After a difficult August, it was great to get away for a fortnight. Scotland is a place I love a lot which is probably because I have more Scottish blood in my veins than any other! The scenery is spectacular and the people friendly.

We began our trip in Perth, where my husband’s aunt lives. From here we went to nearby Broughty Ferry. As well as visiting the famous Goodfellow and Stephen’s bakery (a must) I couldn’t resist visiting this shop containing all kinds of antique books. A definite author’s den!

Broughty Ferry is in county Angus as is Dundee, the home of D.C Thomson and Scottish newspapers, Sunday Post and the Evening Telegraph, plus children’s books and comics, Oor Wullie, the Beano, the Dandy and Women’s magazine, the People’s Friend, to name just a few of their many publications.

We travelled by train from Perth to spend a day in Glasgow to see friends and family and had lunch opposite the iconic art deco Beresford building.

Another train trip from Perth took us to Edinburgh, home of the castle, the Royal Mile and Princes Street. But Edinburgh has a few bookish gems too, such as the building housing one of Scotland’s famous newspapers, the Scotsman.

Our second trip to Edinburgh was to visit the special exhibition of the Edwardians, namely the son of Queen Victoria, Edward VII and his wife Alexandra, great collectors of fashion and expensive objects. The exhibition was housed in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the original seat of the Scottish monarchs, but we had to dodge the runners to get into the Palace as the day we went was a special fun run day. The two kilted gents below were on duty outside the famous Caledonian Hotel.

I couldn’t end my trip to Scotland without mentioning Gretna Green the centre of romance where couples from England or Wales would elope to marry without their parents consent.

Couples are still married regularly at Gretna Green nowadays but legally this time!