St Andrews I decided to take in part of the East Coast of Scotland and opted to begin in St Andrews before heading down the coast and around what is known here as the East Neuk. I visited St Andrews on countless occasions, but always look forward to it. There is nothing to compare with … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 131
The Georgian House The National Trust for Scotland maintain the property at number 7 Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, providing visitors the opportunity to see what a property looked like during the eighteenth century. It was built in 1796 for John Lamont, designed by architect Robert Adam. The square was part of the first phase of … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 121
The Melville Room Regular readers of this blog will know I’ve visited a number of the many sites that were featured in the filming of the Outlanders series and this week has been no exception. I was in Glasgow twice, my first trip for a cyber conference and the second taking advantage of an invite … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 118
Hill of Tarvit I shouldn’t be surprised at the number of hidden treasures located around Scotland, but again I was surprised. The estate known as Hill of Tarvit, near Cupar is a fascinating place, for both the interior collection in the mansion house and the surrounding countryside. What we see today is the product of … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 117
Linlithgow Palace In Part 90 of this blog series, I noted I often have the impression I’m following in the footsteps of Mary Queen of Scots. In keeping with this I decided to take a trip out to Linlithgow Palace, which is in fact the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. It is a bit … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 97
CODI Edinburgh Fringe 2024 I’m appearing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August with a new show called ‘Is AI for real?’ I suppose I could have revamped the show from last year and take the pressure of myself, but I decided to write a brand new one. AI or Artificial Intelligence is a bandwagon … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 94
House of the Binns The House of the Binns has been the family home of the Dalyells for the last 400 years. Set in magnificent Scottish countryside outside Linlithgow, it provides a great view of the River Forth from the grounds. You can see Blackness castle from there and across the water Limekilns and Culross … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 93
Wallace Monument Dominating the skyline, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting place for The National Wallace Monument. Built in honour of the Scottish warrior, Sir William Wallace, this 220ft structure was designed by Scottish architect John Thomas Rochead and took eight years to build. The foundation stone was laid on Monday the 24th June … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 91
Scottish Art A favourite haunt of mine is the National Gallery, situated on the Mound in Edinburgh. It comes under the umbrella of the National Galleries of Scotland, which include the National, Modern One, Modern Two and the Portrait. It is free entry and has a fantastic range of paintings featuring many world famous artists. … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 81
Culzean Castle I regularly have those wow moments when visiting historical sites, and Culzean Castle is one of the most memorable. When you walk through the Ruined Arch and onto the Viaduct, after having caught a small glimpse of the building and then see the castle properly for the first time, it truly is an … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 77
