Hillside Durness Co / Travel Tips
I love Durness because it feels like the kind of place you can actually arrive at, drop a rucksack, and immediately belong to the landscape. Over the years I’ve learned that you don’t need a car to experience the best of the far north—just a bit of planning, a flexible mindset and the...
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I often get asked where it’s safe and legal to park overnight for a night under the stars near Balnakeil Bay—and just as often I’m asked what the crofters will think if they find you there. Having spent many nights along this coast, I’m careful to follow the rules, keep things low-impact,...
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Managing money while traveling in Tanzania taught me lessons I still use on every trip: be flexible, protect cash, and know when to use a card. In this practical guide I share conseils pratiques pour gérer son budget en Tanzanie drawn from months of travel between Dar es Salaam, Arusha, the...
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I’ve always been drawn to places that feel a little out of time, and Myanmar (Burma) is exactly that: gilded temples smeared with sunlight, slow wooden boats on Inle Lake, and towns where street life still moves at walking pace. But traveling there today requires more preparation and...
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I spent a week testing two lightweight shells on Durness’s cliff tops—walking the Cape Wrath way at dawn, circling Smoo Cave in a stiff sea breeze, and sitting out afternoon clouds on Balnakeil beach—so I could answer a simple question: which lightweight shell jacket actually keeps you warm...
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I arrived in Madeira with the same curiosity I bring to every remote coastline: eager to hike, to find hidden viewpoints and to move at my own pace—only this time I planned to do it without a car. What followed was a rewarding mixture of rhythm, patience and discovery. If you’re wondering about...
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Why I chose alternatives: options de transport à Madère sans louer de voitureWhen I first planned my trip to Madeira, I nearly booked a rental car out of habit. Then I remembered the steep, narrow roads and the joy I find in slow travel. I spent a week moving around the island without driving,...
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I kayak from Balnakeil whenever I need a North Coast fix: the light is raw, the beaches are wide, and the shallow channels that thread the sands can make for quietly joyful paddles — if you treat them with respect. Below I share the launch points I use, the hidden hazards I watch for, and the...
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I love nothing more than a spontaneous seafood supper after a day on the cliffs — pulling into Durness with the smell of the sea and the idea that dinner might be literally same-day from shore to skillet. Over the years I’ve learned where to buy truly fresh shellfish in and around Durness, how...
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I grew up with the North Atlantic in my bones: salty air, wind-swept cliffs and a restless curiosity for hidden coves. Over the years I’ve hired local skippers from Durness more times than I can count, both for gentle wildlife-watching trips and for navigation to remote beaches you can’t reach...
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