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Established in 2020. A 5 star experience - see Google and Airbnb reviews! In 2024 I was accepted to the TRACS Scottish Storytelling Forum's list of storytellers in Scotland.
Wander through woods and along trails, discovering the incredible culture, history and ecology of this special part of the Cairngorms National Park, tasting wild teas, and sharing local stories of kings, fairy folk, 'witches,' highwaymen... and perhaps a Gaelic song or two. |
If you're looking for fun and unusual things to do in the Cairngorms off the beaten track, these slow-paced, small-group and informal adventures are for you! If you fancy exploring, but don't want to trek into the mountains, or fancy knowing more about this stunning part of Strathspey, or a bit about foraging in a safe environment, this is also for you...
The walks are suitable for visitors and locals alike as there's so much to explore right on our doorstep. They're suitable for families, couples, friends, and wedding or stag and hen do activities. To get a taster of local stories, have a look at the blog.
Walks run all year round. If you would like to request or tailor a walk, feel free to contact me. Walking routes can be adapted for prams, wheelchairs or those with limited mobility; please let me know in advance.
The walks are suitable for visitors and locals alike as there's so much to explore right on our doorstep. They're suitable for families, couples, friends, and wedding or stag and hen do activities. To get a taster of local stories, have a look at the blog.
Walks run all year round. If you would like to request or tailor a walk, feel free to contact me. Walking routes can be adapted for prams, wheelchairs or those with limited mobility; please let me know in advance.
Range of walks
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Aviemore StorywalkA gentle guided adventure close to the centre of Aviemore, exploring woods and trails to find ruins from centuries past, plants and trees and their folklore, creatures great and small, with plenty of hidden gems and untold stories along the way. Includes wild tea tasting.
2.5-3 hours A reasonable level of fitness is required, though we do go slowly. People aged 3-80+ have joined the walk happily! |
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Dalnavert StorywalkBrimming with tales of gruesome ghosts and fairy hills to the historic links with empire and colonialism, particularly what is now Canada, this walk explores the picturesque spot where the River Feshie meets the River Spey. The guided adventure will include wild tea tasting.
2.5-3 hours A reasonable level of fitness is required. Most suited to older children and adults, though I always try and tailor each walk to everyone's ages and interests. |
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Stargazing StorywalkA short evening stroll in Aviemore to stargaze and explore Scotland’s own Gaelic and Pictish stories of the stars from thousands of years ago. The skies are a rich tapestry of tales of characters and their adventures, from warrior queens to one-eyed giants. And we’ll keep warm with a cup of foraged wild tea.
1-1.5 hours Suitable for all ages. Winter only: October-March. |
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Women of the Cairngorms *New for 2024!*Discover tales of just some of the lesser-known but remarkable women who have shaped the Cairngorms, from ‘lumberjills’ to high society women to so-called ‘witches’ to to writers and poets. This gentle guided adventure from Feshiebridge includes wild tea tasting.
2.5-3 hours Most suited to older children and adults, though I always try and tailor each walk to everyone's ages and interests. |
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Folktales from Palestine & ScotlandA gentle walk to the ruins of a cleared township near Glenmore in the Cairngorms to share folktales from Palestine and the Highlands. Weaving Arabic and Gaelic through stories of community, landscape and heritage, we'll mark historical and ongoing injustice and the power of story to record, join together and hope. Includes mint tea.
2 hours This walk is on request and has raised over £1,300 so far for Medical Aid for Palestinians. Suitable for all ages. |
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Landscape in/justice *New for 2024!*This storywalk from Aviemore creates space for forgotten or silenced voices and histories which are a part of the land, exploring the systematic destruction of Gaelic culture, 'witchcraft,' convict transport, and how this rural Highland strath is inextricably linked with settler colonialism, from Australia to Canada to other corners of empire.
2 hours This walk is on request. Most suited to older children and adults. |
2024 Special Events
Land Nature Justice
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23 November; Boat of Garten Community Hall
We are privileged to welcome Prof. Mazin Qumsiyeh of the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability and Alastair McIntosh (Soil & Soul etc) to Boat of Garten Community Hall for an afternoon all about land and community. I'll be leading a wee Storywalk, interweaving folktales from Palestine and the Highlands. Then, a discussion on ecological and cultural restoration facilitated by Mairi McFadyen including our main speakers plus contributions from Robbie Synge and Cairngorms Crofters & Farmers Group. And then a cèilidh! Feel free to take a turn... we are thrilled to be joined by musician Will Boyd-Wallis and poet Cáit O'Neill McCullagh amongst others... The event will raise funds for the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability - more info and tickets here. |
Other activities
Highland Folk Museum walking trail |
Cairngorms Nature audio stories tour |
A self-guided walking trail at the excellent (and free!) open-air Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore. The trail takes you on a tour of some of the plants, herbs and trees found on site and their many uses, based on the museum's archive material.
The trail guide is available at the museum entrance for a small charge. Produced for the Highland Folk Museum, 2018. |
An audio tour of folklore from Kingussie to Grantown via Glenmore and Loch Morlich, to listen if you are out and about exploring, or at home.
From outwitting cunning waterhorses, to saving our forests from an evil princess, to what might happen if you step inside a fairy hill, these are local tales intertwined with nature. Produced for the Cairngorms Nature BIG Weekend 2022, organised by the Cairngorms National Park. |
Feedback
DO IT!!! Such an amazing way to connect to the land and history of such a beautiful place. The walk wasn’t strenuous and absolutely beautiful. Sarah was such a gentle, genuine person who took an interest in everyone in the group. She was extremely knowledgeable and happily answered all weird and wonderful questions. I would HIGHLY recommend this for ALL AGES!! What a way to spend a morning!
Sarah was very kind and thoughtful. Her passion about the area is inspiring and motivating. She helped us learn new things about the forest and its history. She made sure to listen to our interests and personalised her time with us as best as she could and also answered all of our questions. Lovely stories that encapsulated the beautiful surroundings. Thank you for making our time in Aviemore special, my cousin visiting from Greece had the best time of his whole trip with you, he said . Totally recommend Sarah's walk.
We had a wonderful morning's walk with Sarah. We learnt a lot about the local trees, wild flowers and history with some very surprising landmarks that we knew nothing about despite living locally. We had two little ones with us and Sarah kept us entertained with wonderful stories along the way, what an adventure, thank you!
About me
I am a mountain lover and quiet explorer, hailing from Derbyshire, via Norway, Egypt and London. The landscapes, the people (and the reindeer) brought me to the Scottish Highlands, and to Aviemore, which has become my home.
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Work & hireI am an enthusiastic and dedicated freelancer who enjoys working collaboratively. Here's a short film on volunteer work for Plantlife Scotland about Strathspey Gaelic dialect words for plants and trees, as part of the Cairngorms Wild Plants Project.
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