Fieldnotes and reflections from later life — cycling, wandering, noticing, and making sense of things along the way.
I had always suspected that this stage of my tour around Britain might be a big ask, for me and the bike. I just hadn’t realised that it would turn out to be so challenging, peppered with wrong turns, strong winds, a major storm, and a collection of misadventures along the way. Click here to …
“You look at where you’re going and where you are and it never makes sense, but then you look back at where you’ve been and a pattern seems to emerge.”— Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance It was 2007 and I was at a bit of a loose end, living out …
Every so often, a place bubbles back into consciousness Over the past few weeks, Knoydart has surfaced in several unrelated conversations, reminding me of a solo backpacking trip I did there that I’d almost forgotten about. According to the Mountain Walking Experience logbook I kept for my Summer Mountain Leader award, I did this adventure …
This is Day 4 and 5 of a multi-day adventure from Aberdeen to Inverness-ish (Stage 3 of my ride around Britain). For this part I was joined by my sister Liz, her husband Paul, and our friend Dawn. If you want to start from the beginning, Day 1 is here. After the merry evening before …
The idea for writing this blog started with a TikTok. A user said they'd asked GPT: "based on our interactions, what do you know about me that would surprise me?" I asked mine the same question and the answer I got was something along the lines of "an adventurous, curious person who likes telling stories." …
This is Day 3 of a multi-day adventure from Aberdeen to Inverness-ish (Stage 3 of my ride around Britain). For this part I was joined by my sister Liz, her husband Paul, and our friend Dawn. If you want to start from the beginning, Day 1 is here. A Makers Market and a Jet Wash …
This is Day 2 of a multi-day adventure from Aberdeen to Inverness-ish (Stage 3 of my ride around Britain). This part was shared with my sister Liz, her husband Paul, and our friend Dawn. You can read about Day 1 here We followed the system we’d worked out on the road yesterday: I'd suggest a …
This is Day 1 of a multi-day adventure from Aberdeen to Inverness-ish (Stage 3 of my ride around Britain). For this part I was joined by my sister Liz, her husband Paul, and our friend Dawn. LET’S UNPACK This was the third stage of my round Britain cycling tour, but this next stretch, from Aberdeen …
When I talk about my solo adventures—whether it’s wild camping in remote parts of Scotland or navigating unfamiliar European roads with just my panniers and a smattering of the local language—the reaction I most often get is: “Aren’t you brave!” It always makes me pause because I don’t feel brave. Not in the way they …
Join me on Stage 2 of my cycle journey around Britain from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Aberdeen, covering 263 miles of stunning Scottish coast, bike-friendly paths, and memorable conversations. Day 1 – Berwick-upon-Tweed to East Linton A late start after travelling up by train from Manchester meant a late finish, but it was a superb first day. …
Continue reading Cycling around Britain, Stage 2: Scotland, Stories, and Sunshine
No Route Map: Still Learning, Still Looking 