I fell in love in March. I fell in love with the West of Scotland – Argyll in particular.

I was on my way to enjoy a few days at Loch Melfort Village, just south of Oban, with some family, and had to drive over there from Dunbar.

What an amazing journey of staggering loveliness. The weather was perfect and never have the lochs and glens looked more lovely – Loch Lubnaig, Loch Awe and the coastline from Oban to Kilmelford.

I know people say that when the weather is right, there is nowhere lovelier than Scotland, and I’ve often given a theoretical nod in the direction of that truth.

But when my break in the west involved a side-trip to Helensburgh – a journey that took me along Loch Fyne, Loch Long and Loch Lomond – my heart was truly stolen, as stunning vista tumbled over breathtaking view, and I suddenly realised, with a fresh understanding, the immense privilege it is to live close to such beauty – and how foolish it would be to take that for granted.

The glens and lochs may be very different from the mountains and lakes of Italy or France or Austria, but they have a lustre of their own.

And the strangest thing about all this beauty, as it invaded my senses, was that it made me feel good. It was, in fact, good for my soul.

It took me out beyond the ordinary, the mundane, the pressures of everyday and stirred a deep sense of appreciation and wonder.

Some people say that they can feel much closer to God on a mountain top or sitting by a loch side, than they ever do in a church or cathedral.

Well, only they know if that is the case. One thing I certainly know is that something happens in those beautiful places that takes us very deep, touches the very core of our humanity and brings a blessing.