Across the valley from this romantic shepherd’s hideaway,
tucked in the mature grounds of a Scottish garden, you can’t help but be struck
by Ruberslaw. The conical hill is anything but hidden. From the window of the
shepherd’s hut it stands tall amid its green, agricultural surroundings. It’s
hard to imagine that some 330 million years ago it was an erupting volcano.
Today Ruberslaw’s rocky top is all that remains of an old volcanic vent and
you can hike to the top to enjoy the views. Not that you need go that far to
enjoy the valley scenery.
In the tiny hamlet of Minto, aptly named Rubersview
Shepherds Hut has a prime spot for gazing down the Teviot valley. Below the
tiered lawns of a countryside house, the hut is in a private space but with a
great outdoor area where you can soak up the views, kick back on the deck or
swing on an old wooden swing that hangs from a huge ash tree. Inside, the hut
has homely, rural furnishings, with a wooden kitchen worktop, an antique-style
table and chairs, a wood burner and even a wicker and canvas satchel for
collected foraged berries should you find any. A lean-to outside the hut also
lets you stroll in shelter to the adjacent cabin where there is a spacious
toilet and shower room – the all-wood interior nicely echoes the style of the
shepherd’s hut itself.
One of the nice things about Rubersview Shepherds Hut is the
small, personal scale of the place. With just the one hut to look after, it has
allowed time for owner Rob Armstrong to give some real attention to detail.
From the historic 1900s photo of local shepherd Jack Turnbull that hangs above the
wood-burning stove and free supply of
logs, everything is finished to a tee. The only thing he can’t control is the
weather.
When the suns out, it’s the local footpaths that seem most
appealing. Head down to the river (good for fishing) or hike up Ruberslaw
using an OS map to make a suitable loop. The glamping site is handily located
next door to the church with a tall, traditional, stone tower, so its always
quite easy to locate from the map. And if the weather’s bad? You can hole
yourself away in one of the local pubs or simply set up shop inside the cosy
little shepherd’s hut. Listening to the rain tinkle on the corrugated roof
while the wood-burner roars is one of life’s simple pleasures.