The wind swirls round the tent, as it has all night. I sail back to Mull today before hiking south to Traigh Ghael Beach, regarded as one of the finest on the island and the most inaccessible. Sixty mph gusts […]
Days 272 & 273: Fionnphort to Traigh Gheal (and back) Read More »
How can I sleep for fourteen hours? Admittedly, the strong wind and heavy rain woke me a few times, but hiking in cold weather knocks me out at night. My neighbour has vanished, replaced by another tent overnight, and I
Day 271: Iona (North) Read More »
Returning to the, hopefully, midge-free West Coast, I’m hopping north from Tarbert to Iona and Mull, using their campsites before they close for the winter. It’s a lengthy journey up from home, with a two-hour wait between trains in Glasgow.
Day 270: Iona (South) Read More »
My final day on Lofoten and the first day of glorious sunshine. A Norwegian in the breakfast room drove five hours last night to hike in the mountains, telling me it’s the first day of guaranteed sunshine since the start
The small Reine to Vindstad ferry only runs in the afternoon on a Sunday, allowing me the luxury of a long lie-in. Chatting to Jack over breakfast, I learn he’s from Margate, just down the road from me — strange
The Reinebringen Trail is on my 100 Hikes of a Lifetime challenge. It’s neither particularly high nor the most interesting walk on the island, but the view from the peak is said to be stunning. The forecast is for rain
Reinebringen Trail Read More »
I’m woken in the dark by tent walls shaking in the wind and quickly close the flaps against the rain blowing down the mountain pass. It’s 3 am. The wind gusts, up to 45 mph, bend the broken pole despite
The tail of the storm passed in the night. Opening the tent flap to a cheerful blue sky, what a magical transformation. Wearing only shorts and a warm jacket, I stroll down to the pristine beach, barefoot on the cool
Lofoten is an archipelago in Norway, sitting just above the Arctic Circle. The Long Crossing traverses the islands, a loose grouping of trails, rough paths and roads. Given my recent shin splints, I’m only hiking a dramatic section across Moskenesøya
The Isle of Grain is not on the Saxon Shore Way, so I missed it when I started my coastal walk. I want to explore the mid-19th century offshore gun tower at the mouth of the River Medway. It’s only
Isle of Grain Battery Read More »