He a son of Auld Reekie – but for John Blaikie, Kirkcudbright is where his home and heart are.
Meeting John at his home high up off Boreland Road, the rolling hills of Galloway can be seen in the distance.
And, as it turns out, he is a true man of the outdoors, canoeing on Loch Ken or scaling vertiginous peaks in the Cuillins.
