2022 is both ‘Scotland’s Year of Stories’ and the culmination of celebrations marking 250 years since Walter Scott’s birth, so it is fitting that we include an article examining his impact on architecture by Simon Green.

Esther R. Clark led the Ayr Station Hotel campaign group for many years, and although she has passed on the baton, she is now Secretary of Ayr Development Trust. In her twin articles, she takes us through the projects and what the next steps must be to secure the town’s future.

In our Spotlight feature, Ben Tindall reveals the story of (John) Cowane’s Hospital in Stirling, an incredible survivor as a 17th-century civic institution and as an architectural gem.The magazine’s cover photograph, by Colin McLean, shows its central location and (for better or worse) its proximity to Stirling Castle.