I have just returned after a few days camping in Sutherland on the north coast of Scotland and I am just feeling on top of the world. We were so far north, and it was so wild and remote that is almost did feel like the top of the world! With its miles of white…
Background Those who follow my blog will have an idea of the sort of struggles I have had recently with joint pain. Being a member of Nuffield Heath has been of tremendous benefit to me because I have been able to receive advice. Thanks to the instructors at the gym I have been able to…
The Beauty of Winter My motivation and inspiration to be in the Scottish mountains has gone through the roof recently. Winter had seemingly arrived when driving up the A9 recently there was a covering of snow right down the roadside. How beautiful it looked and this just reinforced my determination to climb up into the…
Health and Fitness I thought I would review a sports facility I use in Edinburgh to look at Disability Awareness. For many years people have thought about Disability Awareness as fitting ramps and accessible toilets. However, Disability Awareness is much more complicated than that. People’s attitudes and perceptions of disabled people is just as vital…
It’s the New Year, and I’m already looking forward to cycling, camping and the adventures that 2017 will bring. I love living a healthy lifestyle and I also enjoy writing it in a blog. Right now however, I would like your help! I need to know what you enjoy about my blog and what you…
‘Cruel and Callus,’ are among the terms that have been used to describe the Governments plans to reform Disability Living Allowance (DLA), a reform that will inevitably leave thousands of disabled people without the vital money they need to live their daily lives. Is it thought that among the 80,000 people in receipt of DLA,…
In October last year, Capability Scotland began a yearlong celebration to mark the 60th year since its inception in 1946. Named “The Spastic Society” back then, Capability began as a group for parents of children with Cerebral Palsy and is now one of Scotland’s leading disability charities. However, as someone who has Cerebral Palsy, I…
Fern Cottage. It is always a pleasure to review holiday accommodation and last weeks stay in Killin was no exception. Fern Cottage is a two bedroom property right in the heart of the village of Killin, providing a great location to enjoy the delights of outdoor activities in the beautiful surrounding environment. ‘Cooper Cottages’ have…
Motivation Since I started this sports and fitness blog last year, I have felt really inspired to start hillwalking again. When I was at university I was very motivated to climb mountains. I was a member of the university hillwalking society. These were really happy days and I climbed over 25 Munros with various university…
Give disabled people support to live, not right to die ‘Thousands of disabled people live valuable and productive lives given the right support’ by DAVID REILLY 2014 WITH the House of Lords to consider today the Assisted Suicide Bill tabled by Lord Falconer, how informed are our lords and bishops who are about…
I am really delighted to say that I managed to get a blog post onto the Berghaus Community Website. Berghaus very kind let me write a post about my experience of disability and outdoor sport, for which I am very grateful. I hope you will read the post and leave some feedback. Thanks very much,…
A friend suggested that I might try busking in the Meadows during the Edinburgh Festival and I stupidly agreed to do it. Got the idea from adventurer Alistair Humphreys who is busking his way over Spain, with a violin he only started learning 6 months ago. I must admit I was really terrified. After walking…
I have just returned home after an inspirational trip to Orkney. Funded by the John Muir Trust (Des Rubens and Bill Wallace Grant), I set out to investigate and report on disability access to the archaeological areas of Orkney. I spent the week looking at historical sites and remains from as far back as the…
Nestled on the East Lothian coast, Aberlady Bay is a wonderful nature reserve with a staggering amount of bird life on it, and somewhere that plays host every year to tens of thousands of geese every Autumn. Aberlady Nature Reserve is a gem on the East Lothian coast providing miles of beach, bog land and a…
We had a comfortable enough sleep in the Dunard hostel that night although I was so shattered after the journey to get there I would have slept anywhere. The beds were a bit rickety and the mattress really soft so not recommended for a prolonged stay. The décor in the front room was a kind…
My motivation and inspiration doesn’t get much higher than on a ski trip to the Alps. On behalf of Crystal Ski Holidays, I visited Niederau in Austria to take part in a Disability Snowsport UK (DSUK) holiday. Thanks to both Crystal and DSUK, I had a fantastic time and my enthusiasm for…
By far the best part of my cycling adventure was cycling over the mountains of Harris. Here is a short videos to try and show what is was like.
It was poignant moment that will stay etched in the minds of many of the over a billion people who were estimated to have been watching. As the world held its breath with excitement and anticipation of the events that were about to unfold suddenly everything stopped and the opening ceremony of the 20th Commonwealth…
E-bikes are becoming more popular than ever as people realise that having an electric-assisted bike can take much of the effort out of cycling. This is of tremendous benefit to commuters who don’t want to arrive at work in a puddle of sweat, or those less active but who still want to get out…