the great outdoors Archives - Blethers from Afar

10 great places to go kayaking in Scotland

Fancy a spot of kayaking in Scotland? Excellent choice! With its rugged coastlines, temptingly-close islands and a mere 30,000 lochs to explore, Scotland is the perfect place to hone your paddling skills. ...

The best places to eat near Glencoe, Scotland

With its breathtaking mountain scenery, rugged country walks and sprawling lochs all ripe for exploring, it's no wonder that Glencoe is seen by many as the gateway to Scotland's great outdoors. Every year, the...

5 easy and scenic running routes in Edinburgh for beginners

2020's lockdown brought with it many surprises. Many of them - let's be frank - were pants. Among the more positive, however, were the renewed interest in two things; fitness and the chance to get outdoors mo...

The Simmer Dim: A Short Story by Izzy Gray

In 2020, lockdown hit, forcing us into our homes and taking away the usual travel opportunities. It's been a heartbreaking time for many reasons, but if there's one beacon of light to shine through the mire, f...

What it’s like to kayak around Dubrovnik with Adventure Dalmatia

If you thought Dubrovnik was beautiful from land, you ain't seen nothin' until you've seen it from the sea. This review talks you through my experience kayaking with the wonderful Adventure Dalmatia. Paddling...

A 3 day guide to visiting Orkney for the first time

It seems mad that in all these years writing about beautiful corners of the world I’ve rarely touched upon my home island of Orkney! It’s not intentional, I swear! It’s actually surprisingly tricky to write a...

A night at the Enchanted Forest, Pitlochry

If you go down to the woods today you're sure of a big surprise...Well, if you head down to Faskally Woods this Autumn, that's definitely going to be the case! Every year, Scotland's Perthshire town of Pitloch...

10 things to do in Montreux, Switzerland

Perched on the edge of Lake Geneva lies the Swiss town of Montreux. It's somewhere I first visited at the age of sixteen whilst on a Geography trip around Europe with my school, and it's somewhere I've thought...

The overnight train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok

It was 4am. I was woken by a crack, piercing and metallic. My eyes were slow to adjust to the darkness. Fatigue had left me disorientated, and for a moment, I struggled to remember where I was. Lightening so...

Exploring the Isle of Skye: The ultimate Scottish road trip

Imagine a land of dark, craggy peaks and tumbling waterfalls. A land carved by myth and legend, spun by fairy tales and marked by bloody clan battles. Imagine moody moors and misty glens, purple fields and wh...

10 great places to go kayaking in Scotland

The best places to eat near Glencoe, Scotland

5 easy and scenic running routes in Edinburgh for beginners

The Simmer Dim: A Short Story by Izzy Gray

What it’s like to kayak around Dubrovnik with Adventure Dalmatia

A 3 day guide to visiting Orkney for the first time

A night at the Enchanted Forest, Pitlochry

10 things to do in Montreux, Switzerland

The overnight train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok

Exploring the Isle of Skye: The ultimate Scottish road trip

10 great places to go kayaking in Scotland

Secret Santa: A Short Film about Christmas Cheer

12 most Instagrammable places in Edinburgh’s Old Town

Celebrating Kindness: Different ways kindness is shown around the world

Pitch perfect: How to approach hotels and secure press stays as a travel blogger