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
National Gallery Revisited I noted in Part 81 that a favourite haunt of mine is the National Gallery in Edinburgh. I visited again, choosing to spend time among the European art. I only have so much time over lunch, so didn’t make the Scottish section. However, I did make sure to go upstairs and marvel … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 130
Alloa Tower Revisited I blogged about Alloa Tower in Part 90 of this series. The tower wasn’t open that day, but I managed to go back and take advantage of the Open Doors Day. It’s been awhile since I was last inside the tower, and I was pleased to see how well the restoration work … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 126
Clackmannan Tower I managed to book a slot during the Doors Open Days for Clackmannan Tower. Part of European Heritage Days, the Doors Open is a national programme, encouraging folk to visit places of cultural and historical interest and to promote the excellent and vital ongoing work to preserve these sites. Places tend to go … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 125
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
Gozo I was in Malta this summer and on everyone’s recommendation, I opted to visit the island of Gozo. This involved a one hour bus journey from where I was staying to Ċirkewwa, the northernmost point of Malta. From there you catch the ferry to Mgarr Harbour, the port on the island of Gozo. The … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 106
Dunfermline Abbey and Palace One of the great things about living in Scotland is, no matter where you stay, you are never far from an exciting and impressive site, steeped in tradition and history. It’s often remarked that many of us don’t appreciate what is on our own doorsteps, and for folk living in Central, … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 98
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
The Fiction Factory 