Zooplaing

Catriona complained that, after 20 months of more or less the same walk every day, she wanted to go somewhere different. So we jumped into the car and headed to East Linton, to walk the 5km circle along the Tyne to Hailes Castle.

But it wasn’t the history of the castle that got us fascinated most (lots of Mary Queen of Scots stuff - she had dinner there once). Instead, we hit the Zoopla app to see the purchase prices of the fabulous cottages and great hulks of Victorian castles and merchant houses that scatter this village.

I loved this home office, a wooden aardvark-like construction with a porthole looking out to the road. The back of the house looks onto the river below.

Who could live in a house like this? Not me. I’m not sure anyone making an honest living ever could.