by Finn Nixon
When I visited my Dad in Ireland two weeks ago it was the first time I had been there since January 2020. Although only two and a half years ago, it feels like a lifetime ago. I vividly remember wandering around Dublin’s many city centre streets for the first time. I remember being fascinated byContinue reading “Learning to stop always running from the places where bad things happen”
On an afternoon of icy rain in Aberdeen I found temporary shelter under the arching Diamond Bridge. This is the third Don crossing, a structure completed in 2016 which connects the housing estates of Danestone and Middleton Park with the city centre. Five miles into a nine mile run and the bridge was offering littleContinue reading “Running Diaries – The River Don Trail”
Cora pants with unstoppable enthusiasm as she drags me up the side of Carn na Drochaide with ease. Mum follows on behind as we struggle to navigate the slippery path in search of a good viewpoint. As humans we are unable to depend on the natural four-wheel system which dogs have at their disposal. EventuallyContinue reading “Six Festive Strolls”
I’m no dentist but as I face Shrek and Donkey with their, bulbous wide open eyes I can’t help but notice their truly terrifying teeth. Fiona is nowhere to be seen and nearby Barney the purple dinosaur looks like he’s been out on the town the night before. His mouth agape in a twisted smileContinue reading “A Glen for the Less Cynical”
In past years I’ve often awoken on New Year Day around midday, slightly dazed but with a vague feeling that I want to do things differently in the year to come. Unfortunately, the lazy and dare I say slightly dull resolutions that many of us make at Hogmanay have often failed to come to fruitionContinue reading “Birthday Adventures”
There was some faint hope yesterday on a sad day for the North-East that Nicola Sturgeon would announce a lifting in lockdown restrictions for Aberdeen. Alas there was understandably no change in the five mile travel restrictions currently imposed on Aberdeen’s 205,000 odd residents. August is of course a time of the year when manyContinue reading “Granite City Getaways”
It was a particularly gloomy evening as we made our way towards Dufftown in Leah’s yellow corsa. The bright colours of the car contrasted with the dull greys of the sky above Speyside as we navigated the wet roads. This was a perfect example of a cheaper and shortened version of a good old roadContinue reading “The Spookiest Castle you’ve never heard about”
In the midst of an overcast Scottish summer there are wonderful days where this country is literally shown in it’s best light. I think us Scots quite often deliberately forget about these days, feigning for some average conversation starter about how the weather is always rubbish. Thursday was definitely one of those days, the typeContinue reading “Searching for Dracula”
It’s always difficult to get out of bed when you can actually hear the rain and wind battering your bedroom windows. Friday morning was no exception to this rule. Awaking early for my planned ride I thought, ‘it’s June, it can’t be that cold outside.’ Spoiler alert: it was pretty cold. Not only was itContinue reading “Like Riding Through Treacle”
With a sense of intrepidation, I climbed the narrow steps leading to the small Aer Lingus flight which would be taking my Dad and I to Dublin. I’d describe it as smaller than a small plane. The mini bus of planes if you like. Boarding the propeller plane, I rembered I’d previously convinced myself thatContinue reading “An Irish Guinness Please”
Some Very Scottish Adventures 