It is a very Scottish expression to ‘do one’s messages’. That means to run errands. I don’t remember ever hearing my mother say it, so it was relatively new to me and I assumed it was maybe a highland turn of phrase. But my uncle uses it, as do the locals here in Orkney, as well as a friend of mine back in Milton who was born in Scotland. And in Britain, ‘the High Street’ is what North Americans might call Main Street, or even more specifically ‘Main St, USA’, referring to the primary downtown shopping & business street.
This is Albert Street, Kirkwall’s High Street, and at first glance one could easily assume it was a pedestrian-only walkway, as it is very narrow, windy, (that’s a long ‘i’ as in twisting around, not blowing around), brick & cobbled lane. Many stores welcome dogs, some food-based shops very sensibly do not. This is Scout, waiting patiently as I get my messages. I used to tie her up directly outside the shop I’m in now, but then I realized just how close the cars come to its front door. So she sits across the street and watches and waits.