Sheltered

Although it was beautifully sunny, overnight hail was lying in the shadows, and the strong wind made it colder still. We decided it was not a day for the hills, so A and I spent the morning exploring "Allan Ramsay" country, east of Carlops. Habbie's Howe is the pretty sheltered woodland beside the North Esk - that here is only a stream. It inspired Ramsay's romanticised pastoral poetry that may have been popular in its day, but - to judge from the couple of verses carved into rocks in two places - now sounds rather trite. The most well-known location is Peggy's Pool (see extra), but we preferred this rocky outcrop (Harbour Craig), and the unfamiliar view of the Pentlands. 

It is this Allan Ramsay whose monument is in the Penicuik Estate. His son (of the same name) was a prominent painter.