The unexpurgated photo reel from the TGO Challenge coast to coast walk is here. A description and maps will surely follow, but probably at a distance. This year we started at Oban, and planned a Munro or two on most days. The plan was adjusted a bit en-route to enable more resting time. As you […]
TGOC 2018 Oban to Montrose the slideshow Read More »
(Scroll down for the Fado video) What to see on a short trip to Lisbon? Most cities have a grand hierarchy of sights – from the oldest and best preserved monuments through a variety of museums and galleries to the busy shopping and entertainment areas. For Lisbon however the hierarchy was flattened by a big
Presunto I presume! Fish, Fado, & Ham – 2 nights in Lisbon Read More »
This is part ‘B’ of my first half of the Cape Wrath Trail. The map below is captured from beacons sent every 30 minutes as I was walking. If you zoom in you will notice there are some gaps and other anomalies; nevertheless you can get a good idea of where I was when. Wednesday
Cape Wrath Trail Part 1B – A TGOC Backup – Kinloch Hourn to Strathcarron Read More »
The Cape Wrath Trail comes highly recommended by many TGOers – it avoids the boring bit that crosses the farmlands of East Scotland. On the other hand it can be a bit of a lonesome trail compared to the famous Coast to Coast walk. The route follows some of the wildest countryside in Scotland, starting
Cape Wrath Trail Part 1 – A TGOC Backup – Fort William to Kinloch Hourn Read More »
The outdoors is an integral part of life for most Norwegians. A sparse population and some dramatic and accessible countryside means that many spend at least some of their free time hiking or skiing or hunting or just hanging out in the wild. There is a mountain hut in most families for indulging this passion.
Norwegian lifestyle – training for refugees Read More »
One of the old guard of UK organic farmers maintains his credential for the soil association by bringing on to the farm ‘nothing but woodchip and certified organic seeds’. Of course woodchip from trees grown elsewhere implies a gap in the sustainability profile, but the trees are from local domestic gardens and they are said
Composting Woodchip – it works! Read More »
I used to be keen on Chiltern Seeds bargain offers. They sell several types of ‘anonymous mix’ which provides a single packet of a thousand or more seeds such as perennials or annuals. Then they sell a ‘non-anonymous mix’ which provides 5 or 10 packets of their choosing. One of the latter, I think gave
Plant Quiz! What is it? Read More »
One of the first herbs to appear in the spring is the common stinging nettle. Foragers everywhere start on nettle soup. But if you leave it many weeks those temping bright greens turn grey-ish and dusty, agressive looking and stinging. This year I managed to investigate before the moment had gone – not with soup
‘Tis the season of the Nettle! Time for Nettle Bread Read More »
“Is anyone planning to go up onto the Cairngorm plateau in the morning?” I asked the crowd gathered around the fire in the bothy. No takers. Track looking back towards the Feshie Just a little to the north is a track which covers a lot of ground in 8 or 9 km to over
TGOC Plockton to Redcastle Lunan Bay – #3 Feshie to the coast Read More »
Cougie is writ large in the history of the TGOC so I was a little surprised it was not busier. Most TGOers arrive here on the Saturday however, and anyway time has moved on and some of the people there have changed. My trip notes recorded ‘fantastic bird calls’ at the camping site here. The
TGOC Plockton to Redcastle – #2 Cougie to Feshie Read More »