Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. - Mark Twain For 12 months now the words have failed to come.... Continue Reading →
South Africa, Chapter 1: Not The Trip Of A Lifetime
"Are you excited yet?" Steph - my loving, adoring, beautiful wife - always asks me this question before our pending adventures. Like, way, way before. Sometimes even before we know the where, what or when, and have only agreed a vague notion that we should indeed go somewhere, do something, maybe some time in the... Continue Reading →
2015 In 12 (+1)
The answer my friends is lunar cycles. But what's the question? Disconnected as we in the so called developed world are from such natural phenomena, the 12 months of a calendar year (see the question and answer above) do certainly provide a convenient way of compartmentalising and cataloguing our trips around the sun. That's especially... Continue Reading →
High Pressure Over The Highway: Scotland’s North Coast 500, Day 1
Aberdeen to Applecross Monday, 26th September, 2015 "That's it, I'm getting out to push. Look, we're slowing down those poor cyclists behind us." "Put your seatbelt back on right now Robert!" Getting the fancy-first-name treatment from Steph is a sure fire indication of seriousness, so I buckle back up and close the car door. I... Continue Reading →
It’s Just A Walk: The White Mounth Circuit
"I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I should even try to do this!" Those words in that sequence don't come natural to me. The sentiment they elicit within the spongy lump between my ears is as foreign as having a hammer shoved through my skull, and feels - in... Continue Reading →
Mayar & Driesh via Corrie Fee
"If we wait on the weather to be right we'll never do anything in Scotland." Steph is certainly right about that. We've been planning to hike up the Munros Mayar and Driesh for ages now. Every day we've set aside for the walk has been miserable, even by Scottish standards. Today is no different mind you, we've just decided to... Continue Reading →
West Highland Way, Part 9: Burn Baby Burn
The air is refreshingly chill as I crawl out from under the covers and stand to have a stretch in our little cabin. Nature's symphony is in mid-season form as a chorus of birds are belting out beautiful song after song, no doubt inspired by the warm sunshine which is also filtering through our window.... Continue Reading →
West Highland Way, Part 8: The Devil Wears Salomons
I fully accept that I'm in the minority in thinking that 03:00 is a perfectly acceptable time to awaken and start the day, especially when on holiday (of sorts). Normally my proclivity for early rising doesn't affect anyone else, not even Steph who usually sleeps right through it if I get up and head out... Continue Reading →
West Highland Way, Part 7: Cobbled & Hobbled
We awake early to the sight of sunshine filtering softly through our window. I take a peek outside and see that there is a light coating of frost on the windscreen of the car parked out front. Is this high pressure finally come to ward away the rain? Would be nice to be sure, but... Continue Reading →
West Highland Way, Part 6: Shopping Day
"Can you please just leave me alone for 15 minutes? 15 minutes! It makes no difference to our day" For a split second I consider launching into an inspirational monologue about how every second of every day is unique and special and must be seized - bad Mel Gibson Scottish accent and all - but... Continue Reading →