A few of you asked to hear more about my Scotland trip, and I am very happy to oblige! Gosh, it feels a million years ago now. I do hope you are all keeping healthy, physically and mentally, in this strange new world. I’m self-isolating at the moment, as I have cold symptoms and don’t want to take chances with the health of people around me. Living on my own, I’m going to especially appreciate the online book world this week – and for the next weeks and months.
Anyway, back to Scotland! All the photos in this post are by my friend Will, one of the people who went on the trip. I can definitely recommend taking a talented photographer with you on hols! It’s definitely nicer to have an album of images of this quality, rather than the blurred pics off my phone.
This is the rather extraordinary place that I went with my brother and four friends – yes, we had the whole thing to ourselves.
My room was on the top floor on the right – the fourth floor or the fifth floor, depending on whether you’re English or not! Yes, a lot of stairs, and possibly the old servants quarters – but what a lovely little room. I say ‘little’ – it’s much, much bigger than my bedroom at home, but all the other rooms are so enormous that it felt small.
We’ve been way as a group three times, and we take it in turns to cook – but tend to get a takeaway on the first night. Finding someone willing to deliver to a castle in the middle of nowhere wasn’t the easiest, but we did land upon a very nice curry place (and got so much food that we could have lunch the next day too). Col and I made toad-in-the-hole on our day, which is a family favourite meal and which I seldom have, as it doesn’t make much sense to cook it for one. We battled through the combination of vegetarians and gluten-free people! Luckily we had one person who’d been to boarding school, and thus will eat anything, food or otherwise.
The reason we’d gone up to Dumfries and Galloway was because of its proximity to Wigtown, the bookshop town. It was a first trip there for all of us, so I don’t know how much it’s changed over the years. This time, there were six bookshops, I think – some of which are only open half the week, so we naturally had to go twice.
Going back to Hay-on-Wye many times has a slightly melancholy aspect – because there are fewer bookshops each time. Maybe that’s true in Wigtown. But I had an encouraging chat with a bookshop owner called Ruth, who had only been there for eighteen months. Her shop was delightfully cosy, with a sofa covered in blankets and the feel of being in a very bookish person’s [large] living room.
But, yes, the main attraction was The Bookshop, where Shaun Bythell works. Several of us had read The Diary of a Bookseller and its sequel, Confessions of a Bookseller. Listeners to ‘Tea or Books?’ may remember that my friend Lorna came on the show to talk about it – the self-same Lorna is in this pic, with me [right] and her husband Will [left].
We all wanted to meet Shaun but, as anybody who’s read his book or follows the shop on social media knows, he has a reputation for being scathingly funny. I was rather terrified that I’d blurt out something idiotic and then have to wait a few years to find myself in print. But – we did meet him, and he was very nice. I was buying a copy of Diary of a Bookseller there, because I wanted a copy which quotes my Shiny New Book’s review, and he offered to sign it for me. Lorna mentioned that I was quoted in it, which I was too nervous to say, and he was also nice about that. Phew! We got through it without making fools of ourselves. And we bought a nice pile of books between us.
Unsurprisingly, my brother did not buy any books in there. He’s used to doing crosswords in the corner of bookshops while I hunt. But he did buy one book in a different bookshop – the one that is rented as an airbnb, so you run a bookshop on holiday. It was Michael Palin’s Around the World in Eighty Days, in case you’re interested – and above, here he is in a bookshop, actually the one in Carlisle, holding another actual book. [No, apparently this is The Book Shop – thanks Rebecca!] Wonders will never cease!
It was such a wonderful holiday. Other than books, we mostly read, chatted, played board games, and went for a walk to the coast. Until the tide came in, and then we had a scramble onto a golf course, and a walk along that…
I’m so glad we managed to go before coronavirus lockdown happened. I know we’re really lucky. I’m thinking of and praying for you all. Here’s to sharing lots of the joy of reading while we wait for what happens next.
Sounds fantastic. Wish I could have been there too!
” we mostly read, chatted, played board games, and went for a walk to the coast.” This sounds very much like our group reading retreat, Simon. Sadly you had to miss it but hopefully the next time.
Barbara
We need escapism at the moment. Thank you, Simon!
Did you meet Captain the cat? Glad you had a good experience at The Book Shop — I, too, thought that Shaun Bythell was really nice :) We stayed in a traditional B&B on the edge of town, an easy walk from all the shops. [I’m pretty sure the photo of your brother is taken in the main room of The Book Shop with the fireplace.]
Oops, thanks! ANd no, sadly, we looked for him both times…
This post has filled me with envy! What a lovely vacation and a lovely place to stay.
Hooray, all the extras that we wanted. And how lovely to get the book signed! Thinking of you in your splendid isolation. I’m dealing with having husband working from home at the moment – he does go out every morning for quite a long walk. Take care!
How posh. We stayed in a converted dairy when we were in Dumfries and Galloway! You missed out on so much though, it’s such a historic area and there are castles, abbeys, chapels, towers and beautiful botanic gardens. Oh and the art galleries in Kirkcudbright – yet another castle and the artist E A Hornel’s house. my Dumfries and Galloway posts are here https://piningforthewest.co.uk/?s=dumfries+and+galloway&submit=Search – there are a lot of them.
What a wonderful holiday! I am lucky that The Spouse (who reads NF but not novels) is happy to do bookish things when we’re on holiday, it would be awful to have a partner impatiently tapping the foot during a browsing session…
Sounds quite delightful! I just finished a crime novel (The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley) in which the group of friends visiting the Scottish estate turns out to include a murderer so I am eagerly awaiting your third post which I expect to reveal a dastardly killer – or at least someone who snatches books out of one’s very hands in bookstores.
Thanks sooo much for this follow-up and kudos to your friend for the stunning photos!
Take care of yourself Simon, snuggle with a cuppa, and enjoy reading some of the TBR pile.
del
How lovely Simon – the location looks stunning! Most jealous, and I hope the cold improves soon, and you and Hargreaves get some relaxing time for reading!
It looks like a wonderful getaway! And what a great group of friends you have that they like (or in Colin’s case, tolerate) holiday booking browsing. I can’t think of a nicer way to pass the time.
What l lovely post – much needed. I was just thinking how I wouldn’t mind self isolating in that room your bro is in until I remembered that yesterday morning I burst into tears in front of my TBR shelves, looking at all the books I have lovingly hunted in the wild over the years, telling myself that when I get time I will read them all, and realised I didn’t feel up to any of them. Difficult times for us all – no doubt my mojo will come back. Scotland is so beautiful, and your friend the photographer did a great job. Travelling seems a lifetime ago (and away) doesn’t it?
Half way through Phineas Finn at the moment – it is not helping. Loving the non-politics bits, but cannot skip chapters about the Second Reform Bill as I feel they are somewhat crucial to the unfolding of the plot. How is everybody else finding reading concentration during The Time of Corona?