There's No Place Like Home

Scottish Book Trust have a new project called 'My Favourite Place' where writers and members of the public can write a poem, short story, article about their favourite place. A difficult one because I have been many places that could be classed as favourites and that I go back to time and time again.

From around 1994 to 2009 I was a Munro bagger - I climbed all 284 (now 283 because one was demoted) mountains in Scotland over 3000 feet and took great pleasure in ticking a list of them. I went from Skye to Mull to Loch Ossian. I slept in tents, bothies (shared space with mice!), bunkhouses, mountain huts and once even the open air in pursuit of my hills. The best holiday I have had was when I went wild camping in Achnashellach, Wester Ross, enjoyed a four day heatwave then travelled to Fort William where for the first time ever was able to sunbathe in the park. There's no better place than Scotland when the weather is even half decent!

Some of the Munros are quite spiky and scary, especially the Cuillin in Skye and so I had to learn how to rock climb too. Rock climbing took me to rural Spain, Sardinia, France and the Alps to improve my rock climbing skills.

But to choose just one favourite place.... has to be The Ochil Hills

The heart of Central Scotland is a mini Scotland. Hills, rivers, forests, castles, monuments and villages. At the foot of the Ochil Hills is where I spent many happy years bringing up a family, struggling yes, but safe and comfortable. The Ochil Hills hold all the same attractions as some of the bigger hills and Munros but, quite apart from being on my own doorstep, they are also beautiful and accessible.

I have run up in the Ochils all year round, in snow drifts, gales, rain, hail or in blazing sunshine with sweat dripping off me. I have even experienced all these climatic changes in the one day! I have seen birds of prey, foxes, deer, rabbits, sheep and of course cattle on them there hills. The views from the tops are spectacular. You can see the winding Forth, Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument. You can see Ben Lomond and the Arrocher Hills on a clear day.

I am not a writer by any manner of means but wanted to highlight the Scottish Book Trust project to encourage people to put pen to paper. SBT are running writing workshops around Scotland to provide help and inspiration.

http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/myfavouriteplace/
http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/myfavouriteplace/writing-workshops