I can never quite predict what my next job will be, or what I’ll be asked to do. I certainly didn’t expect to be spending a fine March day at Stirling Castle, astride a horse called Larry, calling on the nation to join Historic Scotland now “and get three months membership FREEEEE”.

Some of you may already have seen the resulting TV advert, which encourages people to put an end to boring weekends and get out there to enjoy our fabulous heritage. And it was great fun to do. Forget the old adage about never acting with animals, despite being huge Larry (whose stage name for the filming was Grant) was lovely. I did some riding while on holiday in Africa, but it’s not exactly a regular hobby, so I was relieved when he turned out to be a gentle giant.

It’s the second time Historic Scotland has asked me to front one of their campaigns, and it’s always a pleasure to do, not least because it gives me the excuse to revisit castles I loved as a kid. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of hill walking and visiting historic places. And it’s great to be back here at Stirling – it’s just about the perfect castle, it’s so dramatic it’s almost like a film set. It’s perfect for kids because they can just run about and pretend to be soldiers. And I now know that it’s even more spectacular on horseback, seeing it from the same angle as some Medieval knight. 

By Hamish Clark, who was Duncan in Monarch of the Glen. 

Anyone joining Historic Scotland before 11 July will get a year’s membership for under £7 a month, plus three months extra for free. www.3monthsfree.co.uk for further details or follow us at www.twitter.com/welovehistory  www.facebook.com – search for Make Your Own History