FAIR-WEATHER FRIENDS

A holiday in Scotland is always something of a gamble when it comes to the weather. Mine seemed to be paying off. As my train from London glided serenely into Glasgow Central station on a pleasant May afternoon, I spotted a fair number of locals lolling on the grassy banks of the River Clyde in shorts and T-shirts, replenishing their vitamin D levels after the dreich days of winter.

Late spring is my favorite season here, not least because the days are so long this far north. Sunrise comes around four in the morning and you can still be outside easily reading a book at 10:30 in the evening. In the glorious Scottish countryside, even a damp, misty day adds a magical allure to the glens, forests, and mountains. And if it’s really raining cats and dogs, there’s always a pub to dry out in, with a roaring fire and a well-stocked shelf