After my aborted attempt to camp at Sandwood Bay, I realised I didn’t want to spend hours lying in the dark in a tiny tent. So, if I wanted to continue camping in winter, I’d have to walk and pitch my tent in the dark. A year ago I would have put that idea straight…
After a successful winter wild camp on my own at Slaggan Bay, I decide to endure the long drive to the very north west tip of the UK mainland to visit Sandwood Bay. I’ve wanted to go there for many years, having heard it described as Britain’s most beautiful beach. It has become increasingly popular…
Armed with my new -18c sleeping bag, and a cold but sunny weather forecast, I drive for two hours to the north west coast of Scotland, then follow a 5km trail to a remote beach, Slaggan Bay. Gorgeous desolate scenery on the way there, and my first glimpse of the beach makes me feel so…
I already know from my research that wild camping is all about having the right equipment, but I haven’t properly thought through how I handle the cold. It’s September, my inflatable sleeping mat is recommended for 3 seasons, my sleeping bag has a comfort zone of 2-7c, and the forecast is for 6c overnight, when…
Day One The weather forecast was exceptional for Scotland in early September. It was time for my first proper solo walk and wild camp, something I’ve dreamt of doing for many years. I arrive in Cullen by bus at 7.30pm, and began the expedition with a white pudding supper from Linda’s chippie, which I eat…
For years I’ve dreamed about wild camping. The sense of getting away from it all, being closer to nature, the physical challenge, and overcoming my fear of the dark. The latter issue is significant. I suppose we are all scared of the dark to a certain extent but as I make my way through my…
Chapter One – MEGAN Friday, 6 May 2005, 10.30pm Megan was drinking beer in the kitchen with a few friends when her collie, Glen, ran through the open back door with a muddy stick in his mouth. When he dropped it at her feet, she stared in disgust. It wasn’t a stick; it was a…
Prologue The stench made her gag. For a moment she was transfixed by the room’s awfulness; the gloom, the paint peeling off the walls, the thin foam mattress covered by a filthy blanket. Behind her the door slammed and she turned. But it was too late. She heard a bolt being drawn on the other…
Better than nothing? All authors, but especially self-published ones, lament the time and expense required to market books. Your book could be a fabulous read, well-reviewed, and enjoyed by most people who read it… but unless you have a means of making it visible to potential readers, then you won’t sell any. This is an…
Book 3 sagas… In the last year I’ve written 80k words of my third book. That’s an average sized manuscript (both my other novels are about 78k words) so I should be celebrating. But unfortunately those 80k words are spread across two different novels, both of which I’m ditching. So no celebrating just yet. I…
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