Both of the offspring have raved about the beauty of St. Andrews which is just over an hour’s train ride from Edinburgh Waverley station with another 20 minutes by bus from Leuchars.

The train crosses the Forth Bridge – but I didn’t see it being painted – and there are stunning coastal views across the estuary, with people walking across the mud flats at low tide.

We took shelter from the initially unpromising weather by having lunch in the cafe where, apparently, Wills and Kate met for coffee. St. Andrews is as tiny as everyone says it is and I wondered how the 7,000-odd university students find anything to do except study but apparently there’s at least one ball here every week.

It was a short walk to the beach which was a stunningly beautiful as it was calm and peaceful underneath the nicely-timed sunshine, despite the distant cries of the gulls, fulmars, I believe. I expect living in the clifftop houses is a different story when you’re being buffeted by rain and gales off the North Sea. I needed to be swathed in endless hardy tweed and warm cashmere. I was not.

Our short trip over, we returned to Edinburgh for a late supper of monkfish, mussels and clams at the Cafe Royal, followed by apple crumble and a little snifter of Kilchoman whiskey, from Machir Bay in Islay. All very good indeed.