Who Owns Dunrobin Castle?

We walked the coast path to the northeast of the village this morning in stunning weather which followed....

....yet another night of hard frost, something which doesn't seem to bother the local moles too much as they seem to have settled in one of the coldest of corners. The frost wouldn't have been too bad had it not followed yesterday's heavy rain which, in its turn, had fallen on already frozen ground.

So in the open glades the frost was hard and white but in the woodland - these are a plantation of mainly sycamores - the path was muddy. However, despite the icy stretches and the mud, we probably met more people out enjoying the sun than we have in many weeks including a worryingly rare sight - adults out walking with their children.

The path takes us along a walled promenade below Dunrobin Castle, locked up and rather deserted at this time of year as the museum is closed and the owners away, although one forgets that....

....it is only humans that pretend exclusive ownership of these piles of rock, mortar, wood steel and soft furnishings. In fact, all the year round, someone else owns almost every bit of it and is, like any human, perfectly prepared to defend his property. In the case of the castle's walled vegetable garden and nursery secured behind this locked gate ownership is claimed by, you've guessed it....

....a robin.