DUNKELD: Attracting most of the new praise, so displaces North Berwick at No 1. Malcolm Brown says: "No 1 simply has to be Dunkeld. We all know about the Cathedral; the walks; the square; and the beauty and tranquillity of the River Tay as it flows under the Telford Bridge.
However, it's the people of Dunkeld who make it a special place. Warm, friendly, and approachable. When you are out walking there is always a friendly 'good morning' or 'afternoon' – they make strangers feel like friends." Susan Forde also lavished p
raise and it has been recommended for its cathedral, walks, toilets, farm shops and as a place to skim stones and see ospreys (at nearby Loch of the Lowes).
NORTH BERWICK: Slips to No 2, but unchallenged beyond that as Anderson's butchers is getting so many plaudits – and because of Robert Ritchie's McGonagall tribute on page V. Praised hugely by many other recommenders for its wonderful golf courses and as a great sailing base, for its views, Italian restaurants, farm shops, wine shops, dive sites, walks and as a saintly site.
NAIRN: Back in the Top 3 thanks to a Ritchie-inspired McGonagall tribute – but has been endlessly praised in a wide range of categories including its golf holes and clubhouse, plus best book festival, best place to watch cricket, best museum, best seaside resort, best ruin, best fishing break, best viaduct, best war memorial and best cake shop.
ST ANDREWS: Down a place despite repeated mentions, for golf (Paul MacMichael praised its New Clubhouse) and much more. Has appeared in many categories in the past, including best ice-cream, best spot for stargazing, best boating pond, best cheese shop and best small cinema. Gillian Thompson recently praised its Seafood Restaurant and Butler & Co deli.
LARGS: New entry thanks to Alan Nairn's tribute on the back of many previous commendations: "I wanted to say a word for Largs in Ayrshire. It has the Vikingar Visitor Centre that celebrates Largs' Viking heritage and must be one of the few museums with a community swimming pool attached! It no longer has its massive café on the promenade but a nice smaller one at the pier. I suppose it doesn't have a really five-star place to eat, but there are plenty of cafés and hotels scattered round the attractive town. There are really nice walks and wonderful views over the Firth to Millport and Bute and a sail as well if you feel like it.
FRASERBURGH: No new recommendations, so dips in our list, but the subject of multiple previous recommendations, especially from Robert Ritchie. He had good things to say in categories as diverse as best sculpture, cheap eaterie, lifeboat station, coastal visit, beach walk and clock. Others spoke up for its Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, while it was also commended as a great place to surf and to watch a thunderstorm.
MELROSE: Several mentions for Melrose after Louise Maving praised the "beautiful Borders town" last week and Gillian Thompson also gave it the thumbs-up for its "good network of way-marked routes".
The full article contains 520 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
