Slow adventures is a new movement, an idea that adventures or discovery away from home doesn’t have to be fast and convenient to be the most joyful and memorable. It’s in recognition that sometimes the best experiences are the unexpected, off the beaten track and when we least expect or plan for it. It’s about taking the time to observe what’s right under our nose to have more meaningful experiences. An immersive, connection to nature, traditions, cultures and communities to make our travel experiences all the richer.
Consider an express train, powering and shuddering with speed through the countryside versus a bike ride on the same route. Meandering along country lanes, stopping off in the little village shop for a flapjack and directions or pulling off the road to have a thermos of tea under a tree in a field.
We know fast travel and what this reality can feel like. We’ve done queues at Gatwick and security checks. We’ve squashed ourselves and our wriggly kids into plane seats because we can jet across the planet in record speeds.
Fast forward to 2020, the year of the unexpected. Perhaps none of us could have expected to have our wings so clipped and the convenient choices of air travel taken so brutally away from us. Its forced our hand and made us have to use our imagination on how to embrace the holiday experiences around us here, in the UK.
‘We saw web traffic on our site increase by over 250% compared to the same point last year, with bookings taken being up four times compared to the same point a year ago.’
James Starkey, Chief Marketing Officer at www.hoildaycottages.co.uk
Slow adventures might also point towards going that extra mile, normally not on the radar of the ‘get there quick’ and ‘with the least amount of hassle,’ traveller. The Scottish Islands could be considered such a destination if you live south of the Scottish border.
According to accommodation site Host Unusual, there has been a rise in searches for more isolated (up 45%) and off-grid properties (38%.)
‘It appears that staycations are evolving, with a tendency towards more remote settings and standalone accommodation’ said Host Unusual director Alex Wilson. ‘The key words here are isolation and exclusivity, away from the crowds.’
Isolated and Exclusive – the island of Tiree
The island where I live, home of the Reef Inn, the Isle of Tiree could often be considered such a place. Infact if a slow adventure is sounding pretty interesting and Cornwall is too busy, starting with Tiree could be the perfect intro to this new way of approaching travel to far flung, relatively undiscovered places in the UK.
With a population of 650 residents, Tiree, named the ‘Hawaii of the North’ is on the westerly frontier of the UK and one of the best islands in the UK for watersports and wildlife. Record sunshine hours, vivid flat landscapes (which means enormous skies and light) and a coastline of white soft sandy beaches and turquoise Atlantic waves makes the journey to the edge of the British Isles so rewarding.
The surf to yourselves on Tiree
Exhale
Need some space to breathe? Even ‘bustling’ summer months of August you will find yourself alone on many of the Tiree beaches. Travel involves a 4 hours sailing from Oban – the ‘Gateway to the Isles’ which in itself is a 2 hour drive from Glasgow. Put off? Consider now the world-class beauty of the rugged West coast, landscape to surpass the Lord of the Rings movies (filmed in New Zealand.) Giant mirror lochs reflecting the awesome colours of the surrounding mountains with a scattering of villages and pubs en-route to stop off in.
Oban is known as the seafood capital of Scotland and has a pretty seafront of cafes and restaurants to explore before heading for the ferry port. Next stop the islands. Caledonian MacBrayne is the ferry operator and the route is a meander through the sheltered Sound of Mull for most of the journey before heading out to the outer most island in the Inner Hebrides, Tiree. The scenery on deck is truly breathtaking. Porpoise and dolphins often escorting The Clansman (Tiree’s allocated ferry) out into the depths of the Atlantic.
The kids dolphin spotting aboard The Clansman - Tiree ferry
Lets also not underestimate the beauty too of bringing your car on your adventure and of no luggage weight allowance. Pack wetsuits, clothes for all seasons, bikes, surfboards and even a re-useable bbq for the beach cook ups into the family car or roof box. Having four kids I know how much stuff is acquired and usually used in a family holiday in the great outdoors. Having all those useful bits and bobs chucked in the family car can really make packing stress free and holiday fun so much closer to your fingertips.
Whether travelling by car, bike, train or other to Oban and then onto Tiree, I guess the exact mode of transport isn’t really the point but rather the spirit in which you approach the journey - an ethos of no rushing or racing to just arrive quickly. Tiree is so lucky to be serviced by two 50 minute flights per day from Glasgow, our own ‘fast and convenient’ travel which is not to ever be underplayed or unappreciated in the lifeline it provides for remote island living. A flight in a super small, twin otter plane flying low over the stunning west coast from Glasgow, could even be the last leg of a slow adventure from other parts of the UK. No judgement here, this blog is just the suggestion that we’ve been approaching travel and holiday planning in the wrong way.
So before your kids have time to ask ‘are we there yet?’ the realisation should dawn that this IS the holiday, the reboot button has already been pressed. Change of scenery around every corner and the adventure has already begun on the journey to get there. Don’t rush it.
Let Go
I was lucky enough to go travelling by train (no express ones I hasten to add) through Europe many years ago, perhaps this was my first taste of slow adventures. With slow adventuring the pace of travel changes and with it, the focus. No longer is it about the shortest journey time to reach your destination or hotel but the journey along the way. Meaningful, original and authentic holidaying, which create more powerful memories. Try it. The unwinding begins as soon as you let go of the time pressures…