Having travelled to Scotland I found this book just a delight. The kilts, the tartan, the "weird" language, and the castles. Boris Greycoat and his dad Randall and mum Leonora hear that wolves are to be reintroduced into Scotland so they decide to take a holiday to the land of their ancestors.
"Since 1680, there have been no wolves in Scotland. But now The Scottish Royal Conservation Society wishes to welcome us back. Wolves will be reintroduced, starting with the Highland and Islands. Perhaps one day soon, we wolves ca go about our daily lives in Scottish cities without shrieks of terror from the local population."
So begins the story which feels like an old fashioned melodrama with dastardly baddies and clever heroes (Boris) and an outcome (in the castle) that feels just right! The family board their train in Morovia (Czech Republic) to the coast, then catch an overnight ferry to England and finally they board the train for Scotland - specifically to Inverness. They have a booking at the Highland Hotel.
Don't read this book if you are feeling slightly hungry because it is filled with delicious food. It is important for wolves to eat consistently throughout the day. "As all respectable wolves know, the best way to get on in society is to not get very, very hungry. A hungry wolf is not a dignified wolf ... As a precaution, a wolf must not appear in society when hungry - as this hunger may result in Undignified Situations and Embarrassing Incidents." Luckily Inverness has cake shops, a fishmonger, restaurants and of course the hotel dining room.
"The cafe sold nine different kinds of cake: coffee, vanilla, jam, strawberry, chocolate, lemon, caramel, fruitcake and carrot." You do need to know wolves do not eat carrots and so when they leave the cafe they leave plenty of (carrot) cake for the other customers.
If you need more plot details listen to this podcast by Middle Grade Maverns.
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