Carol Smillie

Christopher Fisher meets the celebrity television personality best known for presenting BBC series Changing Rooms and more recently as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing

Tell us about your five favourite places in Scotland.

“First, Culzean National Park.

There's a castle, beach, swan lake, an adventure playground. It's just beautiful.

“Second, Glasgow School of Art where I studied and have evening classes now. I just love it when you walk through the doors you can smell the oil-paint. It's a fabulous place.

“Next is House Of An Art Lover, another Charles Rennie Mackintosh building in Bellahouston Park. There is a beautiful café serving delicious food and a lovely walled garden. I use the music room a lot for photo shoots. I did my fitness video there, it's a little bit like my extended office!

“I'm a trustee of Kelvingrove Art gallery, so that has to be on my list. As a child I entered a drawing competition there and my entry was Highly Commended. It inspired my enthusiasm for art. It's also free, like many Glasgow museums.

Weekends with children can be a costly problem, so going somewhere like that is fantastic. The new Kelvingrove is fabulous for children, there is lots to do and plenty of interactive displays. Noisy activity is encouraged!

“I must add my husband's restaurant, The Doll's House, Saint Andrews. It's virtually the first restaurant we have opened, has been running 10 years and is a success story for our family. The children love it. It looks like a doll's house from the outside. It's so popular, we have many varied guests there. There's no dress code.

It's lively and great fun.”

Carol Smillie's Scotland
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• By : Christopher Fisher
• In : Interview
• Issue : 31
• Page : 28
• Words : 859