A Breath of Icy Air

March 15, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

I’m currently writing my first book. It’s a Slow Travel Guide to northeast Scotland, which will be published in spring 2023. The book covers Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Cairngorms National Park, so basically a huge chunk of the country! My daily routine has become a contrasting blend of emailing accommodation providers, walking, writing copious notes […]

January Highlights

January 28, 2022.Reading time 7 minutes.

We’re one month into the year already! As usual I’ve been beavering away and forgetting to update my blog, so here’s a summary of what I’ve been up to in January. My 2022 started with my best mate Luke coming to visit for the first time since I’ve moved to Scotland. This year we celebrate […]

Arctic Adventure

November 30, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

This is what we went to Norway for! Although I’m so happy to be back in Scotland, I can’t help missing Norway. Obviously the humpback whales and orcas were the highlight, but the northern lights, eagles, sunsets and even the cold were all so special too. There are already whispers about going again in 2021, […]

Away At Sea

November 20, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

It’s been a while since my last post – the past couple of months have been a whirlwind of planning, packing and stress! Earlier this week I came back from a trip of a lifetime to Arctic Norway, but it nearly didn’t happen at all. For the past three winters, my partner and his friends […]

Vitamin Sea

March 17, 2020.Reading time 4 minutes.

Last week there was a film screening event at the Scottish Dolphin Centre in Spey Bay. I didn’t know anyone there but soon found myself chatting to an elderly couple whose fierce pride of Scotland was immediately clear. We chatted about the Moray dolphins and the house that they planned to build with a view […]

My Top Wildlife Sites

March 10, 2020.Reading time 9 minutes.

Last night I had a lovely meal at the Grant Arms Hotel in Grantown-on-Spey before seeing a talk by Iolo Williams. Despite current news and hysteria, the lecture room was full to the rafters and extra chairs had to be squeezed into gaps. Iolo’s new book is called “The UK’s Top 40 Nature Sites” and […]

Onwards and Upwards

January 7, 2020.Reading time 5 minutes.

My last post was all about reflecting on 2019. This one is about looking forward to 2020. It’s easy to write a long list of New Year’s resolutions but a little trickier to stick to them. So, this year I want to develop habits that I already have, starting with my art. Last year saw […]

Nature Journal

December 8, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

I can’t believe I’m already two assignments into my master’s degree. Both have been based around the theme of “Writing in the Field” – writing outside as opposed to a typical office environment. This was really useful for me, as up until now I’ve mostly written brief notes outside and then typed them up later […]

New Chapter

October 10, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

The past fortnight has been an absolute whirlwind. I have officially begun my MA in Travel and Nature Writing at Bath Spa University, which I’ve decided to do part time over two years. The course is low residency so I shall be staying in Hertfordshire and completing most of the masters online. However, last week […]

Art, Music and Dance

August 7, 2019.Reading time 12 minutes.

I began my last full day in Madrid with a bit of vintage shopping in the district Malasaña, just north of the downtown area. I’d gotten quite badly overheated from walking yesterday so I used the metro for the first time, journeying from Sol to Tribunal. Although the platforms were a little stuffy, the trains […]