Winter is now well behind us and Scotland has been enjoying some suspiciously warm weather - although beware the warning to “n'er cast a clout till May is out”.
When the temperatures begin to rise, thoughts turn to getting a cooling ice cream and it’s a treat that Scotland has traditionally excelled in.
That’s largely down to the number of Italian immigrants who flocked to Scotland in the late 19th and early 20th century in search of a better life, fleeing a country riven by poverty, war and malaria.
They arrived armed with family ice cream recipes, opening cafes and parlours that were immediately popular with sweet-toothed Scots. In Glasgow alone, there were 336 ice cream shops by 1905 - more than quadruple the number of two years earlier.
Many of those famous Italian names still feature on the bright signs of ice cream shops, although they don’t have a monopoly on delicious gelato.
We decided to ask Scotsman readers for their favourite spots to get an ice cream on our Facebook page, and they responded in their thousands.
Here are their top 10.
1. S. Luca
Dozens of ice cream shops got the thumbs up from our readers but the one with by far the most fans was S. Luca in Musselburgh. The strawberry and vanilla flavours were particularly highly praised. Claire spoke for many of us when she said: "Wish we lived closer!". | Google Maps
2. Dino's
Plenty of people were keen to sing the praises of Dino's Ice Cream, located on the waterfront in Helensburgh. Gill said: "Traditional Italian milk ice cream, family run and utterly delicious". | Google Maps
3. Mary's Milk Bar
Located in Edinburgh's buzzy Grassmarket, Mary's Milk Bar is one of the top choices in Scotland's Capital. Diana said: "Phenomenal. I like ice cream but this was the most exceptional ice cream I've ever had. I had a combo milk and salted caramel." | Google Maps
4. Janettas Gelateria
The home of golf is also home to some great ice cream. with St Andrews' Janettas leading the way. Fiona said: "Out of this world - it's delicious ice cream". | Google Maps