We all know the traditional romantic venues – the Eiffel Tower, Venice gondolas, the Empire State Building, the London Eye….  As fabulous as these locations are, sadly they’ve become just a little too cliché-ed for real romance.  Plus there’s always the worry that you’d be surrounded by queues of other couples doing the same thing – only maybe with bigger rings.

Anyone reading this blog regularly will know that the setting for my first book, The Silk Romance, is the fabulous city of Lyon.  Blogging about that book here set me thinking about other romantic locations I’ve visited – places which would provide a great backdrop for a romantic proposal.

If you’re thinking of asking that nerve-racking question, or maybe just thinking of taking a romantic break, I hope my slideshow provides a  little inspiration.  I’ve chosen from places I’ve been lucky enough to visit myself, but I’d love to hear of others. Which romantic locations would you add to this list?  Or did you receive a proposal in a great setting?  Please let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear from you!

So, here are the beautiful photos! If you want to read more, scroll down to the bottom of the page.

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• Glencoe. I defy you to find a more romantic location than western Scotland. The grandeur of the mountains and the region’s turbulent and tragic history combine to make this surely one of the most soulful locations in the world.
• Budapest.  I love eastern Europe and Budapest is my favourite city in a collection of fabulous eastern cities. There is an old world glamour and charm to the streets and cafés, in the Turkish baths and in the bars and night-life blossoming in the ruins of disused buildings. A city and a people to fall in love with.
• The Galapagos Islands. These wondrous islands in the Pacific are absolutely the perfect place for true love. But make sure the love is true, because nothing else will do here. You can be alone in the astonishingly clear waters by day, or on your boat at night, with the whole vastness of the inky sky above you. Anyone who says ‘Yes’ in this location must surely be speaking from the heart.
• Saltaire.  How lucky I am to say this is my home town.  You can propose here whilst strolling through Roberts Park, with its backdrop of the windswept moors, then take a walk with your love along the banks of the Victorian canal, before heading into the village to celebrate at the dark and wonderfully cosy Fanny’s Alehouse (yes, that’s its real name!) A great Yorkshire location for a romantic proposal.
• The place you first met. In my case, The Golden Lion, but don’t worry – I don’t actually mean you have to visit the same pub!  Why not propose in the place you first got together? It doesn’t matter where that was, whether the local pub or jogging in the park.  Proposing in a place with shared memories shows that you do remember, and that the memories have a special meaning for you. (And just for your information, I first started dating my husband after beating him at bar football in the pub. Of course, whenever anyone asks he’ll always say he won – but that pub still has special meaning for us!) So, wherever you first met, why not meet there again and propose – the location may not be great, but the memories certainly will be!