A fastpacking circuit in the Cairngorms
51km through the Cairngorms with running shoes, a lightweight pack, and a mindset that wasn't quite hiking and wasn't quite running but something distinct from both.
Scotland: the first two months
Two months ago, my wife Hannah and I moved into our new home in a small hamlet west of Forfar in Angus. So how have things been going – and has it been as adventurous as I hoped?
Postcards from the Dartmoor Way
‘What do you mean you’ve never been to Dartmoor? You should come and visit me!’ This was the reaction of my friend Emily Woodhouse when I mentioned that the Dartmoor Way was on my list of trails to go and hike for a new book project. So I took
The stories that must be written
When did writing stop being about pure joy?
Home...
Yesterday, after packing all our stuff into a big red van, we made the drive back up north from Lincolnshire to our new home in Scotland. Dire warnings of snow spiced things up a bit, but in fact we barely saw a speck of snow on the drive, and skies
A first walk in my local hills after the move to Scotland
Yesterday, Hannah and I moved into our new house near Forfar. We've got a to-do list as long as my arm, but today I managed to escape up into the Sidlaws, our local hills, for a couple of hours...
Operation Move to Scotland is go
In March 2022, I made a decision: it was time to move back to Scotland. Next week it is finally happening.
Join me for a free online talk about long-distance walking this Thursday
At 8pm UK time on Thursday the 23rd of February, I'm delighted to be joining renowned outdoor writers Andrew Terrill and Chris Townsend for a chat hosted by Tim Frenneaux of the Adventurous Ink book club. Tickets are free – get yours here. Our conversation will be about the benefit of
A return to the Suffolk Sandlings, and some thoughts on photography and memory
You can never go back, they say. But next week I am doing exactly that.
Ten years ago: winter climbing in Glen Coe with the equipment of the pioneers
A decade ago was my final climb using the 19th-century mountaineering equipment I used during my Glen Coe years.
