Magazine

Sonja Mackay, the founder of the more human company, uses photography as a way to practise mindfulness and reconnect with the present moment. It all stemmed from a toxic workplace and a diagnoses of chronic fatigue syndrome. She asked herself when it was she really thrived? The answer - when she was seen as human by those she worked with and called a friend. The More Human Company stemmed from here, with the mission to help people become more self aware, kind and compassionate through getting out of our heads and back into our bodies. Mindfulness from behind the lens is something Sonja teaches in her wellbeing and leadership courses and we have been lucky enough to have her share this wisdom with us.

Wild camping is one of the best ways to connect with and experience the outdoors in Scotland. We’ve put together a guide for those looking to help those who may be starting out their wild camping hobby or those just looking for the next spot. Click below to find your next Scottish Adventure.

This weekend marked the second annual Gleneagles Great Adventure Race (3 years after the first edition due to Covid). As a fellow outdoor-loving Scottish brand, we were lucky enough to be asked by Gleneagles if we would be interested in being a brand partner, and possibly even entering a team for this year's race. Since it was Gleneagles, and because the

We’ve spoken to quite a few highly accomplished adventurers for the magazine before, but when we recently caught up with Miles Hilton-Barber our whole team felt inspired and moved by his incredible story and words of wisdom. At the age of 21 Miles was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a genetic eyesight condition and has been blind for most of his life. At the age of 50 he decided to radically change his mindset and not let his circumstances hold him back and has since gone on to break multiple records, flown from London to Sydney, ran polar and desert ultra-marathons, raced cars and boats, climbed mountains and dived with sharks.

If you’re thinking about having a more active holiday this year and getting out and exploring by bike sounds ideal, why not stay a little closer to home and check out the huge variety of cycling routes Scotland has to offer. From bikepacking to exploring family friendly trails, whether you are road cycling or mountain biking there’s something for everyone.

Joseph Thomson was born on the 14th of February 1858 in a small Scottish village called Penpont in Dumfries & Galloway. He played a very important role in opening knowledge to the west of the last uncharted section of Africa. At the time, it was still listed on all maps as “Terra Incognita.” The term was used in cartography for regions that had yet to be explored, mapped and documented. The literal translation from Latin is ‘unknown land’.

Katie-Jane L’Herpiniere is proof that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. She is a former successful British model, working for Alexander McQueen and M&S, and often took on opportunities presented to her. She also worked in the film world, acting as Cameron Diaz’s body double in ‘The Holiday’. However, when Katie met renowned explorer Tarka L’Herpiniere things began to change. She transformed her modelling career to become a leading endurance athlete, adventurer, expedition leader, blogger and motivational speaker, and has completed over 28,000km of unsupported human-powered expeditions, some of which were world-firsts. 

Originally from Liverpool, Graham is an adventurer, film-maker, travel blogger and TV presenter who we had the pleasure of interviewing. In 2009 Graham embarked on The Odyssey Expedition: The first official Guinness World Record attempt of visiting every country in the world without setting foot on a plane. That’s an incredible total of 193 UN member states, plus Taiwan, Palestine, Vatican City, Western Sahara and the four home nations of the UK. It took him four-years to complete his journey, all whilst raising funds and awareness for the charity WaterAid. Graham also filmed and hosted an eight-part TV series for Lonely Planet, National Geographic & The BBC, covering the first 133 countries of The Odyssey Expedition. 

The next instalment of our forgotten adventurers follows the story of Isobel Wylie Hutchison. Born on the 30th of May 1889, Hutchison is arguably Scotlands most famous female explorer. 

I first met Rebecca in our new London store at 7 Dials and was immediately taken with her enthusiasm, passion for the outdoors and general zest for life. Rebecca very casually mentioned that she’d recently completed the Cape Wrath challenge. She would have happily left it at that, but her husband Nick gave us the complete picture, that the Cape Wrath trail is gruelling 250 miles that most people take weeks to finish, and Rebecca had not just completed it, but ran in just over 5 days and set the Fastest Known Time for a woman while doing so!

Scotland has some fantastic areas of dark skies perfect for stargazing and even spotting the Northern Lights. We’ve compiled a list of 6 cosy cabins and treehouses around Scotland where you can spend a few days enjoying amazing views day and night.

When it comes to British explorers, there is no shortage of famous names steeped in history. Beyond these names, many have somewhat been left in the shadows. Once talked about all over the world and held in the highest regard, we hope to bring these back to the forefront and credit their achievements. Born on the 24th of January 1825, MacGregor was the son of Duncan MacGregor who fought Napoleon.