The Telegraph Interview

Describe the suitcase you use most often.
It is a shabby, green Samsonite canvas bag. It is perfect for three or 30 days.

What always goes with you?
My Sony Walkman. I love listening to tapes of Dickens and Scott. They comfort me and send me to sleep.

How long does it take you to pack?
I find it is like writing - it needs several drafts. I start by laying everything out on the bed and then try to fit it all in.

What is the biggest packing mistake you have ever made?
When I went to Zagreb in Croatia I bought a very expensive short-wave radio for listening to the World Service. When I arrived I found the country had satellite dishes so there was no need for it.

If you could pack only three things, what would they be?
I would take a sponge bag as I would rather not offend the other diners in the restaurant; a good, solid pair of waterproof shoes; and a family photo.

If you could take only one book, what would it be?
It would have to be a Lonely Planet guide. I think they are excellent and a 101 per cent essential on any trip.

Have you ever lost your luggage?
No, although it is a miracle considering that I have been through three-and-a-half passports.

Which luggage stamp brings back the best memories?
Before the wall came down, I was travelling on a night train in East Germany. We stopped at a control point and I presented my tourist visa to a sour-faced man. It turned out that I was the seventh person to go through this checkpoint and he stamped 007 in my passport. I was thrilled.

What extra things come home in your suitcase?
A bottle of gin and pieces of pottery. My home is littered with pottery bowls from around the world. Some are quite nice, others are hideous.

Which destination would you next like to put on your luggage label?
In a couple of months we are going to the Ardnamurchan Peninsula, the extreme western point of the Scottish mainland. We are going to see the otters and golden eagles.