I have always had a desire to cycle the length of the Outer Hebrides have finally taken the plunge and decided to have a crack at it. Round the world cyclist Mark Beaumont recently accomplished it although he did it is 24 hours. I am not proposing to cycle the 186 miles in 24 hours…
Cycled 38 miles last night which turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far. Was quite a hard training run and got a great work out from it. Feeling fantastic today after it.
Cairngorm Mountain is home to Scotland’s only Funicular Railway. Opened in 2001 the line takes thousands of visitors up and down Cairngorm Mountain to the highest cafe in the UK, the Ptarmigan Restaurant, which sits at over 3,500ft about sea level. Cairngorm is a hive of activity at all times of year with thousands of…
I must admit, I hadn’t heard of Ventile material before, but I am now so thankful that I have. Thanks to ‘ Hilltrek Outdoor Clothing ‘,I got to try out their Ventile Blaven trousers and was delighted with what I found. I put them right to the…
I have always had a huge amount of respect for Richard Branson, he comes across as a genuinely nice guy and has done tremendously well in life to build up his business from selling records to the £billion brand that he know owns. Nobody can doubt his spirit and flare. He was visibly moved yesterday…
I have been fortunate enough lately to have been given a regular magazine column to write. Shooting Scotland is a country sports magazine that has grown out of another publication called Farming Scotland. Having once been a supplement, Shooting Scotland is now a publication in its own right and I am delighted to be involved…
I have to Confess, I live on a budget at the moment and I don’t have money to burn on expensive kit, however this doesn’t stop me from enjoying and taking part in the outdoors. I thought I would write this piece to review a rucksack at the lower end of the market. I recently…
Set in fifty five acres of Fife countryside, the Scottish Deer Centre (SDC) near Cupar, is committed to the preservation of deer species and a number of other animals. Providing a natural home to deer, raptors, brown bears, wolves and wild cats, the SDC provides an educational facility as well as conducting research….
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…
The Great Glen Hostel just south of Invergary provided the location of the Walk Highland Autumn meet. I, along with around 30 others, attended for a two night stay. Taking over the hostel for the weekend, a fun time was had by all. Walk Highland, as many people know, is a fantastic website and a…
The John Muir Trust is a conservation charity dedicated to protecting and enhancing wild places. Each year the John Muir Trust award a small number of grants to individuals, to enable them to visit and explore wild places. Grants are to enable people to go and experience wild environments while, at the same time, raise…
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…
Country Sport has been something close to my heart from a very early age. I grew up in a rural environment where I was surrounded by opportunities for fishing and country sport. After a long break I am now beginning to rekindle my love for the outdoors and am making the connections again to enable…
Inspiration The inspiration to climb the Scottish Mountains I believe, once inside you, is a feeling that never leaves you. Twenty years have passed since I last climbed a Munro. Recently my motivation, inspiration and passion for hillwalking flooded into my system again and last weekend I had the chance to rediscover what I…
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.
For members of the SHRUB CO-OP, recycling and avoiding waste is second nature. Throughout the year, as one of the many community workshops they run, members will be providing sewing machines and a little guidance for students to create their own clothes and jewelry out of recycled material. We are a wasteful lot and no more…
Time to review With the New Year just days away, I thought I would write a review of 2016 and reflect on what a fantastic year I have had. Through health, fitness and outdoor sports, I have developed a lifestyle that really makes me happy and I want to inspire and motivate others to…
I was delighted to read that the government is about to spend millions more monies on improving mental health services in England and Wales. As someone who has experienced acute mental health problems over many years I know only too well the importance having effective services that are easy to access. Mental health is on the increase…
Disabled people who rely on vital monies for mobility, that enables them to have an active life and go about their daily business, are facing an uncertain future. Many thousands of disabled people rely on high rate Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to enable them to access a car via the Motability scheme to enable them to…
