Wet diamonds

This morning we decided to climb up the Eildon Hills near Melrose in the Borders and were rewarded by distant misty views including southwards to the Cheviots on the English border.

There are three peaks but according to legend there was once one mountain before the Wizard Michael Scot cut it into three. Like several other hills in Britain it is said to be the resting place of King Arthur who sleeps below with his knights and their horses ready to defend the country when great danger threatens.

Also on one of the hills somewhere there is a gateway to the Realm of the Fairie Queen who abducted and kept Thomas the Rhymer inside for three years.

Today all seemed peaceful, apart from birdsong and a distant cuckoo, with no need for Arthur and his knights to be aroused from their deep sleep. And the only evidence we saw of fairies were the little diamonds that they had left glistening on the wet blackthorn blossom at the start of the walk but it was no use trying to collect them as they would disappear as soon as they were touched.