After breakfast we set off through the pretty countryside to Traquair, stopping along the way to photograph the River Tweed. We managed to arrive a little early but the gate was open and the kiosk manned so we were able to go in. One again the weather was glorious so we chose to look around the grounds and tackle the maze before going into the house.

Photo taken by Mr C

There are a few animals in the grounds which are kept behind wire. One of the goats kept trying very hard to push through the wire stretching his head towards us as far as it would go. There were also two very sleepy, snoring pigs, or they were until Mr C inadvertently spooked them by accidentally snapping his glasses case loudly whereupon they charged towards him with great commotion and noise.

We managed to conquer the maze after a few false starts. This has to be one of the best mazes I have been in, it has three sub centres that you have to pass through before finding the middle.

Next we enjoyed a look around the house although later we realised that we had managed to miss out one of the floors (the one I particularly wanted to see) and neither of us could figure out how we had done so. Traquair has its own brewery so sampled the ale and bought a few bottles to enjoy at home, probably with slow cooked beef in beer. We had lunch in the cafe where I couldn’t resist a piece of citrus, coconut and pecan cake. It was delicious!

On our journey back towards the hotel we stopped off at Trimontium Roman site to find that there was only an information point. Before returning to the hotel, we thought we would try and pick up some Doddington Cheese, which, we remembered from a previous occasion was purchased from an honesty table outside the farm. We found the farm but this time there was no table so we came away empty handed.

This evening we dined with Toby and Leona who used to run the Coach House. Earlier in the day the duty manager double checked that four of us would be dining and asked which table we would prefer. We had chosen a round table in the window. In the evening a different duty manager was on shift and was very attentive, making sure that we received the best service. We had a lovely evening in good company. Before we retired for the evening the duty manager told us he wouldn’t be back on duty before our holiday finished, said goodbye and hoped he would to see us again.

This maze was designed in 1980 by John Scofield and planted with 1500 Leyland Cypress trees donated by NICHOLAS SAUNDERS.  The first tree was planted by Anna Vaughan, the youngest child in the Traquair school.  In 1982 after an extremely severe frost two thirds of the Leyland Cypress died and were replanted with Beech.

The maze consists of four subcentres which must be visited in turn before reaching the middle – a distance of a quarter of a mile from the entrance.  To leave quickly a shorter route may be used.  On Easter Sunday an Easter Egg hunt for  younger children is held here.

We were lucky enough to have the maze all to ourselves when we took the challenge.  You can see a picture of  the FOOLS EXIT (the short route) here.

We are Pygmy goats originally from the Cameroon Valley in Africa. We love to frolick and climb things and are very friendly.

We eat greens and special grains and like to be cosy when it is cold.

We have been named after the famous explorers, Scott who led an expedition to the North Pole and Shackleton who led his expedition towards the South Pole.

Glad we didn’t have to go with them!

Kune Kune Pigs:

Hello, my name is Lulu and this is my new friend Charlie, we quite like to peer at visitors and guess what they are thinking. We are grazing pigs and have to stick to a healthy diet of grass, fruit, vegetables and specially yummy pellets. Our ancestors are from New Zealand and our name means ‘fat and round’ in Maori. We have a little tassel under our chin called ‘piri piri’.

Like you we have to look after our health and are not allowed unhealthy snacks during the day (this includes food scraps from the table or your unwanted sandwich which could cause us to become unwell), we should live until the grand old age of 30 years, 28 still to go!

Thank you for not feeding us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once a pleasure ground for Scottish Kings in times of peace, the a refuge for Catholic priests in times of terror, the Stuarts of Traquair supported Mary Queen of Scots and the Jacobite cause without counting the cost.

Imprisoned, fined and isolated for their beliefs, their home, untouched by time, reflects the tranquility of their family life.*

*From 2013 promotional leaflet for Traquair

From a Thousand Paths to friendship by David Baird

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 – 1860)

Over breakfast we decided that we would venture across the border into Scotland to visit Traquair House which had been recommended to us by the guests we had been chatting with in the lounge the previous evening. As we left the breakfast room Toby then Leona followed us out into the porch.  They had mentioned when we first arrived that one evening a lot of guests from a television company would be staying one of the nights.  What they had come to tell us was the Roy (Chubby) Brown was staying that night and they hadn’t realised.  They told us to expect some noise in the residents lounge, which was next to our bedroom as sandwiches were being laid on for the television crew after recording his show that evening.

After this surprising bit of information we set off on what was a wonderfully sunny morning towards Scotland, passing some very beautiful scenery as we drove along.  Traquair House was very interesting and there was a brilliant maze with a twist to the solution.  The tea room was exceptional.  The salad garnish that came with my sandwich was almost a meal in itself and leaf tea was served which is unusual these days.

During our drive back to the Coach House we detoured via Melrose Abbey.  I had been once before, many years ago so I had forgotten how impressive it is.  There was scaffolding on one side of the Abbey causing me to be creative with my photography.  When we arrived back at the Coach House later than usual we were advised by Leona that dinner was to be fifteen minutes early because Chubby Brown had given them tickets for his show in Berwick.

Dinner was even quieter than the previous day, there was only one other couple dining in.  Later, after dinner, we carried on chatting in the residents lounge as usual.  As the couple we were chatting to left, Tony and Leona arrived and sat with us.  We sat up ‘very’ late chatting whilst Roy Brown and the TV crew enjoyed their sandwiches at the other end of the room.