Sheep are delicious and not as plentiful in this part of the world. Sheep/lamb is not a diet staple here, especially mutton. Too bad for us.
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Castles, bridges and other aspects of the Scottish Borders
- Thread starter Raymond
- Start date
hovel
ol' stupid
Leg of lamb, lamp chops, maybe the list goes on but it's hard to find in the markets. I cannot imagine what you would have to do to make mutton palatable, maybe marinate it in crab boil for, uh, weeks ?
I was told that the untrained taste buds can't tell it from goat. Then again, much of the rest of the world eats goat and we don't. Goat farmers I know of say that their product goes overseas.
I was told that the untrained taste buds can't tell it from goat. Then again, much of the rest of the world eats goat and we don't. Goat farmers I know of say that their product goes overseas.
When I was a road warrior, I ate it often and thoroughly enjoyed it. And, you're right, I'm not sure I can tell the difference between that and goat. Even now, If I see a busy Jamaican restaurant I'm going in and looking for curried goat.
Personal choice, I don't eat sheep. Or goats, cows, pigs, horses, hens, turkeys, fish, shellfish, locusts, ants, rabbits, etcetera.
What do you eat
Plenty! Need to cut back . . .
I don't eat sheep. Or goats, cows, pigs, horses, hens, turkeys, fish, shellfish, locusts, ants, rabbits, etcetera
That don't leave out much Just veggies
That don't leave out much Just veggies
That's perfectly fine. I'm doing my best to rid the planet of cows, pigs, fish, sheep, chickens, turkeys.... It seems I can't keep up and I'm eating as fast as I can!
Thats really cool @Raymond!
And stones are the only things sheep don't eat.
Goat and mutton are 2 completely different meats.......... Goat meat is lean, mutton is full of fat.............now baby goat that is still suckling is so sweet it is nearly nauseous.
Spend a lot of time riding along lanes in the Scottish Borders. There's loads of small roads - some are narrow, some are even narrower, some are twisty and up & down, but in the Eastern part of the region, they tend to be straight and flat. Like these examples:
The first example, just over the border in Northumberland, has high hedges full of wild plants and wildlife. Saw a weasel crossing the road ahead of us just before stopping to take the first two pictures. The third picture shows the crops ready for harvest alongside a lane in Berwickshire.
In fact, the harvest is in full swing and one hazard to be aware of especially on the twisty lanes is meeting a combine harvester. The usually travel in a convoy, often there's a van leading the way with a flashing hazard light, then a huge harvester, then a tractor pulling the table. For those that don't know, the table is the wide basket and cutter mounted at the front of the machine in harvest mode, up to about 40' wide, so it has to be towed endways-on along the lanes.
The first example, just over the border in Northumberland, has high hedges full of wild plants and wildlife. Saw a weasel crossing the road ahead of us just before stopping to take the first two pictures. The third picture shows the crops ready for harvest alongside a lane in Berwickshire.
In fact, the harvest is in full swing and one hazard to be aware of especially on the twisty lanes is meeting a combine harvester. The usually travel in a convoy, often there's a van leading the way with a flashing hazard light, then a huge harvester, then a tractor pulling the table. For those that don't know, the table is the wide basket and cutter mounted at the front of the machine in harvest mode, up to about 40' wide, so it has to be towed endways-on along the lanes.
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Such pretty country, you know I’m descended from Scottish ancestry, last name is Campbell ( super common last name here). I have no idea what part of Scotland we’re from though. I’ve often wondered on those narrow country roads, I’ve seen some that have tall hedges and lots of curves, are drivers generally cautious coming around blind corners or are motorcyclists at high risk on roads like that?
Eeeh um! Good question! Some drivers are cautious, some less so. You develop the usual 2-wheel skills - keeping in the best place to see as far ahead as possible, looking over the hedges in places where you can see stretches of the road ahead, right hand steady on the throttle but ready to move to the brake pretty quick, keep wheels out of the gravel if you might need to stop suddenly. Most of those lanes, most times, there's room for a car/van to pass a bike provided you both get well in. Exceptions when you meet a large log-haulage lorry or a big tractor & trailer. Or a supermarket delivery van in a hurry. Guess in the worst case you hope to take avoiding action - crash into the hedge? That's one thing that hasn't happened to me yet.
You kind of select your own pace to suit your mood, the weather, the road you're on, how far you can see for oncoming traffic, the level of risk you're happy with.
This afternoon, been out on the Royal Enfield again. For a sorta test run round some of the nearby villages. But this time, thought I would take my camera, maybe stop and take a couple of pictures. These scenes are just a few miles away:
In the little villages of Roxburgh - gives its name to the county of Roxburghshire - and Maxton, where we rented a house for a few months in 2005 before buying this place.
And both places where we stopped, ended up in conversations with strangers. The RE seems to reel 'em in.
In the little villages of Roxburgh - gives its name to the county of Roxburghshire - and Maxton, where we rented a house for a few months in 2005 before buying this place.
And both places where we stopped, ended up in conversations with strangers. The RE seems to reel 'em in.
Wow Raymond! What a beautiful area to ride that bike in, it looks like it just rode out of a time machine, it looks right at home there. By the way, I’m pretty sure that when you ride that old Enfield in that environment, you are required to wear a suit and a tweed cap!
There are rules you know! 
Raymond, that RE is looking really good!
Just did 13 days across the pond. Saw more " palace " then castles. Those " Hapsburgs " had some pretty impressive places to toss their crown at the end of the day. When I was stationed in Bad Kreuznach Germany, I lived off post and had a castle behind my house. Just a shell.. but you could make out the number of floors.
Our next adventure maybe your neck of the woods. I discovered a few years ago my great great great.. think 3 greats... grandfather " Peter " came over from Scotland in the 1850's.. settled near Roaring Creek, Wis. (no longer exists) and started " begotten " and farming.
Our next adventure maybe your neck of the woods. I discovered a few years ago my great great great.. think 3 greats... grandfather " Peter " came over from Scotland in the 1850's.. settled near Roaring Creek, Wis. (no longer exists) and started " begotten " and farming.
Attachments
Daniel, yes, familiar with the lake district, but don't go there very often these days - gets too busy.
But this afternoon, been out on the small lanes in the Borders on the RE Bullet.
These were taken in Minto - sounds like a sweetie but it's a rather select village. Very quiet, slightly posh, I think if you lived there you would have to know your place? The old Post Office telephone box now houses the village defibrillator.
People collect funds for a defibrillator but if somebody has a heart attack, and by the time somebody has to go and fetch the kit, and in some places there's keypad security so you need to phone up and find out the number . . . well, personally I think it would make more sense to teach everybody, starting at school, how to do cardiac massage to keep the patient going till the paramedics arrive with a defibrillator and the necessary professional knowledge. But what do I know . . .
But this afternoon, been out on the small lanes in the Borders on the RE Bullet.
These were taken in Minto - sounds like a sweetie but it's a rather select village. Very quiet, slightly posh, I think if you lived there you would have to know your place? The old Post Office telephone box now houses the village defibrillator.
People collect funds for a defibrillator but if somebody has a heart attack, and by the time somebody has to go and fetch the kit, and in some places there's keypad security so you need to phone up and find out the number . . . well, personally I think it would make more sense to teach everybody, starting at school, how to do cardiac massage to keep the patient going till the paramedics arrive with a defibrillator and the necessary professional knowledge. But what do I know . . .