Anybody who has stayed at a hotel might recognise that sinking feeling after checking out.
Where are the house keys? The passport? Or the tourist map?
But most of us probably wouldn’t leave behind a 32ft Nessie monster made out of Irn Bru cans, a white Scottie dog called Taggart or a 100-year-old secret family recipe book.
Nor indeed a replica of Ben Nevis made from shortbread and Dundee cake, a vintage Chanel suit or a 50-year-old teddy bear called Rupert.
However, these are just some of the items which have been mislaid at various Travelodge hotels in Scotland during 2017 and ended up in the lost and found.
One unnamed politician even left a copy of a speech in Edinburgh after departing the premises.
But, in most of the above stories, there was a happy ending, as relieved owners were reunited with their prized possessions.
In the case of the Ben Nevis cake in Inverness, the hotel team managed to organise transport and convey the five-foot creation to the wedding venue in time for the ceremony.
And Rupert’s distressed owner – a high-flying executive – sent his PA to personally collect the vintage bear after it was discovered in Aberdeen.
The company confirmed that such incidents seemed to be on the increase at their 43 Scottish outlets.
Shakila Ahmed, a spokeswoman for Travelodge, said: “The running theme our customers tell us is that the pace of modern life is so fast and furious that valuable possessions are easily being forgotten.
“Also, with more business customers staying with us, we have had some precious items being left behind, including a 50-year-old teddy bear, company accounts, business presentations and a politician’s speech.
“We have also seen a growing trend in forgetful brides. One new bride staying at Glasgow Queen Street left behind her mother-in-law – she only realised when she returned home she had forgotten her most important new family member.”
That, mercifully, was as absent-minded as anybody got in Scotland. However, in Wolverhampton, one hotel guest went a stage further – by leaving behind an antique urn containing the ashes of her late husband.
