Watching the ewes and lambs graze across Woodburn Farmhouse Paddock fills me with pride and a quiet sense of wonder. Our neighbour tends a flock of Scottish Blackface sheep that wander through the woods beside the winding burn. Once the heart of Woodburn Farmhouse, this land now belongs to another.
Now, Sassenach outsiders, let's dive back into today's agenda and tackle our tasks with purpose. First, we will hitch up the livestock trailer and gather the ewes and lambs, readying them for the journey ahead.
By law, every sheep must wear an identity tag, turning fields into pastures of numbered wanderers.
Sheep hoof clipping, performed every 2 to 3 months, removes excess horn from the outer walls and sole to prevent lameness and infections such as foot rot.
Lambs should be wormed, as we have previously lost lambs to lung fluke in the Scottish Borders.
In they go, next stop for them Abbotsford.
Lucy the ewe is clipped, Violet hoof sprayed, and then released with her lambs to graze in the paddock.
Every garage in Hawick was out of diesel, but we had just enough fuel to reach Selkirk.
Our sheep seemed calmer, the tup frolicked with playful energy, and the newcomers were welcomed into the flock with genuine warmth. After leaving the grass keep, we parked and walked a short section of St Cuthberts Way.