It was a chilly but gloriously sunny day in January 2022 when I first visited Paxton House, beside the River Tweed near Berwick.
Storm Arwen had roared through the region in November, flattening swathes of woodland and damaging properties, including taking a bite out of our roof in North Northumberland. Paxton’s beautiful gardens and grounds had also taken a severe battering, and the clean-up was still going on. So many of Paxton’s grand old trees had been lost to the storm, but the riverside path had being largely cleared and we were able to enjoy a walk in the unexpected sunshine.
But the real highlight of that day for me – and another first – was to see an otter! And not just one of these gorgeous creatures cavorting in the river just a few yards from the path, but three. It was a magical moment.
I also learned that day that a Scottish name for the otter is ‘dratsie’, and there are tales of ‘Otter Kings’ who were accompanied by seven black otters. I still wonder whether there were four more otters and their king somewhere nearby on that sunny day at Paxton…
