This year’s summer holiday was to a certain place in Scotland (my dad’s house) but we did a lot of new things! The gardens visited have been both astonishing and surprisingly different.

We first visited a ruin near Edzell in Scotland and were intrigued by the intricate carvings and potential of the many flower pots that sat in the walls. Apparently they have normally a stunning display of flowers in the Edzell Castle colours. Alas there was only yew hedges and roses but it was still a pleasant visit and we had lunch in a nearby cafe.

My father who’d lived in Scotland for 46 years had never been to this monument and didn’t know it existed. This is why we try to visit new areas when we visit Scotland, and why a staycation is so much more than staying put!

We also visited St Cyrus beach and it’s joined Lunan Bay as a favourite.