Scotland Three Ways

Crannogs, Perthshire slow adventures and Dumfries coastal explorations

When we moved north to the Lake District (several years ago now), one of the added benefits that often came up in conversation was that we’d be closer to Scotland. If we wanted bigger mountains, longer canoe routes and the freedom to wild camp wherever we liked, all we had to do to was drive a bit further. Except, we were so busy enjoying ourselves in the Lakes and finding our feet that we never really found the time or need to head across the border. Last year though our hand was forced, and we found ourselves in Scotland in August at my sister’s wedding. It seemed folly to not tack on a small adventure having made it that far; a week of hiking, canoeing, wild camping and swimming later we were reminded exactly why we had considered Scotland’s close proximity a good thing.

Since then, we’ve endeavoured to head north whenever the opportunity arises, chasing brief weather windows in search of glassy lochs and snowy peaks when home fails to deliver. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that we’ve just got back from our third visit this spring - I’ve been meaning to write about each separate trip, for each one has it’s own story with lessons learned and perhaps I will one day, but for now here’s a brief, mostly photographic account of three Scottish tales.

Crannog building on Loch Tay:

Do you know what a crannog is? I didn’t until recently. Despite that, I headed to the shores of Loch Tay in early May to help build one. Or bits of one anyway. A crannog is a wooden or stone structure that extends out onto the water, forming important centres for trade or ritual or some other unknown purpose during the Iron Age. There would have been 18 crannogs on Loch Tay at one point, but now only one remains, painstakingly and skilfully rebuilt by the staff and volunteers at The Scottish Crannog Centre. As part of the coppicing and woodcraft co-operative I’m a member of, a team of six of us packed our billhooks and made the journey north to teach the skill of weaving hazel panels at The Scottish Crannog Centre, delivering a huge order of hazel hurdles that will be used for the walls of the crannog at the same time. I forget sometimes to appreciate how fortunate I am that I’m able to work with my hands to make a living, to craft and create, to honour tradition and the old ways; this trip was a good reminder of that, and a wonderful way to explore Scotland’s cultural heritage.

4 days in Perthshire in May:

This was one of those trips that just didn’t quite go to plan, but that turned out pretty good anyway. Grand ideas of multi-day hikes and canoe to munro adventures faded, replaced with shorter day hikes, ancient pine wood explorations, camping in the forest and losing a camera on a mountain. Don’t worry we found it. We stayed in Perthshire, not far from Loch Tay, visited my sister in Pitlochry, climbed Scheihallion (Benji’s first Munro), and even managed to get a paddle on Loch Rannoch once the wind finally dropped. Revelations from this trip include, the summit is generally my least favourite part of a mountain and going to Scotland in May does not guarantee a midge-free experience.

Camping, canoeing, exploring ancient pine woods and standing at the summit of Shiehallion

Dumfries and Galloway:

Being only a couple of hours away from us, the coast of Dumfries and Galloway seemed like the perfect place for a last minute weekend trip. Picking up Benji straight after school, we headed up the M6 and towards Sandyhills where a little cabin awaited us, situated just a short walk through the woods to the beach. Perhaps it was childhood memories of seaside holidays, but being by the coast gave the impression of being somewhere very different from home; exploring rugged cliffs, sandy bays and finding coastal plants we didn't know the names of made for a refreshing trip away despite being short. We also hit the one of the Seven Stanes mountain bike trails in the forests near Dalbeattie which was a lot of fun. This area has been on our list for a while and I’m sure we’ll be back…

Exploring the rugged, rocky coast

The little cabin

And there we have it, Scotland experienced in three different ways in short succession. The only question is, when’s the next one?

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Well, that’s all for now. It’s been a busy few weeks, but mostly in a good way with lots of projects in the pipeline which we hope to share soon. In the meantime we’re making plans for a wild camp to celebrate the solstice so we’ll see you on the other side…

With warmest wishes,

Andrew, Emma and Benji

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