A Huddle of Hats

Today, despite rather wet conditions, a group of us who are spending the weekend in Melrose set off to walk from the town centre to Abbotsford, the stately home of the Scottish literary giant Sir Walter Scott. His home has been firmly on the Borders visitor trail since his death in 1832, but his house has recently undergone a major refurbishment and will open again soon. However, a beautiful exhibition centre with modern cafe/bar is already up and running, and after our trek through the country byways it was a welcome stop for a plate of carrot and caraway soup, homemade bread and lemon tea.

The Blip shows a huddle around the route map and a debate about whether we were on the right trail, on our way to a mystery destination or lost! We also drew on the latest GPS technology, but at the end of the day it was a matter of faith in our own intuition. There are other pictures of puddles, muddy lanes, a byre-full of cattle, the sheep on the hills dusted with snow and the group in action, but I liked this configuration of hats in a huddle.