Northbound Reflections: Why the Scottish Highlands Keep Calling Me Back

I first visited Scotland as a child, my late father would take his four boys climbing, hiking and exploring the highlands, a place he absolutely loved. I fondly remember he would tell us tales of exploring with friends from university in the late 50’s, jumping on their Vespas and heading into vast Glens with nothing more than rain jackets and a bottle of whisky. No high-tech gear. No down jackets. Just tweed, grit, and a healthy dose of the Highlands’ finest.

The time has come for me to return south, as I sit looking over this loch in the Highlands, I feel a sense of melancholy at leaving such a magnificent place. Exploring areas of untouched, outstanding natural beauty has had a profound effect on my mind and body. Hiking, being physical, feeling my body doing what it was designed to do, my mind only focusing on the task in hand, my periphery vision being stimulated by sweeping landscapes and wildlife amidst crofts of Caledonian pine.

People are not rushing, the roads and trails are quieter. Nature regains her foothold and flourishes where humans have chosen to leave the wilderness at peace. As a result, we humans find our own harmony in the natural world. I was a guest in this environment and I chose to tread lightly, to take my time, to stop searching for meaning, just be.

When taking the path less travelled, a warm feeling of contentment permeates from the inside out, a cheeky smile grows, like I’ve found the honey, as a result, I feel calm and joyful. 

When asked, “why do these trips feel so good to you? I guess that’s the million-dollar question and the simple answer is, I don’t know! 

I can’t articulate the why, but I can describe the how….

My growing hypothesis is that we are all carbon, from the earth. When we are immersed in forests, mountains and the natural world, it feels like we just belong, we are part of it, returning to our origins.

So many of us are living such busy lives. No wonder when things get tough, we search for the quick fix, I am most certainly guilty of accepting the trappings of a modern world to keep me on an even keel.

But recently I’ve been thinking these ‘quick fixes’ are a bandage on a wound. Ultimately, do they serve us well? Or, do they subtly keep us from the natural world in which we originated?

But now it is my time to leave this wondrous place I proudly call my second home. My last thought on this and my hope, is to encourage any and all to step into nature, breathe deeply and allow yourself to be still.

This is not goodbye, Scotland, but until we meet again…

Footnote:

I recently did a podcast with the amazing sociologist/landscape designer ‘Camellia Taylor’ who specialises in creating sensory gardens. Together, we explored the theory that, if we simulate more than at least two of our senses, we can enter a state of flow. 

Then the magic really starts to happen…

To find out more on this, check-out the Momentum-men podcast: