The Magic of Skye Part Two The Isle of Skye on Scotland’s west coast offers a delectable assortment for the outdoor enthusiast. I recommend deviating from the popular routes and uncovering a few of Skye's lesser-known gems in the more remote regions. Thanks to isolation and no travel during the Coronavirus pandemic, I've finally found the time … [Read more...]
Skip Scotland’s whisky trails and head for the hills
The Magic of Skye Part one I wrote this story 18 months ago for a print publication that ended up not going ahead with the story. During these quieter times with Coronavirus placing a 'hold' on the need for travel stories, I want to continue sharing my travel experiences. Because of the travel restrictions imposed around Covid-19, … [Read more...]
Finding my tartan in Scotland
Queen Victoria’s love for Scotland Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park is the largest National Park in the United Kingdom. Inside its 4,528 km2 expanse are five of the six highest mountains in Scotland. The highest is Ben Macdhui (1,309 metres.) On the 7th of October 1859, Queen Victoria at age forty hiked to the summit of Macdhui. She felt … [Read more...]
Scenery scotch and a song three reasons to visit the Isle of Skye
As the second largest island in Scotland, the Isle of Skye is renowned for stunning scenery, good scotch whisky and a traditional Scottish folk song about Bonnie Prince Charlie. These may not be everyone's reasons for visiting, but they were mine. If you've been to Skye, (as the locals refer to it) it’s not hard to see why it ranks highly - the … [Read more...]
Scotland one very peaceful moment
I haven't published any stories about my seven day Isle of Skye hiking tour with Wilderness Scotland from April 2018 (have written a few - they will be published soon :-)) But here's a photo I took while on tour. I decided to enter the image in a photo comp with We Said Go Travel Click on the link below to take you to the full … [Read more...]
The Caley Hotel in Edinburgh
Ed Sheeran’s song ‘Castle on the Hill’ plays in my head as I take in the view from The Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian. Clinging to the craggy outcrop of an extinct volcano are the imposing fortress and mottled sandstone buildings of the Edinburgh Castle. The Caledonian, or the 'Caley' as its affectionately known, proudly boasts more … [Read more...]
Edinburgh culture, history and a shiny nosed dog
Edinburgh what's not to love? As the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh commands attention. But apart from being the country’s epi centre, Edinburgh exudes a distinctive charm that is difficult to resist. The compact layout of the city means it’s easy to get around and explore, even for someone like me with a hopeless sense of direction! I'd come … [Read more...]
Waldorf Astoria – The Caledonian, Edinburgh, Scotland
Luxe hotel in the heart of Edinburgh I have an undeniable passion for Scotland fueled by a number of things, including the Scottish blood running deep within my veins, as well as my love of anything Outlander (books and TV series.) So when I stepped into the hotel lobby of the Caledonian - I felt I'd arrived at a place I knew was going to be hard … [Read more...]
Scotland and the Outlander Effect gathers momentum
The story behind writing the story Earlier this year, I wrote a travel story on Scotland and the Outlander effect published online on New Zealand's Fairfax stuff.co.nz This explains why I wrote the story: Rewind back to April when I celebrated one of those milestone birthdays, some prefer to forget. One of my besties presented me with a gift … [Read more...]