I spent three weeks at Cove Park in July and August this year, working on a new book. There is nothing more conducive to concentration than silence, no internet, no phone, the slate-coloured streak of Loch Long visible through the windows of your live/work ‘cube’ and some very tranquil cows… I don’t know when I’ll have the opportunity to do a writing retreat of this kind again, and am very grateful to the Sophie Warne Fellowship, to the lovely folks at Cove Park who looked after me so well, and to the other residents, who were delightful company when I came out of my self-imposed isolation. It was an unforgettable experience.