Favourite Holiday: Isle of Lewis. It’s my touchstone. My family are from there.
Favourite Film: The Third Man. So atmospheric in cinematography and mood. I even went on a tour of the film locations in Vienna.
Favourite Book: Dance Called America by James Hunter. The story of the Scottish diaspora in North America has always inspired me.
Favourite Music: Runrig gave me the connection between the Gaelic roots of my home and the pop culture around me. Elvis and Springsteen are very close behind.
Greatest Influence: On a personal level, my parents. Professionally, watching the late Kenny Macintyre reporting was a constant education. And Eddie Mair’s broadcasting is in a class of its own.
Worst Influence: I worked for a short time on a Sunday newspaper. The team were great and treated me really well, but the culture of the time was long liquid lunches.
Advice to 16 year-old self: You belong. Don’t think you’re not good enough. I wish every child at a state school was told that.
Greatest Regret: My only regrets are those that fate delivered and over which I had no control.
Best Advice Received:In TV terms, let the pictures do the talking.
Career High: Anchoring an STV News at Ten special in Edinburgh as the polls closed in the Scottish Independence Referendum. The hairs were standing on the back of my neck.
Career Low: Wearing my lucky white heather for St Andrew’s Day and having to apologise as we crashed off air because of technical difficulties.
