Day 47: 25th March – Cutting Edge House – Na rathaidean fada, lùbach tro Chuimrigh agus Alba

Today’s trivia is on sheep:

The UK has one of the highest densities of sheep breeds in the world, with over 60 distinct breeds and over 80 in total.
In 2020, a Texel ram named Double Diamond was sold at a Scottish auction for a staggering 350,000 guineas, or roughly $A980,000, making him the most expensive sheep.
Sheep have horizontal, rectangular pupils that give them 360-degree vision, allowing them to see behind themselves without turning their heads.
They are quite intelligent, able to recognize up to 50 individual sheep faces for over two years.
Britain’s 31 million sheep produce roughly 30 million kilos of wool per year.
Common UK breeds include the Scottish Blackface, Herdwick, Jacob, and the fashionable, black-spotted Valais Blacknose.
Sheep have four stomachs, allowing them to break down tough food.
Sheep live for around 10-12 years but only of not on the menu.
Pregnancy lasts about 152 days.
They have scent glands in front of their eyes and between their hooves for communication

Wise has kindly informed me that the pre-authorisation charge for each charging session on Shetland has been cancelled and no actual costs have been billed. So free charging, Now I know why google had “out of service”. Not because it couldn’t charge the car, but because it couldn’t charge to the debit card. HGiT.

I originally booked the hotel for May by mistske, not April, although I got the dates right. They could only accommodate us for three days in a double room and then a different room for the last night. So today is moving day. Hopefully our bags won’t get lost in transit.

I asked for kippers with beans, tomato and mushroomSSSS for breakfast. We asked for Cafeteir for two and the waiter said plunger for two sir. You just can’t win!

I asked the waiter if he was here tomorrow, yes sir. Well then, can you be a good chap and remind me to order kippers without the cappers? Yes sir.

We set off for Craigside, a cutting edge house with all the mod cons of the day that almost wouldn’t be out of place today.

200m down the road we found tucked away off the road, another AA box . .

We arrived early at Craigside. First impressions were to our liking, free entry (thanks to National Trust membership) and free parking.

We walked to the visitor centre (2IC’s idea) . . .

To the power house . . .

and the queue for entry into the house . . .

First stop was the kitchen . .

It had a sauna/spa . . .

Bathrooms with hot and cold water to the bedrooms . . .

Walking wardrobes . . .

And had a connection with Australia . . .

The pianist, Madame Arabella Goddard did a world tour that abruptly stopped in Sydney as her manager didn’t want her playing alongside a low life. Left leaving piano behind.

The clock tower chimed at 6am to wake workers, 8am to start work and . . .

Obligatory photo shoots . . .

Cragside had central heating, electric lighting, gravity-fed plumbing, water-powered machinery and a hydraulic lift provided an unrivalled level of comfort. All to the thanks of the industrialist William George Armstrong. His wife, Margaret was instrumental in the landscaping of the Estate.

Due to Armstrong’s arms manufacturing and hence wealth, he had high connections in Japan, China, Thailand America and UK royalty that came to visit.

We spent an extraidinary amount of time at the Craigside that there wasn’t anytime to do much else.

But we did manage to squeeze in . .