You have a very international experience. How has that shaped your perspective on the future of Scotland?

I have felt the shock of ‘East meets West’, having witnessed both extreme poverty in the East and so-called relative poverty in the West. I don’t think most people in the West understand extreme poverty at all.

I’ve always considered myself a citizen of the world, reinforced by living in Darjeeling, Dacca, Edinburgh, London, San Francisco, Houston and Abu Dhabi, with many years spent in each place. I don’t feel that national identity is a core personal need of mine.

I am interested in history from the perspective of people, imagining their experiences in a different era. Similarly, my travels around the world with my husband and friends – from Hong Kong to Moscow to Singapore to Beirut to Seattle to Mexico City and many other places – have always been as a tourist of the people, not of the places. I am more interested in seeing and meeting other people and how they live.

I experienced the last Scottish vestiges of the old British Empire as part of the business, political, military and religious set up in India in the 1960s. I would hate to see Scotland shrinking into an introverted country with no role in the world anymore, except tourism and financial services. 

I have learnt about the long-term history of the many empires which predate the British era. Principalities and powers come and go, so I look for long term trends. I was at school in the hill station of Darjeeling and saw the industriousness of the Chinese residents and the family culture of the Indian residents. I’ve always believed that hard work and family values are very important.

I suffered from the shock of being an oddity back in Scotland in my teenage years, where I saw parochialism and prejudice towards people with different backgrounds and experiences.

I learned about the attractive can-do culture of the USA and that it is OK to try and fail.

In the Middle East I am amazed at the speed at which things happen, particularly in the UAE, and especially on building infrastructure. Scotland could learn from their speed of action.

Despite my having lived every day looking out of my bedroom window at the majesty of the Himalayas, I have found Scotland a beautiful, rich country with an atmospheric charm all of its own. I think it is quite unique in the world.

You also have first-hand experience of the healthcare systems of different countries. What can we learn from international practices? And how can these lessons be applied in Scotland?

Each system has its strengths and weaknesses. There is no perfect system in this world in which there is seemingly an infinite demand for more. Yet many systems are parochial in their thinking. The thing I learnt first-hand from the USA is that a large number of the medical practices are focussed on reducing litigation risk. One third of all expenditure is associated with legal costs or procedures to reduce legal risk. What a waste of effort and cost! I hope Scottish people do not fall into the litigious trap seen in the USA.

The second, however, was seeing the positive power and attraction of largescale medical centres with excellence, such as in the Texas Medical Center and in Stanford Medical Centre where I had some work as a nurse. I yearn for Scotland to create something equivalent in Scotland.

From my experience of the UAE, I see the advanced nature of their medical systems. Telemedicine is slick, professional and effective, hospitals are better equipped, and diagnosis is strong. I did not get quite the same impression of technological support and advancement when I recently visited the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh.

You’ve admitted to being a floating voter. Why do you think it’s important that development strategies go beyond party policy?

Yes, I’ve always been a floating voter, and I’ve voted for pretty much every party. I’m more interested in the strength and integrity of the politician rather than party politics.

National successes such as the recovery from the Second World War by Germany and Japan plus the success of Sweden and Finland – which I have admired for many decades – require a 40 to 50-year time horizon, a cohesive national spirit and hard-working people. Party politics often divides and creates a stalemate. I prefer to try to work out which politicians still have the main interest of the nation or community at heart. This is not easy when party politics requires party loyalty and dogma. I’m afraid I have never been tribal in my attitude, so I could never sign up to one party. I believe that we are in a stalemate at the moment because the three main historical parties in the UK (Labour, The Conservatives and The Liberal Democrats) have not had their hearts set on creating a positive vision for Scotland in the long run. To me, Donald Dewar or John Smith were perhaps the last politicians in the traditional parties who had that passion.