Scotland without Kilts

by C. Margery Kempe

I spent last weekend (a long weekend) in Dundee. I know a lot of my fellow romance writers squee, "MEN IN KILTS!" whenever they hear any mention of Scotland, so I feel obligated to say there were no kilts in my journey.

Sorry to disappoint!

But it was a very lovely visit nonetheless. I'm sure those of you who are enjoying my Irish sojourn will get just as much pleasure from a vicarious visit to wild Alba. I even got to join in celebrations for Guy Fawkes Night. It was an incredibly crisp and clear night, as you can see from the lovely pink sunset I snapped earlier in the day. We went to Baxter Park to watch the fireworks. It was wonderful to see so many happy families gathering to ooh and ahh over the pretty colours. Such a simple pleasure but it gives such delight.

Dundee never seems to get mentioned with the same awe as Edinburgh or even Glasgow. It's the Rodney Dangerfield of Scotland in some ways: it doesn't get no respect! It was my first visit but I was entirely captivated by the friendly magic of the city. One of the first things to jump out at me was the sculpture and art of the city which reflects a character of amusement which never takes itself too seriously. It seems a good representation of the town. Dundee, like the rest of Scotland, suffers disproportionately from the economic downturn in Britain, but there's something in the spirit of the city that seems entirely confident that things will work out all right in the end. Maybe I'm imbuing the town with my own positivity, but take a look for yourself.

The Dundee Dragon

Robbie Burns

Desperate Dan, Dawg and Minnie the Minx

Penguins to commemorate Captain Scott, whose ship the Discovery was built here -- it's docked on the Tay

A playful monkey rearranges letters

The Lion and the Unicorn clock in Westgate Centre

The view down to the Tay

Of course, maybe all the magic I need is just the right smile...

Filed under: C. Margery Kempe, contemporary romance, erotic romance, inspiration, Kit Marlowe, Noble Romance, Settings, What inspires you?, Writer's Life