People of the Outdoors is my latest series whereby I acknowledge those individuals who are inspired and motivated to spend their lives in the Great Outdoors. This series forms a selection of personal interviews and imagery taken from these dedicated individuals.

Introduce Yourself - Tell me more about yourself!

Hi, my name is Fiona and I live in East Lothian in Scotland. I’ve been a freelance journalist for over twenty years writing about design and architecture. Writing is my work, but taking photos is what I love most, and particularly when that involves getting outdoors and into nature.

My love of the outdoors goes back to childhood, although I didn’t reconnect with this until my 30s. I’d lived in the city (in Edinburgh) for years and my life was about work, heading to the gym or yoga studio, and going to the cinema. But then I reached a stage where I wanted to explore more; to get outside, away from the city. Also, my partner Richard loves the outdoors and used to be a keen hillwalker. So, holidays stopped being about city breaks and instead became rural breaks, and often to coastal locations. I grew up beside the sea, and I’m sure that those early years of beachcombing with my Dad really connected me to the sights and sounds and smells of the coast as if those memories were hardwired into my DNA.

Life also changed at the end of 2011 when we brought Harris home. Harris is a miniature wirehaired dachshund and from his early days, we knew that we wanted to embrace the outdoors with him. What walks would he enjoy? Where could we explore together? This just cemented our love of nature walks, and in 2018 – by this point with two wirehaired dachshunds, Harris and Bracken - we left Edinburgh and moved just slightly east, within commuting distance, but back to the coast, where we could be closer to the East Lothian walks, we love.

Where is your Outdoor Playground?

Most of our regular walks are down the coast in East Lothian. We’re really fortunate to live in an area with some fantastic walks. Our favourites include John Muir Country Park outside Dunbar, which has a beautiful mix of woodland walks and also an amazing beach (it’s also a great destination for surfers); and Ravensheugh Sands near Tyninghame, which again combines a beautiful woodland walk with one of the best beaches you’ll find in Scotland.

If we need a ‘simple’ beach walk to clear our heads we head to Yellowcraig, as Harris and Bracken love it there, or just further along the coast to North Berwick. Last year we discovered the clifftop walk at Gullane Point that leads down to a sheltered shelly beach, and this has become another favourite for us.

Whenever we fancy heading a bit further afield, we’ll drive over to Fife and head to Tentsmuir, which is just north of St Andrews (close to Leuchars). There’s an amazing long forest walk, and again there’s an incredible beach at Tentsmuir. Or we’ll drive to the East Neuk and either stop off at Cambo Estate and explore the gardens before heading to the beach at Kingsbarns, or we’ll go to Elie and then follow the coastal path in the direction of St Monans.

What activities do you like to do in the outdoors? And why does this mean so much to you?

Years ago, I used to run a lot and loved running in nature, but these days it’s all about walking. Our life now is about getting outside and exploring with Harris and Bracken. For me, it’s time with my family. It’s the quality time together that we all look forward to. It’s also time away from a screen, away from deadlines, away from words. It’s where I feel most ‘myself’. It’s where any anxiety just washes away. Literally where I exhale. I can’t put into words how much this means.

What inspires you and motivates you to spend time in the outdoors?

Nothing gives me more joy than seeing Harris and Bracken living their best lives – particularly Harris as he’s an adventurer. Seeing their excitement whenever we arrive somewhere. Watching them run along the beach, exploring, or following trails through the woods. Seeing this natural world through their eyes means that you notice different things.

And for me, all these walks and trips are about taking photos. It’s an intrinsic part of the experience for me. Watching the light change during the course of a day out, or watching the seasons shift on our regular walks. Finding textures in the rocks or the trees. Taking photos also means that you pause and look differently. I notice the details that I might walk past otherwise.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Recently: lockdown. I know it’s been a massive challenge for everyone for different reasons. Many people have missed people, family, work, interactions; all the parts of life they enjoy.

I’ve missed places. Nature walks. Watching late winter shift into spring and then into summer. I’ve missed views, especially over the bay at John Muir Country Park, and walking around the headland of St Baldred’s Cradle to Ravensheugh Sands. I’ve missed those big vistas; those big skies. And I’ve missed being places where it’s easy to avoid other people as I’m naturally socially distanced. Thankfully we can now travel in Scotland again so we’re getting back to spending our weekends down the coast.

Can you describe your perfect day out Cycling, Hiking, Running?

It would be a dry and cool day, either in spring, autumn or winter - I’m not good with heat, but I’m fine with the cold. We’d pack a picnic and drive to Tentsmuir. The drive alone is lovely in parts as you’re winding through rural Fife, and I love the anticipation of this walk. It takes a few hours to drive there, so we’d park, have our first picnic of the day, and head into the forest, following the woodland paths, photographing the light filtering through the trees. We’d pause at the Ice House for a drink and a snack (that might sound like a café, but it’s an 1850s ice store that’s now home to a colony of bats) and then head out across the grassland towards the beach, walking along the sand before looping back to the woods. Everyone’s tired by this point, and I love that feeling after having spent hours out in nature.

If you could go on any adventure where would you go?

There are so many! Given that we can’t travel (easily) outside the UK with the hounds, the adventures we’re currently planning are for the Scottish Highlands and maybe up to Skye, and I’d also like to return to the northeast coast We’ve always been wanting to visit Cornwall, although that would be a long drive. But if it could be any adventure, I’d love to visit Norway. I’d be blown away by the landscapes.

Finally, can you give the readers a motivational quote for others to follow and be inspired by?

It’s easy to feel that you aren’t ‘outdoorsy’ because you don’t want to go camping or have intensive hiking adventures, but there’s so much you can enjoy in the outdoors just by escaping for a day. Nature is just out there, waiting to be explored. Regardless of what else is going on in life, that connection with the natural world brings a different perspective. It refreshes your eyes and your mind.

Discover More About Fiona

You can find more about Fiona and her work, by clicking on the links below:

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