Rainbows, ridge hikes and curious cows in Kintail | Scotland

Scotland is renowned for getting it’s fair share of rain and we were about to get our worst stint of weather on this whole trip. The forecast was suggesting about a week of heavy rain which basically meant no hiking for us because we’ve learnt that it’s just not fun getting soaked and having nowhere…

The best mountain hikes in Torridon | Scotland

It was our first time exploring the Torridon region – for some reason we foolishly bypassed it when we were in the area 7 years ago and we were amazed that we missed such a stunning spot. It was raining when we arrived but sunshine was predicted for tomorrow so we set our alarms nice…

Our last few days on Orkney | Beaches, cats and sunsets

We woke up in a lovely spot by the sea with a huge beach and a line of turquoise water that suddenly turned navy as the water deepened. We were having a lazy day after tracking the orcas up and down the coast so we did some baking and a couple of short strolls nearby…

Idyllic beaches and rock formations | The Orkney Islands

Our first stop in the western side of Orkney was the Broch of Gurness which is the remains of an Iron Age village. For a person that has little interest in history I must admit it just looked like a pile of rocks. The stones were only a feet or two high, it was like…

Our first impressions of the Orkney Islands | Scotland

Most people visit Orkney for the history, but for us we were there for the nature, wildlife and also because it just made sense as it was on our ferry route back to the mainland from Shetland. We’d heard the orcas we’d witnessed on Shetland were around Orkney at the moment so we focused our…

Mystical mareel, seals and barbed wire accidents | Shetland

Well, you’d of thought after two days of tracking orcas we’d be satisfied, but watching them is like a drug, we always want more. No wildlife encounter is the same and there’s something extra special about orcas, maybe because it’s so nice seeing them roaming free in the wild, unlike the ones who were stolen…

Finding paradise in the Shetland Islands

When we arrived in Shetland almost a month ago a local told us it had been cloudy for three weeks solid. Well, that weather pattern continued for us, with just a couple days where the sun made an appearance for a few hours. But today we woke to our first morning of sunshine, what a…

Spectacular cliffs and rock formations along the coast of Shetland

We began today’s hike with a stroll along a stony beach where we came across a dead seal. It had been preserved by the sun, it’s skin pulled tight and leathery, similar to the ancient Egyptians, with an awkward set of teeth protruded out like Austin Powers. Like almost every hike we’ve done in Shetland…