The weather in Edinburgh is grey, wet and cold this morning.

Last night dinner was in the hotel, The Caledonian, in the Galvin Brasserie, which is the more relaxed of the in-house restaurants. I had grilled lobster – delicious – and a good size. Not as huge as the ones you get in Oz, but not as small as the tiny one Dad was served in a Scottish restaurant 27 years ago.

My first visit to Scotland, with Geoffrey, was in 1989, so getting on to 30 years ago. My friend Ghislaine invited me to stay at her brother’s house in Ayrshire. I previously told you that her brother is a baron, inheriting the title at a young age from his grandfather in 1985. He served as a Conservative politician in the House of Lords for many years and eventually reached the top job, Leader of the House. But back then he was just a young baron starting out in politics. And a bachelor with a girlfriend, now his wife.

I didn’t know what to expect at all. I was not prepared for the sight of the family house. To me it looked like a palace. There was an impressive bridge spanning the River Ayr that led to the sweeping driveway. I felt like a character in a Jane Austen novel. I wasn’t just Joe Public on a paid tour. I was a guest! As it happened it was a relaxed weekend as the houseparty was “young”. The Kangaroo didn’t cause any damage. So we cooked and went for walks. Played tennis. Sat on the grass in the sunshine. There was no staff. Ghislaine pulled things out of the freezer to warm up for meals. I do, however, remember sitting in my ancient bedroom and looking out onto the courtyard behind the house, with stables and cobblestones. I imagined bygone times when, in the absence of cars, carriages would have brought privileged guests for grand dinners.

I only made it to Edinburgh for a stay about 10 years ago (I flew here in 1990 to do a Highlands tour with my parents, but did not linger). Ghislaine was living here then with her husband, Peter, in a top floor flat with views to the coastline of Fife. Peter was working for Scottish & Newcastle, a brewing company. They spent their weekends in their own house in Ayrshire. We did some of the sights together. The castle overseeing the city from its great rock; contemporary art at The Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture – worth visiting; Holyrood Palace – the Queen’s residence; Princes Street (the premier street) and the Old Town. I made it back a couple of years ago to the Edinburgh Festival, with Geoffrey and Hugo. Ghislaine’s son was performing with the Durham Review – a brilliant production of short skits – 3 men and 3 women.

So today I will have a wander and reacquaint myself with this ancient city.