This was a bit of an impromptu trip as my original plans for the weekend had fallen through. So here I here I was, sat at my work desk at 3.45pm with my kit packed in the car and no set plan. No bother though as I knew exactly where I would go; a mountain range I have been to many times and absolutely love. The Arenigs.

Located in southern Snowdonia, these are the prominent hills that can be seen as you drive on the A4212 passed Llyn Celyn. Arenig Fawr standing at 854m is on the left, its ridgeline very clear (when not draped in clag) and its sister peak, Arenig Fach (689m) the more rounded looking mountain to the right of the road.

By the time I had got there and parked up, checking my kit one last time to ensure I had everything for the days ahead, it was around 7pm. With the longer summer days this gave me plenty of time to reach the bothy at Llyn Arenig Fawr where I had planned to stay the night in front of a fire. I have stayed at the bothy many times before and although it is small and cosy I always find it vacant.

As I headed up the road, eventually turning right onto the path, the evening light lit up the surrounding hills with a golden hue. It was still warm and by the time I arrived at the bothy (which was vacant) I thought it would be a shame to choose bricks and mortar over canvas on a night like this so decided I would ascend Arenig Fawr and sleep near the summit. I always pack my tent and things even when I am planning to stay at a bothy. You never know, there may be no room at the inn.

Heading up via Y Castell, the surroundings were awash in gold that slowly turned to a pinky hue once the sun set further. The view was impeccable and I could see all the mountains of Snowdonia both near and far. I hadn’t seen anyone on the hill and that feeling of complete solitude felt so good. Moving forward I headed up on to Arenig Fawr’s flank, finding a perfect pitch just before a rocky outcrop. I don’t like to camp too near the summit on Arenig Fawr out of respect to the B17 Flying Fortress American Air Crew who sadly lost there lives when their air craft cashed into the mountain on the 4th August 1943. There is a memorial plaque and photo of the crew near the trig point, along with Remembrance Poppies which always leaves me a bit emotional.

With tent up and dinner on I sat back and watched the skies changed colour as the sun began to set. This produced the most beautiful Belt of Venus that caressed the horizon, giving the evening light a beautiful alpenglow. Though a little chilly there was no wind, thus creating a wonderful, peaceful atmosphere as I sat there.  As far as I was aware I was the only human on that mountain and it was such an amazing feeling. People often remark how ‘brave’ I am to go climb and sleep on mountains as a lone female. Personally I feel safer in these environments than I do going on a night out in a city these days. I am experienced, competent and confident in my ability and always check weather and prepare for a multitude of situations. I carry map and compass and know how to use them, plan my routes (leaving a route card with family) do not take silly risk and know what to do should the shizzle hit the fan.

Sitting there on that mountain, watching the most stunning sunset that left a night sky awash with a million stars I felt like I was home. There is something about the mountains and natural surroundings that speak to me. Almost like a primal connection or a natural reconnect, this is where I feel the happiest, the most fulfilled and the most like myself. There’s no pressures of the ‘Real World’ here. The ones that throw a million things that you should do/should be/shouldn’t do/shouldn’t be et al. at such an incredible pace.

Taking a step back from all that and just spending even the smallest time in natural surroundings can be so good for us as a species. We just need to remember that.

,The sky was truly alive that night. The sunset was phenomenal and left the skies banded at the horizon, reminding me of the photos the astronauts take from the International Space Station.

Noticing a bright satellite I soon realised it as the International Space Station. I watched it cross above me eventually fading and disappearing into the Earth’s shadow thinking how incredible it was that there are people on board all the way up there in orbit.

Needless to say I did not sleep much that night as I stayed up, awestruck by the skies above me. Meteors continued to burn through the atmosphere ranging from short fain whisps to bright, fire balls. The Milky Way arched over the skies above me and I thought about all the stories, myths and legends about the night sky that I had heard about over the years.

Whenever I look up at the night sky I always ponder about people across history who have looked up at that same sky and those same stars and wondered what their lives were like and what they were thinking at that time.

After a couple hours more sleep I awoke early to catch the sunrise following the previous day’s sunrise. To me, this is a beautiful experience and one I wish I could witness each day (life and the weather usually to blame). Though the sunrise featured briefly it was soon submerged by the early morning cloud that set in, the landscape equally stunning nonetheless.

After a couple more hours kip followed by exploring the area and watching the wildlife I packed up and headed toward the summit of Arenig Fawr. It was another beautifully warm day with a scattering of cloud and I enjoyed taking my time as there was no rush. Reaching the summit and stopping at the memorial to show my respect I followed the path down towards the southern flank before dropping down to reach the head of the valley. Here I sat for a while with the Jetboil on and watched people parascending off Arenig Fawr’s western flanks. Taking the path to the west I headed up to the summit of Moel Llyfnant, saying hello to the first person I had seen in the hills. The wind had picked up by the time I got to the summit so I didn’t spend too long there before dropping back down to the path which met up with the route down the valley.

Passing waterfalls I stopped to top up my water and continued on the path which eventually led me to the ruins of an old farm house. Here I sat watching a very vocal buzzard soar above before perching in a small tree close by. Amongst the ruins, looking out to the beautiful landscape seemed like the perfect spot for lunch. I lazed around in the sun for some time, enjoying the peace and quiet. I could see a fair few people at the summit of Arenig Fawr at this point as it approached early afternoon. Packing up my Jetboil and kit, I threw my Bergen back on and headed on the path that took me towards the disused quarry near to where the car was parked. I would have liked to spend another night in the hills but had to be back for an event on Saturday night.

Though my time was limited on the hills compared to usual it was still one of the most fulfilling and fruitful of experiences. To watch the night sky from the mountains is nothing short of humbling as to how minuscule you realise you are in the grand scheme of things and why it is so important to make the most of our time here, appreciating this incredible planet we live on.

It's been 7 years since I last visited the Isle of Eigg, an island measuring 9km x 5km off the west coast of Scotland. That first visit was purely by chance as we were supposed to be going to the Isle of Rum for the week but managed to miss our CalMac ferry from Mallaig by minutes. As we only had a week up there and the next ferry was in a few days we stood at the terminal a little gutted that we could not go to Rum, having spent a lot of time researching and planning the trip. We were also at a loss as to what to do next! As we were about to get the maps out to find a plan of action the lady at the ticket office advised that we could get the passenger ferry from Arisaig a few miles down the coast from Mallaig and go to the Isle of Eigg.

To be honest we hadn’t a clue what the Isle of Eigg had to offer as, although we had seen it on the maps when planning the Rum trip, we had not looked into it. With no idea what to expect we threw caution to the wind and headed to Arisiag to get the ferry across the next morning.

After a further conversation with the ticket office lady who told us about the Isle of Eigg, the wildlife, the scenery and the wild camping we were completely sold and made our way to Arisaig, camping at Camusdarach Campsite with its stunning beaches before heading down to the Arisiag Marina where we jumped on board the MV Sheerwater. As well as being a passenger ferry to the small Isles  (Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna) it is also a wildlife boat trip so offers a great chance to see seals, porpoise, basking sharks and if you are very lucky, Minke Whales.

What I didn’t know at that point when I was crossing to Eigg that the experience of the island would be the most magical, incredible one.

For many years I have been trying to get back to Eigg but for one reason or another with every year that passed I never made it back to the Island. Over the 7 years since the last trip I have visited many of the other islands of the west coast including Tiree, Mull, Canna, Colonsay, the Outer Hebrides to name a few.

This year I promised myself that I would finally go back and in June that’s exactly what I did; I returned to Eigg.
Having driven up to the west coast I spent the night at Camusdarach which was as spectacular as ever before taking the MV Sheerwater across to Eigg the next morning from Arisaig. The hour crossing is a great chance to spot wildlife and to see the Isle of Eigg come into view.

I pondered over the thought as to whether my experience on Eigg this time would be as good at the trip 7 years ago, or had I over glorified it in my mind over the years. I decided to try to not compare that trip with this one and to just take it as it comes.

Arriving at the ferry port on Eigg brought back some great memories as I spotted people I had met the last time I was there. I headed to the café near the pier which had not changed much at all I am glad to say and was advised it is still the central hub for the community of islanders. In fact the night before they had live music by a well-known band which was packed out.

That night I had planned to stay at the north end of the island at the Eigg Organics campsite in Cleadale so I walked up the path from the ferry point through woodland and passing the big white house (where Earth Connections run a residential eco centre).  As I left the woods and entered open land I was met by the view of the mighty An Sgurr, a magnificent pitchstone ridge and the highest point on the island, providing spectacular views from its summit. Its dramatic, sheer cliff face & rocky crags make it a popular place for birds of prey which can often be seen soaring high above.

The path soon joined onto the main road on Eigg that stretches from the ferry point to Clevedale. Here I passed the Isle of Eigg Primary School, the Old Shop (which is now a small museum) before finally approaching the north of the Island where Laig Bay came in to sight with views across to the Isle of Rum.

As I approached the Old Croft Museum, set up in the fashion of how a croft house would have been lived in, I was pleased to see it was still open and popped inside. It truly is a fantastic exhibit and provides a great insight into the lives of the crofters all those years ago.

Arriving at Egg Organics  I was met by a very friendly sheep dog who led me to the owner, Neil, who advised where was best to pitch my tent. Passing the bothy and yurts I made my way to the higher ground and set up the tent in front of the most splendid view across to the Isle of Rum with its cuillins. Eigg Organics offer gardening courses and has an enviable veg path which I had a look at on my way to the showers located at the back of the house. Here they also have a small nook filled with books and a piano for use of those staying at the campsite.

I popped in and took a seat whilst I looked through the books, drawn to the book about Eigg written by Camille, one of the islands long standing residents. What started as flicking through soon turned in to a read-a-thon as I nestled down in the chair and read the history of Eigg including all the different Lairds who once owned the islands.

Having pitched up and had dinner whilst looking across to Rum I headed down to Laig bay for a late evening walk. Laig bay is such a beautiful place to be and what better may to end my first day back on Eigg than to watch the sun set and the wildlife around me.

The next day I had planned to climb An Sgurr and with good weather I left my tent and walked down the road back to the pier where I had some breakfast before setting off. The route up to An Sgurr is lovely, passing through woodland, then open grazing land and the Glasmidale House which was the abode of the last Laird of Eigg back before the islanders gained their independence. Making my way over a path through the heather I stopped to take in my surroundings, listen to the bird song and turn my eyes to the skies to see if I could spot any Golden Eagles soaring above the mighty Sgurr.

Having approached from the east of the range, the path began to veer left and ascend up to the top of the saddle which provided extensive views across the island and towards the Isle of Muck and Rum, as well as to the mainland.

The area is one of scientific importance and is a habitat rich in flora and fauna. It has a number of lochs that were popular for trout fishing in previous decades and is home to a variety of interesting plants and insects. An Sgurr itself is of real geological significance, a result of one of the last eruptions of a volcano. Making my way to the summit trig point under blue skies I was met by the fantastic 360 panorama. I could see across the whole island and beyond to Rum, Muck and the Scottish mainland. What a stunning sight and an amazing place to be.

After a relaxing stop for lunch I began the descent down the same path I had walked up, eventually cutting through the woodland and the big house before heading up the road to Cleadale. As I walked along the road a vehicle would pass every now and then with a wave hello from the driver. The islanders are so friendly and would often stop to ask if I would like a lift. More often than note I would politely decline the kind offer as I really enjoyed the walk, watching the wildlife and taking in the scenary.
 
After arriving back at my tent and cooking dinner I made my way down to the Singing sands, named so as when you walk on the dry sand it squeaks under foot due to the layers rubbing against the quarts in the sand. Here I wandered the beach watching the sea birds, visited the ‘Mermaids Hair’ water fall and just enjoyed being back in this beautiful place. Views across to Rum were again incredible and I stayed there late into the evening, watching the sun set before returning to my tent.

The next day I headed to the south of the island where I stopped in the café for a coffee before making my way down to the Cathedral and Massacre Caves on the south west coast. I will never forget the last time I was here, all those years ago being told the history of the Massacre cave and how the islanders would hide in the cave in times of danger. One of the most tragic of those times took place in the late 16th century when the whole of the island community was hiding in the cave from the McLeods, the clan that the McDonalds of Eigg had been feuding with for some time. At first they thought they had remained unseen but were eventually found and the McLeods lit a fire at the entrance of the cave causing all 395 islander to suffocate. A massacre indeed and an extremely sad blot of the Island's history.

I didn’t go into the Massacre Cave as it is dangerous due to rock fall but I did continue further around the coast to the Cathedral Cave with its huge entrance and almost holy feel. Now I am not a person of faith but you can’t help but feel some sort of spiritual aura whilst stood in the cave looking out to sea. It is no surprise that this was used by Roman Catholic services after the Jacobite rising of 1745.

Before the tide came and cut me off from I took the path back up to the tops before heading back to the shop to pick up a few things. I then continued on towards the south-eastern part of the islands to a bay where there was many seals bobbing about in the water. I noted that this would be a perfect spot for a wild camp for later. I made my way back to the pier to retrieve my rucksack and after walking around the south coast I decided to pitch up for a wild camp right near the sea, an ideal spot to watch all the seals.

After cooking dinner whilst watching the wildlife I lay in my tent reading my book and listening to the sea. As the light began to fade I had one last look outside at the beautiful scenery before zipping up the tent door and falling into a peaceful sleep.

The next day was my last on the Isle of Eigg as I was to take the ferry across to the Isle of Muck for the next couple of days. I packed up the tent, said goodbye to the seals and made my way to the café at the pier where I enjoyed breakfast as I sat looking out to sea.

As I waited for the Manx Shearwater ferry to arrive I mulled over my last few days on Eigg and thought about how great it was to once again experience this magnificent island. It did truly live up to expectataions and this is certainly a place you can visit many, many times. Next time I won't wait 7 years to return!