If I had to pick the best overall accommodation on a recent three-week Scottish trip, it would be the Queens Guest House in Ayr. The location was extremely good, conveniently near both the town centre and the beach, but very quiet. The back-facing room was quite large enough, with an excellent ensuite bathroom, and a very interesting view looking toward the town centre over rows of nineteenth-century walled gardens (see photo). Most important, Eileen and Jackson were wonderful hosts, very friendly and always eager to help us in any way. When we were puzzling about bus transportation to Culzean Castle (see photo), which is in a rural location twelve miles away, our hosts quickly volunteered to provide free transportation. Their son Adam took us to Culzean, and Eileen and Jackson picked us up when we called after our sightseeing. In addition, Jackson (an excellent cook for the very generous breakfasts) is a very talented photographer, and Eileen is an actress and film director, so the conversations were interesting and wide-ranging. "Home away from home" is usually an exaggeration, but not this time. What a delightful experience!