SHE has crossed the galaxy and faced down weird and wonderful creatures of many alien worlds.

But Doctor Who star Karen Gillan has revealed that she is happiest when she comes back home to Scotland, and even misses the rain.

The actress is currently working in Hollywood and is due to be seen in the big-budget Guardians of the Galaxy film this August, in her breakthrough role as the female lead.

But the 28-year-old has revealed she is happiest away from the limelight.

She said: "My favourite part of Scotland is my hometown, Inverness. It's beautiful and has my family in it. My favourite part of the world is the same place, but my favourite place to travel to is New York.

"I miss Scotland so much. All of my friends and family are there and I miss the rain."

In a web chat, fans were allowed to ask Gillan about anything, and she responded to questions about her career and her opinion on Doctor Who co-star Matt Smith's beloved bow ties, saying they were "secretly cool, but don't tell anyone I said that."

The actress was sporting a short bob hairstyle instead of her usual flowing locks, after shaving her head for her last role.

She revealed she has set her sights on the classics in future, saying: "I want to play Lady Macbeth. I know she's not a historical character, however I want to play her so badly."

And she also used the social media site Twitter to reach out to one lucky fan's son when the three-year-old chipped in to say she was pretty.

Gillan posted a picture on her own Twitter stream of her holding a placard with a message to the toddler.