I had a rough idea of where I was going: the blot of land smudging out from Scotland's south-western corner. The erratic single track road to Knockinaam Lodge is not for the car-sick, afraid of heights, or hungry.

Ideally it should be traversed without infants, and with Global Satellite Positioning in a four wheel drive. As you roll over hill and down again, no hint of the sea in sight, the conviction that you are nearing a hotel wavers. Depending on the state of your marriage and your orienteering skills, your belief may crumble altogether. Until you hear waves.

Descending onto a cusp of land, framed by sleek oceanic curve, Knockinaam rests between two sheltering cliffs, and the welcome is warm. With my children chasing away car fever at the beach, I inspected our room, one of nine: come-hither bed, cast-iron bath, gin and tonic: check. Wandering the 200 yards or so from suite to shore was a pleasure, despite the gale.

I am not the first to wend my way here. Built in 1869 as a shooting lodge, Knockinaam features in John Buchan's The Thirty Nine Steps. And apart from the obvious difficulty in finding them, one can see the other reasons why Churchill and Eisenhower met here, with their chiefs of staff, during the second world war.

While the children ate their dinners with great enthusiasm - the cure for fussy eaters is clearly to take them to a Michelin starred kitchen - better was to come. The seven-course tasting menu was fabulous. So fabulous, in fact, that I can recall exactly the components of each course - and not just on this visit, but a menu created by the same chefs two years ago. For my forgetful mind, this is high compliment.

We dined alone. Normally I would equate this as either a miserable choice of venue, or being friendless. However, at Knockinaam it felt exclusive. Three chefs were cooking their hearts out just for us.

My last stray into this nook of Scotland had been transient - a late-night arrival and early morning departure to the ferry at Stranraer - and I knew nothing of Wigtown, 35 miles from Knockinaam. The market square is actually a triangle, wedged between fringes of terraced houses. From the look of things, you imagine a Post Office, two pubs, and maybe a hairdresser nestling between the front doors.

But no. Wigtown, population 1,200, has 22 bookshops, and an additional half dozen book-related industries call it home. It is to literature lovers what Diagon Alley is to trainee wizards. We have the UK's largest mystery dealer (Ming Books), and a specialist in folklore and mythology (Byre Books). There is the only dealer in second-hand women's studies outside London (Readinglasses Bookshop Café) and miniature book specialists (Gleniffer Press). Sheet music is catered for at The Music Shop, and there is also a specialist newspaper dealer.

Wigtown is Scotland's - rather softly spoken - answer to Hay-on-Wye. It could not, as a town, be accused of arrogant self-publicity: outside Wigtown, there is only the occasional mention that the Scottish Parliament declared it a Book Town, after a significant regeneration effort, five years ago. Whether this open secrecy is deliberate or not, I am grateful. One hour later, alone, I revelled in two rooms stuffed with second-hand children's books (Box of Frogs), and had my choice in out-of-print Ahlbergs. There are officially 22 European Book Towns, and Wigtown played host to their 4th International Festival last month. While some shops consist of a fairly small, if eclectic, collection in one squint room, others are winding warrens of shelving, struggling with the weight of a cornucopian treasure trove. If you can, set aside a weekend for browsing.

In life, serendipity is never guaranteed - but it is in Wigtown. Next day, adopting the clearly favourable, peripatetic approach to exploration, the Victorian Fish Larder beckoned - whatever it was, for the sign was very enigmatic.

We vied with the coastal road, sea spray arching over it, and came to what looked like a dead end. Do not be fooled. Get out of the car, get your ticket and prepare to feed the fish.

The larder, which you descend into on foot and which is not visible from the road, refers to a deep seawater pool within an impressive open-topped cavern. Created in a blow-hole, the Laird of Logan flattened and floored the pond 200 years ago, taking 12 years in the task. It is a tidal pool and he could only build it when the sea was out.

The lady of the manor clearly not only ate well from the stocked fish, but also swam, courtesy of the adjacent bathing hut - which, rather charmingly, contains a fireplace. Accompanied by the most enthusiastic fish keeper I have ever met, it was impossible to feel anything but a shared love for Betty the salmon who, I swear, looked pleased when we started to toss fish food to her.

We learned how many babies lobsters have in one sitting (20,000 before they start eating each other), what a starfish feels like, and we watched infant flat fish float around rock ponds.

Shortly afterwards, I was admiring palm trees and Himalayan poppies swaying vigorously in the warm air coming off the Gulf Stream in the 25 acres of Logan Botanical Gardens. The walled gardens, sheltered and scented with the heady allure of tropical bouquets, is a botanical Elysium, especially when combined with reading newly acquired books.

I did not think that happening upon a sliver of tropics in stormy Scotland might be considered odd: after all, I was getting used to the Alice in Wonderland unpredictability as the only emerging theme.

The only thing that bumped me back to reality was the fact that you can't pay using Visa or Switch in Logan Botanical Garden's restaurant. If you don't bring cash or a cheque, you will need to drive or send your spouse to Stranraer, 14 miles away, to the cash machine. That's if you are still talking and either of you can read a map.

DETAILS

Getting there: From Glasgow, Wigton is 92 miles, from Edinburgh, 111 miles, from Carlisle, 90 miles, from Stranraer, 30 miles.

Nearest rail: Dumfries via Carlisle/Stranraer from Glasgow www.scotrail.com, www.wigton-booktown.co.uk

The International Book Town Festival is from 21-23 May, Wigton’s Sixth Literary Festival is from September 17th-26th (including Joanne Harris, Sally Magnusson, Bernard MacLaverty, and William Dalrymple among others)s.

Knockinaam Lodge. Near Portpatrick, Dinner Bed and Breakfast starts from £100

Victorian Fish Pond
Logan Botanic Gardens