Bringing you the delights of our local area
Our team make a conscious effort to help you to live like a local while staying in our holiday homes and cottages, suggesting the best ways to discover our region’s unmissable attractions, independent shops, friendly hostelries and talented artists.
As experts on Northumberland, the Scottish Borders and East Lothian, and in a continued bid to support our local area during lockdown, we’ve been championing small and local businesses across social media and in our newsletter. This blog is filled to the brim with our insider’s perspective on products ranging from cashmere and flowers to gin and seafood.
Rosie Sugden Scottish Cashmere
Rosie’s designs are a collective favourite with our team. Based in the Scottish Borders, Rosie is the creative brilliance behind her eponymous luxury Scottish cashmere label, where fashion-forward and contemporary designs are inspired by the natural beauty of her surroundings and created with extraordinary craftsmanship. Picture super-soft bed socks, iconic turbans and snuggly scarves in a colour palette of dusty rose, lilac marl, heron grey and marmalade. Delicious!
The Potted Lobster
An inimitable seafood restaurant in coastal Bamburgh, this award-winning eatery has been featured in the Michelin Guide for three years running. “Our menu celebrates fresh, local produce and simple cooking. I wanted our food to be rustic and unfussy, but of the highest quality.” With one eye on a future reopening, the team are offering a free bottle of wine with your meal when you buy a £50 gift voucher or a free bottle of prosecco with your meal when you buy a £100 gift voucher.
The Mainstreet Trading Company
The brilliant team at Mainstreet Trading Company have used the time during lockdown to expand their range of sublime Mainstreet Care Packs. “While these are strange and uncertain times, there are parts of life that carry on as normal. Birthdays and anniversaries come around, babies are born, and friends and family still need love sent their way.” If you know a key worker or a loved one who would benefit from a little bit of extra care sent their way, Mainstreet may have just the thing!
Hepple Spirits Co.
Gin is in and it’ll come as no surprise that our rugged local landscape has produced several juniper-infused spirits to national acclaim. A firm favourite comes from the folks at Hepple. Their story started in one of England’s last wild sanctuaries, the remote moors of Northumberland, and their gin was created to make the perfect dry martini: “we wanted our juniper to taste as alive in the glass as it is on the hill”. For vodka fans, Hepple’s is made with the needles of the Douglas Fir tree!
Ginger House Garden
Steph and Ali are the ‘keepers’ of Ginger House Garden where they grow and harvest a wealth of beautiful, seasonal fresh flowers and foliage. Part of a move away from mass imported flowers towards homegrown, seasonal British blooms, their flower fields are the centre of their smallholding on the English/Scottish border. With the Cheviot Hills on one side and the Tweed Valley on the other, there’s inspiration from the natural world all around. Read our Q&A with the sisters.
Laura Thomas Co.
Based in beachy North Berwick, a seaside town in East Lothian with coastal charm and breathtaking views, Laura was energised by her surroundings to design ranges made from natural ingredients and fibres. With the motto, “simple is our style, deep comfort is our philosophy”, each product on offer, from the classic bed linen to the beach wares and hand poured soy candles, focuses on carefree and conscious living. We can’t get enough of the divinely refreshing pink grapefruit shampoo.
A. Hume Country Clothing
We always enjoy reading the country lifestyle posts on A. Hume’s website. As known purveyors of traditional country clothing with a contemporary twist, we were delighted when Archie’s tip-top team, always at the forefront of countryside happenings, chose three of our holiday cottages for their feature on staycations. Read their staycation blog and view their website stocking brands favoured by the country set - Barbour, Dubarry, Schoffel, RM Williams and Hicks & Brown.
Pheasant Feather Art
Clare Brownlow lives near us in the Scottish Borders countryside and creates her recognisable arty masterpieces using ink and, you guessed it, pheasant feathers! With designs ranging from country classics to jazzy flamingos and kitchen condiments, we were excited to receive photos of her newest range of placemats and coasters featuring a selection of sweet garden birds - a perfect addition to our al fresco tablescapes while enjoying this sunshiney garden weather at home.
