The remote beauty of Orkney, with its endless white beaches, ancient monuments and unfettered wildlife has long been a haven for Lorraine Kelly.
She has been escaping to the islands for nearly 40 years and has made many special memories there, but a snowy trip in February stands out above all the others.
Not only did the visit mark the launch of the broadcaster’s first novel, but it was where she discovered she was going to become a gran.
“My daughter, Rosie, came with me and it was during that trip she told me she was pregnant. It was the best, so exciting. But I couldn’t tell anyone because it was so early on.”
‘I miss Dundee a Lot’
Lorraine, 65 later this year, no longer has a permanent residence in Scotland after she and husband Steve sold their Broughty Ferry property. But she is certain they will return at some point.
“Rosie and I were talking about it the other day and we think we’ll eventually all end up coming back home. I’m lucky to live in a nice place in Buckinghamshire, only 40 minutes from the studio in the morning and Rosie loves where she is too.
“We moved back up the road when Rosie was 12 so she could go to secondary school in Scotland, so she might do the same. I go up the road to see my mum, so I don’t feel homesick.
“I miss Dundee a lot though. Rosie loved it there and still does, and she loves Edinburgh where she went to uni.
“Dundee is a great city and has a lot going for it. Like every other city in the world it has its problems, but when you come over the bridge and see that setting, it’s absolutely beautiful.”
Lorraine’s book tour for the recently published The Island Swimmer has also seen her return home frequently in 2024. She was in the capital again this week when she took part in the Edinburgh International Book Festival and was interviewed by Sir Ian Rankin.
“How grown-up is that to be interviewed by him?” she smiles. “He’s wonderful.
“I don’t know how he does it – he’s written about 3,500 books!
“A million years ago, I did an STV New Year show with Stephen Jardine live from Edinburgh, and Ian was our first foot, so I’ve met him before.
“Steve and I will drive up with my mum to drop her off after her stay, then we’ll do the Book Festival on Friday, stay with friends in Dundee on Saturday, and then go to the Dundee United-St Mirren cup game on Sunday.
“We watch all the games on the club’s TV channel, but it’s not the same as being there, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Lorraine Kelly on becoming a gran
Lorraine’s excitement for the impending arrival of her grandchild is palpable as she talks from an airport departure lounge.
She has just arrived back in the UK from Spain, where she was writing her follow-up novel, and is waiting on a flight to Glasgow, where she will accompany her mum
down south for a stay at Lorraine’s home in Buckinghamshire.
“My mum is beside herself with excitement too.
“Rosie is so great, so organised. The bag is packed. The baby is due at the end of the month, but with it being her first it could happen anytime.
“I’m on baby watch – I’ll do as much or as little as she wants. Rosie tells me when I’m annoying or need to be shushed.
“Now that it’s almost here, I’ve been buying one or two little outfits. Her fiance, Steve, is so lovely and sweet. I’ve said to him: ‘Tell me if I’m an annoyance!’ They’re dead happy.”
Receiving the baby news on Orkney added to Lorraine’s love affair with the islands. She first went in 1985, when she was TV-am’s Scottish correspondent, to do colour pieces like the world’s shortest scheduled flight between Westray and Papa Westray.
She fell in love with the place and people, and has gone back every year since.
Family milestones, such as Rosie’s first steps, happened there, so when it came time to complete a long-held ambition of writing a novel, there was only one place to base the story:
“I always wanted to set it on Orkney. The idea had been floating around for a
while, but it took me ages to write it. It’s hard, really hard, but I love it. It’s the hardest thing I do, but the thing I love the most.
“No one in Orkney has said anything but positive things. I feel I’m becoming a bit of an unofficial ambassador as there are so many places to see and for all budgets.
“Even if the weather hasn’t been good, you know it will be different the next day, or maybe the next hour. If I could wave a magic wand, I’d be doing my show from Orkney – but that might prove difficult for some guests!”
‘Seeing book in shops made it real’
“There was nothing more thrilling than when I went into the bookshop in Kirkwall and saw my novel. Walking into a bookstore and seeing your book makes it real.
“I saw someone reading it at the airport and I wanted to say, ‘That was me’ – but I didn’t, that’s too boasty.”
The Island Swimmer sees Evie returning to the wild island landscape she left as a teenager after vowing never to return. Her estranged sister, Liv, remained on the island, their lives scattered after a childhood trauma.
As she clears out her father’s home to prepare it for sale, isolated Evie finds herself drawn to a group of cold-water swimmers who find calmness beneath the icy waves.
‘Saying goodbye would be weird’
Lorraine is planning a second book, which will feature the same characters from The Island Swimmer.
“I wasn’t ready to let go of them,” she says. “It would have been weird to say goodbye to them all.
“Orkney is so rich with history, family and stories – there is so much to say.”
She dedicated the first book to her mum, Anne, whom she credits with gifting her a love of books.
It’s been a worrying time for the family as Anne battles illness.
“She’s not been well. She has a horrible kidney disease, but she is so positive and being so well looked after by Monklands Hospital – the renal unit there is unbelievable. Dr Jack is my hero.
“They’ve been so good to her, but she is the perfect patient who does everything she’s told, so it works both ways.
“We want to get a picture of my mum, me, Rosie and the baby – four generations together.
“That’ll be really special. My brother is coming over from Singapore in September to meet his first niece and he’ll bring my mum down to meet the baby.
“I feel very lucky to have both my parents at my age. They were very young when they had me, just 18.”
Conversation