NORTH BERWICK: Stays on top after constant praise for its tip-top golf courses, butchers – and its culture. John says: "Last month, Fringe by the Sea – a four-day extravaganza during the Edinburgh Festival – was a huge success and locals demand a repeat next year." Also praised as a great sailing base, and for its views, Italian restaurants, farm shops, wine shops, dive sites, walks and saintly sites.
NAIRN: Endless mentions, including John Usher from last week, who said he much preferred Nairn and North Berwick to St Andrews. Paul MacMichael praised its 9th, 10th and 18th golf holes – and its clubhouse gets a mention today – but it's had many mor
e commendations from Peter and Craig Johnson in categories as broad as 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.
FRASERBURGH: Overlooked in the past, unfairly, as it has been the subject of multiple recommendations, especially from the prolific and parsimonious Mr Robert Ritchie. He has had good things to say in categories as diverse as best sculpture, cheap eaterie, lifeboat station, coastal visit, beach walk and clock – the nearby Crimond Church Clock, which displays a 61-minute hour due to an error by its maker. Alan Nairn spoke up for its Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, while it was also commended as a great place to watch a thunderstorm.
ST ANDREWS: Falling further from its former lofty perch. John Usher was unimpressed – "I went on a quiet afternoon and found it rather uninspiring with an average main street." However, many, many mentions in the past – for golf and so much more – keep it in the top four. 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. Its beaches have often been praised, too.
DUNKELD: A recent mention from Jeremy Godwin in his top towns added to praise for its cathedral, walks, toilets, farm shops and as a place to skim stones. Also loved for the walks and folly at the Hermitage and the ospreys at nearby Loch of the Lowes.
MOFFAT: All quiet in Moffat, which was No1 for a while – but still popular for its gardens, shops, the Grey Mare's Tail waterfall and Colvin Fountain, and as a classic Victorian spa town and for its boating pond and sweet shop. Any more for Moffat?
DUNBAR: "It surprises me no-one has recommended Dunbar as best small town," says Jim Thompson – of Dunbar. "With 2,000 years of history, two harbours – the 16th-century Cromwell and 19th-century Victoria – a ruined castle where Mary Queen of Scots was brought by Bothwell, 16th-century Town House still being used as a museum, John Muir's Birthplace, the John Muir Country Park, two excellent fish and chip shops…" and on he goes. Dunbar has often been mentioned in golfing and several other categories, but Jim's praise nudges it into the top six.
The full article contains 511 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
