On this day in 1953 the Royal Yacht 'Britannia' left the Clydebank shipyards to begin her speed trials.

Built by John Brown's shipbuilders, she was famously luxurious and entertained countless dignitaries in opulent style. The Britannia carried the royal family on more than 1000 visits to over 600 countries. After being decommissioned in 1997, it was decided to berth the ship at Leith where she is now a major tourist attraction.

Today in 2001 Dorothy Dunnett, the cult Scottish novelist, died. The writer of intricate and meticulously researched historical novels, she attracted a devoted following with her multi-volume sagas. Her novels included the million-word Lymond Chronicles, in six volumes, which covered 15 years in the life of a 16th-century Scottish aristocrat, Francis Crawford of Lymond.

Today's recipe: Scots chef Nick Nairn's truffle treat.