At the beginning of February, I travelled to Aberdeen to film a new city guide to this lovely, very friendly Scottish city. Aberdeen has a population of around 200,000 and is located in the north east of Scotland, next to a wonderful sandy beach and coastline. It took me about 2.5 hours to drive there from my home in Edinburgh and it’s a fairly straightforward drive.

If you're visiting Edinburgh for the first time, Edinburgh Castle will probably be at the top of your list of places to see. I've lived in Edinburgh for 50 years, and still marvel at this huge, imposing castle perched high upon an extinct volcano, bang in the city centre.

Stirling has a very important place in Scotland’s history. Its strategic location as the gateway to the Scottish Highlands resulted in many battles for freedom and it’s no wonder that so many people visit every year to uncover its fascinating history.

Glasgow, located on the west coast of Scotland, truly is a special city with, in my opinion, some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet anywhere in the world. From the moment you step off the train in Glasgow, you immediately sense the positive vibe and upbeat optimism of a city on the up.

Dundee is so often overlooked by visitors to Scotland, but it really is worth at least a day of your time to discover all its hidden gems. In this video (above) I share all my favourite places to visit in this vibrant Scottish city. Please do put aside any preconceptions you may have about Dundee and visit with fresh eyes – you’ll be really pleased you did.