Moss and More

It was Mr Flum's turn to choose the destination Friday Playday and he chose the Wartime Military Camp at Stobs, south of Hawick. This is an important site, representing training and prisoner of war with many remaining features.

We began the trip on the A68, with coffee in the Rhymer's Tower cafe in Earlston then proceeded through Hawick to turn south on the B6399, turning off immediately before Woodfoot Bridge and parking in a small carpark at the edge of the camp.

On the scale we could investigate, apart from the trenches, the standing buildings appeared to represent toilet blocks (see extra collage, top left), various remaining foundations in evidence but at present there is no information board to explain what we could see. However, we wandered around in the chilly wind, inspecting what we could, concluding that the site was sufficiently steep-sided and bleak to perform both training and, later, prisoner-of-war function well.

There are sheep in surrounding fields, including Extra 2 a Herdie - this well-endowed lad came over for a chat and a nose-rub before trotting off to tell his pal about the daft humans.

On our way to the camp, close by Woodfoot Bridge, we had passed an intriguing arch among trees, so stopped on our return to investigate. (see extra collage bottom right), this is the old lodge gate to Stobs Castle, to the south. We found drifts of snowdrops beneath the trees, I just had to record (collage, bottom left). Also around here are around 20 pig units (individual houses), we saw a few sows and three cute piglets; also, on the hill, braying donkeys, all too far away for the phone to focus.

Next stop was Hawick itself, for a spot of lunch in Renas Cafe and a wander round a few charity shops. On the wall of Hawick Town Hall is a splendid cased barometer and thermometer (collage, top right), worthy of a blip itself.

By then it was time to head home, arriving just after sunset. All the hype about the seven-planet alignment is lost on us as the sky was too hazy for any views. So typical of Edinburgh!

Main photo, and approximate location, for Flower Friday is of moss sporangia on one of the walls - not, I agree, strictly flowers but the best equivalent that a Bryophyte can produce. I thought they were sweet. Thanks to BikerBear for hosting.