Day 177: Abbotsford

We visited Abbotsford today, the house Sir Walter Scott built for himself and his family.  It is a really nice house and has a walled garden with an old greenhouse in it.  Inside the house itself is fantastic.  I would adore a room like his study, which is lined with bookshelves full of beautiful old leather bound books and has a second level with a little staircase up to it in the corner.  And he had suits of armour which were just stunning and something like 500 years old - I can't imagine that old, it is just so awesome!  Having been to the jousting and seen these suits of armour I really want to be a knight in shining armour when I grow up :-)  It was a pity you couldn't take photos inside the house - I would have loved some of the armour and the books in particular.  This is outside looking in at the house through the gate.  Most of the house is on the other side and of course the sun was behind it so taking photos back the other way was useless.  But I do really like this, it's like peering through someones gate and getting a glimpse of what lies beyond - tantalisingly out of reach!