First trip of 2026

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 Normally, my first trip of the year would be my annual spring pilgrimage to Morvich in Kintail, but I was really itching to get away in my other caravan, a Hymer Nova 390, to give it a good run up and also check many of the fixes and repairs I’d done over the winter, following the seasonal trip in Markinch.

A good trip with mixed weather, a few days really wet, and some dry. Stayed here many times, and even on an autumn seasonal pitch, and one thing about this area is that all my favourite walks were quite muddy. This involved extra work, having the 2 dogs.

Took trips to all my favourite haunts. One of the finest is the walk around the Haining in Selkirk. A former grand estate now open to the public, it has some great walking. One of the walks around the pond includes passing the home of the original Dandy Dinmont Terrier!




Another lovely walk is above Scott’s Viwepoint on the road to Dryburgh Abbey. The drone provided some great shots of the incredible landscape, featuring the Eildon Hills.

I captured a great shot of the River Tweed and the Eildons. I submitted it, and it was published by the BBC!

The ruins of nearby Dryburgh Abbey are another favourite of mine. Dog friendly (on leads), and free entry for Historic Scotland member, it is a great way to spend an afternoon.


This early in the year, it can get dark quite early. I really enjoy the period of darkness in the evening!



Since my last visit, a new DIY store has opened in nearby Tweedbank, and I took the opportunity to touch up the stains on the van ceiling. The roof light had leaked and although I fixed the leak, a dark stain remained at the fringes of where the water had got in. 2 or 3 tester pots of paint, and I found a reasonable match, which when dried actually looked pretty good.

 


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