Breakfast was just as quirky as on previous days, never knowing when the toast would arrive. Today after a reminder the toast arrived late and cold. Too late to accompany my breakfast!

As we stepped out of the hotel, we found that the weather was wonderfully sunny with a bright blue sky and fluffy clouds. It was a little bit chilly out of the sunshine but lovely and warm otherwise. Our first port of call was Jedburgh Abbey, the size of which is impressive.

Shortly after we arrived a Scottish Heritage volunteer came over to us and gave us a guided tour of the abbey. The tour was very informative and after we explored the abbey further. I purchased a CD from the shop (the music was playing in the abbey’s museum) and was told that this music plays in the crypt of Dryburgh Abbey. We chose not to have an early lunch in Jedburgh thinking we might eat later at the Chain Bridge Honey Farm.

First we visited Dryburgh Abbey which is a beautiful ruin in a tranquil landscape setting with the graves of Sir Walter Scott and Earl Haig in its grounds. As we were viewing the crypt and listening to the music another Scottish Heritage volunteer came to impart some information about the abbey.

Next we made our way to the Chain Bridge Honey Farm for lunch on its Bus Cafe. I decided to have Honey Cake which was the obvious choice. The cake was delicious and because the weather was so nice we decided to sit outside rather than on the double decker.

We had arrived at the farm from Scotland via the Union Chain Bridge and had parked at the side of the road as we had always done in the past. It looked rather quiet with only one other car parked but when we got inside the Farm was buzzing with people. It was then that I noticed a car park that had not been there on our last visit.

There was also the new addition of a Bee Keepers garden. The garden was a delight, filled with plants to attract bees and butterflies. As we walked around the garden we noticed the entrance to the car park which we would have seen if we had arrived from the other direction of England rather than Scotland.

Before leaving we visited the shop so that I could buy some honey lip balm. As we were choosing our purchases a young lady brought a piece of cake to the lady who was serving and as she gave her the cake mentioned that there had been an article in a Scottish newspaper about their lip balm. Mr C told them both that I had been using their lip balm for years which they found pleasing.

We got chatting about Telford and Thomas Telford, who hailed from Scotland. The conversation got onto the Coach House where we have previously stayed and we learned that the owner was an opera singer and used to burst into song whilst serving the guests. That was news to us but, having met her once many years ago before she moved abroad leaving the Coach House to be managed by others, it didn’t surprise us.

We had some time to spare so we returned to Flodden Battlefield and the lanes nearby to see if we could locate the Cherry Pie Tree. This time we were successful. The tree hasn’t changed very much in all those years since I photographed it last time. Mission duly accomplished, we took the short walk up to the Flodden Memorial before returning to the hotel to freshen up before enjoying a Sunday Roast in the nearby Bluebell pub.

After breakfast we set off into Scotland to visit Rosslyn Chapel. For some time it has been on my location wish list, because of the carvings within.

When we arrived we found out that the next introductory talk of the chapel would take place in half an hour. We explored the outside of the chapel until it was time to go inside the chapel for the talk. The talk was extremely interesting, pointing out various carvings and features of the church including the Dan Brown mystery tale and the chapel’s own mystery story regarding two intricately carved columns.

We were directed to carvings on the outside of the church (including one of a camel). When the talk had finished we walked round the chapel before looking at the carvings mentioned. The inside of the chapel was  too crowded to enjoy at its best, we had to wait and pause whilst others were looking at the many interesting features within the chapel.

I quite understand why photographs are not allowed in the chapel; there would be a roadblock! The crowds did not allow for quiet contemplation and perhaps a feeling of spiritual presence. The volunteers are quite proud of the fact that the Dan Brown novel has brought in visitors from all over the world. Entry fees and sales of merchandise helps with restoration and maintenance of the chapel.

We hope to return when the chapel is less busy…

The fisherman we had chatted to a couple of days ago, advised that we should go on a coastal drive along the Scottish coastland. So after visiting Rosslyn Chapel, we took his advice, albeit from North to South, stopping off for lunch in Dunbar where I had a delicious poached salmon sandwich. Whilst in the town browsing the shops, I noticed just the right lampshade for Mr C’s recently refurbished office.

Dining and shopping complete we returned to the coast road, enjoying wonderful views. The amazing colour of the sea, and the fluffiness of the clouds seemed unreal, almost as if someone had painted the scene. Along the way had hoped to find a suitable establishment for afternoon cake but sadly this was not to be, even a detour into Berwick did not reveal afternoon cake.

We dined in the hotel, where I asked for chips rather than fries to accompany my meal. The fish and chips were delicious.

The bed and quilt were soft and cosy which led to a very good night’s sleep. The breakfast was delicious, although the choices arrived in a strange order. My cooked breakfast items arrived at the same time as Mr C’s porridge. The toast arrived after my breakfast meaning there was no toast for my bacon and tomato, which I intended to have on top of the toast. The toast arrived after I had finished my breakfast.

After breakfast we checked the weather forecast before deciding whether to travel north into Scotland or south towards Cragside. The weather looked more favourable in the south so in bright sunshine we set off towards Cragside. As we travelled I noticed an unusual sight of many large birds dead on the road; I think they were birds of prey rather than partridges. I found it quite upsetting.  We travelled over open moorland where the wind was strong. The high sided vehicle in front of us was swaying from side to side and veering all over the road.  We passed Cragside in order to visit the town of Rothbury first.

In Rothbury we visited a shoe shop and Regatta outdoor clothing shop and reminisced about a ladies clothes shop (no longer there) of which we have fond memories. Whilst we were in Rothbury the wind became a bit stronger but in intermittent gusts as it had been on our visit to Bamburgh the previous day. We made our way to Cragside and found that it was closed due to to Storm Ali. I was annoyed with myself for not checking to see if was open before we travelled.

We decided to visit nearby Chillingham Castle, arriving a little too early for the gates to be open. We drove around the corner in order to consider our options. By this stage the wind had become violent. We decided to turn towards Berwick and perhaps Paxton House or the Chain Bridge Honey Farm. As we headed back, the gates to Chillingham, were now open and we had a momentary waver before deciding to stick with our new plan. We were really uncomfortable with the way the trees were blowing in the narrow country lanes. I watched some telephone wires swinging wildly in the wind and made sure they were not power cables.

As we drove towards Berwick, the roads were littered with more birds and also tree debris. At one point near Chillingham, a branch got stuck under Mr C’s car causing us top stop to remove it. We were also turned back due to a fallen tree blocking the road. Travelling through the country lanes to the nearest main road was quite alarming; I have never experienced winds so strong that trees were whipping around violently and bending fully across the country lanes. We were relieved when we got back onto a main road but even then conditions were not pleasant and something fell from a tree and clunked on the top of Mr C’s car.

Considering the extreme weather conditions, we aborted all plans and headed into Berwick to have lunch in in a tea shop that was run by the former business owners of accommodation we have used on previous visits to Northumberland. We were rather hassled when we arrived, especially because at that moment Mr C realised he didn’t have his mobile phone and wondered if he had dropped it whilst removing the stuck branch from beneath his car. For lunch I chose an open crab sandwich; it was delicious!

By the time we had finished lunch, the wind had whipped itself up into a complete frenzy, making it difficult to walk back to the car. We returned to the hotel, passing debris and fallen branches along the way. As we travelled we noticed an ominous brown mist/cloud. We realised that it was the top soil being blown off farmers fields.

Back at the hotel we retired to our room to play one of the board games I had packed just in case… The surface of the quilt made it difficult to play the game due to the pieces sliding into each other. The weather didn’t improve and, on occasions, the floorboards in the room were moving so we dined in the hotel rather than go out as we had intended.

After dinner we had a chat with a fisherman who owns a nearby holiday property where he stays during the fishing season. He considers the Collingwood Arms his local even though his main home is many miles south of it. I know what he means; this area of Northumberland feels like home to me too, I felt it the first time I visited the area.

Collingwood Arms

I am gathering my thoughts, sorting my photographs and helping my mum (post house move) after arriving home later than expected on Tuesday evening…

Normal service and holiday diary will follow soon