Great Scottish Outdoors

23/07/2024

Surfing in the Olympics: Athletes for neutrals to root for - the underdog, the locals and the comeback kid

With surfing at the Olympics barrelling into view, knowing some of the athletes’ backstories helps understand what’s at stake, writes Roger Cox

27/06/2024

'I want to see a Scottish surfer on an Olympic podium' - Scotland's new surf supremo

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/i-want-to-see-a-scottish-surfer-on-an-olympic-podium-scotlands-new-surf-supremo-4678218 Scottish Surfing Federation Sportscotland

Scottish surfing is growing and the appointment of a CEO for its governing body is evidence there is ambition for more success, writes Roger Cox

07/06/2024

Inside Scotland's wetsuit testing lab: shivering in the name of science

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/inside-scotlands-wetsuit-testing-lab-sitting-in-a-tank-of-ice-and-water-in-the-name-of-science-4657427 Lost Shore Surf Resort Edinburgh Napier University Gul Watersports

The Lost Shore artificial wave park at Ratho was the trigger for a collaboration between surfers and scientists at Edinburgh Napier University, writes Roger Cox

22/05/2024

Surfing: Think longboarding is for old folks? Meet Scottish champion Ansel Parkin, 15

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/surfing-think-longboarding-is-for-old-folks-meet-scottish-champion-ansel-parkin-15-4637742 Scottish Surfing Federation Coast to Coast Surf School

In order to win this year’s Scottish National Longboard Championships, Dunbar teenager Ansel Parkin had to beat his coach and mentor in the final. Interview by Roger Cox

24/04/2024

Skiing in Scotland: Are ‘skier days’ stats still a valid way of assessing a ski season?

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/skiing-in-scotland-are-skier-days-stats-still-a-valid-way-of-assessing-a-ski-season-4604064

23/04/2024

Travel: The Beatles’ favourite ski resort eyes a new era

The Freeride World Tour’s visit to Obertauern in Austria is likely to bring a new generation of fans to its steep, powdery slopes, writes Roger Cox

22/04/2024

Surfing: Scotland’s 2024 longboard champions to be crowned in Pease peelers

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/surfing-scotlands-2024-longboard-champions-to-be-crowned-in-pease-peelers-4599510 Scottish Surfing Federation Coast to Coast Surf School

After years of north coast locations, the Scottish Longboard Championships are moving to the Scottish Borders, writes Roger Cox

27/03/2024

Book review: Atoms of Delight: Ten Pilgrimages in Nature, by Kenneth Steven

In this collection of essays, the poet and author Kenneth Steven offers a warmly inclusive vision of what it means to make a pilgrimage in the 21st century, writes Roger Cox

25/03/2024

Philip Hughes’s well-travelled notebooks to visit The Pier Arts Centre in Stromness

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/philip-hughess-well-travelled-notebooks-to-visit-stromness-4567211 Thames & Hudson

His work has taken him from the icefields of Antarctica to the deserts of Australia, but Scotland (and particularly Assynt) has a special place in the heart of landscape artist Philip Hughes. Interview by Roger Cox

13/03/2024

After a slow start, The Scottish Freedom Series picks up pace with 'The Maverick' at Glencoe Mountain Resort, setting the scene for the Coe Cup

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/skiing-after-a-slow-start-the-scottish-freeride-season-picks-up-pace-with-the-maverick-at-glencoe-4553291 Snowsport Scotland

Improved snow conditions allied to the determination of organisers and competitors enabled the first competition of the Scottish Freeride Series to go ahead, writes Roger Cox

12/03/2024

Passions: When snowboarding through trees, remember to aim for the gaps

Life comes at you fast, as they say, but trees come at you faster

12/03/2024

Book review: Time and Tide: The Long, Long Life of Landscape, by Fiona Stafford

If landscape writing is evolving, this book is a good indication of where it’s got to, and also of where it might be heading next, writes Roger Cox

06/03/2024

Interview: Caitlin Connor on a strong season on the UIAA Ice Climbing circuit and winning the Scottish Youth Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture at Fort William Mountain Festival

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/caitlin-connor-the-gifted-scottish-ice-climber-chipping-away-at-the-world-circuit-4544116 Caitlin Connor - Climber UIAA - International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation

Competitive ice climber Caitlin Connor is reaching new heights, and is now getting deserved attention at home and abroad. Interview by Roger Cox

04/03/2024

Book review: Gathering: Women of Colour on Nature, edited by Durre Shahwar and Nasia Sarwar-Skuse

This new collection of writing by women of colour offers fresh insights into nature, writes Roger Cox

08/02/2024

Wandering: Beautiful new splitboarding film from Hannah Bailey - check it out!

Wandering is a short global women’s splitboarding film exploring the motivation to slow down, connect and protect nature. Featuring an array of passionate sn...

31/01/2024

Today's Changing Room: How a lockdown sea swimming ritual on Iona turned into a book

A new photography book by Rachel Hazell records her daily sea swims off the coast of Iona during lockdown – a period when time seemed to stand still. Interview by Roger Cox

25/01/2024

Thrawn: New Scottish snowboard film by Hannah Bailey stars Olympian Lesley McKenna and Beira, goddess of winter - screening Fort William Mountain Festival on 16 February

For her new film Thrawn, Hannah Bailey set out to champion the snowsports community in the Cairngorms – and in particular some of its strong female characters. Interview by Roger Cox

24/01/2024

Brendan Paddy of Ramblers Scotland on the campaign to reopen the Radical Road on Edinburgh's Salisbury Crags: ‘It’s about managing risk’

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/brendan-paddy-of-ramblers-scotland-on-the-campaign-to-reopen-the-radical-road-its-about-managing-risk-4490111 The Ramblers

Since 2018, when the Radical Road on Edinburgh's Salisbury Crags was closed to the public, Brendan Paddy of Ramblers Scotland has campaigned tirelessly for it to be reopened. Here he explains what’s at stake, and how he hopes a solution might be found. Interview by Roger Cox

22/01/2024

Celebrating 90 years since the first Scottish ski race, the 1934 Killin Slalom

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/celebrating-90-years-since-the-first-scottish-ski-race-the-1934-killin-slalom-4487114 Ski-Scotland Snowsport Scotland Glencoe Mountain Resort Glenshee Ski Centre Lecht 2090 Cairngorm Mountain Resort Nevis Range

Nine decades ago Scotland’s first ever ski race was contested on the slopes of Beinn Ghlas, but the media were nowhere to be seen, writes Roger Cox

20/12/2023

From paragliding to wave-riding: 2023's best books about the great outdoors

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/from-paragliding-to-wave-riding-2023s-best-books-about-the-great-outdoors-4452359

Saraband Books Birlinn Books Andy Bennetts Cross Country Magazine Linda Cracknell Dougie Strang

Buying festive gifts for the outdoors-lover in your life can be tricky​; if in doubt, though, you can't go too far wrong with a ​good book, and 2023 has delivered some inspiring reads on everything from paragliding to wave-riding. Here are a few suggestions.

19/12/2023

Miss out on your copy of Scottish Ski & Board at the weekend? Never mind - here's the e-mag version:

Welcome to the digital version of our annual Scottish Ski & Board supplement

18/12/2023

Skiing: The best way to beat lift pass price hikes? Ski and board in Scotland

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/skiing-the-best-way-to-beat-lift-pass-price-hikes-ski-and-board-in-scotland-4449275 Glenshee Ski Centre Glencoe Mountain Resort Lecht 2090 Cairngorm Mountain Resort Nevis Range Ski-Scotland

With lift pass prices skyrocketing in the Alps and the Rockies, skiing in Scotland is looking like excellent value, writes Roger Cox

15/12/2023

In tomorrow's The Scotsman, don't miss the 23/24 edition of Scottish Ski & Board, featuring a deep-dive into the history of
Ski Club of Great Britain as it marks its 120th birthday and an interview with the Scot helping thousands ski for less each winter. Cover: James Munro at Glencoe Mountain Resort by Stevie McKenna

Ski-Scotland Snowsport Scotland Glencoe Mountain Resort Glenshee Ski Centre Cairngorm Mountain Resort Lecht 2090 Nevis Range Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports

12/12/2023

Book review: Head in the Clouds: The Best Stories From 50 Years of Free Flying, edited by Andrew Craig and Hugh Miller

Charting the development of hang gliding and paragliding from the early, experimental days of the 1970s to some of the more notable adventures of recent times, the stories in this collection range from the sublime to the terrifying, writes Roger Cox

11/12/2023

Is Glenshee really the best Scottish ski resort?

A new study has ranked the UK’s ski centres from best to worst, but how seriously should we take the results, asks Roger Cox

16/11/2023

Interview: Surf photographer Chris Burkard on his new book, The Oceans

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/surf-photographer-chris-burkard-on-his-new-book-the-oceans-4411080 Chris Burkard Photography gestalten

Following hot on the heels of last year’s sort-of autobiography, Wayward, Chris Burkard’s latest book is “more of a love letter to the ocean." Interview by Roger Cox

14/11/2023

Skiing: AI might destroy us, but first it's going to make snowsports better

From cutting the length of lift lines to facilitating personalised ski and snowboard design, there’s a whole host of ways in which AI could improve snowsports, writes Roger Cox

06/11/2023

Book review: Surfing Scotland - 60 Years of Surfing in the Cold Water Kingdom, by Malcolm Findlay and Andy Bennetts

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/book-review-surfing-scotland-60-years-of-surfing-in-the-cold-water-kingdom-by-malcolm-findlay-and-andy-bennetts-4398553 Scottish Surfing Federation

A new book tells the full story of Scottish surfing for the first time, writes Roger Cox

01/11/2023

Photographer Samuel Howard brings Scotland's surf scene into focus with Glasgow exhibition

A new exhibition of work by surf photographer Samuel Howard offers a well-rounded view of the Scottish surfing experience, writes Roger Cox

27/10/2023

Literary lights: new book illuminates the enduring appeal of lighthouses

In his Brief Atlas of the Lighthouses at the End of the World, González Macías asks why lighthouses continue to fascinate us even as they are becoming less necessary, writes Roger Cox