Tag: inspiration

Exploring The Best of Gairloch and Poolewe

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Photo of Charlestown harbour with mountains behind

North-west Scotland is one of my favourite places in the world. I haven’t explored nearly enough of it yet, but one place I keep returning to is the area around Gairloch and Poolewe. Nestled between Torridon and Ullapool, it’s a family-friendly haven of beaches, mountains and lochs.

While some parts of the Highlands are arguably becoming overwhelmed by tourists during peak season (hello Skye!), so far Gairloch and Poolewe seem to have escaped this fate. Its remoteness probably helps this, along with the dreaded Scottish midge, but those who do make the journey will be rewarded with some of the most stunning scenery Scotland has to offer.

Gairloch and Poolewe: The Lowdown

Where is it?: Gairloch is part of Wester Ross on the northwest coast of Scotland, around 70 miles west of Inverness.
How to get there: Gairloch is about four and a half hours drive north of Edinburgh. Unfortunately, Wester Ross isn’t the most convenient area to navigate by public transport. The nearest train station to Gairloch is Achnasheen (connecting trains from Inverness) and there’s one bus a day to and from Inverness.
Where to stay: There’s plenty of accommodation in the area, including camping and caravan sites, B&Bs and self-catering cottages. Many campsites back onto beaches, including Gruinard Bay Caravan Park and Sands Caravan and Camping Park. There are also more basic (but beautiful) sites at Mellon Udrigle and Firemore Cove. We travelled in our campervan and spent most of the time wild camping (which is legal in Scotland). There are hundreds of beautiful spots to park up for the night – just make sure you follow proper wild camping etiquette.
When to go: Thanks to the nearby Gulf Stream, Gairloch and Poolewe typically have a milder climate than their northerly latitude would suggest. That said, this is Scotland, so if you go in the winter, don’t expect to be sunbathing. Being Scotland, it can also rain a lot. May–September are the best months to visit, but it’s pot luck as to whether you hit a sunny spell or a rainy week.
What to bring: A waterproof, sun cream and lots of midge repellent. Oh, and a camera, to capture the beautiful views.

Gairloch and Poolewe Highlights

You can find the ‘official’ highlights of what to do in Gairloch and Poolewe here. This is my unofficial guide, focused on the outdoor stuff you people love!

Badachro and Red Point Beach

Red Point Beach

Red Point Beach lies nine miles down a dead-end road off the A832. There are actually two beaches – one on either side of the headland – from which you can look across to the Isle of Skye. It’s a great beach for swimming (if you dare brave it!) and seal-spotting.

Badachro Bay

Back down the road, stop in at the Badachro Inn, a great pub located right on the harbour. Good food, good beer and great views.

Fairy Lochs

Fairy lochs

Fairy Lochs are a small group of freshwater lochans that lie in marshy ground in the hills behind the Shieldaig Lodge Hotel. They’re also the site of a wartime plane crash. An American Liberator bomber, flying back to the United States via Iceland crashed with the loss of all 15 crew and passengers. The strewn wreckage remains on the crash site as a memorial to those who lost their lives.

A pleasant 6 km circular loop takes you up to the lochans and back via Loch Braigh Horrisdale. Be warned – it’s boggy!

Wild Camping on the Beach

Wild camping

If you can brave the midges, the area around Gairloch and Poolewe has some of the most beautiful wild camping spots in the world. A campfire, hot dinner and the sound of lapping waves make for a perfect evening. If you’re new to wild camping, here are some tips.

Gruinard Bay

Gruinard Bay

There are many, many beaches to explore in this area. But Gruinard Bay is one of the most spectacular. It’s actually a series of bays, with a huge tidal reach that can catch out unsuspecting sunbathers. You can scramble back to the car park above the high tide line, but I wouldn’t recommend it. (Voice of experience…)

An Teallach

An Teallach

Of all the Munros and other hills in this part of Scotland, An Teallach is the most intimidating. The full ridge is a Grade 3 scramble and a great day out. We started at Corrie Hallie and dropped down into Glas Tholl Corrie to give a circular route without too much road walking. It’s a popular day out and if the sun is shining, you’ll need to get there early to grab a car parking spot.

Why a Digital Detox Can Make You Happier and More Productive

by  on  in Musings • 0 Comments
Sitting-on-beach-journalling

Enjoying some creative time during my digital detox

Last week I had a digital detox. Ok, so just saying those words makes me feel rather poncy and hipster-ish. Like I’m some new-age hippy who lives off green juice and rises at 5 am for an hour of meditation. Which, I’m not. (5 am starts are reserved for very special occasions, like watching the sunrise in the mountains, or flying somewhere exciting.) But, somewhat accidentally, I spent a full seven days with no internet access (bar one hour to check our hiking routes), no social media and talking to almost nobody apart from my new husband.

New husband? Oh yeah, I should probably mention that … Two weeks ago I got married! Which is why there’s been a yawning gap in blog posts this month, for which I apologise. (Oh, you didn’t notice? Okay then …) I had planned to schedule a pile of articles in advance, but I was so busy finishing off client work, setting up my new author website and frantically trying to get everything ready for our DIY wedding that, well, it just never happened. But the hard work paid off; we had a fabulous wedding day and our friends and family appreciated all the personal touches that had gone into making it extra-special. More on that in a future post!

After a crazy six months of going full-time with Windswept Writing, writing my first novel and prequel novelette and planning the wedding, I was pretty exhausted come W-day. We’ve got a super-exciting (and energetic!) honeymoon planned next year (more on that in a future post), but we had no time to plan anything for after the actual wedding. So we decided to pack up our biking and hiking gear in our campervan, Sadie, and head to wherever the sun was shining.

I should probably make it clear that I did not in any way plan to have a digital detox. I did think I should probably separate myself from my phone and Twitter for a day or so to look lovingly into my husband’s eyes and all that jazz. But taking a full week away from the digital world and my computer? Well, that was completely accidental. A whim of fate perhaps, that the place with the best forecast in the UK happened to be the north-west coast of Scotland. Where, if you happen to be on EE’s network, you get absolutely zero mobile phone signal.

A Whole Week Without the Internet?

Why, yes! And not just without the internet, but without contact with friends and family. No text messages. Or WhatsApp. And it was bliss.

We walked in the hills, went on gentle cycle rides to deserted beaches, swam in rivers and the sea and slept a lot. I read a book and got half way through a second and scribbled down ideas for a new book, the words tumbling from my head through my pen and out onto the pages of my notebook. We wild camped on the beach and drank wine by our campfire.

It took me back to my childhood. In the days before the internet, or when you could only access the internet through your desktop PC at home. (Showing my age here!) Smartphones hadn’t been invented. Social media wasn’t a ‘thing’. There was no pressure to showcase your perfect life to the world, or to be in constant touch with online media. There’s a reason I read many more books as a child than I do as an adult. The internet has changed our world – in many ways for the better – but there are two sides to every coin.

The Benefits of a Digital Detox

The internet is the world’s largest city. The city that never sleeps. Where everyone and everything is on show. Where things move at a hundred miles an hour and even if you learn to work faster and smarter, you can never keep on top of it all. I will admit to being a bit of a perfectionist at heart. I want to know everything, be good at everything and achieve more. The internet feeds these desires. But it can also distract from what is really important to me. The love of my family and friends. Spending time in beautiful, remote places. And a lot of the time, rather than promoting my creativity, the internet detracts from it.

Do you ever feel as if you’re permanently attached to your smartphone? Like you need an extra pair of hands and eyes to manage that as well as day-to-day life? Like me, you may feel guilty for spending so much time online, away from your loved ones. But social networking is necessary for your business right? Right. But your business is YOUR business. And that means you can make it what you want.

When we finally got phone and 4G signal back, on our drive south, I was strangely reluctant to check my phone and connect with the real world. But we could stay in our bubble of escapism forever. But I could feel the benefits of my time away from the internet and social media. I went away exhausted and overwhelmed. I came back relaxed, revitalised and determined to get a better balance in my life going forward. Part of this was down to having a long-overdue holiday. But part of it was also due to my digital detox.

How to Make the Most of Your Digital Detox

If your earn your living online (or are simply addicted to Facebook), the thought of unplugging yourself from the internet may fill you with horror. But it’s easy enough to plan for. Schedule your social media posts and any publications in advance. Tell clients you’ll be away for a bit. Put an out of office on your email, or, if you can afford to, employ a VA to check and respond to anything urgent on your behalf. And accept that life will not end if it takes you a few days to get back to people, or respond to tweets.

Then leave your computer behind. Lock your smartphone in a drawer (or go somewhere where there’s no phone signal!) and enjoy having time to yourself. Whether that’s walking in the hills, going on a mammoth bike ride, meditating by a river or reading a good book, do something that makes you happy.

Many people escape the internet to have a period of time for reflection. Sophie Radcliffe, of Challenge Sophie, took time out to think and plan where she wanted to take her business. Tim Ferris freely admitted that one of his priorities for 2017 was to take long periods of time away from the internet. Everyone needs some space to breathe. To be themselves.

Coming Back Down to Earth

Or, should I say, back to digital life! Of course, it’s inevitable. But there are things you can do to build moments of digital detox into your everyday life. Some people meditate, others journal. Morning and evenings are good times of day to focus on this. Here are some ideas for morning rituals that can help set you up for the day. You probably don’t have time to do all of them (unless you’re one of those 5 am risers), but choose something that works for you.

I took some time to reflect whilst on my digital detox and made a few of my own resolutions for how I wanted my life to be. In the interests of accountability, here they are:

  • Have a minimum half a day digital detox each week (I.e. no internet or phone!)
  • Have one weekend a month where I go completely offline, and ideally off-grid
  • Let my body sleep. When I’m exhausted, my creativity drops
  • Prioritise outdoor time with my man!

Have you ever taken a digital detox? Do you feel the need to? And what resolutions did you set yourself? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

5 Steps To a Wild Night Out

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People camping by lake

This Saturday, people across the UK (and possibly further afield) will be taking to the hills, woods and fields for a night of wild camping. If this is the first you’ve heard of it, it isn’t too late to join in the fun.

Just follow these five steps to plan your own wild night out.

Step 1: Find a Friend

Don’t get me wrong. Wild camping solo is one of the best experiences you can have. (And in some cases the most nerve-wracking, but let’s not go there.) But if you’re new to wild camping then you may enjoy it more if you bring along a couple of friends.

If your friends are proving to be less than willing (what? Miss Casualty?) then it may be time to find some new ones. Fortunately, there are plenty of places to do so. Legendary adventurer Anna McNuff has been rallying women to meet up in various locations across the UK. You can sign up here. (Guys, you’re just going to have to organise your own fun for the night.)

Step 2: Decide on a location

Time for some research. As much or as little as you want. Decide how far you want to travel and how you want to get there. By train? Bus? Bicycle? On your own two feet? Anything goes.

Bear in mind the weather when you’re planning (currently – fingers crossed – looking dry!). You may get a beautiful view from a hilltop, but if it’s a windy night, you may also have a cold, sleepless night. If it’s looking like rain, then pick a spot in or near a wooded area to give you a bit of shelter if the heavens open.

Step 3: Organise Victuals

I love the word ‘victuals’. It makes me think of the Famous Five and lemonade, hard-boiled eggs and freshly-picked blackberries. But basically, I’m talking about food and drink.

A nice country pub is the easy option and a good starting point if you’re meeting people for the first time. Even if you eat at the pub, it’s always nice to have a hot chocolate before bed so be sure to pack a stove.

Step 4: Get Your Kit Together

You don’t need much to go wild camping. A sleeping bag and mat and either a bivvy bag, tent or hammock. That’s about it. A wee nip of whisky is always nice. As is hot chocolate. (Or chocolate full stop.)

If you’re not sure what to bring here are a few ideas.

Step 5: Choose Your Spot and Settle Down for the Night

Wild camping can be a fickle thing. You’ve spent hours pouring over maps and choosing the perfect spot for the night, then you get there and, well, it isn’t all that great. But don’t be downhearted. Sometimes your perfect spot is just around the corner.

A couple of things to bear in mind when choosing your spot:

  • The direction you’re facing so you can watch the sunset or sunrise (or possibly both).
  • The likely wind direction. It’s worth checking the forecast before you set out as the wind direction can sometimes change overnight. (Yes, that is the voice of experience talking.)
  • How visible you are. You may not be bothered by early-morning dog walkers or locals coming across you, but it’s worth remembering that in most of England, wild camping is technically illegal. If you’re a guest on someone’s land, it can pay to be discreet.

Wild Camping Tips

You can find out more about the legalities and practicalities of wild camping in this post. But the most important thing is to have fun and respect the environment. And don’t forget to share your adventures on social media with the hashtag #microadventures if you want to be in with a chance of winning a prize in Alastair Humphrey’s 2017 Summer Solstice Challenge. You have until the 9th July to enter.

Everything You Need to Know About Wild Camping

by  on  in Hiking, Microadventures • 0 Comments
Wild camping in front of mountains

One of the best things about wild camping is the view from your front door

Wild camping season is here! The days are drawing out, the sun is shining (sometimes) and the countryside is a million shades of green. If you haven’t already dusted off your tent or bivvy bag, now is the time.

Whether you’re new to wild camping, or just looking for a few new ideas, here’s the lowdown on everything you need to know about wild camping.

What’s the Difference Between Wild Camping and Camping On a Site?

This may be a dumb question. (But there is no such thing as a dumb question, right?) It’s pretty obvious that camping in the wild is going to be a different experience to pitching up in a serviced campsite. There are no showers for one thing. Or toilets. Or other people. If any of these things are essential to your love of camping, then you may want to give wild camping a miss.

On a more serious note, whereas you may pitch your tent in a campsite for a weekend or week-long trip, this is not the done thing when wild camping. The unwritten rule is ‘dusk ‘til dawn’. Pitch up late in the day and move on early the next morning. You’re a wanderer. An explorer. If you pitch up twenty metres from your car and spend the weekend relaxing in your folding chair next to the barbeque, you’re kind of missing the point.

Is Wild Camping legal?

This depends on where you’re looking to camp. In Scotland, wild camping is permitted as long as you follow the Outdoor Access Code. Leave no trace, follow the ‘dawn ‘til’ dusk’ guidelines and don’t get in anyone’s way and you’re unlikely to have a problem.

In the majority of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you have no legal right to camp wild and technically you should ask the landowner’s permission (except for Dartmoor where you’re allowed to wild camp for one or two nights on open land). However, in many remote areas, wild camping is tolerated as long as you pitch up well away from roads and farmland.

Essential Kit for Wild Camping

Wild camping kit can be as cheap or as expensive as you want to make it. At one end of the scale, you can have a perfectly good night with a cheap plastic bivvy bag, a sleeping bag and a pack of sandwiches. But if you’re planning on making a regular habit of wild camping, or if you’re backpacking then you may want to invest in some specific gear.

Here are the main essentials you’ll need for Wild Camping:

  • Bivvy bag or tent – bivvy bags are perfect for microadventures and single nights out, but if you’re doing a long trip then a small tent can be worth its weight in gold. Particularly if it’s raining.
  • Sleeping bag – even in summer, you’ll have an uncomfortable night without your bag.
  • Sleeping mat – ideally a lightweight, blow up mat such as a Thermarest.
  • Warm jacket – always worth carrying a spare layer, especially if you’re likely to be sitting around in the evening.
  • Torch – to be fair, at this time of year, it’s light late into the evening. As long as you don’t need any night-time toilet stops you may get away without one.
  • Stove and pan – something small and light is ideal.
  • Lighter – you will regret forgetting this. Take two, in case one doesn’t work.
  • Water bottle – if you’re planning on filling up from streams, then one with a wide neck is ideal.
  • Mug – not your best china.
  • Spork – the only implement you need for eating.
  • Food – see below for ideas.
  • Insect repellent – you may consider this optional until you’ve been attacked by the dreaded midge. No one wants to wake up with a face full of itchy bites.
  • Fold up trowel – for your DIY toilet.

You should be able to fit these into a small rucksack, particularly if you’ve taking a bivvy bag rather than a tent. If you’re planning on camping in the woods, then a hammock and tarp is a great alternative to a tent.

Pick Your Perfect Wild Camping Spot

Perfect camping spots rarely appear just when you need them. It’s worth having a rough idea of where you want to camp before setting out.

A couple of things to bear in mind:

  • Popular spots tend to be, well, popular. If you head up to a classic wild camping spot with a beautiful view on a summer Saturday in the Lake District, then you’re unlikely to have it to yourself.
  • Look at the weather forecast before heading out. If it’s due to get windy overnight, you might want to avoid camping on an exposed mountaintop.
  • But if it’s looking calm, an exposed location may help keep the midges at bay!
  • If you need to collect water for cooking or drinking, then plan to camp near a reliable water source. If it’s been a dry summer, small streams may be more of a trickle near their source. If in doubt, fill up your bottles before heading to high ground.

Once you’ve found the area you’re going to spend the night it, spend ten minutes walking around to find a good spot. If the ‘perfect’ spot you picked on the map turns out to be a man-eating bog, then be prepared to look again. Sadly, maps can’t tell you everything.

Cook Up a Feast

Cooking over a campfire can be the epitome of wild camping. But you should only light a fire where it’s safe to do so and there’s no chance of you starting a wildfire. Seriously, wildfires are a big deal. Don’t be the idiot who accidentally starts one. If you do build a fire, make sure you clear it up afterwards. Leave no trace, remember?

Cooking on a stove may be less romantic, but it’s much more practical. And just because you’re wild camping, doesn’t mean you’re restricted to instant noodles. If you’re out for a single night, then pick up some sausages or cheese to include in your feast. Packing for longer trips requires a bit more thought, but there are lots of tasty meals you can cook up in a single pan. If you’re looking for inspiration, the Dirty Gourmet blog has some great recipes.

When Nature Calls

If you’ve grown up in the outdoors, then you can probably pass over this section. But if you’re new to wild camping and spending time away from ‘real’ toilets, then there are some things you need to know.

Firstly, choose a toilet spot well away from water – at least 30m.

Secondly, leaving toilet paper littered around is the ultimate no-no. I see this all the time when I’m out hiking and it really gets on my nerves. There’s no excuse for it. Ideally, bag up toilet paper and sanitary products and take them out with you. Alternatively, you can burn them VERY CAREFULLY (see point above about wildfires) and bury the ashes, or in a worst case scenario, bury them in a hole in the ground.

Finally, if you’re going for more than a wee, dig a hole. What if you’ve forgotten your trowel? Use a stick. Or a rock. Or your bare hands. Just bury it somehow. Got it?

Wild Camping is Supposed to Be Fun

Ok, so camping in the middle of nowhere with no pub or toilets isn’t everyone’s idea of fun. But I suspect if you’re reading this, you’re at least willing to give it a go. If you’re in need of a break from the hectic world of work, people and social media then I can recommend spending a couple of nights wild camping to recharge your batteries.

Of course, this being Britain, the weather is never guaranteed. And to be honest, if it’s lashing rain then camping in any situation isn’t that fun. So keep an eye on the forecast and if it’s looking bad be prepared to change your plans. If you’re determined to go ahead anyway, then check out my top tips for staying dry when camping in the rain.

So, is there anything I missed? Anything else you want to know about wild camping? Drop me a line, or come and hang out on Twitter and let me know. Until next time, amigos!

How to Decide On Your Next Big Adventure

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How To Decide On Your Next Big Adventure image

This week I’m delighted to share with you a piece I wrote for Tough Girl Challenges. As it says on the tin (so to speak), it’s written to help all you people out there who are determined to go on a Big Adventure! (And yes, the capital letters are deliberate. A Big Adventure is very different from a big adventure, dontcha know.)

But first, I have a bit of a confession to make. When I set out to write this article, I was planning on writing a ‘how to’ guide on planning your big adventure, from start to finish. But then I got a thousand words in and realised I hadn’t actually got past the first stage – deciding what to do.

For many people, this is the first stumbling block you come across when dreaming of adventure. Sure, there are lots of things you could do and perhaps many things you want to do. But sometimes there are so many options or ideas that narrowing them down feels impossible.

And, after all, things kind of get a bit easier once you have a goal. Then you can start thinking through what you need to do to get there – how much money you need to find, what visas to apply for and how much time to beg off work. Without that specific goal, your dream will stay just that – a dream.

So if you’re feeling stuck – if you’re pining for adventure, but struggling to work out what it is you really want to do – then check out my piece at the Tough Girl Blog. I hope it helps you move from daydreaming of adventure to living it.

If you need a bit more encouragement, then check out my review of The Push: Overcoming Obstacles to Adventure – a book designed to give you a polite kick up the backside when it comes to taking action.