A plaza to promenade To see and be seen You're welcome to wander But please get off the green And if you dare to die Graciously give a seat In sad substition for- What was already at your feet In some private parks Friends roam fast and free Perfectly provided You've acquired the key? We... Continue Reading →
This nearly became the story of how I was detained at the Bolivian border because I used pencil instead of pen on my entry forms (one very bored border guard abusing his bureaucratic power) but after a blunt telling-off; on this show-girl went to Copacabana. Dissapointingly, I found no Lola with flowers in her hair;... Continue Reading →
ITV delivered lots of hiking inspiration with last night's program Britain's Favourite Walks: Top 100. With over 8000 people voting it is, by far, the biggest poll ever conducted on the UK's hiking habits. The Great Glen Way was voted the UK's 64th best walk and it's got me reminiscing about my trek along the 117km... Continue Reading →
It was two o'clock in the morning, I was sat at a stranger's kitchen table and the air was thick with peaty and smoky scents of whisky. The pipes had silenced and instead a symphony of chatter and laughter bubbled through the warm house and even the odd unfamiliar yet magical Gaelic word crept through the... Continue Reading →
Just like 85% of the UK*, I strongly support the ban on fox-hunting. It is an issue I have grown-up alongside where my North Devon market town has a long tradition with the sport and it is an issue that is divisive and evokes firm feeling in the community. The Hunting Act (2004) came into... Continue Reading →
Hurrah, no more raging against the dying of the light the winter solstice has arrived! Don't get me wrong, I utterly love when snow has 'fallen snow on snow' so unlike Christina Rossetti I wouldn't describe the midwinter as bleak but I definitely want to celebrate the shortest day of the year. Knowing the sun is... Continue Reading →
Dear Stranger, Just sending thanks, in case we never meet, Your mouldy gift was a right festive treat. In bothies, you never know what you'll find, So cheers for leaving all that milk behind. Yes Christmas had come early when I found, that four mice had nibbled inside and drowned. Burying them was such a... Continue Reading →
Last Sunday, the North Sea around Edinburgh was 6.5°C. It was early in the morning, the sun had put his hat on and the the long shadows of the promenade-houses were retreating from the beach. Where better to take the plunge into the winter season of wild swimming? (For perspective, it was about 2 degrees warmer... Continue Reading →
One of my more memorable wild-nights - sleeping in a cave in Assynt! Uamh An Uisge (Cave of the Water) is one of three entrances to the largest cave system in Scotland. As you walk into the cave, the sound of roaring waters flood your ears but the source is nowhere to be seen. Stepping into... Continue Reading →
Freyja's Hedonism 