Shepherd's Rest

01/06/2026

As part of our 50th birthday celebrations at Heatherslaw Mill, we’d like to invite one and all to come and have a look around this Summer! 👀
Since November 1975 the mill has been open as a heritage visitor attraction, focused on keeping the craft of milling and the availability of quality, local stoneground flours alive. 🌾
From June until August we are throwing our doors open and getting rid of our entry fee! In its place, we kindly ask for donations of any size to support our Mill and hopefully keep its mill wheel grinding for another 50 years. ☀️
We’re proud that our mill has retained its traditional purpose and, after over 700 years of milling history on this site, it is now the last working watermill in Northumberland and one of the few remaining in the UK.
🙏 We look forward to continuously making more improvements as our ancestors did, whilst still keeping the traditional craft of milling true to its original processes and techniques.

Whether you like to see and learn about grains and our changing diets, or how necessity proved the mother of invention, how buildings such as watermills ran sustainably and in harmony with their local landscape for hundreds of years… or just fancy getting some of the best stoneground flour you can find, Heatherslaw Mill has something for everyone. 👍
We hope visitors new and returning will enjoy coming to “mill around” with us this Summer.

01/06/2026

Here is a great guide to butterflies you may see in June. We have seen Painted Ladies here already, there are ID guides here for guests to use too. Plus we had a Hummingbird Hawkmoth in the garden a few days ago!

June brings a whole new line-up of brilliant butterflies and moths to spot in your gardens and local green spaces 🦋🌿

Do you have a favourite butterfly? Vote now to help us find Britain's Favourite Butterfly 👇
https://britainsfavouritebutterfly.co.uk/?utm_source=Social_Media&utm_medium=Social_Media&utm_campaign=BFB_2026&utm_id=BFB_2026

30/05/2026

Good advice for wild swimmers

☀️ The weather has been hot. The water still isn't.

Over the past few days, at least 12 people have died after getting into difficulty in open water during the recent spell of warm weather. Many were children and teenagers.

One of the biggest misconceptions about swimming in hot weather is this: If the air feels warm, people assume the water will be too.

But rivers, lakes, lochs, reservoirs and the sea warm much more slowly than the air.

While smaller ponds and shallow lakes can warm up surprisingly quickly after a few days of hot weather, the sea, larger lakes/lochs, deep reservoirs and rivers fed from higher ground can still be surprisingly cold.

Even on a hot day, cold water can trigger an involuntary gasp response, rapid breathing and panic within seconds of entering the water.

As open water swimmers, we see beautiful places to swim, but we also know that cold water deserves respect.

If you're planning to swim in the coming days, weeks or months:
🔹 Enter the water gradually
🔹 Give your breathing time to settle before swimming
🔹 Never jump or dive straight into cold water
🔹 Swim with others
🔹 Know your exit point before you get in

⭐ If you get into difficulty in cold water, remember the RNLI Float to Live advice:

🔸 Tilt your head back and keep your ears in the water
🔸 Relax and focus on controlling your breathing
🔸 Move your hands and feet gently to help you stay afloat
🔸 Don't panic if your legs sink - everybody floats differently

Once you've regained control of your breathing, you can call for help or swim to safety.

If you know someone who enjoys cooling off in rivers, lochs, reservoirs or the sea during warm weather, please share this with them. It might help them recognise cold water shock and remember what to do if they ever get into difficulty.

And if you'd like to understand cold water shock, acclimatisation, afterdrop and safe cold-water swimming in more detail, I've put together a free Cold Water Mini Guide:

📘 https://tinyurl.com/coldwaterguide

Cold water can be wonderful.

But it deserves a little knowledge and a lot of respect. 💙

28/05/2026

Tofay’s selection at the wonderful The Curfew Micropub 🍻

27/05/2026

Great tours from Eyemouth harbour, suitable for all ages

*New* Wildlife Tours running from Eyemouth this weekend - Saturday May 30th & Sunday 31st 2pm.
🐬Visit the stunning seabird colonies of St Abbs Head and watch out for those dolphins, whales maybe an Orca on the way.

🛥️ We are partnering with Aquamarine Charters to run wildlife tours on their new boat Rocket. Able to carry 12 passenger Rocket has large decks for plenty of space and a fabulous top deck great for spotting those dolphins. Easy access from floating pontoons at Eyemouth harbour so suitable for everyone. The tour will be led by experienced guide.

🐋 The wildlife tour takes 90 mins depending on conditions. Price is £35 Adult, £25 Children

27/05/2026

Allanton Inn Pizza Nights are back for the summer! Less than 15 mins drive from site, there is a beautiful beer garden for sitting out in the sunshine 😎🍻🌷

27/05/2026

Full on Sula Bassana action at Bass Rock now! Did you know there’s also a colony at St Abbs St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve NTS ?

27/05/2026

Spectacular rhodies in Dundock wood at The Hirsel in Coldstream. Pop in for coffee and cake at The Homestead Café & Farm Shop too!

26/05/2026

Head to Giacopazzi's in Eyemouth for gelato !!!