REGRETTABLY, IT seems that the art of den-building is dying out as schoolboys shun constructing shelters from twigs to bully each other in cyberspace. As a grotty adolescent, friends and I spent many a happy weekend making dens in which we could plot
bloody revenge against an insouciant adult world and give ourselves food poisoning by half-cooking sausages over toxic fires made from scavenged ceiling tiles. The only thing better than this was finding other boys' dens, trashing them and stealing their dog-eared copies of Razzle. That such innocent pleasures should be lost forever seems scandalous.
Fortunately, we can stop the rot by marching children along to Craik Forest car park in the Borders tomorrow, where they can learn about den-building and bushcraft for beginners. The event is aimed at eight to 15-year-olds so it should be fairly gentle and parents won't need to worry that their offspring will be subjected to some sort of Bear Grylls-style deprivation. Book ahead at the website below.
Sticking with the outdoors, the Borders Festival of the Horse gets underway this weekend. The Floors Castle International Horse Trials taking place today and tomorrow are the headline event but plenty of other equine entertainments are on offer. Racing fans might relish the opportunity to take a look around a working National Hunt yard as Harriet Graham hosts an open day at her stable near Jedburgh. More specialised is this afternoon's demonstration of horse logging, which takes place at the Lothian Estates woods near Harestanes Countryside Visitor Centre.
Further north, The Fife Show is held at Kinloss near Cupar today. There will be plenty of farm animals standing around waiting to be prodded by judges but, when that palls, visitors might want to wander over to the Game Fair or investigate the food and cookery marquee. In the main ring, the attractions include a vintage car parade, sky diving, falconry, terrier-racing and tractor-pulling, a useful skill in times of rising fuel prices. I can't find any mention of a beer tent but tractor-pulling must be thirsty work and it's hard to imagine that there won't be some facility for slaking thrapples.
On the west coast, insanely fit sailors and fell runners are busy taking part in this year's Scottish Islands Peak Race. It started in Oban yesterday and the course continues with a sail to Salen on Mull, a run over Ben More followed by a sail to Craighouse on Jura, a run of the Paps, sail to Arran, a pech up Goat Fell and it all ends with a sail to Troon where, presumably, the competitors collapse in a frothing heap. The sailing course of 160 nautical miles includes the strong tides and overfalls of the Corryvreckan whirlpool and the Mull of Kintyre while the runners cover 60 miles and 11,500 ft of climbing. The fastest fell runners get names like the Kings of Benmore, the Molls of Mull and, finally, Completely Knackered of Troon.
n For more information visit, www.forestry.gov.uk; www.bordersfestival horse.org; www.fifeshow.com; www.sipr. zetnet.co.uk
The full article contains 528 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
