I remember standing on a ridge in the Cairngorms three years ago, wind coming in sideways and my boots feeling like lead, only to find …
Ground-nesting Birds and Why Paths Close
February 2026
Reading Contours So the Ground Matches the Map
I remember a group I led back in 2014, somewhere in the Cairngorms, when the mist rolled in so thick you couldn’t see your own …
Wet Camping: Managing Damp Before It Manages You
I remember standing on a ridge in the Cairngorms back in 2012, watching a group of hikers try to “outsmart” a sudden deluge by huddling …
Disturbance: the Line You Cannot See but Animals Can
I remember standing on a scree slope in the Cairngorms back in 2012, watching a group of hikers freeze in excitement because they’d spotted a …
Why Your Waterproof Stops Working and What Fixes It
I spent three hours huddled under a granite overhang in the Cairngorms last November, watching a group of hikers realize that their “state-of-the-art” shells were …
Counting Paces: the Skill That Replaces Landmarks
I remember a Tuesday in late October, standing on a sodden ridge in the Cairngorms, watching a group of otherwise capable hikers stare at a …
The Complete Guide to Hiking Kit
I spent three hours last Tuesday watching a group of hikers huddled under a single, oversized canopy, looking utterly defeated because they’d followed a “complete …
Field Notes That Are Worth Reading in Ten Years
I spent three years in my twenties watching people buy $40 leather-bound journals and expensive fountain pens, only to leave them sitting on a coffee …
The Complete Guide to Staying Safe on the Hill
I once spent four hours in a freezing, sodden hollow on the Cairngorms, trying to coax a group of otherwise sensible people out of a …
Navigating When You Cannot See the Next Feature
I remember standing on a ridge in the Cairngorms three years ago, watching a group of hikers stare blankly at a high-end GPS unit as …