The Wanderlust Issue #8
January 2025 // Road trips, Scottish Winter walks, the night sky, some great artwork and some great music.
Welcome to Issue #8 of The Wanderlust, my monthly zine where I share what I’m up to, encourage you to dance, wander and explore and discover amazing new creative talent. I delve into my photo archives, share snippets from my travel journals and drop in the odd freebie. So if you know someone who you think might like this, feel free to share it with them.
Happy New Year! I hope you had time to enjoy some festivities, some rest and to get out and explore. I’ve been easing back into work this past week and setting intentions for my creative year.
I was chatting Winter walks back in Issue #6 and had hoped to get a few in before starting back for the year. We took a day trip up to the Cairngorms for a walk around the Loch Morlich Circuit and stopped for a scone and a cuppa at the Barn afterwards. It’s a lovely walk through old Scots Pine forest and the views from the loch side over to the Cairngorm mountains are beautiful. We’ll definitely be back to explore more.
The weather after New Year was pretty sketchy but we waited for a window and booked a very last minute break at Loch Goil staying at Rowan House, right on the loch. We had a beautiful drive over and stopped in at The Boatshed for some lunch (you might remember that I included The Boatshed in my Wander List in the first ever issue last April). Good, hearty food in a beautiful setting! We walked the Glen Donich trail that afternoon, grabbed some sourdough pizza for dinner at The Shore House and relaxed back at our B&B.
The next morning we woke up to a moody, misty day and set off for a drive around the Cowal Peninsula. I’d highly recommend the walk at Puck’s Glen with its fairytale atmosphere and a stop at the pretty village of Tighnabruaich.
I’ve put together a full road trip for you complete with stops and recommendations below and even thrown in a playlist too!
Time to read: 6 mins
Time to dance: 4+ hours
January always feels a little tougher to get outside and wander but I grab every opportunity I can, like a long walk along the frosty beach at Tentsmuir in Fife last weekend and a coffee (complete with almond croissant) at Höfn in Dundee. It’s also the perfect time to plan for the (slightly) longer days in February and March.
I didn’t get a chance to see the Northern Lights last year so top of my list to plan is a trip to Finland to see them while the sun is still at its solar maximum this year.
Staying with the theme of the night sky, I’m going to be keeping my eyes peeled on any clear nights over the next couple of weeks for Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter. “In the first couple of hours after dark, you'll find Venus and Saturn in the southwest, Jupiter high overhead, and Mars in the east.” - NASA
I’m always adding to my list of walks which is pretty enormous now! The Coire Àrdair trail in the Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve is my latest addition for sometime over the next month.
I briefly mentioned The Scottish Snowdrop Festival in last month’s issue which begins at the end of this month, but there are other signs of Spring starting to pop up as we head into February too and Scotland’s Garden Scheme has a map with all the places to visit as they open.
After Issue #7 I decided this year I want to create a big wall planner with all the things that I’d like to see/do over the coming years so that I can start planning for a few each year. Glasgow based Risotto Studio’s colourful planners are my absolute favourite!
I love vintage maps and I love neon. Cue Dave Buonaguidi.
I’m always looking for interesting ways of storing my keepsakes and creating scrapbooks from my travels and the collaboration from Harris & Jones and pattern designer Cressida Bell is ticking all the boxes. The handmade Keepsake Box is perfect in her Celestial design.
Another of my local loves, Ploterre, based in Edinburgh, uses data to create art. With a background in maths and design, pay particular attention to the descriptions where Rebecca explains exactly how she creates each piece. I love this latest addition - Where The Wildflowers Grow.
Staying with the road trip theme, I’m taking you back to 2018 this month and a holiday in the USA. We started out in New York and travelled down to Washington DC before catching a flight to Las Vegas and picking up our chariot for the trip. We made the long drive out to the Grand Canyon, only to be met with a cloud inversion so we couldn’t see a thing! The following morning, most of the cloud had cleared and we were treated to a glorious sunrise. From there, it was back out to Nevada and across Death Valley before reaching the High Sierra of California and finishing up on the West coast.
This route starts and ends in Crieff and takes in several pretty towns and villages and at least 9 lochs. We did it over 2 days but you could easily add in more, stopping for overnights along the way and adding in loads of walks and good food. So get the tunes on and enjoy!
Day 1
Start with brunch at Cafe Rhubarb in Crieff (one of my regular haunts) to set you up for the day or Cafe Comrie is another good option. Stop in pretty St Fillans for a view all the way up Loch Earn. The route continues on past the top of Loch Lomond and on to Arrochar and Loch Long before swinging round to Lochgoilhead via The Rest and Be Thankful. Head along to The Boatshed for a late lunch/early dinner or stop in at the Shore House for a pizza which you can even take away. There are loads of walks in the area to stretch the legs after a good feed. Settle in at Rowan House for the night.
Day 2
Start with a good tightener at your B&B. Swing up and along the banks of Loch Fyne before turning left at Strachur to drive South along Loch Eck. Look out for the Jubilee Point picnic area to stop and get right down to the lochside for pretty views. Stop in at Puck’s Glen for a magical walk up the gorge and across its many wee bridges. The route follows on West before turning South to the lovely village of Tighnabruaich, a perfect spot to stop and top up your belly. We opted for Five West. From here, retrace your steps heading North*, rejoining with Loch Fyne and swinging round the head of the loch to Inveraray. Look right as you drive over the old bridge for a view of the castle. Drive North past Loch Awe before finally turning East again and making your way back to Crieff with a comfort stop in Tyndrum.
*Or, optional alternative route back from Tighnabruaich up the B8000. Longer and single track but very scenic.
No road trip would be complete without an accompanying playlist. So I made you one.
