In my novel about Dora, she and John get engaged at the Loch Awe Hotel in the Scottish Highlands in March 1935. Loch Awe is the longest freshwater loch in Scotland, at 41km, but is only 1km wide. It is renowned for its trout and so was an obvious destination for the couple, fishing being their favourite pastime. The hotel is easily reached by train from Glasgow, simplifying the long journey from their London home. Steps from the station lead directly up to the hotel’s main entrance and a terrace overlooking the loch.
Last week we passed by the hotel on our way home from a short break to Oban. It was a clear, crisp December day, with a hoar frost giving the whole scene a magical look.
The receptionist very kindly showed me the dining room and bar, where I imagined that John and Dora spent their evenings after a cold day’s fishing on the loch. It was in a private corner of the dining room that John bends his knee and asks Dora to marry him, after a long courtship. He could never replace Hugh, the love of her life who was lost at Gallipoli in 1915, but John had earned her love and respect since they’d met in 1931.
The hotel retains much of its Victorian character and I was amused to see that there was mistletoe hanging from the chandelier in the bar – a romantic resonance with my story!
Rereading Dora’s handwritten notes, I have discovered another hotel that features in the story. In August 1939, John summons Dora to meet him in Copenhagen, where he is piloting a cruise to the Northern Capitals for the Orient Line. War is about to begin and he needs to tell her about his newly received orders to return to the Royal Naval Reserve. They stay at the Hotel Phoenix, in the centre of the city, not far from the harbour. This grand, 19th century hotel would be confiscated by the Nazis during the war and later became home to the Danish Communist Party. It was turned back into a hotel in 1990 and was restored to its former elegance and luxury. Might have to go and have a look at it, as a trip to Copenhagen is on the cards this spring!
All photos ©Mary Monro 2025.
A Bitter Equation 