If you’re looking for a guest blogger, I’d love to get involved. Photography isn’t my only creative outlet… I absolutely love writing too.
Back in 2012 (or thereabouts), I started writing a blog and I’m pretty sure that, to begin with, my mum was my only reader! I persevered and gradually built up a following on WordPress as I blogged about my wee adventures in the outdoors. Back then, my writing focused on the places that I visited, their history, and the emotions they invoked in me.
From blogging to the BBC
A couple of years after starting my blog, I walked the 117-mile Fife Coastal Path and tied this in with some fundraising for charity. I asked my friends and family to sponsor me and I posted images from every mile of the route on my blog, which I called ‘117 Miles, 117 Photos’. A few years later, researchers at BBC Countryfile read my posts and featured me on their prime time TV programme. Filming took place on one of the coldest, wettest days of the summer (typical!) but it was still an amazing experience, especially when we took the lift to the top of the iconic Forth Bridge.
Monthly guest blogging
Around six months after the BBC Countryfile feature aired, I was approached by Walkhighlands, the leading website for walking and hiking in Scotland. I began writing a monthly column for Walkhighlands in 2018, with a readership of around 85,000 (wow!). I remember feeling a little anxious when my first article was published, hoping that it would be well received. It was… check out this tweet from Ian Rankin!!
My tenure with Walkhighlands coincided with the darkest time in my life. My dad was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer in April 2017, which he fought bravely for fourteen long months before dying in June 2018. He passed away during the peak of my first full season of wedding photography. I was 32. He was 65. All of this was excruciatingly hard and continues to affect me profoundly.
Exploring connections and contrasts
My contract with Walkhighlands kept me writing throughout this time, during my dad’s treatment and in the aftermath of his death. This was when I truly figured out who I am as a writer. I love communicating my passion for the landscapes of Scotland, and exploring connections and contrasts within different themes, including grief and mental well-being.
Writing provided me with a release (and continues to do so), and it meant a lot to hear from readers that my articles resonated with them. However, all good things come to an end and, due to a change in financial circumstances, Walkhighlands was forced to let go all of its writers in 2019. Running a new business (and grieving) is all-consuming and my own blog fell by the wayside. My writing was scaled back to the occasional magazine article and my own journal. However, without the demands of a monthly column, I now have time to work on my book.
Writing my life story
This is a huge undertaking which will no doubt take many years to complete. I can’t just smash out a few hundred words while dinner is cooking… I have to put aside time to settle into the right frame of mind and write without interruptions. Easier said than done! What’s the book about? Essentially it’s my life story and the story of my dad’s journey through cancer, set against the backdrop of the landscapes of Scotland. I hope it will be equally poignant and uplifting. Maybe, as time goes on, I’ll post a few excerpts on my blog. Watch this space.
Magazines and guest blogging
In the meantime, I’m happy to consider any magazine articles and guest blogging opportunities, so please just get in touch! Fancy reading more of my work? I’ve included a couple of links below.
Just A Pack guest blog: Reflections of a Scottish Photographer
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