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“I was offered an OBE. I kept quiet in case my mum found out...”

Depending on which way you look at it, Iain Banks is either wonderfully principled or slightly eccentric.

The best-selling author, who lives in North Queensferry in Fife, is going on holiday to the Greek island of Crete.

Rather than take a short flight with the rest of his friends he is embarking on a five-day haul over land and sea.