As I mentioned, last week we went off to stay in a cottage with in Scotland for a few days with Kirsty’s Mum and her husband. It was a very nice cottage right next to the sea and right at the end of a road which by it’s end wasn’t really more than a path. In fact it was so un-roadlike that the first time Kirsty and I drove up it we decided half way along (not far from the cottage actually) that we must have taken a wrong turning, turned round and spent half and hour driving back and around until we were sure it was right.

There was no mobile phone coverage (a good thing) and the weather (considering it was November) as immaculate, and so I took some pictures

Nearby was the little town of Kirkcudbright (pronounced ker-coo-bry) which used to be home to a large community of artists. We wandered around there one day looking in little art galleries and sitting for a quick film display in the local museum. It was quite a shock actually we walked into this room just saw some chairs in lines, then all of a sudden the lights went off and the film started. It seemed rude not to sit and watch it somehow.

We had a lovely meal in a pub/hotel called the Selkirk Arms where I tried haggis for the first time. Yes, I did kind of know what it was, although I tried to keep it out of my mind, and I actually found it very nice. My only problem was it was served with “tatties and neeps” (potatoes and turnips) which were both mashed. I don’t know why but I can’t get into mashed food - I like a bit more contrast in the texture of stuff.

We also visited an animal sanctuary on what turned out to be the coldest day. It was very early in the morning and so cold that eventually my camera seized up (so I missed some overly cute red pandas) only to leap into life again as we left in our car, the heater and fan on full blast.

So what with all that plus visiting a few beaches spending the evenings with bottles of red wine in front of a roaring real fire a very good time was had by all.