The International Spirits Challenge is one of the longest running competitions in the liquor industry. Since 2007, the organization has been handing out medals across all major categories of adult beverage, with the top liquids receiving what it dubs “Key Tasting Awards.” At the end of last year, the prestigious panel of judges doled out this distinction in the bourbon space to W.L. Weller 12 Year.
We revel in the remoteness: wild camping and hiking in the Scottish Highlands
17.04.2024 - 13:09 / theguardian.com
It’s a relief to lay my rucksack down, plunge hot feet into the cool stream and pause to revel in the fairytale surrounds. Foxgloves stand tall against a cornflower-blue sky, ferns look almost luminous, the water glints in the early summer sunshine. A patch of moss-covered ancient forest provides shade, a cuckoo calls in the distance, mountains layer on the horizon.
I’m in Knoydart in the Highlands of western Scotland, one of the last great wildernesses in the UK, on a hiking and wild camping adventure. No roads cross the 22,000-hectare (55,000-acres) peninsula, a rugged place where a trio of Munros soar skyward, sandwiched between sea lochs Nevis and Hourn (poetically translated as heaven and hell). Over five days our group of eight will explore this land on foot, carrying our sustenance and shelter on our backs, led by two guides from The Living Project, Josh and Emily.
The rest of the world feels very far away as we linger over lunch before continuing to Barrisdale Bay farther north. Today’s hike is about eight miles over undulating terrain. An old drover’s way leads up past a loch where Highland cattle drink and we climb a 450-metre pass before descending to the coast once more. We take our time, stopping often, sometimes chatting, sometimes walking in silence. The going gets tough at points, packs feel heavy, but a sense of freedom, a revelling in the remoteness, trumps any fatigue.
Set up in 2019 by Josh Bulpin and Cormac Davey (former colleagues at World Challenge Expeditions), the Living Project offers “mindful adventures in wild places,” with trips ranging from women-only weekends in Snowdonia to weeks in Nepal. The emphasis is on connecting to nature, not epic feats of endurance, with yoga, meditation and journal writing woven into our days.
“We combine adventure and wellbeing, giving people the chance to challenge themselves, but focus very much on the journey and moving slowly through the landscape,” says Josh. “It’s not about racing up summits.”
Our trip began two days earlier in Fort William, where we’re encouraged to ditch any excess luggage. Most equipment, from tents to cooking utensils, as well as food (fresh and dried) is provided. While you don’t need experience, with packs weighing upwards of 15kg and several hours walking a day on the itinerary, a decent level of fitness is advised. Our group consists of four guys celebrating a 40th birthday, and three women and a man, ranging from mid-30s to early 60s, travelling solo. For many of us, it’s a first multi-day hike.
Wild camping is permitted in Scotland and you could, of course, do this independently. But having everything taken care of, and knowing you’re in safe hands, makes it easy to focus on the simple challenges of hiking and
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Autors
Popular Topics
forbes.com
04.05.2024 / 11:51
How Underwater Statues And Organic Farms Help Grenada Stay Sustainable
Theresa Marryshow is an organic farmer on an unlikely mission.
theguardian.com
02.05.2024 / 14:59
‘It’s not the Zambezi, but the Tweed has its moments’: canoeing in the Scottish Borders
It was a morning of brooding green banks and dark skies on the River Tweed. Heavy rains had hit southern Scotland and the waterway had turned into a fast flood, with the deluge sweeping our two-seater canoe downstream through farmland and fishing beats as fast as a salmon escaping a rod and reel.
forbes.com
02.05.2024 / 13:40
Visit Bata Shoe Museum’s Crime And Footwear Exhibition
Toronto, Canada’sBata Shoe Museum recently announced the launch of their new spring exhibition called Exhibit A: Investigating Crime and Footwear. It opened on April 18, 2024 and will run for a total of 18 months.
insider.com
02.05.2024 / 12:11
An airline startup with plans to fly A380s between London and New York made its first transatlantic flight
Global Airlines completed its first transatlantic flight with an Airbus A380 on Wednesday.
travelpulse.com
30.04.2024 / 18:47
Turks and Caicos Shares Important Message to Visitors
Despite any recent perceptions, the Caribbean islands of Turks and Caicos are making sure that tourists know it is still a viable and welcoming destination.
thepointsguy.com
26.04.2024 / 17:25
Why I'm changing up my points and miles strategy for the rest of 2024
Before joining TPG in 2021, I was a newbie to the world of points and miles. Despite traveling frequently throughout the previous decade, I was oblivious to the benefits of loyalty programs or how straightforward it could be to earn points or miles for airfare and hotel stays.
euronews.com
24.04.2024 / 14:29
EU proposes youth mobility agreement with UK to help youngsters travel, work and live in both areas
The European Commission proposed on Thursday to start negotiations with the United Kingdom to allow young people to move freely, work and study in both regions after Brexit.
cntraveler.com
24.04.2024 / 08:51
Announcing the Hot List Winners of 2024
It’s inevitable: Every spring when we pull together the Hot List, our annual collection of the world’s best new hotels, restaurants, and cruise ships, a staffer remarks that this latest iteration has got to be the best one ever. After a year’s worth of traveling the globe—to stay the night at a converted farmhouse in the middle of an olive grove outside Marrakech, or sail aboard a beloved cruise line’s inaugural Antarctic voyage—it’s easy to see why we get attached. But this year’s Hot List, our 28th edition, might really be the best one ever. It’s certainly our most diverse, featuring not only a hotel suite that was once Winston Churchill’s office, but also the world’s largest cruise ship and restaurants from Cape Town to Bali. We were surprised and inspired by this year’s honorees, and we know you will be too. These are the Hot List hotel winners for 2024.
insider.com
18.04.2024 / 13:33
America's airports really are terrible — and the latest Skytrax rankings are proof
Skytrax has released its annual ranking of the world's best airports — and if you're a frequent flyer it may come as little surprise that none in the US made the top 20.
forbes.com
17.04.2024 / 13:37
New Resorts Signify Impressive Growth For Travel And Tourism
Despite the plethora of daunting challenges faced by the hospitality industry over the past few years, the World Travel & Tourism Council is projecting a record-breaking year for Travel & Tourism in 2024, with the sector’s global economic contribution set to reach an all-time high of $11.1 trillion. According to the global tourism body’s 2024 Economic Impact Research, Travel & Tourism will contribute an additional $770 billion over its previous record, thereby solidifying its stature as a global economic engine, generating one in every 10 dollars worldwide. As the global sector surpasses its pre-pandemic prosperity, 142 of 185 countries are expected to outperform previous national records.
theguardian.com
17.04.2024 / 13:09
Coach service offers journeys across the UK for knockdown price of £2 each way
A transport company is offering £2 tickets for coach trips across the UK to be taken up to May 12. With a £1 service fee, that means travellers planning journeys can book long-distance tickets from £3 on the FlixBus website or app.