FionaOutdoors

I have been testing a Falke Naima baselayer top for months. I have worn it for cycling, running, around the house and even to the office when I occasionally do newspaper shifts. It has been through the washing machine dozens of times but it still looks as good as new! I’m not sure how this [...]

A new charity event, the Loch Ness Duathlon, launches this August. Organised by Handsonevents and in aid of the British Heart Foundation, the duathlon offers a running and cycling challenge for individuals or teams. There will be two route options: * Running 7.5km on forest trails and then mountain biking 60km on the north side of [...]

I have been sent a few books, and they fit an outdoorsy theme. Here I give my reviews of the books. Halcyon in the Hebrides by Bob Orrell After 60 years of sailing in Scotland, Bob Orrell decided to single handedly sail his boat Halcyon 1000 miles around stunning islands and seas lochs of Western [...]

My guest blogger spent years telling overweight people that they pay more for their insurance. One day he realised that he was being a hypocrite and decided to do something about. Here he reveals how cycling changed his life. About a year ago, my life was a mess. I was a depressed, severely overweight insomniac [...]

I was a little embarrassed. Actually, no, I was very embarrassed. I am well-known as FionaOutdoors in Scotland yet I had never summited the country’s iconic Ben Nevis. But then, it turned out, during a chat hiking another Munro over New Year, that neither had my good friend Ellen. So, back in January, we vowed [...]

An outdoors and a dog story all rolled into one! This is my kind of story! On Sunday (May 13), Molly the Collie, from Aviemore, Strathspey, will become the first dog to complete a round of Corbetts. (Corbetts are the 220 Scottish mountains with a summit of 2,500ft.) Alongside owner Anne Butler, the five-year-old dog is [...]

When my running friend Animal Magic signed on the dotted line to become a volunteer for a Mountain Rescue training evening she had no idea what to expect. Here she writes about the experience: I’ve done one or two unexpected things in my life after a glass or two of wine, but signing myself up [...]

The number of cycling events in Scotland continues to rise – and the latest sportive launch looks as fab as the rest. On May 27, the inaugural Robert Millar Sportive offers 46 or 95-mile routes through the ever-so-scenic (and somewhat hilly) Trossachs and Campsie Fells, to the north of Glasgow. The background to the event [...]

I know about the statistics: Some 50,000 people walk the West Highland Way every year. And during frequent runs along the long-distance route, from the Milngavie end, I usually encounter a few walkers, runners and cyclists. But on Sunday, during a run with Animal Magic, we saw at least 100 people. (NB: Animal Magic is a [...]

I have blogged about this extremely worthwhile campaign before. But with just a couple of days to go before it actually happens on April 28, here’s a another reminder. Pedal On Parliament is calling for cyclists of all varieties, and people who would like to cycle but don’t, to join a mass bike ride to the Scottish [...]