Rio Tweed

There’s a red sandstone which appears in outcrops and along river banks around here. I’m not sure if it’s from the same period as the sandstone used to build large swathes of Victorian Glasgow, but it’s very easy on the eye in this setting. I prefer it to the commonly used Whitstone, a much darker and slightly untidy stone found in many villages in next door Berwickshire.

This view across the Tweed toward the Eildon Hills caught my eye, but the narrow 1840s Mertoun Bridge wasn’t designed for dawdling photographers. I believe Mertoun Estate has something to do with the Duke of Sutherland. A controversial family and it’s not a huge surprise Dukey doesn't live in Sutherland given the appalling activities of his ancestors. 

The weather continues to throw-up some unseasonably extreme conditions and I felt sorry for the Melrose rideout participants who must have spent much of the ride in heavy rain last night. Today has been occasionally bright but with some big clouds blanketing the sky to the horizon. I wouldn't trust this sky not to dump another load of pissiness on me.