Travel in the footsteps of literature and take a trip to the gorgeous Scottish Borders in the South of Scotland. A wonderful guide to gorgeous estates to valleys, lochs, graveyards, towns and restaurants, including author Sir Walter Scott’s home Abbotsford.

Welcome to the first in a series of guides for those of you who can’t drive but are eager to explore the English countryside. For many years I thought it was extremely difficult to do, except for visiting towns that had a train station, but the more I tried, the more possibilities I discovered!

Last year I didn’t make it outside of Europe, which is actually a bit unusual for me. You’ll see lots of great UK and Ireland locations and I’m also very glad I got to explore lots of places by train (high five to Mother Earth).

Heading to Dublin yourself soon, or just looking for some travel inspiration? Here are my favourite shops, food places and sights. We'll start off with a bit of culture!