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Bill, Maureen and meself were gutted to have missed you at the pub quiz last Thursday. Hopefully it’ll not be too long before we can go again. I’ve listened to your CD several times and I want to congratulate you on it. It’s in the finest tradition of Scottish working-class bawdiness — Lex McLean himself would have been proud of you. But where Sexy Lexy was at times merely coarse, your perfomance, because it is so clever and witty, never strays into the realms of gratuitous crudity. Your rendition of the Portree Kid is far superior to the Corries version and is, as I’ve said many times, a work of genius. Mind you, to paraphrase from the Lady Chatterley trial, I wouldn’t want my wife or my servants to hear this CD. Maureen hasn’t heard it yet because I snaffled…

The greater part of last week was spent with Nikki Broady and her grandson, Jack, both from Indiana in the US. Nikki is a glam gran and has a warm, generous nature, a great sense of humour and a killer smile, Jack is eleven year old and could talk for America! In order to give…

Angela Lansbury was the picture in my mind as I went to meet the American international best selling crimewriter, Karin Slaughter at her hotel. I couldnt have been wider of the mark as a fair, young, athletic woman came across the foyer with a wide smile to meet me. The best thing about a personal tour is that it is less of a tour and more of a discussion on the hoof, conducted at a pace which suits the client and so It proved on the day. Despite the cool wind, Edinburgh was looking her prettiest and we made our way through the Grassmarket to the Castle, through busy streets and taking in Greyfriars Bobby along the way. From there down the Royal Mile to the palace of Holyroodhouse, with a stop for a pub lunch. Karin took an audio…

I met Patricia (Patti) and Raymond last Wednesday and a rainstorm of tropical proportions was raging so we decided to postpone the tour until later in the week. A crowd of friends from Drumnadrochit were in town to see Rod Stewart in concert at the Castle the night before. It had poured with rain then, but I don’t suppose itupset the post menopausal rockers who went to see him. Since they were spending another night in town, Mhairi, a veteran of my appearances at the Kintail Folk Festival had suggested we meet up for a curry some music and a few drinks. I invited Patti and Raymond along and between the Kebab Mahal, the singing of Graeme E Pearson and the odd dram, we had a great night. The tour finally took place on Friday and what a super time…

I recently was asked By Queen Margaret University to volunteer to cconduct a tour of East Lothian for alumni. I don’t know what I was expecting,but I wasn’t expecting to be the youngest in the party instead of the oldest, as usual. Imagine my surprise when I discovered they were all elderly ladies who had…

Wow! We have topped 10,000 visits in less than a year. Thanks to the lovely Jackie and all of you who have looked me up :-))

I spent yesterday morning on a coach in the company of 45, 14 year old French students and their teachers. I have commented in previous entries hw mature and well behaved young people from continental Europe are. They were a delight to be with and because they have only been studying English for 2 years,…

My first wife, and still one of my closest friends, Jean, introduced me to this concept which isn’t too far away from Bhuddism. Basically if you think good things, good things will come into your life. A number of good things have come into my life recently and as a result I have been in a very positive frame of mind. Sharing a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Cafe Royal 2 days ago with my web designer, the lovely Jackie, we were discussing ideas for improving this website and some of these are now incorporated. Jackie, who is always so supportive and positive said that the next big break would be when an international celebrity booked a tour with me. She Suggested Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas. Me? I’d just settle for Catherine! Anyway, no sooner had the…

I met a lovely young woman, Praharshanie, at the excellent Ingram’s B&B yesterday and discovered it is owned by a friend and fellow Fencible, David Ingram. A full day tour was planned and we set off at a cracking pace. It was a clear morning but clouded over in the afternoon and we had covered the full day route by 14.00 hours! An alfresco coffee at the Art galleries and then we parted, me to go home and Praharshanie to visit the galleries. A thoroughly pleasant time spent in the company of an attractive, cultured and intelligent woman. Does life get any better?

Had a great afternoon with 6 teachers from Pardubice who were in East Lothian to study education provision there. I am an ex council officer and my former colleagues always use me as a guide when they have visiting groups. The afternoon was spent in a riot of chatter and laughter. They are fabulous people and we got on so well. The Crech Republic is landlocked so they were very keen to see the Sea. So we visited the bents at Gullane and Jan, the only male in the group, decided to go for a swim. Fabulous! But thats your jolly over with, Jan. I’m taking the girls for a spell of retail therapy in the Royal Mile tomorrow. However, I’ll make sure you get to see the Parliament building, Slainthe.

With the greatest of respect, Americans are not the best walkers in the world, so it was with a little trepidation that I agreed to take Ed Conn from Los angeles California on a walking tour- Ed is almost 90! His son Martin decided to treat his dad to a visit to Edinburgh. I met him at the Apex International Hotel and we went from there to the Castle and took it in. Ed moved with some degree of difficulty and was slow but gee did he have what the Duke of Edinburgh used to call ‘stickability’. Throughout the day, Ed was positive and was great company with his constant stream of ‘old folks’ jokes. He managed to do the whole of the Royal mile before declaring himself ‘exhausted’, so a taxi to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society for a…

I’ve been neglecting the blog lately preparing for the busy Summer months ahead,so if I want to keep things fresh, I’v got some prioritisation to do. Las evening I maet up with a group of French students from Ecole National Superieure Des Mines, led by my friend Lilian Bois-Simon. I met her last year when she brought another group. We got on well and It was good to be asked again. As usual, the kids were a credit to their School and to France. Well educated, knowledgeable and polite. The tour lasted until some of them were turning blue, this has been a very cold May, so we adjourned to a pub and I gave them a mini seminar on whisky. After everyone had had a taste of good single malt, washed down with a modest amount of local beer,…