• Life

    Moving Back to Scotland | 2025 Recap

    Moving Back to Scotland - feature photo - view from an airplane window, with the wing above a blanket of clouds and sunrise on the horizon

    In October 2022, I moved to Canada for a working holiday visa. Then, in February 2024, I moved to New Zealand. And then, two and a half years after first setting off, in February 2025, I was finally moving back home to Scotland. I’ve been behind on blogging this year – it’s been a very busy year! So a lot has happened since I moved back, and it’s time we had a catch-up about it. I had an amazing time on my travels, from living in Canada and New Zealand, to travelling the USA, Australia, Borneo, and even Antarctica. I’ve…

  • Borneo's Islands and Villages - feature photo - golden sand beach and turquoise ocean under a blue sky on Manukan Island off the coast of Kota Kinabalu, Borneo, Malaysia
    Travel

    Borneo’s Islands & Villages | Part 2

    For those who missed it, part one of my adventure through Malaysian Borneo is here! This was one of several stops in Southeast Asia on my journey home after finishing my year in New Zealand. I had embarked on a…

  • Borneo's Jungle and Wildlife, part 1 - feature photo - orangutan hanging from a rope by four feet in the jungle at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre near Sandakan, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia
    Travel

    Borneo’s Jungle & Wildlife | Part 1

    As I’ve travelled more over the years, I’ve become increasingly interested in seeing wildlife around the world. One thing that hasn’t changed, though – ever since I was in school, I’ve been fascinated by orangutans. When I lived in and…

  • Two Days in Singapore - feature photo - Supertree Grove lit up at night for the Garden Rhapsody show at Gardens by the Bay
    Travel

    Two Days in Singapore

    Asia, I’m back! For those who don’t know, I spent two years living in Hong Kong and South Korea, and travelling much of East and Southeast Asia. But I haven’t been back again since I left in 2017. I was…

  • South West Australia road trip - feature photo - turquoise blue bay lined with white sand and a small hill in the background - Lucky Bay in Cape Le Grand National Park, Western Australia
    Travel

    South West Australia Road Trip

    The coastline of South West Australia has so much to offer, from dazzling beaches to maritime history to towering giants of trees. Starting from Perth, the largest city in Western Australia, a road trip to Esperance could take anything from…

  • Long Weekend in Perth - city skyline of glass skyscrapers around the harbour at Elizabeth Quay - Western Australia
    Travel

    Long Weekend in Perth | Australia

    Australia is big, and Western Australia is the biggest state in it. I mean, it’s a third of the entire country! I explored a fair amount of the other states when I was in Australia last year, but I didn’t…

  • Life,  Travel

    A Year in New Zealand

    A year very nearly to the day! Yes, after arriving in February 2024, my 1-year working holiday visa in New Zealand expired at the end of January. I could have extended but decided against it – more on that below…

  • A Weekend in Christchurch - feature photo - vintage tram driving down New Regent Street, with pastel coloured Spanish Mission heritage buildings - New Zealand South Island
    Travel

    A Weekend in Christchurch | New Zealand

    We’ve almost made it to the end of the road! After travelling north from Dunedin, with a couple of days for my parents to experience Tekapo en route, we arrived in Christchurch. This was my final destination, not just of…

  • Highlights of Dunedin & Otago - feature photo - Dunedin Railway Station, a Gothic black and white brick building - New Zealand
    Travel

    Highlights of Dunedin | New Zealand

    Did you think I was going to travel all the way to New Zealand and not visit their version of Edinburgh? The Gaelic name for Edinburgh is Dùn Èideann, deriving from the earlier Din Eidyn. And every time I mentioned…

  • Te Anau & Fiordland feature photo - Viewpoint overlooking Milford Sound, New Zealand
    Travel

    Te Anau & Fiordland | New Zealand

    Down in Southland, at the very bottom of New Zealand, lies Fiordland National Park and its gateway town of Te Anau. My journey through New Zealand’s South Island had included several national parks, from Abel Tasman to Westland to Mount…

  • A Week in Queenstown - feature photo - hiking the Routeburn Track - view of a turquoise river flowing over large rocks, with tree on the banks and a mountain in the background - New Zealand's South Island
    Travel

    A Week in Queenstown | New Zealand

    Adventure capital of the world, Queenstown is probably the top location for most tourists visiting New Zealand. I’m not really an adrenaline junkie and I’m terrified of heights, so that ruled out a lot of activities as far as I…