As we get ready for the opening up of the cottages in the near future, it is time to reflect on what has been happening here at Press Mains in recent months.

On the cottage front, we took advantage of the time presented by the various lockdowns and have made a few improvements to the cottages. This includes a stunning new bathroom in Stewards, a  new bathroom in Crofters and Superking beds in Stewards and Crofters in additon to the one already in Castle. There will be more about these and other improvements soon and we will be updating the website with some brilliant new photography by Will Hartop so watch this space! Bookings are flooding in for the cottages and caravan site so do get in quickly to avoid disappointment.

Work on the farm is getting underway with crops beginning to grow. As with the rest of the country, the weather has been mixed in recent weeks and we have gone from frosts, sleet and high winds to cloudless skies and sunshine which has made things difficult but the team has worked hard to ensure that all tasks that could be done have been completed. In the bright spring sunshine it is fair to say that the farm has never looked more beautiful and we can’t wait to welcome guests here again.

Through late February and most of March we were busy with lambing. Most of the ewes are now out on the hill with their lambs at foot and they are looking extremely well. As long as they have full tummies and they stay relatively dry, lambs really don’t mind the cold but we are still feeding the ewes outside to keep them milking well as the grass has been slow to start growing. Closer to home, we have a group of pet lambs who, for various reasons, we are rearing on bottled milk and lamb pellets. They range from Big Bertha who is one of the biggest lambs on the farm to Tiny who is, well, tiny. Although we run the flock as a commercial enterprise, we do believe that all lives matter so Tiny is kept with a small group of younger lambs in the warm and she sometimes even wears a jumper when it gets really cold. So far so good and she is getting stronger every day.

We are hoping for a fabulous summer in the Scottish Borders and look forward to welcoming you to Press Mains.