A hotel in the woods?

Yesterday was a lovely morning for an outing in Maryculter Community Woods with our friends M and J.

Gail explained to me that, in a tradition going back to my predecessor Bouncing Bertie, these walks normally feature a coffee break where the humans can relax, sitting on a conveniently situated log and enjoying the view, and afterwards I would be expected to 'pose nicely' for a photo.  

Apparently Bertie would sit at M and J's feet for the photo call, but I decided to ring the changes, at least in one respect, and assert my top dog status...

Further down the path I spotted an unusual wooden construction and overheard M telling Gail it was some sort of a new hotel.

Oh that's wonderful, I thought, just the place for my pals from across the Pond to come and stay - Americans will find the rates so cheap now that the dollar and pound are more or less the same value. 

I checked out the accommodation inside and out and raced back to Gail, eager to debate whom to invite first. Her response was really quite belittling.

"Oh you are ridiculous Nobby, it's an insect hotel. Surely you noticed it doesn't even have a roof and the 'windows' and stuffed with twigs and pine cones! Come next year when all the wood has started decomposing in earnest, all sorts of creepy crawlies will be making this their home and no amount of cheap currency will tempt your friends to stay there."

Gail did later point our that we have a perfectly good house in Aberdeen, and another in Torridon, and plenty of room in both, and our friends need only say the word and we'd love to welcome them.  (Although if they visit the Torridon cottage in July and August and leave the windows open they might well mistake it for a midge motel...)