Dunblane

We were invited to arrive two nights ahead of our housesit in Scotland. That way we had time to get to know the homeowners before they left this morning for their holiday in Portugal. We were glad to be here early so we could watch Queen Elizabeth's funeral. It was good to be able to hear local people talk about her and how important she was to so many.

The house is a farm conversion into an estate that sits on a hill overlooking more beautiful hills. We are caring for two dogs, Lola and Smartie, plus a duck, six chickens, and two roosters. Fresh eggs for breakfast every day is a treat!

I'm learning to cook on the Aga, a cast iron heat storage "cooker". It has two top hotplates, boiling and simmering, and four ovens, roasting, simmering, slow cooking, and warming. There are no controls so one has to get used to which area to use for which purpose. People who have an Aga just love them!Read more