The house in the hills

The cottage near Lockerbie had to be vacated by 10.00am, but we'd all packed, said our goodbyes, and gone our separate ways with half and hour to spare.

First stop for MrM and I was the nearby Eskrigg Nature reserve, where we had a very pleasant stroll round the woods. Pleased to spot a red squirrel, and lots of birds including a great spotted woodpecker and a nuthatch.

Next stop Langholm, where we parked by the river and walked in to the town to buy sandwiches for lunch, after which we drove up the A7 and on to a very minor road in to the hills. Stopped to eat at a scenic spot with views all round. The Blip is looking back to a remote house beside the road - it's for sale should anyone fancy a quiet life!

On the way to Hermitage Castle disaster struck - the car started making a strange noise which turned out not to be something rattling around in the boot as we first thought. It was a puncture, almost certainly caused when we hit a cavernous pot hot a few miles earlier. It wouldn't have been a big problem if MrM had been able to remove the tyre in question, but the nuts had been tightened to such an extent that he couldn't budge them. No phone signal so no prospect of phoning for assistance. In the end, MrM inflated the tyre and we drove a little further, and repeated the exercise a couple more times until we managed to limp in to Newcastleton, luckily only 7 miles away. A very helpful man at the garage there removed the tyre and replaced it with the spare. Phew!

Eventually, we set off on our way and drove home by the most direct route, via Kielder and Rothbury. Car unloaded and bags unpacked, neither of us felt like cooking, so we opted for a meal at the local pub. Shattered now, and off to bed...