Sunday Best: Farewell Summer

 

Jacket - Topshop, Dress (altered) - Asos,
Sunglasses - Ray Ban c/o Sunglasses Shop, Bag - Mulberry Alexa.

It is time to bid adieu to British summertime, to pack up all my unworn dresses, bulk buy black tights and embrace the unpredictable weather but not before one last outing. There isn't much that I love more than nosing around a country pile. So, a few Sunday's ago we got in the car and trundled off deep into the Scottish borders to visit Floors Castle - which isn't really a castle at all but a Georgian house square house with an afterthought of turrets.

First of all we spent some time exploring the colourful gardens, which were swarmed with big fat honey bees (can you spot the photo bomber?) and pondering botanists until it began to rain, so we snuck into one of the many Victorian greenhouses to shelter.

Unfortunately we got completely soaked making our way to the house which put an end of any further outfit pictures but what is inside the castle is far more interesting. The castle staff were quick to tell us of the American heiress Duchess May (nee Goelet) - hailed as the inspiration behind Downton Abbey's Countess of Grantham (I'm not entirely convinced). The tour went through one lavish room after another but my favourite part had to be a small room, by their standards in which taxidermy birds and curious cabinets lined the walls. I had hoped to see the castle's kitchens but the tour was more of tribute to country sports with a glimpse of the gun rooms and other sporting paraphernalia. The ladies side saddle looked positively terrifying.

Farewell Summer, see you next year!