It's been a good week for ...
monastic hospitality
Breaking a tradition that has stood since medieval times, Pluscarden Abbey near Elgin, Moray, is to invite women to stay overnight behind its walls.
The Benedictine community has launched a bid to raise £4 million to complete the restoration of the site with plans that include new dining facilities and overnight accommodation for female guests.
Women are welcome at the abbey and famous visitors have included television presenter Selina Scott.
Until now, however, only male guests have been allowed to stay within the walls and dine with the monks, while women were put-up in a hostel half-a-mile away.
The changes have been described as "historic" and in tune with a "more modern, equitable approach". Not bad going. It's only taken 800 years ...
It's been a bad week for ... domestic entertaining
The monks of Pluscarden Abbey many be throwing open their doors but not everyone in Scotland is so welcoming.
According to a new survey, 48 per cent of Scots admit to being too embarrassed about the state of their home to have visitors over.
Dated decor, unfinished DIY, general mess and even the size of their homes were cited as the main stumbling blocks.
The poll, conducted by mouldable glue brand Sugru, found seven in 10 feared they may never get their home to a point where they are no longer ashamed of it.
I call that a smokescreen. Let's be honest, the real reasons for dodging hosting guests are them eating you out of house and home, sitting in your favourite seat, the mounds of washing-up afterwards and those limpet-like visitors that always overstay their welcome (you know the sort: even subtle hints like copious yawning, donning pyjamas and winding up alarm clocks won't budge them).
It also emerged Scots would most like to recreate their own homes in the country house style of Downton Abbey or Monica and Rachel's flat in Friends, closely followed by Bruce Wayne's pad in Batman.
Curiously, the treehouse from Swiss Family Robinson and Wallace and Gromit's abode also ranked highly as did Uncle Phil's mansion from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Nah, for me it's got to be the McCallister house in Home Alone. Or Thunderbirds' Tracy Island ...
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