‘I booked tomorrow’s accommodation before I knew Dad had gone and set up a meet-and-greet with the family,’ Elle mused, frowning at the enormous map that covered most of her bed. There was a lot to be said for a good, detailed map, but did they have to make it almost to scale? There was no easy way to read it without needing to fold the bloody thing into segments.

‘Oh, Elspeth, we’ve been so looking forward to your call,’ her dad’s cousin Alice had said when Elle dialled the number Alister had given her, and the excitement and genuine warmth in the woman’s tone made Elle feel slightly guilty about thinking of ways to get out of the visit. ‘When can you get here?’

‘Um, well, that’s what I was calling to work out,’ Elle had stammered, put on the spot. ‘I’m still in Edinburgh at the moment but I’m picking up the hire car tomorrow. I thought maybe I’d make my way up there over the next few days.’

‘And you’ll be staying with us?’ Alice asked, more as a statement than a question.

‘Actually, I’ve already booked a room. A treat to myself, really,’ Elle said quickly, hoping she hadn’t caused offence. And it wasn’t entirely a lie: she hadn’t just booked any room in any place, it was a real life, honest-to-God manor house.

On her bucket list of Scotland, she had wanted more than anything to stay in a castle. Just for one night. Just to say she had. The idea had seen her excitedly scrolling through online booking places in search of castles to stay in, only to discover that her bank account and her dreams were working on two very different wavelengths.

Until she discovered Durn House. It took her breath away the moment she spotted the photo of the beautiful manor house lit up in all its elegant, eighteenth-century country-mansion glory.

Much to her relief, Alice hadn’t argued and seemed thrilled when Elle told her where she had booked. ‘Oh, it’s lovely. I’ve been there often. They do a bonnie high tea.’

So, now, with accommodation booked prior to discovering she had to travel in a completely different direction to where she had intended, she had figure out how best to zigzag her way across the countryside.

I think we should go and see our plot of land, Gran piped up.

Elle sighed. This had been something Gran had talked about ever since Elle had given her the gift, so it was only fair she make the effort. ‘I guess it’s as good a place to start as any.’

Their plot was part of a nature reserve located in Appin, which according to Google was a drive of an hour and forty-four minutes. Elle typed in the details of the trip and felt a ripple of excitement run through her.