Scotland – Off the beaten track

For the past four weeks, I’ve been putting the finishing touches to Gin, Fizz & Tonic, my new novel due out at the end of the summer. It’s currently with a proofreader, as I have a lot of issues with commas and dangling modifiers.

For those of you who do not know what that means, a dangling modifier is word or phrase that modifies a word that is not clearly stated in the sentence, for example, Having finished the assignment, the TV was turned on.

The modifier, having finished the assignment, is meant to describe the person who finished the assignment, but the sentence structure makes it seem like the TV finished the assignment. The sentence should read, Having finished the assignment, she turned on the TV.

My husband and I also spent a couple of nights in Dumfries in June. The town in the south-west of Scotland is most notable for being the place where Scotland’s national bard, Robert Burns, died in 1796.

I lived in Dumfries for a while, but shamefully never visited the Robert Burns Centre or the mausoleum in St Michael’s churchyard where he was buried, so we did both while there.

If you’ve never read about Robert Burns’ life, please do. He was a fascinating and brilliant man, who achieved incredible things in his lifetime. What might he have gone on to, if he’d lived longer?

TOURIST RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCOTLAND

Talking of Dumfries, what other off-the-beaten track places are worth visiting if you ever decide to holiday in Scotland? While it is great to visit attractions such as Edinburgh and Stirling Castle (top tip—don’t visit in August, or during any school holidays or on a Saturday or Sunday), there are plenty of wee gems that aren’t quite as well-known…

Culzean Castle

This opulent, cliff-top castle was designed by Robert Adams in the late 18^th century. It is set in an extensive country park, and has the most magnificent gardens.

Old Bridge House Museum, Dumfries

From the large to the small, the Old Bridge House museum in Dumfries was built into the Devorgilla Bridge over the River Nith and is the oldest surviving residential building in the town. It is now a museum of everyday life.

The Tenement House, Glasgow

Tenement housing is a common feature of Glasgow’s housing, and the Tenement House has four meticulously restored rooms, that offer a unique insight into life in early 20^th century Glasgow.

Street Art Tour

A striking feature of Glasgow is its street art and murals. My favourite one is this modern interpretation of St Mungo. This street art tour takes you around most of the main, sanctioned art and is testament to the skills of those who create it.

Walk the Erskine Bridge, or the Forth Road one

The view from a bridge is quite different when you cross it on foot, rather than by rail or car. There’s something mildly scary about too—being so high up, and fully dependent on the engineers’ workings!

The Perthshire Tourist Route

The 43 miles from Greenloaning to Ballinluig offers you views of spectacular countryside. Go in the autumn if you can, as Perthshire is well known for its trees and the colour change is incredible.

The Writers’ Museum, Edinburgh

Well, I’d have to recommend the Writer’s Museum, wouldn’t I?! Tucked away in Lady Stair’s Close, the Writers’ Museum celebrates the lives of the three giants of Scottish literature, Robert Burns (him again!), Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.

LOOKING AHEAD

I’ve started a new novel—one starring Mhari, a minor character in Highland Fling. It’s always fun to take a character who already exists and flesh them out.

I’m also keen on Mhari because she’s honest and speaks her mind. As a total people-pleaser (a common characteristic of eldest children), I’d love to be able to say exactly what I think sometimes! Anyway, the first draft of the book should be finished by mid-autumn, and I hope to publish it in early 2025, fingers crossed.

If you would like to pre-order Gin, Fizz & Tonic, my new novel (which will spend its first month on Amazon for sale at 99p/99c, so that I can hopefully shift a decent number of copies) you can do so by clicking on the button below.  

Click here to pre-order Gin, Fizz & Tonic, a Scottish second chances romance