England has Hay-on-Wye, Scotland has Wigtown. Located in Dumfries and Galloway, this enchanting town, with 900 residents, is home to 12 independent book shops and its own literary festival. The festival this year is on...
A beer festival, the Olympics and Bear Grylls’ trousers.
“Taking a break from my Scotland posts to bring you a few articles from my Trish Takes Five column in the Lincolnshire Free Press. There’s a mixed bag here ranging from things to do in Suffolk,...
A room with a view at the Balcary Bay Hotel
Each of the independent hotels we chose from the Luxury Galloway website has a unique selling point. It hardly seems appropriate to stamp these beautiful, esteemed establishments with such a modern term as a USP...
Taking a dip in Churchill’s bath
Out of all the hotels on the Luxury Galloway website, the one I was most curious about was Knockinaam Lodge. Built in 1869 as a hunting lodge, its secluded location, on the south-west tip of...
Scotland’s Chef of the Year at the Blackaddie House Hotel
One of the four hotels we picked for our romantic road trip around Dumfries and Galloway was the Blackaddie House Hotel in Sanquhar. It’s owned by Ian and Jane McAndrew and if you love...
Dumfries and Galloway road trip – Cavens Hotel
Every once in a while my husband Dougie has a hankering to return to his homeland and soak up a healthy dose of Scottishness. While our son Rory was heading off on a 10-day tour of European...
The Crown at Woodbridge, Suffolk
“Was my gin strong or is this floor uneven?” Always a good question to ask when you’re feeling a little fragile but, in this case, the floor of our bedroom at The Crown at Woodbridge,...
A day on the Suffolk coast
Whilst our son jetted off with his girlfriend for a short break in Italy, Dougie and I settled for a slightly less glamorous and even shorter break closer to home. Suffolk is a great...