Our first trip to Britain since 2008 and first flight since – since aeroplanes only had propellers. Perhaps not, but a long time ago. The flight was not looked forward to at all but the chance to see family at a wedding and friends was the impetus. We landed at Edinburgh airport – what a difference to the provincial Poitiers airport. It is destined to become one of the most important airports in Britain after 100 years of existence following its modest beginnings as a military airfield during the last war.

Scotland was covered with cloud and after leaving France with temperatures in the high 30's, 13°C felt a little cool. There were occasionally little glimpses of sun. Testimony to this was the hire car attendant asleep in his glass cabin in the carpark! Our daughter drove and needed regular reminders to keep to the left for the first hour or so.

We have often commented on the friendliness of the French where one rarely does not receive a Bonjour on entering a shop or even in the street and bemoaned the fact that in England it was less common. Perhaps things have changed all over but certainly in Scotland we went nowhere where we were not greeted in a friendly and welcoming manner. Our country hotel was no exception.

The marriage ceremony was Humanist, a belief I was unaware of in its implications. Despite the fact the family lived in Australia they all came to Scotland close to the bridegroom's home to celebrate the marriage. Scotland is the only part of Britain where Humanist ceremonies are recognized – for the moment. They are too in Australia. It was a simple and moving event where the relationship of the couple was spoken about at some length by the celebrant before the couple made their promises to each other. A walled garden full of flowers provided a marvellous setting for a special occasion in the young couple's lives.

Our visit also gave us the chance to meet up with old friends and to lunch with them and sample Haggis, presented this time without the necessity of having to cut through the sheep's stomach.

Our drive up to see other friends in the Highlands fortunately took us past a whisky distillery which, though we are not great whisky drinkers, we felt obliged to visit and sample the product. Shown how to drink it correctly, warming the glass with our hands and adding, if at all, the smallest amount of water, may well change our habits!

The further north we drove the lower the cloud, rendering the tops of the hills – or are they mountains – invisible. Our hosts' house looked over the Moray Firth. A day's touring in the area with our friends as guides took us to Cromarty to watch rather shy dolphins on this cold day who came in with the tide to catch their supper; to Nigg bay where several oil platforms stood inactive ready for repairs and servicing; to astounding views and narrow roads on one of which we found an old style AA telephone box and on another silage bales wrapped in pink plastic.

Being of a conservative nature thinking silage wrap was rather like the model T Ford. In any colour as long as it is black, I was surprised. I learnt later that its use is in aid of breast cancer campaign in Britain, with part of the proceeds of the sale of rolls of plastic going towards the cancer fund. Our friends were whisky drinkers and the evening saw us sampling several varieties with information on their different merits. It was only our host who awoke the next morning with a slightly sore head. We travelled south through barren and beautiful country sometimes with snow poles on the roadside and gates to remind us that passage can be a difficult in the winter. The light at this time of the year (July) impressed us with daylight by four in the morning and nightfall after eleven.The short days of winter could be depressing.

Our return to Edinburgh for our flight home took us over the road bridge in view of the new suspension bridge under construction, and of the Victorian iron railway bridge. The new Queensferry crosssing on the Firth of Forth is a construction in the same style as the Millau bridge, more familiar to us here in France. The new bridge is being constructed because the present road bridge built in 1964 is showing signs of weakness. The railway bridge nearly 130 years old is still going strong.

With an afternoon to spare before our return home we visited Edinburgh and the Mound. The festivals are beginning and we found ourselves in the midst of a carnival when Princes street was closed to traffic. It brought home the vulnerability of crowds in such a situation after the lorry massacre in the previous week in Nice. Kilted bagpipers played music on street corners, bands danced and sang in squares and curious shows of grotesque mime littered the Royal Mile. But at least we can say we have been to Scotland.