Thursday 31 July 2014

July...August!

I just cannot believe August is almost upon us! The month that all of us in the tourism industry love and dread in equal measure! Edinburgh is notably busier and it's that crazy month where it takes twice as long to get anywhere.

July has passed quickly and has also been busy.

Dave and I took our new wetsuits to St Mary's Loch near Traquair a few weeks ago and had a wee swim. It was a very rainy day but we didn't care, we were just so excited to be there!

We got some strange looks from nearby fishermen and from cars that passed, but we were buzzing with excitement.

We were in the water for about an hour, not doing too much swimming but just enjoying our surroundings. Once we were out of the water, out of our wetsuits and back in the car (aka the tricky part!) I felt unbelievably energised and good. Amazing - I'd like more of that feeling!!

We drove through the Yarrow valley to Selkirk, a lovely day, eating chocolate and drinking our flask of tea. Later that evening I felt absolutely exhausted but a good exhausted - like I'd achieved something.

Dave and I haven't had a chance to get out in the water again since but we keep talking about our next adventure.

However my imminent next adventure is a very exciting walk - I'll be starting the Cateran Trail very soon and I can't wait! Photos and blog to come soon!

Wednesday 9 July 2014

Taking to the water...

Well, it has been a wee while since my last blog post but things have been busy busy as usual.

I'm always scared that time passes me too quickly and I often forget what it is like to just stop. To take a moment to just BE. To actually be in the moment.

This is so rare in day to day life, because routine sets in and takes over, and it is no wonder the days seem to merge into one. I still feel like it is March or April, not July.

Life seems so busy that it is easy to forget what is important. I have recently discovered the perfect way to stop, take a moment, be in the moment, remember what is important.

It is - swimming in the sea. And not just any sea, a really cold sea which literally takes your breath away. Good thing I live in Scotland then!

There is something so magical about swimming in the sea. I find it unbelievably calming and relaxing, and I wish I could do it every day! I know where this comes from - as children we would go swimming a lot in the sea at Hopeman, on the Moray Firth. Come wind or sun, high tide or low tide, surf or still, we'd be in there.

Although I am sure we did swim on many sunny days in the summer, my abiding memory is of a trip in the October holidays, when the sea was very choppy. I usually didn't like swimming in rough tides because it churned up the seaweed and I am a bit feart of seaweed brushing against my legs. It just seems too...alive. *Shudder* However on this occasion I overcame my fears and enjoyed getting bashed by the big waves as they crashed towards the shore. It felt wild, and exhilarating.

Swimming in the sea is the perfect way to make yourself feel small and insignificant. It is the reminder you need that there are bigger things going on in the world than what is on your desk or in your inbox at that time.

It makes you feel alive! It makes you feel strong, contented, happy, achieving, freezing, hungry, delighted, at peace.

As kids we were promised a 'chittery bite' when we came out of the water (not that I remember us needing too much encouragement to get in there) and it is the same mentality for me now. Only now the reward is not a chocolate biscuit or a piece of tablet, it is a glow of achievement that warms my shivery self right back up again.

One of my major highlights of 2013 was swimming in the sea at Luskentyre beach on the Isle of Harris, and I'm delighted to say that a recent trip to Arran has provided surely one of the highlights of 2014.

Views of Goatfell from the ferry
Brilliant beach for stone throwing!
Lochranza Castle
 
Views of Pladda & Ailsa Craig from the house we stayed in


The whole trip was amazing - a very special trip, taken with Dave's family. Special in particular because Dave's nephew Arran, over from Australia with his mum, dad and sister, was named after the island. Incredible because we had the most amazing hot, sunny weather. Both Dave and I got very sunburnt! The whole trip provided fantastic moments and memories, and swimming in the sea near Kildonan was just one of them.
 
 
 
The water was bloody freezing. The crucial part is staying in long enough for your body to get used to the cold. Otherwise it would be absolutely miserable. Once you get past the point where it feels horrible and miserable, it is amazing! The feeling of calm just washes over me.

It's not about the swimming for me - I don't swim very much when I'm in the water. It's about keeping my head above the water (and if that's not a metaphor for life I don't know what is) and feeling an immense satisfaction and sense of contentment.

So the plan is to do more of it. If this is what makes me feel calm, then this is what I need to do.

Although as children we always scoffed at people wearing wetsuits (we were far hardier, in our swimming costumes), I realise that a wetsuit is a fantastic thing to have if you want to stay in the water longer or if you want to go and explore hidden places. And so I've bought myself a wetsuit and I literally cannot wait to go wild swimming!

I hope it will make for some interesting blog posts too, about the wee places I find and the adventures I have along the way.

Never fear though, walking is as close to my heart as ever, and I'm excited to announce that my next long distance walking trail will be the Cateran Trail in August. Lots to look forward to indeed!