Privacy Policy

Effective date: 31/07/2026

Welcome to Lucy In Scotland (“the Website”), available at https://lucyinscotland.com.

I am committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly, transparently and in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information I collect when you visit the Website, how and why I use it, which trusted third-party service providers may process it on my behalf, and the choices and rights you have regarding your information.

Lucy In Scotland is a personal travel blog where I share travel guides, local knowledge and first-hand experiences to help visitors explore Scotland with confidence. While using the Website, you may choose to contact me by email, interact with embedded content, or click affiliate links to third-party websites and services. This Privacy Policy explains how your information is handled in each of these situations.

I encourage you to read this Privacy Policy carefully so you understand how your information is collected, used and protected when you visit the Website.

Who I Am

For the purposes of UK data protection law, I am the Data Controller responsible for the personal information collected through this Website.

Data Controller: Lucy Gibson, trading as Lucy In Scotland
Website: https://lucyinscotland.com
Email: [email protected]

As the Data Controller, I am responsible for deciding how and why your personal information is collected, used and protected. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, you are welcome to contact me using the email address above.

Information I Collect

Depending on how you use the Website, I may collect different types of personal information.

Information You Provide Directly

You may choose to provide personal information when you:

  • Contact me by email;
  • Leave a comment on the Website; or
  • Communicate with me in another way.

This information may include your name, email address and any other information you choose to provide.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Website, certain technical information may be collected automatically. This may include your IP address, browser type, device information, operating system, pages visited, referring website, the date and time of your visit, and general interaction with the Website.

Information Collected Through Third-party Services

Some information may also be collected through trusted third-party services used to operate and maintain the Website, including analytics technologies, website security services and spam protection tools.

How and Why I Use Your Information

I only use personal information where there is a legitimate reason to do so. Depending on how you interact with the Website, I may use your information for purposes including:

  • Responding to enquiries and communicating with visitors;
  • Operating, maintaining and improving the Website;
  • Understanding how visitors use the Website and improving its content and performance;
  • Protecting the Website against spam, fraud, malicious activity and other security threats;
  • Complying with legal obligations and protecting my legitimate interests; and
  • Managing and monitoring affiliate partnerships where relevant.

I do not sell your personal information to third parties.

Lawful Basis For Processing Your Information

Under UK data protection law, I must have a lawful basis for processing your personal information. The lawful bases I rely on depend on how and why your information is collected.

The main lawful bases I use are:

Consent

I rely on your consent when processing information that requires your permission, such as certain cookies and analytics technologies used to understand how visitors interact with Lucy In Scotland.

You can withdraw or change your cookie preferences at any time through the cookie settings available on the Website.

Legitimate Interests

I rely on legitimate interests where processing your information is necessary for the effective operation, security and improvement of Lucy In Scotland.

This includes activities such as:

  • Maintaining and securing the Website;
  • Preventing spam and malicious activity;
  • Monitoring website performance;
  • Understanding how visitors use the Website;
  • Improving travel guides and website content;
  • Responding to enquiries sent directly to me;
  • Managing relationships with affiliate partners.

When relying on legitimate interests, I ensure that the processing is proportionate, necessary and does not unfairly override your privacy rights.

Legal Obligations

In some circumstances, I may process or retain personal information where this is necessary to comply with legal obligations, respond to lawful requests, or protect my legal rights.

You are not required to provide personal information in order to browse and read content on Lucy In Scotland. However, certain features or interactions, such as contacting me by email or choosing to accept non-essential cookies, may require you to provide information or give consent.

Cookies And Similar Technologies

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device when you visit a website. They help websites function properly, remember your preferences and understand how visitors interact with the Website.

Lucy In Scotland uses cookies and similar technologies to help the Website function correctly, improve your browsing experience and better understand how visitors use the Website.

The cookies used on the Website may include:

  • Essential cookies, which are necessary for the Website to function correctly and cannot be disabled through the cookie settings.
  • Analytics cookies, which help me understand how visitors interact with the Website so that I can continue improving its content and performance.
  • Functional cookies, which remember certain preferences or settings to improve your experience.

Where required by law, non-essential cookies will only be used with your consent. You can accept, reject or change your cookie preferences at any time through the cookie banner or by revisiting the cookie settings available on the Website.

For more information about the specific cookies used on the Website, including their purpose and retention period, please refer to the Cookie Policy.

Third-Party Services

To operate, maintain and improve Lucy In Scotland, I rely on a number of trusted third-party service providers. These providers help deliver the Website, analyse its performance, protect it from malicious activity and provide certain features for visitors.

Where these providers process personal information, they do so in accordance with their own privacy policies and applicable data protection laws.

Website Hosting

Lucy In Scotland is hosted by Bluehost, which provides the infrastructure necessary to make the Website available online. As part of the normal operation of the Website, Bluehost may process technical information such as server logs, IP addresses and other information required to deliver and secure the Website.

Website Analytics

With your consent, I use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to better understand how visitors find and use the Website.

Google Analytics may process information such as pages visited, traffic sources, device and browser information, approximate location information and general engagement data. This information helps me understand which travel guides are most useful, improve existing content and create more helpful resources for visitors.

Information processed through Google Analytics is handled in accordance with Google’s own Privacy Policy and Terms, which govern how Google processes and protects that information. If you choose not to accept analytics cookies, Google Analytics will not be used to collect analytics information about your visit.

Website Security

I use security services, including Wordfence, to help protect the Website from malicious activity, unauthorised access attempts and other security threats.

These services may process technical information, including IP addresses and security-related data, to detect suspicious activity and help keep the Website secure.

Spam Protection

If you leave a comment on the Website, your comment and certain technical information may be processed by Akismet Anti-Spam to help detect and prevent spam or abusive content before it appears on the Website.

Embedded Content And External Services

Some pages on the Website may contain embedded content or links to third-party services, including interactive Google Maps and affiliate partner websites.

When you interact with these services or leave the Website to visit another website, your information may be processed in accordance with that third party’s own privacy policy. I encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing personal information or using their services.

Affiliate Links

Lucy In Scotland participates in a number of affiliate marketing programmes. This means that some links on the Website direct you to third-party websites operated by affiliate partners.

If you choose to click an affiliate link, the relevant third-party provider may process information such as referral details, cookies or other technical information to attribute commissions and manage the affiliate relationship.

I do not control how these third-party websites collect, use or protect your personal information once you leave Lucy In Scotland. Any information processed after you visit an affiliate partner’s website is governed by that provider’s own privacy policy and terms.

My editorial content and recommendations are based on my own first-hand experiences, opinions and judgement. Participation in affiliate programmes does not influence the destinations, accommodation, products or services that I recommend or include on the Website.

I encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites before providing personal information or making a booking or purchase.

International Data Transfers

Some of the third-party service providers used to operate Lucy In Scotland may process or store personal information in countries outside the United Kingdom.

Where this happens, I take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information continues to receive an appropriate level of protection and is handled in accordance with applicable UK data protection laws.

This may include relying on providers that use recognised safeguards for international data transfers, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses or other lawful transfer mechanisms where required.

When selecting third-party service providers, I seek to use organisations that are committed to maintaining appropriate standards of privacy and data security. However, where your information is processed by a third party, it will also be subject to that provider’s own privacy practices and applicable laws.

Data Retention

I only retain personal information for as long as it is reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to operate Lucy In Scotland, respond to enquiries, maintain website security, comply with legal obligations and protect my legitimate interests.

How long information is retained depends on the type of information involved. For example:

  • Email correspondence may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to your enquiry, maintain appropriate records of communication and manage any follow-up matters.
  • Comments posted on the Website may remain publicly visible unless you request their removal or there is another reason for them to be deleted, as they form part of ongoing discussions on the Website.
  • Analytics information is retained in accordance with the settings and retention policies of the relevant analytics provider.
  • Technical and security information may be retained for an appropriate period by website hosting or security providers to help maintain the security, integrity and reliability of the Website.

I regularly review the personal information I retain and, where it is no longer reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, I will take reasonable steps to delete it or ensure it is securely disposed of, unless I am required to retain it by law.

Your Rights Under UK Data Protection Law

Under UK data protection law, you may have certain rights in relation to your personal information, depending on the circumstances.

These rights may include:

  • Requesting access to the personal information I hold about you;
  • Requesting that inaccurate or incomplete information is corrected;
  • Requesting that your personal information is deleted where there is no lawful reason for me to continue processing it;
  • Requesting that I restrict the way your personal information is processed in certain circumstances;
  • Objecting to the processing of your personal information where I rely on legitimate interests;
  • Requesting a copy of personal information you have provided where the right to data portability applies;
  • Withdrawing your consent at any time where processing is based on your consent, including for non-essential cookies.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact me using the details provided in this Privacy Policy. I will respond to your request in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

If you believe your personal information has not been handled appropriately, I would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns in the first instance. However, you also have the right to make a complaint to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe I have not handled your personal information in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

Children’s Privacy

Lucy In Scotland is intended for a general audience and is not designed for or directed at children.

I do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If I become aware that I have inadvertently collected personal information from a child, I will take appropriate steps to delete it without undue delay.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information through Lucy In Scotland, please contact me using the details provided in this Privacy Policy so that I can investigate and take appropriate action.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to Lucy In Scotland, the services I use, legal requirements or changes in how I collect, use or protect personal information.

Any updates will be published on this page, and the effective date shown at the beginning of this Privacy Policy will be updated to reflect the latest changes.

Where there are significant changes that materially affect how personal information is processed, I will take reasonable steps to make visitors aware of those changes where appropriate.

I encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how I protect your information.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, how I handle your personal information, or if you would like to exercise any of your data protection rights, you can contact me using the details below.

Data Controller: Lucy Gibson
Website: Lucy In Scotland
Email: [email protected]

I will do my best to respond to privacy-related enquiries and requests in accordance with applicable data protection laws.