Lorraine Kelly: 'My favourite things about Orkney and why I've loved it since the 1970s'
Lorraine Kelly is one of Scotland's most instantly-recognisable personalities.
Whether interviewing Hollywood A-listers on her eponymous TV chat show, lending her voice to a number of charity campaigns or, more recently, becoming a best-selling author with her debut novel, the 65-year-old is rarely out of the limelight.
Yet, for almost the last half a century, Lorraine has been in love with Orkney and makes an effort to travel to the islands as often as she can.
Indeed, she has said that she would live there if she could, but her hectic life in front of the camera makes that very difficult.
However, she told the Press & Journal about some of the things which make Orkney such a remarkable place and why she never misses the chance to return.
Peace. Being able to breathe. Feeling comfortable and happy. It's like coming home.
There have been so many! We had a lovely night recently at the Foveran with a splendid dinner of freshly caught lobster and then we sat outside on the balcony overlooking Scapa Flow until it was well past midnight, drinking and talking with friends.
I always stay at the Foveran and the food is wonderful especially as it is locally sourced.
For lunch, it has to be Sheila Fleet's Kirk Gallery and Cafe in Tankerness.
It's such a beautiful place to visit and to browse Sheila's gorgeous jewellery and the cafe does incredible food and also serves up the best home-made cakes.
But there are so many terrific places to eat and such a wealth of wonderful local produce across the islands that I keep finding new places to enjoy.
I love a head clearing walk to the Old Man of Hoy starting at Rackwick. Whenever we go there, we take a picnic and sit by the St John's cliffs.
It is an absolutely stunning place and one which I never tire of visiting. I also love the walk to Yesnaby 'castle' on the Orkney mainland.
I'm heading back to Orkney to open the Island Games in July. I am so honoured to have been asked, and it's going to be amazing.
It's about sport, obviously, and youngsters coming together from across the globe.
But it's also about participants forging friendships, making memories and discovering why Orkney is such a treasured place.
Shetland previously hosted the games [in 2005], but, since then, they have been held in places such as Jersey, Rhodes, Bermuda and Gibraltar.
And now they are being staged in my happy place. I'm so looking forward to it.
I am also just finishing my second novel. It's the follow up to The Island Swimmer and it is also set in Orkney.
There was nothing more thrilling than when I went into the bookshop in Kirkwall and spotted my novel. Seeing your book on the shelf makes it real.
It gave me so much pride.
I noticed someone reading it at the airport and I wanted to tell them: 'That was me!'
But I didn't, because that would have been too boasty.
It was actually back in the 1970s when I was a teenager.
I used to go youth hostelling with my friends and we travelled all over Scotland.
I remember vividly being in Thurso and seeing these gorgeous islands off in the distance and knew immediately that I had to visit.
I finally went in 1984 and I have gone back every year since.
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Lorraine Kelly is one of Scotland's most instantly-recognisable personalities. Whether interviewing Hollywood A-listers on her eponymous TV chat show, lending her voice to a number of charity campaigns or, more recently, becoming a best-selling author with her debut novel, the 65-year-old is rarely out of the limelight. Yet, for almost the last half a century, Lorraine has been in love with Orkney and makes an effort to travel to the islands as often as she can. Indeed, she has said that she would live there if she could, but her hectic life in front of the camera makes that very difficult. However, she told the Press & Journal about some of the things which make Orkney such a remarkable place and why she never misses the chance to return. Peace. Being able to breathe. Feeling comfortable and happy. It's like coming home. There have been so many! We had a lovely night recently at the Foveran with a splendid dinner of freshly caught lobster and then we sat outside on the balcony overlooking Scapa Flow until it was well past midnight, drinking and talking with friends. I always stay at the Foveran and the food is wonderful especially as it is locally sourced. For lunch, it has to be Sheila Fleet's Kirk Gallery and Cafe in Tankerness. It's such a beautiful place to visit and to browse Sheila's gorgeous jewellery and the cafe does incredible food and also serves up the best home-made cakes. But there are so many terrific places to eat and such a wealth of wonderful local produce across the islands that I keep finding new places to enjoy. I love a head clearing walk to the Old Man of Hoy starting at Rackwick. Whenever we go there, we take a picnic and sit by the St John's cliffs. It is an absolutely stunning place and one which I never tire of visiting. I also love the walk to Yesnaby 'castle' on the Orkney mainland. I'm heading back to Orkney to open the Island Games in July. I am so honoured to have been asked, and it's going to be amazing. It's about sport, obviously, and youngsters coming together from across the globe. But it's also about participants forging friendships, making memories and discovering why Orkney is such a treasured place. Shetland previously hosted the games [in 2005], but, since then, they have been held in places such as Jersey, Rhodes, Bermuda and Gibraltar. And now they are being staged in my happy place. I'm so looking forward to it. I am also just finishing my second novel. It's the follow up to The Island Swimmer and it is also set in Orkney. There was nothing more thrilling than when I went into the bookshop in Kirkwall and spotted my novel. Seeing your book on the shelf makes it real. It gave me so much pride. I noticed someone reading it at the airport and I wanted to tell them: 'That was me!' But I didn't, because that would have been too boasty. It was actually back in the 1970s when I was a teenager. I used to go youth hostelling with my friends and we travelled all over Scotland. I remember vividly being in Thurso and seeing these gorgeous islands off in the distance and knew immediately that I had to visit. I finally went in 1984 and I have gone back every year since. If you enjoyed this story, you may also like: Meet the 3 generations of Harray Potters casting their spell on Orkney
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