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THE comedian John Tothill has been appeared in pubs and gig venues up and down the country, performing his stand-up routine to thousands of strangers.

So he’s better qualified than most to judge where is the the most welcoming spot in Blighty.

It turns out, it’s a little seaside town called Wigtown in Ayrshire, Scotland

Fresh from his nomination for ‘Best Show’ at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards last year, John was back in Scotland to discover the country’s best hidden gems for a Channel 4 show called ‘Where To Next‘, with fellow comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri.

They quizzed plenty of Scots on the best lesser-known places to visit and ended up in Wigtown, after it was recommended by several people.

John told us: “Wigtown is probably the friendliest place I’ve ever been to in my life.

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“I didn’t meet a single person that wasn’t nice. It was full of enthusiastic people that loved living there.

“It’s a historic place, but of course it’s still modern because people live there. That’s why I think it’s a particularly lovely place to visit, it’s full of tourist attractions, but it’s not a museum.”

The town sits on the southwest coast of Scotland overlooking Wigtown Bay – Britain’s largest local nature reserve.

Wigtown’s claim to fame is that it’s Scotland’s National Book Town and has around 17 independently run second-hand bookshops.

This includes Reading Lasses which is not only a bookshop, but also a café with a selection of cakes which you can enjoy in front of a log-burning fire in winter, or in the garden area during summer.

There’s also The Book Shop which is the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland, with over a mile of shelving that holds 100,000 books.

The town holds a yearly book festival, which will be between September 25 and October 4 this year.

For a quirky way to spend a long-weekend, you can check into the flat above The Open Book and ‘play-bookshop’.

Holidaymakers can essentially manage their own bookshop during their stay, volunteer behind the till, make their own displays, and of course, read.

The experience is so in demand it has a two-year waiting list on Airbnb with the next available dates in January 2028.

It doesn’t come cheap either, four-nights at The Open Book for one person is £878.

If you’re happy to stay somewhere without the bookshop experience then head to Booktown Bunkhouse where rooms start from £59 per night.

While Wigtown sits along the coast, it’s actually surrounded by marshes, and the bay is a nature reserve for birds like osprey and waders.

But you can still get beautiful sea views from the town, or if you want to head to the beach some of the nearest are Rigg Bay at Garlieston and pretty Monreith Bay.

40-minutes away from Wigtown is what John calls a ‘must-do experience’ while in Scotland.

Kitchen Coos & Ewes in Dumfries & Galloway offers a ‘hands-on highland cow experience’ visitors are given tours around the farm, and you can even give the younger calves a groom in the play-pen.

John said: “There were so many cows, and they were beautiful, really gorgeous.

“What the farmer told us is that highland cows don’t tire of human contact – and they don’t leave you alone.

“You have to stop grooming them because they will never have enough, so you have to set boundaries.”

Here you can have a guided experience, a selfie with the cows, groom them, tea and a bite to eat for £46 per person.

There are other options like the walking tour around the farm for £28pp, and even an ‘Insta Coo Tour’ where there’s ample time to take some enviable pictures from £24pp.

40-minutes in the other direction from Wigtown is Kirkcudbright, where John claims to have had some of the best food of his life at Swally n’ Scran.

You can pick up two courses for £19.95 – which includes scallops, haddock or crab.

John added: “The seafood is all locally sourced. I tried scallops andthe monkfish was incredible.”

You can see everything John and Fatiha got up to on Channel 4’s YouTube.

If you want to explore John and Fatiha’s itinerary for yourself then head to VisitScotland where you can see everywhere they explored.

For more on staycations, Sun Travel has some suggestions from North Wales to Cornwall and our favourite hotels.

And here’s more on the most popular Scottish city to visit in 2026, with Traitors castles and an epic road trip route.

Netflix has shared a first look at its new crime thriller series, which is based on bestselling novels

Netflix has dropped an exciting first look at a gripping new crime thriller series perfect for Department Q fans, adapted from a celebrated author’s chart-topping novels. The serial killer whodunnit, among Netflix’s expanding roster of crime dramas, stars The Last Kingdom’s Tobias Santelmann in the lead role, with early reactions praising it as “fresh and true to the character”.

Set for its worldwide premiere on Netflix on March 26, the Working Title production showcases Santelmann as detective Harry Hole, with Joel Kinnaman portraying Tom Waaler and Pia Tjelta taking on the role of Rakel Fauke.

Series creator and executive producer Jo Nesbø commented: “It’s been just great working with Tobias Santelmann and creating a character that is fresh, still true to the character and his universe in the novels. I’m really looking forward to presenting this Harry Hole to the audience.”

The programme, titled Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole, has proven to be a career highlight for Santelmann, who described the opportunity as an “honour”. He elaborated: “Stepping into Harry Hole’s shoes has been a tremendous honour and a thrilling challenge. Jo Nesbø’s world is so rich, and Harry is a truly complex character.

“I’m thankful for this opportunity, and I hope the audience will enjoy our Harry Hole. Bringing him to life, and working with everyone involved, has been a true privilege.”

Jo Nesbø has captivated audiences globally with over 60 million books sold, cementing his status as a master of the crime thriller genre. The adaptation centres on his iconic troubled detective, Harry Hole, and explores his complex relationship with a fellow officer who walks a far darker path.

The series pits Harry against the morally compromised detective Tom Waaler. According to the synopsis: “Harry is a brilliant but tormented homicide detective who struggles with his demons.

“As the two navigate the blurred ethical lines of the criminal justice system, Harry must do all he can to catch a serial killer and bring Waaler to justice before it is too late.”

The explosive trailer plunges audiences straight into chaos with a devastating car crash, offering a glimpse into the perilous world the detective inhabits daily. Whilst acknowledged as exceptional at his job, he is “just not that good at everything else”.

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His nemesis can be heard taunting him: “We are not so different, you and I. We are both intelligent. We don’t have to be enemies, you and I.”

Enthusiasts rushed to YouTube to voice their excitement, with @CANAN-07 commenting: “I read all Jo Nesbo books! I love Harry Hole’s character, and I was picturing exactly this actor type in my mind, Tobias Santelmann. This must be from The Devil’s Star book in which the killer cuts off victims’ fingers.”

User @stevelamont4593 commented: “I’m with you, I’ve read the books, I’m hoping it’s better than The Snowman (film). The book was brilliant, this looks really…. really good.”

Meanwhile, @iloveharrypotter22 enthused: “YES! I can’t wait. One of my all-time favorite book series. If you’re new to Harry Hole read the books, and skip The Snowman movie. This show has a lot of promise. Can’t wait!”

Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole launches on Netflix on March 26.

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