The last few months have felt like limbo. I’ve been dwelling on the past, reminiscing and fantasising about pre-lock down living; the freedom to travel, to socialise. Even the small things I took for granted like going to a cafe for a frothy cappuccino or hopping on the bustling tube. It’s funny how these things now feel nostalgic and appealing.

I am trying to focus on the future and dream about all the adventures and things I will do when we have our freedom back again. But I’ll be the first to admit that this has been hard; the future right now feels rather uncertain-who knows when we might be able to travel again?

Anyway, rather than dwelling over my future bucket list and feeling sad because I can’t plan ahead, I suddenly had an idea. Why not celebrate my best experiences of the past? I’m as guilty as anyone as racing through life, looking for the next goal, the next big experience. But perhaps it would be beneficial if we all slowed down and took some time to pay homage to the beautiful places we’ve seen or the special experiences we’ve already had.

So here goes-in no particular order -a retrospective rewind on my top 10 best experiences…I’ve stuck to travel and the outdoors but it could apply to any milestones or achievements in your life. What are some of your favourite travel experiences? Maybe it’s time to dig out some of those old photos, and feel inspired again.

1. Kayaking adventures in Scotland

Since first picking up a paddle back in 2009, I’ve been on some incredible kayaking adventures up in Scotland with my family. The scattered islands of the Hebrides are a playground of pristine, white, sandy beaches, translucent blue water and big skies that seem to stretch for miles. Wildlife encounters are aplenty; I’ve got up close and personal with curious seals off Tiree and paddled past towering cliffs echoing with the hum of seabird colonies and waves lapping below.

Kayaking has opened my eyes up to new experiences and given me access to places I never would have been able to reach on foot. It has given me a deep respect for the sea- I love the feeling of freedom being out on the ocean- you can’t beat it. But I have also learnt to not push my comfort zone too far- a few hairy experiences have taught me that a sit on top kayak and choppy seas are not a good combination.

Last Summer was especially fun kayaking to Handa Island (seabirds galore), exploring the Summer Isles (deep caves and lots of sea creatures) and paddling along the coast off Clachtoll where things got a bit choppy. Last year I tried out my go pro for the first time and filmed some of my kayaking adventures- check out my Summer in Sutherland playlist.

2. Photographing puffins in the Treshnish Isles

What a day! We were blessed with perfect conditions-windless, clear blue skies on a warm July day as we whizzed off from the Isle of Tiree in a speedboat to Lunga -part of the Treshnish Isles and one of Scotland’s puffin hubs.

These colourful little birds are a pleasure to watch and photograph- their behaviour is so comical. A real highlight was seeing one fly in with a beak full of sand eels. Check out my puffin postcards post for more top tips on where you can see these birds- there’s actually quite a few colonies across the UK so plenty of opportunities to encounter them first hand.

3. Tracking rhinos on foot in Zimbabwe

The photos say it all on this one. An experience I will never forget but one that I still have to pinch myself that it happened. To be honest this whole 3 week trip around Southern Africa was jaw-droppingly incredible but seeing rhinos in the wild on foot was next level.

We’d spent the day in the remote Matobo National Park in Zimbabwe tracking the animals with our expert local guide. We’d scrambled through the rocky bush and scaled the rocks to try and spot any movement, all whilst under the baking sun. As afternoon set in, we received word their signal had been picked up nearby, so heading off deep into the thickets, we walked for about 30 minutes before we finally caught glimpse of a mother white rhino and her young calf.

It was an honour to get close to these peaceful and ancient animals- as we approached quietly the rhinos were completely unfazed and we were able to spend a long while just admiring them up close. A pretty emotional experience and something I will always treasure especially as the future of these animals is very sadly unstable.

We also visited a rhino sanctuary in Botswana where I got to see two males sparring amongst the ‘fire-dust’ glowing orange by the setting sun- another unforgettable memory.

4. Flying over the Okavango Delta and exploring the waterways by canoe

Another big wow moment- I felt like I was stepping in for David Attenborough on Planet Earth. Flying up above the Okavango Delta in Botswana really means you are able to appreciate the vast scale of this Delta system. I remember looking down and experiencing the thrill of spotting the occasional elephant- giant animals reduced to the size of little specks dotted across the green water meadows below.

Experiencing the Delta at a slower pace by traditional mokoro canoe was also amazing as we followed in the footsteps of hippos, gliding down their pathways made through the thick papyrus. As we explored the lagoons, we encountered beautiful bright kingfishers and lushous lillies- this was a dreamy day.

5. Hiking part of the Jordan trail and exploring Petra

One of my most recent adventures which I squeezed in just before lock-down- I’m still enjoying the post Jordan glow and mulling over what was a wonderful trip, packed full of impressive desert landscapes and ancient historical sites.

Hiking was the real highlight of this trip- it was a great sense of accomplishment to hike the Dana to Petra section of the Jordan trail- almost like a modern day pilgrimage. Going in Winter, we experienced the full spectrum of weather from hot, dry days to torrential rain and even snow. We ended up in Petra; the centre piece of the ancient Nabateean kingdom and it exceeded my expectations. There is just SO much to see here from the rock carvings to the rich colours of sandstone tombs- I tried to soak up as much of the history as possible but Petra has so many layers, you could spend a lifetime learning.

6. Winter hiking in Germany & Slovenia

I’m super lucky to have a German friend who is also keen on nature and exploring the outdoors. Over the past few years I’ve been to visit her twice for a Winter getaway; once in January 2019 to the Saxony Switzerland Park in Germany and also in January 2020 to Ljubljana, Slovenia where she was on a study programme. Both trips were magical and featured lots of snow and mountainous forest exploring. They also reminded me that long weekend trips to nearer destinations can be just as rewarding as big, international travel. By day we explored frozen waterfalls and discovered beautiful forests, void of tourists- we got a bit lost on our hike in the Saxony Switzerland National Park but we made up for it when we got back to our flat with copious amounts of hot chocolate and blankets to warm our chilled bones. Happy memories.

7. Solo exploring off Bali

This was my first long haul solo trip- aged 19 I set off on the long flight to Indonesia- a great destination for first time travellers. For most of the 3 week trip I was with a group, but I did do some solo exploring on the 3 islands nudging the coast of Bali: Nusa lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida.

The ‘3 Nusa’s’ were a standout highlight of my trip- exploring on foot, I got to experience island life at a slower pace as I walked along the coast with sparkling views of the ocean, catching glimpses of the local seaweed farmers collecting their harvest from the shallows and crossing the wonderful yellow bridge over to Nusa Ceningan.

Nusa Penida was the island’s wild sister- there were barely any roads when I visited and so many awe-inspiring natural sights such as the Angel’s Billabong; a bright green natural infinity pool and the views at Kelingking point down to the waves crashing below were phenomenal. Rightly so the islands are getting a lot more attention from tourists now, but I’m glad I was able to go and experience most of the sights without crowds of tourists on my heels.

8. Finding fungi and getting more into macro photography

During Autumn, my photography takes a distinctive turn- I cast my eye to the ground, and search amongst the fallen leaves and damp soil for signs of fungi.

I’ve grown to really enjoy photographing these incredible organisms-they come in a huge array of colours and shapes and present a bit of a challenge in terms of finding but also photographing due to their proximity to the ground. The forest floor is a place we often overlook, or don’t really think about at all but there’s just as much going on down there as there is up in the trees.

9. Discovering a passion for rocks and geology

Since acquiring a macro lens for my birthday a few years ago I’ve become more interested in taking photos that express the beauty of the little details-patterns and shapes created by nature. I get a real kick out of photographing things which are less obviously appealing to the eye.

This is where my new obsession with rocks comes in- during recent trips to Scotland I’ve become more curious about the geology which has worked over time to mould the dramatic landscapes we see today. Scotland has some of the oldest rocks in the world including its ancient gneiss rock- the gneiss found at Assynt in the remote North West Highlands formed billions of years ago- that’s seriously mind boggling.

The incredible colours and composition of the rocks are a result of earth processes that have been occurring for an almost incomprehensible period of time. Further from home, I delighted in photographing the rich sandstone colours in Jordan- if I was cleverer I could see myself being a geologist in another life..I think rocks are super cool.

10. Walking to Sandwood Bay

My final highlight- there are some days which are just perfect and this was one of them. We were blessed with blue skies and sunshine as we set out on our hike to Sandwood Bay-a remote and wild strip of beach off the far North West coast of Scotland.

I wrote a little description which sums up my experience of visiting this special place-

“Eyes close. Wave, after wave breaking. Never-ending sand stretching into oblivion, tumbling through the vortex of time, melting and melding tectonic rocks; gneiss and sandstone crushing together. Whale skulls churning in the deep. I dream of Sandwood. “

I feel emotional just thinking about Sandwood Bay- it made such an imprint on my soul- I visited at a time when I was struggling with a break up and some other issues and it really helped to heal some of that pain. I’m now a member of the John Muir Trust who safeguard and preserve precious wild places like Sandwood Bay. I made a short video about walking to Sandwood Bay which I hope captures some of the emotion I felt when visiting this place.