As I write, looking out the window of our flat towards Arthur’s Seat, here or there a pioneering tree shouts its last of the season in yellow ochre. The dormant volcano’s rump is going from green to purple, the outcome of that colour wash the inevitable dull brown of deep winter. I wonder how many other residents of this iconic city are reaching for the … Continue reading Finding fairytales at Preston Mill, East Lothian
The sea holds something special for me. Growing up a stone’s throw from the River Clyde and holidaying on Highland shores meant that the tide and its creatures were backdrops to my childhood. Since moving to Scotland’s capital Edinburgh in my mid-twenties, the sea — although close — has seemed just out my reach… Until last weekend. It’s an easy jaunt out to one of … Continue reading Away with the birds: A trip to Bass Rock
It was a bank holiday, there was a heatwave, and we were heading south. Last weekend — for a mere 48 hours — we waltzed about London, the UK’s buzzing multicultural capital. It had literally been half a decade since my last visit and (to be honest) I was a bit petrified. I’m a lass who thrives on empty spaces and simple pleasures; as I reflected, … Continue reading Four ways to feel like a local in North London
There are many things to love about Scotland but one that I always return to is its sense of mystery. No matter how many times you’ve walked the same road, lived in one place or seen the same landscape, there’s always something to discover. Peel back the modern façades, brand-new brickwork or soulless tarmac and there are stories — right there — waiting to be told. That’s … Continue reading History and home goals at Sandford House, Fife
I absolutely adore autumn. Okay, I do have a tendency to say the same thing about every season when it appears, from the fragile spring snowdrops to the first frosts of winter… Yet, when it’s the height of autumn and even the cities are covered in colour, I can’t help but feel autumn is the prettiest season going. And where else could you possibly go … Continue reading The end of autumn at the Hermitage, Dunkeld
When you tell folk that you are spending the summer in Scotland, they frequently utter that ‘oh right’ or ‘hmmm’ murmur that basically translates as, ‘Good luck with the weather.’ However, when you manage to sneak in that you’re actually heading to Arisaig, they nod and know exactly why. If you have ever visited the isolated west coast village of Arisaig, you’ll have fallen in love. … Continue reading A postcard from… Arisaig
