For the love of Scotland [not the ‘gram]

Scotland suffers from over-tourism. From damage to our environment driven by people wanting to get the exact same shot as everyone else, horror stories of dirty camping around the North Coast 500, the impact of AirBnB on our communities to awful parking around hotspots across the country.

However, Scotland is not alone in this. On a recent visit to New Zealand top of my list was climbing Mount Roy with its stunning views across Wanaka. Mount Roy has recently become something of a New Zealand tourism attraction, thanks to a certain Instagram shot you can take from a promontory known as Roy’s Peak.

In fact, taking the shot is now so popular that there is often a queue. For most people, the shot is the sole reason for climbing halfway up a mountain. They don’t even reach the summit.

In fact every location across New Zealand had crowds of people with selfie sticks getting the shot for the ‘gram. Sadly, you will see this across Scotland too, from the Fairy Glen to the Fairy Pools – and its not just a Skye problem.

Against the backdrop of Scotland’s stunning beauty is an obsession for people to Instagram themselves into it – or to create highly edited or fake images of our quite frankly, beautiful even without a filter, landscapes. It’s all incredibly depressing. What has happened to us?

I started this blog because I wanted you to know how it feels to climb your first Munro. I want to show you how have the time of your life getting drunk on whisky with the locals in a bar on the Isle of Islay.

I want to show you that anyone (even a squishy, unfit, scaredy-cat) can try paddleboarding for the first time. I wanted to show you that you can go snorkelling with seals in the Outer Hebrides. That you can go coasteering in Fife. Kayak around a castle on Barra.

That you can be awed watching ospreys fly past your tiny remote cabin sitting on the edge a loch and see red squirrels appear at your window. That you can do this, and more in Scotland.

So why not join me in getting out there and experiencing Scotland for yourself? Not for a photo of you doing it, but to actually do it. Yes, you will have to deal with the hoards of Instagrammers, they aren’t going anywhere soon sadly.

Yes, it will rain, yes you will probably have a meltdown halfway up your first hill, yes you will fall in a bog, yes the food will occasionally be deep-fried frozen crap.

But it is all part of Scotland, and there is more to experience than you will ever realise. Just remember to do it for the love of getting outside and experiencing Scotland.

Surely that is the point of life, after all?

Inspired?

• How not to be ‘that tourist’ in Scotland and more advice on visiting Scotland sustainably
• Avoiding overtourism in Scotland away from the top ten places to visit
• My guide to the best alternative things to do in Scotland to avoid the crowds

Love, from Scotland x