Book towns were established in 1961 by book dealer Richard Booth from Hay-on-Wye. Whilst this one is the biggie in the UK there is a smaller book town in the village of Sedbergh in the Yorkshire...
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...
Mum’s gone to Wales: Anglesey

Prior to our little holiday in North Wales, I thought we would be spending most of our time sightseeing in Snowdonia or pootling along the Welsh coast. I hadn’t anticipated that the island of...