the border with Scotland
And so finally we came to peaceful Plum Tree Cottage on the edge of Ednam. Perfect for two people with amazing views to the south.
Our little cottage at Ednam north of Kelso
Gorgeous view from the rear of our cottage towards The Cheviot Hills
Yesterday we met up with one of my photographic heroes - The Baxatron aka Walter Baxter from Galashiels. And what a fine fellow he turned out to be in his Baxter patterned kilt and woolly tam o' shanter but more of him some other time (be afraid Walter!).  We also visited my late brother-in-law's memorial stone in the graveyard at Denholm near Hawick.

These Scottish borderlands are delightful - so much history - so many little lanes and unexpected vistas. The agriculture seems bountiful in this most productive of summers with fields of grain rolling off into the distance. No wonder the Baxatron feels little need to leave his homeland these days and no wonder he has photographed his surroundings over and over with deep affection and boyish inquisitiveness. But not a single scotch egg in sight! Perhaps it's not the right time of year for the scotch egg birds to lay...

5 comments:

  1. It is a lovely area. Glad you are enjoying it and have had the weather to do so.

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  2. "greasy scotch pies, disgusting haggises or delicious light and golden Yorkshire puddings in a rich beef and onion gravy"

    I'd have scoffed the lot!

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  3. Read warning label. Signed waiver. Proceed with caution. He's pulling my leg somewhere in amongst this :) I know!! Aah, there it is ~ scotch egg bird. Crowd laughing. Sir YP takes a bow. Lovely recount of your Scottish gap week. Look forward to seeing some images from The Baxatron. Love the border control van ~ how many Yorkshire puddings did you have on your person when they searched you? And thank you ~ you have added another piece to my Durham Castle jigsaw puzzle.

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  4. I thought the proper term was Scottish....

    But how cool it must have been to visit the tomb of the Venerable Bede!

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  5. OK YP, no one else has sent out a search party for you, so I will. Hope all is well and we see some photos and funny stories again real soon :)

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