1 What is your earliest memory of Edinburgh? I remember visiting with my family when I was a child – Edinburgh Zoo was an utter wonderland, because I grew up on a farm, and was animal-mad at the time. I also remember being pretty impressed with the
firing of the One o'Clock Gun at Edinburgh Castle.
2 What are your memories of school? I went to Glenalmond School in Perthshire between the ages of 15 to 17 and, although I was initially terrified, I ended up thinking it was fun. I always seemed to get up to mischief.
3 Where is your favourite place in Edinburgh and why? I love Corstorphine Hill because it has an amazing view of the city and is a great place for a hearty walk. A more urban choice would be Victoria Street. It has a shop for cheese enthusiasts, a liquid deli, real old-man bars, plus a choice of clubs and restaurants. I love the atmosphere in the restaurant Maison Bleue – it's all nooks, crannies and candlelight.
4 What are the best things about Edinburgh? The Festival brings a great buzz, colourful people and masses of entertainment to the city. It's a short sharp burst of activity in contrast with a fairly steady pace of life the rest of the year. It's fantastic and it amazes me that so many locals complain about it. Also, I love the architecture in Edinburgh – the Georgian New Town together with the historic buildings of the Old Town make it a stunning place to live. Finally, having lived in London, I find the relatively small size of Edinburgh easy to get around and much, much calmer.
5 What would you change about the city? I'd most certainly rid us of the traffic wardens.
6 Describe a perfect Edinburgh day/night out. On a sunny day, I would enjoy a stroll round the Royal Botanic Garden, followed by some outdoor drinks and a barbecue with friends.
7 Which sports interest you? I love tennis & hockey although I rarely get around to playing either. I recently tried rock climbing at Ratho, which was really exhilarating.
8 What was your most embarrassing moment? The most recent moment was accidentally dyeing my left nostril blue while dying feathers for hat making. You can work it out!
9 What is your greatest achievement? I hope they'll be many more but currently it has to be passing my driving test last year as I had a major mental block about that.
10 Sum up Edinburgh in three words. Historic, attractive, practical.
The full article contains 445 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
