Another picturesque, peaceful stay at Lewinshope Farm. Coming up from the hectic and crazy London, being able to fall asleep to the sound of silence, with an occasional bird or sheep calling out, it is a true luxury that is easy to take for granted. Opening up my curtains first thing in the morning to the green rolling hills spotted with sheep, is a sight I wont forget any time soon.
Whenever I visit I always try and make the most of the history and beautiful scenery of the Scottish Borders. Not far of a walk from Lewinshope is the eerie Newark Tower with a fascinating past, on the property of the beautiful stately home, Bowhill House. The country park the house sits on could be explored for a whole day, with beautiful walks through the woods, and a picnic next to the lake, watching the swans.
Not much further away is Sir Walter Scott’s 1800’s baronial mansion and gardens. We spent the day at this property, listening to the self guided tour through the property, which is one of the best audio tours I’ve ever listened to. The property holds so much history, and I felt very lucky to be able to experience it for myself. The gardens so perfectly manicured, and lead down to the River Tweed, where a whole day could be spent walking along it.
The Watson family always make me feel right at home and so welcome. Living a 24 hour flight away from my family, having Lewinshope and Lulu and Johnny take care of me, makes me know I’ll always have a home away from home.
Johnny and I are transitioning from summer to autumn here, and trying to make the most of the warm weather. We tried out a tandem bike recently, and it was so much fun! It is certainly different than riding a single bike. It’s a bit like dancing, you have to practice together to get it right. We learned that the person in front is called the “captain” and gets on the bike first. The rear rider is called the “stoker.” So you can see Captain Johnny and Stoker Lulu in the picture, ha ha.
The long drive leading to The Mill gave us an opportunity to practice before we headed out into the hills.
Glentress Forest is a mountain biking mecca just a half hour drive from The Mill. In the stunning Tweed Valley, the biking experience here covers all riders, from green (easy) to black (severe). The area offers a rich variety of things to do with the small Borders towns of Peebles and Innerleithen, where bikes can be hired if you don’t bring your own.
Even closer to The Mill, the Ettrick and Yarrow Valleys offer superb cycling with options for everyone – from longer road cycling routes to shorter circular routes that can be cycled in a few hours or a day. And there are mountain biking options too. The scenery is breathtaking and there is everything from challenging terrain to gentle and undulating cycle routes.
But don’t just take our word for it, come and experience it for yourself, you won’t be disappointed! Check dates at the Mill: https://lewinshope.com/booking/ Here’s our personal list for what to take on bike trips: Helmet Lights Sunglasses Gloves Water bottle Nutrition bars Puncture repair kit Backpack Mobile phone Or if you want to go “light” you can stop at the Waterwheel for coffee, or lunch at Bowhill House. What do you like to take when you go biking? Lulu and Johnny Watson The Mill at Lewinshope
My escape to the green hills of Scotland began with the Watson’s at Lewinshope. I met my host family through Workaway, which is an awesome website that allows you to travel the world without breaking your budget. On top of that, you really get to experience the culture as you are staying with locals!
This was the first stop of my year long backpacking adventure and I couldn’t be more thankful that I got to spend my time in Scotland with this amazing family. As soon as they picked me up at the train station, I felt like part of the family. My trip started out rough, so this was such an nice feeling for me. Not only did I get to meet most of the family, but I met a ton of their friends and extended family. From playing ping-pong down the street to sipping coffee in Melrose, I was always welcome.
My favorite part of my stay was waking up to the sound of sheep, opening up the curtains and getting to stare out at the most amazing view. Coming from a desert, the vibrant green fields and hills were simply stunning. The area is so peaceful and quiet, yet you never feel a sense of lonely isolation. The environment and surrounding nature is very welcoming.
I got to cuddle lots of puppies, take long walks in the fresh air, learn about different traditions and cultures, play tennis (even though my skills are highly lacking) and have some pretty amazing conversations with people along the way.
My time at Lewinshope was unforgettable, and I hope I will be able to return one day!
Vintage fabric production, the heritage of the Borders textile industry.
We went to look at the tartans and fabrics, and then were kindly asked if we wanted to see the machines working. It was an amazing experience that Bobbie, Tania and I had.
Rob Beaton showed us around and explained the history behind Elliot’s. It was so noisy but we heard some incredible stories. If you are interested to go and have a look around, make sure you have time as Mr Beaton has lots to tell you!
See here for more information about the company history.
Robin Elliot A. Elliot (Fine Fabrics) Ltd. Forest Mill Dunsdale Road Selkirk TD7 5EA 01750 720412
Dark Sky Discovery site has lots to look at and top tips on how to get more out of star gazing.
Yarrow and Ettrick Valley have virtually no artificial light pollution and are therefore an ideal location for star-gazing. The Etrrick and Yarrow Valley web site are in the process of establishing a number of Dark Sky Discovery sites in the valleys and will update the website once these have been formally recognised. In the meantime, you can see a fantastic night sky from most places in the valleys and on a clear night, whenever you look up there will be something to take your interest. The Milky Way is visible to the naked eye.
The winter months are a good time for looking at the stars as we have longer darkness. These are the times when you may also be lucky and see the Aurora Borealis, or ‘Northern Lights‘.
We no longer have our telescope, so please bring one along with you, if you have one.
Saturday the 4th June was the Wedding day for Bertie Watson (our nephew) and Rachel Pembroke at The Mill. On Friday the weather was perfect for the huge set up ahead, we had a house load of friends and family all arriving in the evening.
They were all very helpful on Saturday setting final things up. On Saturday the weather was cold but the sun came out in the afternoon for the 3:30 wedding service. It was such a relaxed day with everyone walking up to the Mill pond, chatting to one another and then sitting down to a view of the oak wood above and an Elm sign with ‘Because He first loved us’ 1 John 4 v 19 . Bertie and Rachel, insisted they wanted to get married outside, and what a great idea.
Finally, Rachel arrived with her father and bridesmaid. She looked amazing and the view behind her was pretty stunning too. The minster and B & R’s friends who were from their Edinburgh Church led the service & worship which was fantastic with Cello and all. A great service and very traditional and God filled. It was idyllic and a treat to watch the swallows dipping and diving through the service.
After we all walked down to The Mill to have tea and coffee and shortbread whilst photos were being taken of family and all. Dinner was cooked by Suki and Brian who cooked an incredible meal for 90 people & Ben Douglas with the pig roast and all the tables had a picture of the happy couple where they had met and done various events they had met, with Gypsophila (Baby’s Breath) , roses of pink and baby pink everywhere. Twinkly lights at night and the famous LOVE sign, photo in the another blog…..
Love was in the air……………….. Here is a picture of Mr and Mrs Watson
A visit to Lewinshope last week proved a treat for me (the bird geek) for some great sightings of nest building swallows and house martins. Having a good number already creating their own nests on the buildings at Lewinshope, Lulu and Johnny are keen to help provide more places for swallows and other birds, so we decide to take a walk around the Mill to look at suitable places where some extra nest cups and boxes could go up. Swallows and martins are able to have multiple broods in one season and so if there is a nest there ready-made for them it means they can spend less time nest building and more time having and raising young.
As we walked around the Mill and its out buildings we watched swallows swooping out over the pond and across the fields. To most, swallows martins and swifts look very similar in flight and Lulu was keen to understand how to identify each individual species. It is of course tricky, they are quick birds which seem to be forever on the move but there are a few key differences that once you get your eye in make it much simpler. So here is a blog to help you with the key things to look out for. (Apologies in advance for my hand drawn identification images, I’m the first to admit I’m no artist)
Swallows are part of the hirundine family, which includes two other of our summer migrants the house martin and sand martin. The swallow is perhaps the best known and most recognisable of the three. Being the first to arrive back in Britain from their African wintering grounds, for many they are a sign that summer is on the way. The swallow can be distinguished from its martin cousins by a few features. The long streamers of the forked tail make it easy to identify during flight. These tail streamers are longer in males. In the world of swallows a longer tail is highly attractive and females will choose males based on the length of the tail.
My interpretation of a Swallow Swallows also have a distinctive rust-red coloured throat which can most easily be seen when they are perched. Look out for flocks of swallows perching together around August time. A favourite sighting of mine is seeing large flocks of swallows perched on power lines. It is often a sign of the end of summer. The busy breeding season has finished and in my mind this is the time when pairs and newly fledged youngsters can have a brief rest before heading off on a long journey Southward.
The house martin is fairly similar in size to the swallow and has a similar plumage of glossy black feathers and a white belly. This can make it difficult to identify when the two species are in flight together. Swallows and martins share the same behaviour of catching insects on the wing and so can often be found in similar feeding grounds, over water or open fields. The house martin however lacks the long streaming tail feathers of the swallow and instead has a short v-shaped tail. They also lack the red throat of the swallow. For me the key distinguishing feature of the house martin is the white square on its back, just above the tail.
If you are lucky enough to have either of these birds nesting on or near your home looking at the nest is another way of distinguishing the two apart. Both are cup nesters but the swallow favours a more open topped cup where as house martins build close to a beam or rafter on a building which makes for a more sheltered nest. Both use a mixture of mud, hay and feathers to craft their nests.
The third and less well known species is the sand martin. These birds are more commonly found by rivers where sandy banks provide them with the perfect place to carve out nest holes. They are very sociable birds and will nest in close proximity to each other. Taking a walk along the river Tweed between Galashiels and Melrose is a great place to look out for sand martins. Here the river banks are dotted with holes created by colonies of nesting sand martins.
A rather chubby sand martin Similar in shape to the house martin with its v shaped tail. The sand martin is more brownish and less glossy in appearance. The white underside is also tinged with a brown band at the top of the chest. Being river side nesters it makes sense that the common feeding grounds be over the rivers themselves where a huge number of flying insects will congregate.
Although similar in shape and lifestyle the swift is in a completely different family to the swallows and martins. Swifts are easier to identify as they are much larger than both swallows and martins and have a distinctive sickle like shape to the wings. They also have a very distinctive call often referred to as a scream. It is easy to see why in the past these birds, with their tendency to swoop around screeching, were mistaken for demons and thereby known as Devil’s bird. These birds however lead fascinating lives. Barely landing from the moment they fly the nest, they sleep eat and mate on the wing. Again the sound of screeching swifts is another true sound off the summer for me.
Swift It’s great to see that Lulu and Johnny are so keen to help wildlife flourish at the Mill. Providing an extra helping hand in the form of putting out some extra nest boxes can make a huge difference to the success of our birds during the breeding season, allowing them to boost the number of young leaving for Africa at the end of the summer.
We had a fun afternoon at Cocoa Black’s and made the most delicious chocolate truffles, praulines from 1:00 to 4:00 We arrived early for a brief lunch in Peebles at the Coltman’s Delicatessen, Kitchen & Bar which I would highly recommend. We started off by being offered coffee or a delicious hot chocolate. It was a tough afternoon tasting all the samples of different types of Chocolate and learning about its history, and coating and decorating the chocolates, but we managed!
Easter weekend is here. Good Friday today and holiday time for everyone. We had a wonderful week last week with our Facebook competition. Our winner for the weekend at The Mill is KATE REINSCH who was delighted to find out that she had won and is ready to book her weekend in.
May you feel the hope of new beginnings, love and happiness during this joyful Easter holiday. May you feel the bright, joyful blessings God has to offer you during this Easter holiday. Wishing you a very Happy Easter that is filled with plenty of love and happiness.
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
Its exciting news that our nephew Bertie Watson and Rachel Pembroke are getting married in June at The Mill. We are delighted that they want to get married here. The plans are fitting together and the marquee has been booked and food ready for the big day when two become one.
Look out for a blog with details and pictures as much as we can give away after the event.
We wish Bertie and Rachel a very exciting and happy life together.
Johnny, Lulu, Emily, Annabel and Harry are thrilled for them. x
We love our guests at The Mill, they are always so positive and kind with their comments and thoughts.
I find it hard to believe that 7 years ago we were all working in The Mill ready for the first guests and seeing them coming up the drive and having to shout to all our lovely friends and tradesmen that ‘they are arriving, everyone out’! We weren’t quite finished and they couldn’t get up to the Mezzanine but the Watson family cooked them dinner on Saturday and they were happy.
The four years of working on it, seemed like two and the ups and downs/worries/financial strains and everything that is involved in a project like we had, were just so worth it and Johnny and I enjoy seeing everyone in and the pleasure they get looking onto the amazing scenery and the whole atmosphere of the place. Johnny is exceptionally good seeing our guests in & sometimes I think he is having supper with everyone as he is so long.
This is just one of our guests comments and they left the Mill beautifully too. Thank you Fosters xx
This is a spectacular, family-friendly walk around St Mary’s Loch, just less than 20 minutes from The Mill and with so much history on route. It’s around a 7 mile circular walk. The views are beautiful and if you are interested in painting its worth taking your paints and pencils with you, too.
We went with a friend last October and the Loch was quite low. There are places you might need to walk on the verge or the road. The hawthorns were laden full of stunning red berries. You hear it said that if there are so many berries it is going to be a hard winter. We didn’t have such a hard winter – lots of rain but not blizzards or being stuck indoors. An article I read said ‘Despite a wealth of ancient folklore and proverbs linking a good year for berries with a hard winter ahead, there is no evidence the two are connected’.
We went with a friend last October and the Loch was quite low. There are places you might need to walk on the verge or the road. The hawthorns were laden full of stunning red berries. You hear it said that if there are so many berries it is going to be a hard winter. We didn’t have such a hard winter – lots of rain but not blizzards or being stuck indoors. An article I read said ‘Despite a wealth of ancient folklore and proverbs linking a good year for berries with a hard winter ahead, there is no evidence the two are connected’.
Freshly baked Lemon Drizzle Cake awaiting guests on their arrival, made with eggs laid by Doris, Lottie & Madge @ Foresthill. Thank you Gail Roberts, and for your delicious home-made jam. Can’t think of a nicer thing than a cup of tea and a slice of cake after a long journey or a hard walk in the hills.
Madge, Lottie and Doris live locally @ Yarrowford and they lay us six beautifully brown eggs just about every week. Though they had a holiday at Christmas and through January, they are working away again. They make the cake so beautifully yellow and light of course. I must pay a visit and take a photograph of them.
We had a wonderful 2015 and are look forward to 2016 at The Mill. We have lots of new things appearing here and a wedding in June to look forward to. We had Kevin Greenfield Photographer taking our Christmas pictures this year and I thought I’d put them up to remind people to book early this year and as a taster of how Christmassy it can look. The decorations have now sadly been taken down but they will be ready again next year.
THIS is our exciting time of year, I love getting the Mill ready with our Noble Fire Tree from our woods and organic and beautifully crafted decorations that will be placed around the Mill. I am delighted that our New Year guests would like all the Christmas decorations and tree to stay. I think they should be up for as long as possible. What a great place to sit around the tree and fireplace toasting chestnuts with those Christmas decorations adorning the fireplace and candles lit. I LOVE Christmas and the message that it brings to one and all.
NOTE TO SELF: This is a time to get organised and order all I need for that meal for the special day. It’s not a time to be stressed or worried, so plan ahead. Order Christmas Pudding from Julia Bruce this year, one less thing for me to make!
The interior has been fitted to an incredibly high standard using local hardwoods and premium fittings.
The internal layout is modern, eco-friendly and open plan. The entrance leads you through a large boot room with W.C to a spacious dining / living room with an open fire and state of the art kitchen.
The entrance floor features a luxury bedroom and wet room with sauna, whilst the downstairs floor has a utility room and three further bedrooms each with its own bathroom. A mezzanine offers an additional space to relax and unwind (which can become an additional bedroom using a sofa-bed).
Spacious, luxurious and feature-laden – The Mill has been designed to make your stay the holiday you always wished for.
