Walking Women on Mull

Ardalanish Beach by Ardachy House Hotel

Ordering food after a hard days walking.

Mull at any time of year is fabulous, and September is no exeption.  For the past few years I have guided a week of walking on Mull and always look forward to this.

Walks take in some of the coastal spots around the Ross of Mull.  We visit beaches you can only reach by boat or on foot.  The colours are incredible - no matter the weather as there is a clarity to the air, which combined with the sea means it is ever changing. There is always a visit to Iona and almost always Staffa too including, Fingals Cave.



If you fancy a week on Mull staying at a wonderful hotel with views across to the islands of Jura, Islay and Colonsay then you may be interested in a week with Walking Women staying at Ardacy House Hotel on Mull.



The food is fabulous and the most is made of locally available ingredients.  Sumptuous three course meals match the best of any restaurant.

Loch Buie on Mull - great for otter spotting and eagles

Mull abounds with wild life with a good chance of seeing sea eagle, eagle, otter and even whales off the coast.


If you fancy a week on Mull, then this years Walking Women week runs from 10-17 September.  Maybe see you there?

Multi-use poles

Often when I have customers for a nordic walking workshop, they ask if they can bring their trekking poles along. The answer has to be NO as the design is different in some critical respects.  I do sometimes take my nordic walking poles trekking on the hills but if I need to put them away, for safety reasons on very steep ground, they don't fold down enough and stick out of my rucsac too much which can be a real hazard to anyone within a few feet of me.  Now though, there is an answer.

At last, some multi-use poles have been designed so you can use them for walking, nordic walking skiing and snow shoeing.  Even better the price is pretty reasonable as these things go.  Nordic Walking UK have just announced their arrival.  The fact they are supporting them suggests the quality is good.

The poles are available through their website and are made by an Italian company called Gabel.  They retail for around £60.  Not the cheapest but worth it if you want poles to do a variety of things.  I'm thinking of getting a pair to trial and will let you know what I think.  I may even have them in time for the next workshop on 28th August.

Hope to see some of you in and around Comrie on 28th August for a great workout in fabulous countryside.

Women CAN read maps: Course dates

Women CAN read maps: Course dates: "Next Women CAN Read Maps course will run from 1st-2nd Oct 2011. This two day course will give you some of the skills to use maps to naviga..."

Walk for an evening with good cause

Sometimes it is good to have a target and a cause for getting fit.  I was contacted this week by Nicola Moore  who is organising a fundraiser called Walk Ten at Hill of Tarvit in Cupar on the 13th August .  According to Nicola:


"The Walk Ten brand was launched last year and is a fantastic evening event.  It involves a 10k walk through the countryside, and we ask everybody to bring along a picnic blanket and settle down after the walk for an evening of entertainment with live music, fire performers and fireworks afterwards.  It’s a celebration of our Marie Curie nursing service, as 10pm is the time that a Marie Curie nurse begins their next shift, so this also ties in with the reasoning behind a 10k walk. "

So here is a chance to make the most of the longer nights before winter descends. There is more information about the Walk Ten events on their website at www.mariecurie.org.uk/walkten with walks on other evenings in East Lothian, Inverness and Ayrshire.

Getting into routines

I've just had lunch this week with members of my local running club, Strathearn Harriers.  We tend to have a run at the end of each school term followed by lunch as routines tend to be difficult to keep once the school holidays start.  That's when I  do more Nordic Walking as running first thing in the morning does not agree with my body, whilst Nordic Walking does.

Early morning is also a great time in the school holidays to get things done.  It is before the teens have even thought about disturbing their beauty sleep so I can still get some exercise and work done before spending time with them.  Or at least being taxi driver...

When the summer holidays are over, the kids are back at school and routines start returning, you may want to start thinking about your own fitness.  Take control and get into good patterns in preparation for the winter.

To help you on your way, I'll be running a couple of Nordic Walking workshops on 28th August 2011. One for those who have been before and fancy a brush up and a good workout and the other for newcomers.

Brush up session will start at 10 am and be finished by 12 noon( Cost £12).
Newcomers session will start at  1:15 pm and finish by 4:15 pm (Cost £20).

This might go from Auchingarrich where there is a lovely view across Strathearn as you will see from the picture taken by Felicity Martin on a recent walk. Walking through Auchingarrich features in a book by Felicity( a great wee series of walks around Perthshire's  'Big Tree Country'.

There is a great cafe to finish at for any walks from Auchingarrich - so think about it.

Booking is essential so contact me by email or phone 01764 670541 to book and get more details.

Navigating championships

Lots of activity in this area this weekend as the Scottish Orienteering Championships takes place close by.  The event parking is at Cultybraggan - a former army site and prisoner of war camp now owned by Comrie Development Trust.

If you are looking to improve your navigation skills, orienteering is a good place to start.  The event taking place on saturday has course suitable for beginners as well as those at the elite end.  You can turn up and have a go on the day with a range of courses available to cater for a spectrum of expertise.  The event itself is centred on the woodland and hillside around Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre where there is a newly built cafe with stunning views across Strathearn.

So, if you are wondering how to spend your saturday - here is a chance to brush up skills and be part of a larger event with some 600 others competitors.

What's it worth now?

So, we have our new politicians installed with a historic majority in the Scottish Parliament, and the potential to tackle some of the BIG issues of our time.  Top of the agenda in recent elections has been the economy. 

Interesting then see an email today from the  Business 7 group highlighting the impact of poor mental health on the workforce and economy. They are encouraging support of the Dismissed? campaign being run by the Scottish Association for Mental Health. 

A new report by them, What’s It Worth Now? suggests mental health problems cost Scotland’s economy £10.7 billion per year, and that £2.15 billion of that cost is incurred by employers through sickness absence, lost productivity and staff turnover. At any one time, nearly 1 in 6 employees is affected by a mental health problem such as depression or anxiety.

 With mental health affecting so many of us either directly or indirectly, it is good to see some practical solutions proposed for encouraging a mentally healthier workforce.  Amongst the recommendations are to:

 'Wherever possible ensure staff have access to sunlight and fresh air at regular intervals. ' 

A further recommendation is to:

 ' Encourage staff to take their full lunch break, and to leave their desk during their break' 

I couldn't agree more.

For those who have tried Nordic Walking, you will recognise that this is something that can be easily fitted into a lunch break with the added benefit of you getting access to sunlight and fresh air! Another report out today sings the benefits of nordic walking.

Even if the working week is very pressured, it is good to build in small steps to keep yourself fit both physically and mentally.  Half and hour a day can really help keep that Doctor away.  This doesn't have to be all in one go, try two lots of 15 minutes or three lots of 10 minutes if you are pushed for time.  So promise yourself a daily dose of fresh air. Give your self some breathing space outdoors.