Tag Archives: Scotland

Pet Friendly, Things to see, Travel

Barking up the right tree.

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We are proud to say that the winning dog at this year’s Crufts was Scottish!  Jet, a flatcoated retriever and winner of the Best Gundog Category, beat 21,000 other dogs to get the prestigious title of Best in Show at the National Championships as the show celebrated its 120th anniversary.  Jim Irvine, Jet’s breeder who is based in South Queensferry, Edinburgh, was understandably delighted by Jet’s win.  A Kennel Club representative stated that it was clear that Jet and Jim had a great relationship and that this contributed towards Jet’s success, then going on to say that Crufts celebrates “the special and unique bond between dogs and their owners.”

The mention of a “special and unique bond” between man and dog reminded me of another celebrated relationship between a Scotsman and his four-legged friend. It’s a story that still sends a shiver down my spine when I hear it, a story of a bond so strong that even death could not sever it.

“John Gray was a gardener who moved to Edinburgh around 1850 when work was hard to come by.  Unable to find employment in his chosen field, John joined the police force as a night watchman thus avoiding the workhouse.  They were long lonely nights trudging through the street of Edinburgh, especially in the winter months when the colder, wetter weather would further add to John’s feelings of solitude.  John decided to find a partner to join him on his lonely rounds, and ‘Bobby’ a wee Skye Terrier was soon by his side each night.  John and Bobby went everywhere together, watchman and ‘watchdog’, loyal and faithful friends.

 John’s health began to fail him, possibly a consequence of so many nights patrolling the street and on a number of occasions he had to be treated for tuberculosis by the police surgeon.  In February 1958 John Grey died due to the disease that had plagued him, and he was buried in the town’s Greyfriars Kirkyard. 

 Bobby, still faithful to his beloved master, stayed by the grave after John was buried, refusing to leave the graveside even in the most horrible of weather.  Numerous times Bobby was evicted from the kirkyard by the keeper of the grounds, but each time Bobby returned to be close to his master.  Eventually the groundskeeper gave up ejecting Bobby, instead putting a piece of sacking in between two flat, table stones to provide shelter for Bobby beside his master’s grave. 

 Soon the dog and his remarkable behavior became renowned in the local area and people would gather at the gates to the kirkyard on a daily basis to see Bobby.  Each day, at the sound of the one o’clock gun, Bobby would leave the graveside for his lunch, with one thing guaranteed, after his meal he would return to the side of his best friend John.”

Bobby kept watch over his master’s grave for 14 years before his own death in 1872.

The amazing loyalty and faithfulness demonstrated by ‘Greyfriars Bobby’, as the wee terrier came to be known, demonstrates just how strong a dogs bond with its owner can be.  The unconditional love a dog gives can give such comfort and joy to its human companion; I know this from when I had my own canine comrade Sully the Pomeranian.

Always pleased to see me, Sully would go with me almost everywhere – but fitting in my handbag made traveling with him easy!  For those of you who have larger dogs, or more than one furry pal, going on holiday can be hard if you to have to leave them behind.  So, if you’re looking for a holiday or short break where your loyal mutt can join you and avoid the loneliness of a stay at the kennels, Unique Cottages has a wide range of pet friendly properties where both of you will be welcomed!

Things to do, Tips

A Scottish Stig!

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Some say he sucks haggis through a straw. We call him ‘McStig’!

If you too have watched Top Gear and observed the Stig, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond or James May getting up to their interesting antics in a variety of cars and thought “I wouldn’t mind a shot of that”, then I think I’ve found the perfect holiday cottage for you…

In a part of Scotland well known for its motoring heritage sits a rather cute, timber-clad, detached stone cottage encircled by lush green pastures.  You wouldn’t think it when you’re relaxing in the well-appointed cottage or enjoying the peaceful tranquillity of the surrounding countryside as you sit in the mature enclosed garden – but just down the road you can take your driving to the extreme!

Whiteburn cottage provides the idea retreat to get away from it all but also has the unique benefit of being closely associated with (although fortunately out of earshot of) the ‘Ronnie Dale Driving School’ which offers a very different experience from the training you received to get through your driving test!

Ronnie Dale, who has appeared on Top Gear himself, first cut his teeth rallying in a Ford Escort, before moving on to compete in the Camel Trophy, he has gained numerous professional driving and driver training qualifications and even designed the course that was used at the Royal Tournament by the RAF!

Combining his love of motoring with his occupation experience of being a hill farmer, Ronnie went on to build a basic 4×4 driving course in 25 acres of previously unproductive border hill land, turning nearby woodland tracks into a exhilarating adventure trail!  Offering a variety of courses to suit your individual needs and wishes, Ronnie not only gives you the chance to experience extreme 4×4 driving but also the knowledge you need to learn to be a safer, more confident driver in the most challenging of conditions.  And the children needn’t feel left out – as those over 6 years old can go on a mini quad bike trek, fully supervised and with the appropriate safety gear provided for them (and don’t worry, there are larger quads available for bigger kids to join in).

However, your motoring madness needn’t stop here, for just a 15 minute drive away (if you take the road) is historic Duns where you will find ‘Jim Clark room’ close to the centre of the town.  Jim Clark, the famous Formula One racing driver, who was raised near Duns, is fondly remembered in this dedicated museum.  Its unique collection of memorabilia, including trophies, awards and photographs, providing the perfect opportunity for an interesting outing.

For a limited period Unique Cottages are pleased to be able to offer those who book a holiday at Whiteburn Cottage a complimentary hour long taster session, allowing guests to take advantage of Ronnie’s driving skills – something he is offering exclusively to customers of Unique Cottages!  So why not combine the peace and relaxation that a countryside haven in Scotland provides, with a wee bit of driving adrenaline and book a stay at Whiteburn Cottage?

Conservation, Wildlife

Safeguarding the Sparling!

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It is easy to write about the cute, cuddly, cretins and beautiful, bodacious, birds that make up Scotland’s abundant wildlife.  However this week I feel I should give mention to a rather unusual fish that has been in the news this week.  The Sparling, a fish indigenous to Scotland, was once very common in Scottish rivers but now its numbers have seriously declined and it has to be said not many people even know about its existence, let alone the challanges it faces.

If you put the word ‘Sparling’ in Google, you will find that the top listings have absolutely nothing to do with this small silver fish – but perhaps that is because they are better known as European Smelt (Sparling being the Scottish name for this uncommon aquatic vertebrate).  They spend their most of their lives in the coastal waters around Western Europe, but in March (infact right about now) they take advantage of the high spring tides and these courageous little fish make their way upstream to spawn.

The River Cree

Despite their ability to withstand the changes from salt water to fresh water, Sparling are actually pretty poor swimmers (not something I ever thought I’d find myself saying about a type of fish) and this has played a part in its elusiveness in British rivers.  As the water quality in our inland waters has decreased, so the number of rivers in which Sparling can be found has reduced vastly, and now they are only found in three rivers in Scotland – the Forth, the Tay and the Cree.

Newton Stewart

It was the fight to save the future of these fish in the river Cree that caught my attention this week as volunteers braved the river during the night to carry out important conservation work – I have to say, rather them than me!  The river Cree, in the west of the country, flows from Loch Moan in the heights of the Glentrool Forest to exit into the North Channel not far from the bustling market town of Newton Stewart.  It is the only river on the West Coast that still attracts Sparling to its waters, although the conservation work that is being undertaken includes an attempt to establish the nearby river Fleet as another place that they will spawn.  This is great news, as Sparling were, for so long, an important part of the eco-system for many Scottish rivers and their visits support the survival of many other animals such as seals, goosanders and otters in the waters that they manage to continue to journey through.

It seems odd, even to me, that the plight of this wee fish has caught my imagination, especially as I was not aware of it until this week – but I will definitely hold out hope for the survival of Sparling in the Cree and the success of its re-introduction to other rivers in Scotland!

Scottish baking, Seasonal, Things to do

(Scotch) Pancake Day!

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It’s Pancake Day tomorrow all across the UK (also known as Shrove Tuesday) and I for one am looking forward to the excuse to cook an old favourite.  As a child, I used to be thrilled at the thought of returning home from school to the warm farmhouse kitchen where my mother would be making Scotch pancakes on the Aga.  Also known as Drop Scones, my mother would cook the pancakes directly on the simmering plate of the Aga, but in the rather less traditional kitchen of my hilltop cottage, I now use a normal frying pan to produce just as scrumptious results.

Scotch Pancakes in comparison to normal pancakes are smaller, thicker and (in my humble opinion) much more tasty and satisfying!  If you fancy a change from normal pancakes this year I strongly recommend the following recipe, which only requires four easy to source ingredients, to bring a bit of traditional Scottish cooking to your home.

To make approximately 20 yummy Scotch Pancakes you will need:

100g/4oz Self-Raising Flour

25g/1oz Caster Sugar

1 (medium size) Egg

150ml/1/4 pint Milk

1)      Mix the sugar and flour together in a bowl and then make a well in the centre.

2)      Beat the egg and pour it into the well, along with half the milk.

3)      Mix to form a thick batter, then add the remainder of the milk and mix again (you should now have a runny batter and be ready to cook the first batch!)

4)      Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and once hot spread with a little lard or oil (I use a piece of kitchen towel to do this, as it avoids putting too much on).

5)      When the fat is hazy (but not smoking), spoon the mixture into the pan using a tablespoon (one spoonful for each pancake) making sure they are spaced well apart.

6)      Bubbles should rise to the surface of the half-cooked pancakes and at this point turn them over.

7)      Cook for a further 30 seconds (or until golden brown) then remove and place between a clean tea towel to keep warm and moist and until you are ready to eat them.

8)      You may need to re-grease the pan between batches to avoid the pancakes sticking.

You can enjoy Scotch Pancakes on their own, buttered, with jam or even chocolate spread (very popular with the kids)!  You don’t have to eat the pancakes straight away, indeed, once cooled you can put them in an air tight container and store them for up to 3 days – heat them up or eat them cold, whatever your preference.

If you fancy trying this, or any other traditional recipe, Aga or Rayburn cooker then you’ll be please to hear that a number of our unique cottages do have them (in a lot of cases as well as a standard cooker ) so why not get in touch and let us help you find your ideal cottage?

From all of us here at Unique Cottages have a delicious and enjoyable (Scotch) Pancake Day!

Things to do, Things to see, Travel

The story of Coillegillie

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With our portfolio of over 450 unique cottages throughout Scotland, we often get to hear some interesting stories about the properties and their pasts.  One such history rich account caught my attention this week, it was the story of The Cottage by the Shore, let me share it with you-

The Cottage by the Shore is one of only two habitable dwellings in what at one time was a flourishing wee coastal settlement at the south end of the Applecross peninsula.  As its name suggests, the cottage stands close to the shore, with spectacular views across the Inner Sound and over towards the Isle of Skye.  This fantastic location can truly be described as an area of outstanding natural beauty and its remote setting has resulted the magnificence of its surroundings remaining largely unspoilt.

Once this cottage was among a number of traditional, stone-built properties that made up the secluded community at Coillegillie, where its inhabitants woke each morning to these stunning surroundings, but now only ruins remain as a haunting yet intriguing reminder of the families that resided here.  What made me curious about Coillegillie was the question as to why a hamlet in such a delightful location, once so full of life, was all but abandoned by its inhabitants?   Finding the answer to my ponderings required a little research and thankfully, the residents of the other property in Coillegillie were only too willing to oblige.

The original inhabitants of Coillegillie were varied in their occupations, there were weavers, fishermen, quarrymen and carpenters as well as those who worked as servants at Applecross House just under 5 miles up the coast.  Apparently in the late 19th century Coillegillie had as many as 28 inhabitants whose diet mainly consisted of fish and seafood (no wonder considering it proximity to the sea).

At this time apparently there were some quiet famous characters living in the community, for example, Kenneth MacLeod who was the last weaver in the district and was said to be the greatest walker in Scotland.  Apparently, he once walked from Dingwall to Coillegillie (over 71 miles) in the space of a day and then walked to Lonbain, North Applecross and back again (a total trip of over 100 miles)!  But it would seem you had to be a good walker to live in Coillegillie back then, the nearest vehicle access is still 1.2 miles away along a path which has its own extraordinary story.  It is one of the last unimproved stretches of ‘desolation road’ in the area – desolation roads (also known as hunger roads) were built during the Highland potato famine of 1846-1852 when the rural population were forced to labour on local roadways in order to receive poor relief – their own means of surviving.

It was the tuberculosis outbreak in the 1920’s which eventually led to the majority of homes in Coillegillie being abandoned and the houses stood empty and locked, just as the residents had left them, for almost 50 years.  Despite its unrivalled scenery, living in Coillegillie must have been fairly hard going all those years ago and now I know a little more about the community’s past it is understandable why the inhabitants choose to leave as they did (tuberculosis was little understood at the time).

Nowadays Coillegillie retains the same charm and allure as it did in centuries past – just without the disadvantages!  Still as tranquil and breathtakingly scenic, 12 years ago they installed electricity (bought in by helicopter) as well as a pumped water supply.  One of the original stone buildings, The Cottage by the Shore, has been beautifully and sympathetically restored over the last two years retaining many of its delightful, unique features.  Those wishing to holiday in this really amazing location can arrange to have their luggage etc. bought in by boat, making the abundance of surrounding beauty the only thing you need to focus on when you stroll along the ancient path to the magical Coillegillie.

Seasonal, Things to see, Travel, Weather

Puts a ‘spring’ in your step

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I don’t know about where you are, but for us here in Scotland this weekend it has really started to feel like spring has arrived!  No longer do I have drive to work in the dark as the days get increasingly longer.  The sun which was shinning most of the week (and is doing so again today) has taken the crispness out of the air and I’m pleased to say that my trusty hat and scarf remain on the coat hooks at home!

However, it seems that I am not the only one who has noticed this welcome change of season.  Indeed, there have been some obvious signs that nature also is beginning to revel in the winter drawing to a close.  The birds definitely sound happy about it – their chirping is distinctly more cheerful.   Ewes look proud and content as their recently born lambs race each other across fields that appear increasingly green and lush with each day that passes.  The bright colors of spring flowers brighten a landscape that appeared bleak just a few weeks ago. 

My favorite of these early (and almost valiant) flowers has to be the daffodil.  As it has rises from the cold, hard ground and spreads its bright yellow petals towards the sun it reminds me that after the harshness of winter new life always (thankfully) ‘springs’ anew.

As I’m sure you can imagine, I was pretty pleased to see these beautiful flowers begin appearing in the garden around the Ecosse Unique office, providing a jubilant greeting each morning to all employees and visitors!  In case you weren’t aware, our company headquarters is a attractive white washed cottage in the Scottish Borders which has been (sympathetically) converted into office space (I know, ingenious isn’t it, not only do we do we provide quality holiday cottages throughout Scotland, we have also based ourselves in one!)

It is not only our cottage headquarters that are benefiting from an abundance of these striking golden blooms; throughout Scotland they are now adorning the gardens of a number of our properties – providing proof that Spring is here!  But don’t take my word for it – take advantage of the Unique Cottages’ spring deals and come see for yourself.

Things to do, Things to see, Wildlife

A Scottish Safari

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A trip out of the office this week taught me that you don’t need to go to Africa to embark on an expedition which surrounds you with fascinatingly diverse habitats and puts you in to close proximity with an assortment of rare and fascinating wildlife!

Just as the game reserves of Kenya and the Serengeti aim to protect and conserve the area’s indigenous species in their natural habitats, increasingly Scottish farmers are endeavouring to ensure that the land they tend promotes the prosperity of our native ecosystems. One particular estate in the heart of the Scottish Borders has demonstrated its commitment to the conservation of local wildlife by ensuring all its land is used with the benefit of nature as a primary concern.

Whitmuir Estate, not far from the town of Selkirk, illustrates definitively that modern farming methods need not infringe on the resident plants and animals with which it shares it soil. In fact, over 170 different species of animal have been found on Whitmuir Estate in the last 10 years! Large areas of the lands are now scattered with wild flowers where numerous varieties of butterflies, moths and ladybirds are clearly in seventh heaven!

Among the exceptional provisions which have been made are special ‘beetle banks’ created in the estate’s arable fields, ensuring that when the ground is ploughed insects have a safe and undisturbed sanctuary close by in to which they can scuttle. There are quite a few ponds, wooded areas, hedges and fields which have been specifically set aside for native fauna and flora to thrive. And although the word ‘safari’ is actually Swahili, it literally means ‘journey’ –

Whitmuir Estate offers you the opportunity for a journey which takes you through a hidden wonderland of Scottish natural treasures, one that even most locals are unaware exists! Because of the need to preserve the delicate plant life that makes up the rare habitats as well as protect its inhabitants from too much human interference, Whitmuir Estate is not open to the public, but Unique Cottages clients who choose to book one of the 3 properties on the estate will find themselves right in the middle of this wildlife haven.

Place to stay on the Whitmuir Estate:

Events, Travel

A Royal Appointment…

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Prince William and his soon-to-be wife Kate Middleton visit Scotland this week and return to the place there their relationship first started – St Andrews University.  Their trip is prompted by the university requesting that William be patron for their 600th Anniversary appeal.  One of the main aims of the appeal is to raise money for scholarships with the noble objective of supporting bright students without financial means to be able to benefit from a St Andrews higher education (not something William or Kate had to worry about when they attended).  Obviously, I am all for everyone, no matter his or her financial position, being able to attend university and St Andrews, the first University in Scotland, should be no exception!

I was accepted at St Andrews University myself (1 or 2 years before William and Kate attended!) and, on my intrepid quest to try to work out (at the tender and clueless age of 17) which University I should choose I visited the town and had a look around the university.  I decided in the end that St Andrews was not the University for me (much to my parents and teachers disappointment) and instead the City of Newcastle suffered my ‘interesting’ student years.   But my choice not to go with St Andrews was no reflection on the university, town or the surrounding area, rather the lesser number of pubs (which at 18 was of crucial importance to me) it had in relation to the big city!

Do not get me wrong, I enjoyed my time at Newcastle University, however now (older and wiser?) I can’t help but think that maybe I missed a trick (and the chance for a royal husband)!  St Andrews University and the town in which it is situated are steeped in history and tradition.  The architecture of the town is truly stunning and for those who enjoy golf it is definitely a place you can’t afford to miss.  My favourite building (or what is left of a building) is St Andrews Castle that stands close to the water’s edge over looking the small beach of Castle Sands, there is something quite haunting about the structure which was once used as a prison, and it proximity to the often harsh north sea just adds to its almost threatening character.

The history of the town extends beyond its boundaries; with the nearby village of Cellardyke has one of the most pretty old fishing ports in the country and Lower Largo birthplace of the ‘real’ Robinson Crusoe.    Branching further out of the town are treasures such as the village of St Monans with its superb coastal views and quaint traditional houses on narrow winding streets and intriguing stories of piracy, smuggling and shipwrecks.  Relics of the less distant past also wait to be discovered – Scotland’s Secret Bunker, built in the 1950, is well worth a visit.  And while Newcastle had its fair share of kebab shops (another staple of my student years) I have yet to find a better fish supper than the one served at the award winning Anstruther Fish Bar!

So, as William and Kate head back to St Andrews, the starting point of their romance, I do hope they get the opportunity to take some time out from their busy schedule and enjoy some of the peaceful pleasures the East Neuk of Fife has on offer before the stress of the pre-wedding frenzy!

Events, Things to see, Travel

Scotland: the movie!

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Yesterday saw the start of the Glasgow Film Festival.  Ok, I accept that it doesn’t yield the same type of media hype and excitement as Cannes but Scotland is a country that attracts all manner of filmmakers, much more so than most people realise!

A familiar sight for Harry Potter fans (Glenfinnan Viaduct)

Saturday night has increasingly become “movie night” for me over the past few years (boozed up evenings in “happening” local night spots are quickly becoming just a memory of my youth!)  Whether it be a visit to the cinema, or just grabbing a DVD from the video shop, I like nothing better than to sit back, relax and watch a visually impressive action, a hair-raising horror or a gripping thriller.  I love the way that films can completely envelop you in a story, transport you out of your sitting room and into a world far removed from hum drum everyday worries!

It is probably the way that great films can leave you feeling invigorated or inspired which leads to their popularity, our need to find out more, and even a wish to visit some of the locations that host such compelling story telling.  I remember the rush of visitors to Rosslyn Chapel following the success of The Da Vinci Code (initially inspired by the book but shared with a wider audience through its conversion to film), the number of people through the church doors soaring by a massive 72%!

The Da Vinci Code is an obvious example of a film that uses Scotland as one of its locations, but when thinking about others then there are those films where it is very apparent that they have Scotland as their backdrop.  With its “historical” (I say that in the vaguest sense of the word) Scottish storyline, Braveheart was filmed in a number of places in Scotland.  Sets including Glen Nevis Valley (where they built the village that Wallace grew up in), the mountains that stretch between Loch Leven and Glen Nevis (location for Wallace’s trek along the mountain path) and more surprisingly Edinburgh Council Chamber (used to shoot some of the scenes inside Mornay’s Castle).  Similarly, the film Rob Roy just had to be made in Scotland, didn’t it?  As well as sharing some of the locations chosen by the makers of Braveheart, it was also filmed in Glen Coe, Glen Tarbert and at Drummond Castle to name just a few!

Drummond Castle, used in the making of Rob Roy.

My personal favourite  has got to be Highlander (if you don’t agreed then you canvote for your favourite using my poll at the bottom of the page)– classic 80’s movie making with more than a few clues that its director used to make music videos!  The use of the iconic 13th century  Eilean Donan Castle east of the Kyle of Lochalsh is inspirational as the place from which the MacLeod clan leave to go to into battle.  I have to say I was pretty pleased to hear the news that there are plans to remake the original – I do hope they decide to film it here!

Others, that don’t so quickly spring to mind, include the bond films From Russia With Love, The Spy Who Loved Me and The World is not Enough as well as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Glenfinnan Viaduct) and the cult classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail (I doubt the coconut shells that took the place of horses were anything to do with Scotland though!)

With a landscape like this who can blame filmmakers that choose Scotland as a location.

More recently, the film Valhalla Rising was filmed entirely in Scotland taking full advantage our rugged landscape to create some really stunning  backgrounds for its scenes, but, if I’m honest, having watched it myself I have to say for me that was its only redeeming feature!

If you look at the major films that have used Scotland as a setting, generally they tend to be those with a historical storyline, telling the story of a time now long past and when you stop and have a look around at the magnificent scenery that is so abundant in Scotland it is clear to see why.  So much of our lands are sparsely populated, unspoilt and spectacular that even without cinematic lighting, numerous cameras and a bunch of highly paid actors it is easy to believe that you have been transported back in time!

Things to do, Things to see, Tips

Valentine’s Rules.

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It’s that time of year again! The one day of the year when even the most unromantic among us are forced by social pressure to consider how we show the one we are closest to just how much we appreciate them.

Whether you’re a believer in Valentine’s day or not, failure to show your partner a gesture of how much you cherish them can result in all manner of unpleasant consequences, unless of course you enjoy sleeping on the sofa!

But romance, which of course, forms the basis of Valentine’s Day, is such a difficult entity to define. For different people it means different things, and trying to get it right for that one special person is never as easy as it sounds (I speak from experience). Although romance in its entirety is a difficult thing to pin down and describe, there are a few basic rules that I now stick by which make things a wee bit easier ensuring that even me, without a romantic bone in all my body, can show the one they love that they really are special! I hope that other people who (like me) are generally deemed as failures in the romance stakes can draw some benefit from these fairly simple rules that have served me well (so far…)

  1. Your time is one of the most valuable things you can give. Whatever your budget, your time is possibly the most valuable thing you have to give in a relationship. Taking time out of your usual routine to be with your beloved, alone as a couple if possible, will no doubt make them feel more greatly sought after. In today’s society time is such a valued asset that often the day-to-day pressures of modern life result in work, family and other commitments over taking your ability to have time together as a couple. Leaving the daily grind behind and going somewhere away from it all is a great way of ensuring you can focus your attention on one another.
  2. Romance has to be personal. Considering your beloved’s likes and tailoring your Valentine’s gesture towards this is essential if you want to show that you not only care, but that you care enough to find out what they like and include this in your token of love. In order to show your partner that it is them, as an individual, that you treasure you can’t go wrong if you include something you know they like! If you do choose to take time out from your usual routine to spend with your loved one then using it to do something they enjoy will only add to how valued they will feel.
  3. Romance is not practical. A new steam iron or a subscription to Weight Watchers maybe what you think your partner really needs, however this is not the time for sensible, practical gifts and gestures. Valentine’s Day is all about doing things out of the ordinary, so forget (as much as possible) the practicalities of your gesture, and go with the spur of the moment. Fair enough, a week away in the Bahamas may not fit in with your boss’s demands and your new year’s commitment to attend the gym daily, but taking a short break, not too far from home, somewhere secluded and private, to indulge the one you love might just be possible even with your tight schedule and everyone likes nice surprises! I remember one of my most successful Valentine’s day offerings was to take my long suffering partner on a short break in a wee cottage on the Isle of Cumbrae, we turned off our mobiles, left the world behind and enjoyed the beautiful sunset over the Firth of Clyde, together. Even a few years on we still both remember it as a time that was just about us and what we have together.

There is no doubt that being able to relax, in beautiful surroundings, with the person you think most of in the world is a wonderful way to spend Valentine’s Day, and when the flowers have wilted and the chocolates have been eaten, the memories of quality time spent together remains. Whatever you get up to this Valentine’s Day, I hope you have a great time and avoid relegation to the sofa, at least for tonight!

A Glorious (Romantic?!) Clyde Sunset.